For private faults in them.
Were not erected by their hands from whom
You have receiv'd your grief; nor are they such
That these great towers, trophies, and schools
should fall
25
Sec. Sen.
Nor are they living
Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame that they wanted cunning in excess 28
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord,
Into our city with thy banners spread:
By decimation, and a tithed death,-
If thy revenges hunger for that food
Which nature loathes,-take thou the destin'd
tenth,
And by the hazard of the spotted die
Let die the spotted.
First Sen.
For those that were, it is not square to take 36
On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin
Which in the bluster of thy wrath must fall
With those that have offended: like a shepherd,
Approach the fold and cull th' infected forth,
But kill not all together.
Sec. Sen.
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile
Than hew to't with thy sword.
First Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope, So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, 48 To say thou'lt enter friendly. Sec. Sen. Throw thy glove, Or any token of thine honour else, That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress And not as our confusion, all thy powers Shall make their harbour in our town, till we Have seal'd thy full desire. Alcib. Then there's my glove; Descend, and open your uncharged ports:
SCENE.-During a great part of the Play, at Rome; afterwards, Sardis and near Philippi.
SCENE I.-Rome. A Street.
Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain
Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou?
Sec. Com. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are
Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get in great danger, I recover them. As proper men you home:
Is this a holiday? What! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
First Com. Why, sir, a carpenter.
Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy
rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?
Second Com. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 12 Sec. Com. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.
as ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.
Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop today?
Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? Sec. Com. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Cæsar and to rejoice in his triumph.
Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than sense-
less things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, 40
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Mar. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
knave, what trade?
16 To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation, 45
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made a universal shout,
Sec. Com. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow!
Sec. Com. Why, sir, cobble you.
Casca. Bid every noise be still: peace yet again! [Music ceases. Cæs. Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, 16 Cry Cæsar.' Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cæs.
What man is that? Bru. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
Cæs. Set him before me; let me see his face. Cas. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Cæsar.
Cas. What sayst thou to me now? Speak once again.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March.
Cæs. He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
[Sennet. Exeunt all but BRUTUS and
CASSIUS.
Cas. Will you go see the order of the course?
Bru. Not I.
Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
I'll leave you.
Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: 32 I have not from your eyes that gentleness And show of love as I was wont to have: You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Over your friend that loves you. Bru. Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Merely upon myself. Vexed I am Of late with passions of some difference, Conceptions only proper to myself, Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviours; But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd,
Among which number, Cassius, be you one,- 44
Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.
Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
48 By means whereof this breast of mine hath
And bade him follow; so, indeed he did.
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn 56 The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,-
Except immortal Cæsar,-speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke, 61
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me,
Cassius,
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cried, 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of
Tiber
64 Did I the tired Cæsar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to A wretched creature and must bend his body hear;
That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
[Flourish and shout.
Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear
the people
Choose Cæsar for their king.
Cas.
Ay, do you fear it? 80
Then must I think you would not have it so.
Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him
well.
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently;
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Cæsar said to me, 'Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake; 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
'Brutus' will start a spirit as soon as 'Cæsar.'
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed, 148
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art
sham'd!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! When went there by an age, since the great flood, 105 But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of
Rome,
153
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have
brook'd
Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men; he loves no
plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;
156 Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort 204
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd 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, 212
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
160 Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present, 164
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further mov'd. What you have said
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
Re-enter CESAR 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:
Calphurnia'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.
[Sennet. Exeunt CÆSAR and his Train.
CASCA stays behind. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?
Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day,
That Cæsar looks so sad.
Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged as tell the manner 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 you, he put it by once; but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again; but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by; and still as he refused it the rabblement 196 shouted and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swounded and fell down at it: and
Caes. Let me have men about me that are fat;
Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o' nights.
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; 193
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.
Cas. Would he were fatter! but I fear him not:
Yet if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
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