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Ike a Colossus: and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
'To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus, and Cesar: What should be in that Cesar?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure them,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cesar. [Shout.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cesar feed,
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,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walks encompassed but one man?
CESAR'S DISLIKE OF CASSIUS.

'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:
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:
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort,
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 w I fear, for always I am Cesar.

SPIRIT OF LIBERTY.

I know where I will wear this dagger then: Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius: Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong. Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:

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Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;
But life, being weary of these worldly cars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny, that I do bear,
can shake off at pleasure.

ACT II.

AMBITION CLOTHED IN SPECIOUS HUMILITY.

But 'tis a common proof,*

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face:
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degreest
By which he did ascend.

CONSPIRACY DREADFUL TILL EXECUTED

Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
Like a phantasma,‡ or a hideous dream:
The genius, and the mortal instruments,
Are then in council; and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.

BRUTUS'S APOSTROPHE TO CONSPIRACY.

O conspiracy!

Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free! O, then, by day, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough

To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspi

racy;

Hide in it smiles, and affability:

For if thou path thy native semblance§ on,

Not Erebus itself were dim enough

To hide thee from prevention.

* Experience.

+ Low steps.

+ Visionary

Hell

§ Walk in thy true form.

Gentle friends,

AGAINST CRUELTY.

Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcase fit for hounds;
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide them.

SLEEP.

Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber: Thou hast no figures,* nor no fantasies, Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

PORTIA'S SPEECH TO BRUTUS.

You have ungently, Brutus,

Stole from my bed; and gesternight at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing, and sighing, with your arms across:
And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks:

I urg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
Yet I insisted, yet you answered not;
But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: So I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience,
Which seeem'd too much enkindled; and withal,
Hoping that it was but an effect of humour
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep:
And, could it work so much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.
CALPHURNIA'S ADDRESS TO CESAR ON THE PRODI
GIES SEEN THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS DEATH.

Cal. Cesar, I never stood on ceremonies,‡
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,

Shapes created by imagination. + Temper.
Never paid a regard to prodigies or omens.

Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead
Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds,
In ranks, and squadrons, and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol:
The noise of battle hurtled* in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan;
And ghosts did shriek, and squealt about the streets.
O Cesar! these things are beyond all use,

And I do fear them.

Ces.

What can be avoided, Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods? Yet Cesar shall go forth: for these predictions Are to the world in general, as to Česar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets seen, The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

AGAINST THE FEAR OF DEATH.

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end,

Will come, when it will come.

DANGER.

Danger knows full well

That Cesar is more dangerous than he.
We were two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible.

ENVY.

My heart laments that virtue cannot live Out of the teeth of emulation.‡

ACT III.

ANTONY'S ADDRESS TO TIE CORPSE OF CESAR O, mighty Cesar! Dost thou lie so low?

* Encountered.

† Cry with pain. + Envy.

Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure?-Fare thee well.

ANTONY'S SPEECH TO THE CONSPIRATORS.

I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:* If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cesar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:

No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

REVENGE.

Cesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side, come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry Havoc,† and let slip‡ the dogs of war.

BRUTUS'S SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE.

If there be any in this assembly, any dear frien of Cesar's; to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cesa, was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cesar, this is my answer, -Not that I loved Cesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cesar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cesar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy, for his fortune: honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition. Who is here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so

* Grown too high for the public safety.

The signal for giving no quarter.

To let slip a dog at a deer, &c. was the technical hrase of Shakspeare's time.

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