X 56. Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shâke:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that same èye, whose bend doth ăwe the world,
Did lose his lustre. I did hear him grðan:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, Give me some drink, Titinius,
As a sick girl.' Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic wòrld,
And bear the palm alone.

[Shout. Flourisk. 55. Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honors that/are heaped on Cæsar.

Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates :
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stárs,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Cæsar: what should be in that Cæsar?
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 with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar. [Shout.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed:
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talked of Rome,
That her wide walls encompassed but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brooked
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.

!

57. Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;

What you would work me to, I have some aim;
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further moved. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say,
I will with patience hear: and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this :
Brutus had rather be a villager,
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us.
58. Cas. I am glad, that my weak words
Have struck but this much shew of fire from Brutus.

Re-enter CÆSAR and his Train. Bru. The games are done and Cæsar is returning. 60. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;

And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you

What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.
61. Bru. I will do so. — But, look you, Cassius,

The angry spot doth glow on Cæsar's brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train :
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being crossed in conference by some senators.
62. Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is.

Cæs. Antonius.

Ant. Cæsar.
65. Cæs. Let me have men about me that are fat;

Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o nights :
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look ;

He thinks too much : such men are dangerous.
66. Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar; he's not dangerous.

He is a noble Roman, and well given.
67. Cæs. 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;

69.

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 mocked himself, and scorned his spirit
That could be moved to smile at anything.
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 feared
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Sennet. Exeunt CÆSAR and his Train. CASCA stays

behind.
Casca. You pulled me by the cloak: would you speak

with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad.

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not?
Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had chanced.

Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him: and, being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a-shouting.

Bru. What was the second noise for?
Casca. Why, for that too.
Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?
Casca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offered him thrice? 78.

Casca. Ay, màrry, was’t, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and, at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted.

Cas. Who offered him the crown?
Casca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. 82. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of

it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown; — yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets; — and, as I told you, he put it by once; but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him

caps, and utte

again; then he put it by again; but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement shouted, and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night

such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it. And, for my own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips,

and receiving the bad air. 83. Cas. But, soft, I pray you. What! did Cæsar swoon?

Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. 85. Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling sickness. 86. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you and I,

And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness. 87. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but I am

sure Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? 89. Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived

the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut. — An I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues. And so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done or said any. thing amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, Alas, good soul !- and forgave him with all their hearts. But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And after that he came thus sad away?
Casca. Ay.
Cas. Did Cicero say anything?
Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek.

Cas. To what effect? 95. Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the

face again. But those that understood him smiled at one

102.

another, and shook their heads; but, for my own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca ? 97. Casca. No, I am promised forth.

Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the eating.

Cas. Good: I will expect you.
Casca. Do so. Farewell, both. [Exit CASCA.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!

He was quick mettle when he went to school.
103. Cas. So is he now, in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words

With better appetite.
104. Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you:

To-morrow if you please to speak with me,
I will come home to you; or, if you will,

Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
X 105. Cas. I will do so :— till then, think of the world.

[Exit BRUTUS.
Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
Thy honorable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm, that cannot be seduced ?
Cæsar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus:
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
Cæsar's ambition shall be glanced at:
And, after this, let Cæsar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Exit.