BRU. Hear me, for I will speak ! Must I give way and room to your rash choler? SCENE III.-— Within the Tent of Brutus. Shall I be frighted when a madman stares ? this? Bru. All this ! ay, more : fret till your proud heart break; Cas. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in Go show your slaves how choleric you are, this, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,(1) Must I observe you ? must I stand and crouch For taking bribes here of the Sardians ; Under your testy humour ? By the gods, Wherein my letters, praying on his side, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Because I knew the man, were slighted off. Though it do split you ! for, from this day forth, Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, case. When you are waspish. Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet Cas. Is it come to this? That every nice offence should bear his comment. BRU. You say you are a better soldier: Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you, yourself, Let it appear so ; make your vaunting true, Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm And it shall please me well: for mine own part, To sell and mart your offices for gold I shall be glad to learn of noble men. To undeservers. Cas. You wrong me; every way you wrong Cas. I an itching palm ! me, Brutus ; If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar liv'd he durst not thus have And chastisement doth therefore hide his head. mov'd me. Cas. Chastisement ! Bru. Peace, peace! you durst not so have Bru. Remember March, the ides of March re tempted him. member! Cas. I durst not? Did not great Julius bleed for justice sake ? BRU. No. What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, Cas. What, durst not tempt him? And not for justice? What, shall one of us, BRU. For your life you durst not. That struck the foremost man of all this world Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love ; But for supporting robbers, shall we now I may do that I shall be sorry for. Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, Bru. You have done that you should be sorry And sell the mighty space of our large honours for. For so much trash as may be grasped thus ? There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats ; I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, For I am arm’d so strong in honesty, Than such a Roman. That they pass by me as the idle wind, Cas. Brutus, bay* not me, Which I respect not. I did send to you I'll not endure it: you forget yourself, For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;To hedge me in ; I am a soldier, I, For I can raise no money by vile means : Older in practice, abler than yourself By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, To make conditions. And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring BRU. Go to; you are not, Cassius. From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash Cas. I am. By any indirection !—I did send Bru. I say you are not. To you for gold to pay my legions, Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; | Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius? Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so? Bru. Away, slight man ! When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, Cas. Is't possible? To lock such rascal counters from his friends, (*) Old text, baite, corrected by Theobald. Collier's annotator, and looking to what Cassius had previously said, Let me tell you, Cassius, &c.] This defective line has been "I am a soldier, I. amended, and rightly perhaps, to, Older in practice, abler than yourself," &e. “Yet let me tell you, Cassius," &c. b -- of noble men.) “of abler men," is the reading of Mr. of Me | it is a very plausible emendation. Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts, Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep My spirit from mine eyes !—There is my dagger, Bru. You did. And here my naked breast; within, a heart Cas. I did not :—he was but a fool Dearer than Plutus'* mine, richer than gold: That brought my answer back.—Brutus hath riv'd If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth ; my heart: I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart : A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar ; for, I know, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov’dst him Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me. better Cas. You love me not. Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius. Sheathe your dagger: 0, Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb, a — As huge as high Olympus. That carries anger as the flint bears fire; Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, And straight is cold again. For Cassius is a-weary of the world ! Hath Cassius liv'd Hated by one he loves ; brav'd by his brother; To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd, When grief and blood, ill-temper’d, vexeth him ? Cas. (*) Old text, Pluto's. a — you are yoked with a lamb,-) "Lamb" can hardly have been the poet's word, and Pope, who saw its unfitness, printed man; but it requires a happier conjecture than this to justify an alteration of the text. b When grief and blood, ill-temper'd, &c.] By ill-tempered is meant badly qualified. “The four humours' in a man, accord. ing to the old physicians, were blood, choler, phlegm, and melancholy. So long as these were duly mixed, all would be well.” -TRENCH. Cas. me, Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-temperd! Bru. No man bears sorrow better :-Portia is too. dead. Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your Cas. Ha! Portia ? hand. BRU. She is dead. Bru. And my heart too. Cas. How ’scaped I killing when I cross'd you 0, Brutus ! so?BRU. What's the matter? | 0, insupportable and touching loss !-Cas. Have not you love enough to bear with Upon what sickness ? Bru. Impatient of my absence, When that rash humour which my mother gave And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony me Have made themselves so strong;—for with her Makes me forgetful ? death Bru. Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth, That tidings came :—with this she fell distract, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire. He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so. Cas. And died so ? Noise without. BRU. Even so. Poet. [Without.] Let me go in to see the Cas. O, ye immortal gods ! generals ; There is some grudge between 'em, 't is not meet Enter LUCIUS, with wine and tapers. They be alone. LUCIL. [Without.] You shall not come to them. Bru. Speak no more of her.—Give me a bowl of wine.-- In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. [Drinks. pledge. Enter Poet, followed by LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup; Bru. Come in, Titinius ! - mean? Re-enter TITINIUS with MESSALA. Welcome, good Messala — rhyme ! Now sit we close about this taper here, Bau. Get you hence, sirrah ; saucy fellow, | And call in question our necessities. hence! Cas. Portia, art thou gone ? Cas. Bear with him, Brutus : 't is his fashion. BRU. No more, I pray you.— Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows | Messala, I have here received letters, his time : That young Octavius and Mark Antony What should the wars do with these jigging | Come down upon us with a mighty power, fools ? Bending their expedition toward Philippi. Companion, hence ! (2) Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same Cas. Away, away, be gone! tenor. [Exit Poet. Bru. With what addition ? Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders Mes. That by proscription and bills of outPrepare to lodge their companies to-night. lawry, Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, with you, Have put to death an hundred senators. Immediately to us. BRU. Therein our letters do not well agree ; [Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Mine speak of seventy senators that died BRU. Lucius, a bowl of wine. By their proscriptions, Cicero being one. CAs. I did not think you could have been so Cas. Cicero one! angry. Mes. Cicero is dead, Bru. O, Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. And by that order of proscription. Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use, Had you your letters from your wife, my lord ? If you give place to accidental evils. Bru. No, Messala, MES. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her? | And nature must obey necessity; Which we will niggard with a little rest. That, methinks, is strange. There is no more to say ? Brr. Why ask you ? hear you aught of her Cas. No more. Good night; in yours? Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence. MEs. No, my lord. Brr. Lucius, my gown. [Exit Lucius.] FareBru. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true. well, good Messala :MEs. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell : | Good night, Titinius :-noble, noble Cassius, For certain she is dead, and by strange manner. Good night, and good repose. BRU. Why, farewell, Portia.—We must die, Cas. O, my dear brother! Messala : This was an ill beginning of the night : With meditating that she must die once, Never come such division 'tween our souls ! I have the patience to endure it now. | Let it not, Brutus. MES. Even so great men great losses should Bru. Every thing is well. endure. Cas. Good night, my lord. Cas. I have as much of this in art as you, Bru. Good night, good brother. But yet my nature could not bear it so. Tit., MES. Good night, lord Brutus. Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you Brr. Farewell, every one. think [Exeunt Cas., Tit., and MES. Of marching to Philippi presently? Cas. I do not think it good. Re-enter Lucius, with the gown. Brı. Your reason ? Cas. This it is : Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument ? ”T is better that the enemy seek us : Luc. Here in the tent. So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers, Bru. What, thou speak’st drowsily? Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still, Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erAre full of rest, defence, and nimbleness. watch’d. Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place Call Claudius, and some other of my men ; to better. I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent. The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground Luc. Varro and Claudius ! Enter Varro and CLAUDIUS. Bru. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep; If at Philippi we do face him there, It may be, I shall raise you by and by These people at our back. On business to my brother Cassius. Cas. Hear me, good brother. Var. So please you, we will stand and watch Bru. Under your pardon.—You must note your pleasure. beside, Bru. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs ; That we have tried the utmost of our friends, It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe: Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so; The enemy increaseth every day; I put it in the pocket of my gown. We, at the height, are ready to decline. [Var. and Clav. lie down. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Luc. I was sure your lordship did not give it Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; me. Omitted, all the voyage of their life Bru. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forIs bound in shallows and in miseries. getful. On such a full sea are we now afloat ; Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, Luc. Ay, my lord, an't please you. It does, my boy: We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi. I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing. Bru. The deep of night is crept upon our talk, Luc. It is my duty, sir. Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy | That plays thee music ?—Gentle knave, good might; night; I know young bloods look for a time of rest. I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee. Luc. I have slept, my lord, already. If thou dost nod, thou break’st thy instrument; Bru. It was well done ; and thou shalt sleep I'll take it from thee : and, good boy, good again; night. — I will not hold thee long: if I do live, Let me see, let me see ;-is not the leaf turn'd I will be good to thee. [Music, and a Song. down This is a sleepy tune :-0, murderous slumber! Where I left reading ? Here it is, I think Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy, [Sits down. |