[Exit. Luc. I will, Sir. 153. Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, Give so much light, that I may read by them. [Opens the letter, and reads. "Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress!". Such instigations have been often dropped Where I have took them up. Shall Rome, &c. Thus must I piece it out: Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome? The Tarquin drive, when he was called a king. Speak, strike, redress! Am I entreated To speak, and strike? O Rome! I make thee promise, If the redress will follow, thou receivest Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus. Re-enter LUCIUS. 154. Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. [Knock within. [Exit LUCIUS. 155. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing And the first motion, all the interim is Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream: The nature of an insurrection. Re-enter LUCIUS. 156. Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, Who doth desire to see you. Bru. Is he alone? 158. Luc. No, Sir, there are moe with him. Bru. Do you know them? 160. Luc. No, Sir; their hats are pluckt about their ears, And half their faces buried in their cloaks, That by no means I may discover them By any mark of favour. 161. Bru. Let 'em enter. [Exit LUCIUS They are the faction. O Conspiracy! Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, Conspiracy; For, if thou path, thy native semblance on, Not Erebus itself were dim enough To hide thee from prevention. Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS. 162. Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest: Good morrow, Brutus; Do we trouble you? Bru. I have been up this hour; awake, all night. Cas. Yes, every man of them; and no man here Which every noble Roman bears of you. Bru. He is welcome hither. Cas. This, Decius Brutus. Bru. He is welcome too. 168. Cas. This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber. Bru. They are all welcome. What watchful cares do interpose themselves Cas. Shall I entreat a word ? [They whisper. Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break here? Casca. No. 173. Cin. O, pardon, Sir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. 174. Casca. You shall confess, that you are both deceived. Which is a great way growing on the south, Some two months hence, up higher toward the north 175. Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one. 177. Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face of men, The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse, If these be motives weak, break off betimes, That this shall be, or we will fall for it? If he do break the smallest particle Of any promise that hath passed from him. 178. Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him? I think, he will stand very strong with us. Casca. Let us not leave him out. Cin. No, by no means. 181. Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: 182. Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him; For he will never follow anything That other men begin. Cas. Then leave him out. Casca. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touched but only Cæsar? 186. Cas. Decius, well urged :—I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well beloved of Cæsar, As to annoy us all: which to prevent, Let Antony and Cæsar fall together. 187. Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. 188. Cas. Yet I do fear him. For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar,- Is to himself, take thought, and die for Cæsar: 190. Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die; Bru. Peace, count the clock. 192. Cas. The clock hath stricken three. Treb. 'Tis time to part.. 194. Cas. But it is doubtful yet Whether Cæsar will come forth to-day or no: [Clock strikes. Quite from the main opinion he held once For I can give his humour the true bent; Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. 197. Bru. By the eighth hour: Is that the uttermost? Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then. 199. Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard, Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey; I wonder none of you have thought of him. 200. Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along by him: He loves me well, and I have given him reasons; : 201. Cas. The morning comes upon us: We'll leave you, Brutus :And, friends, disperse yourselves: but all remember What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans. 202. Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; Let not our looks put on our purposes: But bear it as our Roman actors do, With untired spirits, and formal constancy: [Exeunt all but BRUTUS. Boy! Lucius!-Fast asleep? It is no matter; And so, good morrow to you every one. Enjoy the heavy honey-dew of slumber : Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now? It is not for your health, thus to commit |