Re-enter Cæsar and his Train.

Bru. I will do so: but, look you, Cassius,

The angry spot doth glow on Cæsar's brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train:
Calpurnia's cheek is pale, and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes
As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being cross'd in conference by some senators.
Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is.
Cæs. Antonius!

Ant. Cæsar?

Cæs. Let me have men about me that are fat,

190

Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights: Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar; he 's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given. Cæs. Would he were fatter! but I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear,

200

I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
He is a great observer, and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no
plays,

192-195. So in North's Plutarch, Life of Julius Cæsar: "Cæsar had Cassius in jelousie, and suspected him much: whereupon he said on a time to his friends, 'What wil Cassius do, think ye? I like not his pale looks.' Another time, when Cæsars friends complained unto him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended some mischief towards him, he answered them,-'As for those fat men, and smooth combed heads, I never reckon of them; but these pale visaged and carion leane people, I feare them most'; meaning Brutus and Cassius."-H. N. H.

193. "Sleek-headed"; an excellent variant for North's matter-offact "smooth-combed."-C. H. H.

210

As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music:
Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be moved to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
Exeunt Cæsar and all
his train but Casca.

[Sennet.

Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?

Bru. Aye, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad.

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had

chanced.

Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him: 220 and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus: and then the people fell a-shouting.

Bru. What was the second noise for?

Casca. Why, for that too.

Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?

Casca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offered him thrice?

226. "They shouted thrice"; in Plutarch the offer was made twice. -C. H. H.

Casca. Aye, marry, was 't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at 230 every putting by mine honest neighbors shouted.

Cas. Who offered him the crown?

Casca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.
Casca. I can as well be hang'd as tell the man-
ner of it: it was mere foolery; I did not
mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a
crown: yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas
one of these coronets: and, as I told
put it by once: but for all that, to
ing, he would fain have had it.
offered it to him again; then he

you, he 240 my thinkThen he put it by

229-232. Plutarch's best account of this incident is given in the Life of Antonius: "The Romaines celebrated the feast called Lupercalia, and Cæsar, being apparalled in his triumphing robe, was set in the tribune where they use to make orations to the people, and from thence did behold the sport of the runners. Antonius, being one among the rest that was to run, leaving the old customes of that solemnity, ran to the tribune where Cæsar was set, and caried a laurell crowne in his hand, having a royall band or diademe wreathed about it, which was the ancient marke and token of a king. When he was come to Cæsar, he made his fellow-runners lift him up, and so he put the laurell crowne upon his head, signifying thereby that he deserved to be king. But Cæsar, making as though he refused it, turned away his head. The people were so rejoiced at it, that they al clapped their hands for joy. Antonius againe did put it on his head; Cæsar againe refused it: and thus they were striving off and on a great while together. As oft as Antonius did put this laurell crowne unto him, a few of his followers rejoiced at it; and as oft also as Cæsar refused it, all the people together clapped their hands. And this was a wonderfull thing, that they suffered al things subjects should do by commandment of their kings; and yet they could not abide the name of a king, detesting it as the utter destruction of their liberty.”—H. N. H.

again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath
to lay his fingers off it. And then he of-
fered it the third time; he put it the third
time by: and still as he refused it, the rab-
blement hooted and clapped their chopped
hands and threw up their sweaty night-caps
and uttered such a deal of stinking breath 250
because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had
almost choked Cæsar; for he swounded and
fell down at it: and for mine own part,
I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my
lips and receiving the bad air.

Cas. But, soft, I pray you: what, did Cæsar
swound?

Casca. He fell down in the market-place and foamed at mouth and was speechless.

Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness. 260 Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not: but you, and I,

And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that, but

I am sure Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag
people did not clap him and hiss him accord-
ing as he pleased and displeased them, as
they used to do the players in the theater,
I am no true man.

Bru. What said he when he came unto himself?
Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he 270

260. “'Tis very like: he hath"; Theobald's emendation; Ff.,“ 'Tis very like he hath.”—I. G.

270.-285. The Poet here borrows an incident that is related by Plutarch as having taken place on another occasion some time before the offering Cæsar the crown in public: "When they had decreed divers honors for him in the Senate, the Consuls and Prætors,

perceived the common herd was glad he re-
fused the crown, he plucked me ope his
doublet and offered them his throat to cut.
An I had been a man of any occupation,
if I would not have taken him at a word, I
would I might go to hell among the rogues.
And so he fell. When he came to himself
again, he said, if he had done or said any-
thing amiss, he desired their worships to
think it was his infirmity. Three or four 280
wenches, where I stood, cried 'Alas, good
soul!' and forgave him with all their hearts:
but there's no heed to be taken of them; if
Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would
have done no less.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away?
Casca. Aye.

Cas. Did Cicero say any thing?

Casca. Aye, he spoke Greek.

accompanied with the whole Senate, went unto him in the market place, where he was set by the pulpit for orations, to tell him what honors they had decreed for him in his absence. But he, sitting still in his majestie, disdaining to rise up unto them, when they came in, as if they had been private men, answered them, that his honors had more need to be cut off than enlarged. This did not onely offend the Senate but the people also, to see that he should so lightly esteeme of the magistrates; insomuch as every man that might lawfully go his way departed thence very sorrowfully. Thereupon also Cæsar rising departed home, and, tearing open his dublet coller, making his necke bare, he cried out aloud to his friends, that his throate was readie to offer to any man that would come and cut it. Notwithstanding, it is reported that afterwards, to excuse his folly, he imputed it to his disease, saying that their wits are not perfit which have this disease of the falling evill, when standing on their feete they speake to the people, but are soone troubled with a trembling of their bodie, and a sodaine dimnesse and giddinesse."-H. N. H.