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Ambition fhould be made of fterner stuff.

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that, on the Lupercal,

I thrice presented him a kingly crown ;

Which he did thrice refufe. Was this ambition?
Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;

And, fure, he is an honourable man.

I fpeak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without caufe.
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have loft their reafon-Bear with me.
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I muft pause till it come back to me.

If
you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle; I remember,
The first time ever Cæfar put it on,

"Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii

Look! in this place ran Caffius' dagger through;-
See what a rent the envious Cafca made.
Through this the well-beloved Brutus ftabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,

Mark how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it!
As rushing out of doors, to be refolv'd,
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd, or no:
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæfar's angel.

Judge, oh ye gods! how dearly Cæfar lov'd him;
This, this was the unkindeft cut of all

For when the noble Cæfar faw him ftab,

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Ingratitude,

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Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,

Quite vanquish'd him; then burst his mighty heart:
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's ftatue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.
O what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity; these are gracious drops.

Kind fouls; what, weep you when you but behold

Our Cæfar's vefture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.-
Good friends, fweet friends, let me not stir you up
To any fudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable.

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it; they are wife and honourable;
And will, no doubt, with reafon answer you.

I come not, friends, to fteal away your hearts;
I am no orator, as Brutus is:

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action nor utt'rance, nor the power of speech,
To ftir men's blood; I only speak right on:
I tell you that which you yourfelves do know;
Shew fweet Cæfar's wounds, pocr, poor
you
And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your fpirits, and put a tongue

dumb mouths!

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CAS.

THAT you have made antar petha,

HAT you have wrong'd me doth appear in this,

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letter (praying on his fide,
Because I knew the man) was flighted of.

BRU. You wrong'd yourself to write in fuch a cafe.
CAS. In fuch a time as this, it is not meet

That ev'ry nice offence fhould bear its comment.
BRU. Yet let me tell you, Caffius, you yourfelf
Are much condemned to have an itching palm,
To fell and mart your offices for gold,
To undefervers.

CAS. I an itching palm ?

You know, that you are Brutus that fpake this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your laft.

BRU. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide its head.

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BRU. Remember March, the ides of March remember! Did not great Julius bleed for juftice fake? What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, And not for juftice? What, fhall one of us, That ftruck the foremost man of all this world,. But for fupporting robbers; fhall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes ? S 3

And

And fell the mighty meed of our large honours
For fo much trash, as may be grasped thus ?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than fuch a Roman.

CAS. Brutus, bay not me,

I'll not endure it; you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a foldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

BRU. Go to; you are not, Caffius.
CAS. I am.

BRU. I fay, you are not.

CAS. Urge me no more, I fhall forget myselfHave mind upon your health-tempt me no farther. BRU. Away, flight man!

CAS. Is't poffible?

BRU. Hear me, for I will fpeak.

Muft I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I be frighted when a madman ftares?

CAS. O gods! ye gods! muft I endure all this?

BRU. All this? ay more. Fret till your proud heart break;

Go, tell your flaves how choleric you are,

And make your bondmen tremble. Muft I budge?

Muft I observe you? muft I ftand and crouch
Under your tefty humour? By the gods,
You shall digeft the venom of your spleen,

Tho' it do split you: for from this day forth,
I'll ufe you for my mirth, yea for my laughter,
When you are wafpish.

CAS. Is it come to this?

BRU. You fay, you are a better foldier;

Let

Let it appear fo; make your vaunting true,
And it fhall please me well.

For mine own part,

I fhall be glad to learn of noble men.

CAS. You wrong me every way-
Brutus ;

I faid, an elder foldier, not a better:
Did I say better?

BRU. If you did, I care not.

-you wrong me,

CAS. When Cæfar liv'd, he durft not thus have mov'd me. BRU. Peace, peace, you durft not so have tempted him.... CAS. I durft not!

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CAS. What? durft not tempt him?

BRU. For your life you durft not.

CAS. Do not prefume too much upon my love;

I may do what I fhall be forry for.

BRU. You have done that you should be forry for. There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats;

For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honesty,

That they pass by me, as the idle wind,

Which I respect not.

I did fend to you

For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me;
For I can raise no money by vile means:

By heav'n, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,,
By any indirection. I did fend

To you for gold to pay my legions,.

Which you denied me; was that done like Caffius ??
Should I have anfwer'd Caius Caffius fo?..

When Marcus Brutus grows fo covetous,

To lock fuch raícal counters from his friends,.

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