524. Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemned to have an itching palm, To sell and mart your offices for gold To undeservers. Cas. I an itching palm? You know that you are Brutus that speaks this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last. 526. Bru. The name of Cassius honors this corruption, And chastisement doth therefore hide his head. Cas. Chastisement! 528. Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember! 529. Cas. Brutus, bay not me; I'll not endure it: you forget yourself, 530. Bru. Go to; you are not, Cassius. 533. Cas. I am. Bru. I say, you are not. Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. 534. Bru. Away, slight man! Cas. Is't possible? 536. Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares? Cas. O ye gods! ye gods! 538. Bru. All this? Ay, more. break; Must I endure all this? Fret till your proud heart Go, show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, Cas. Is it come to this? 540. Bru. You say you are a better soldier: 541. Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well. For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of abler men. Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Brutus; I said an elder soldier, not a better: Did I say better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar lived he durst not thus have moved me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durṣt not so have tempted him. Cas. I durst not? Bru. No. Cas. What? durst not tempt him? Bru. For your life you durst not. Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love: I may do that I shall be sorry for. 550. Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats: For I am armed so strong in honesty, That they pass by me as the idle wind, For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; - By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring By any indirection. I did send To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, To lock such rascal counters from his friends, Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts; Cas. I denied you not. Bru. You did. 553. Cas. I did not: - he was but a fool That brought my answer back. — Brutus hath rived my heart: A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me. Bru. I do not like your faults. Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. 558. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus. 559. Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius! For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; My spirit from mine eyes! -There is my dagger, I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart: Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know, When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better Than ever thou lovedst Cassius. 560. Bru. Sheathe your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb, 561. Cas. Hath Cassius lived To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. 567. Cas. Have not you love enough to bear with me, When that rash humour which my mother gave me Makes me forgetful? 568. Bru. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so. [Noise within. 569. Poet. [Within.] Let me go in to see the generals: There is some grudge between 'em; 'tis not meet They be alone. 570. Lucil. [Within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me. Enter POET. Cas. How now? What's the matter? 573. Poet. For shame, you generals! What do you mean? Love, and be friends, as two such men should be; 574. For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye. Cas. Ha, ha! how vilely doth this Cynic rhyme! Bru. Get you hence, sirrah! saucy fellow, hence! Cas. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion. 577. Bru. I'll know his humour when he knows his time. What should the wars do with these jigging fools? Companion, hence! Cas. Away! away, be gone!' [Exit POET. Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. 579. Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night. 580. Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you, Immediately to us. [Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Cas. I did not think you could have been so angry. Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use, If you give place to accidental evils. Bru. No man bears sorrow better.- Portia is dead. Cas. Ha! Portia? Bru. She is dead. 588. Cas. How 'scaped I killing, when I crossed you so?— O insupportable and touching loss! Upon what sickness? 589. Bru. Impatient of my absence; 592. And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong; — for with her death That tidings came; — with this she fell distract, And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire. Cas. And died so? Bru. Even so. Cas. O ye immortal gods! Enter LUCIUS, with Wine and Tapers. Bru. Speak no more of her. - Give me a bowl of wine: In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. [Drinks. Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA. - [Drinks. 595. Bru. Come in, Titinius.—Welcome, good Messala. Now sit we close about this taper here, And call in question our necessities. 597. Bru. No more, I pray you. Messala, I have here received letters, That young Octavius, and Mark Antony, Bending their expedition toward Philippi. 598. Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same tenour. Bru. With what addition? 600. Mes. That by proscription and bills of outlawry, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus Have put to death an hundred senators. Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree: Mine speak of seventy senators that died |