Bru. Not I.
Caf. I pray you, do.
Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Caffius, your defires;
Caf. Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness,
And shew of love, as I was wont to have :
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand[3]
Over your friend that loves you.
Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am,
Of late, with paffions of fome difference,[4]
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some foil, perhaps, to my behaviours :
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd
(Among which number, Caffius, be you one);
Nor conftrue any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shews of love to other men.
Caf. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your paffion; By means whereof, this breast of mine hath bury'd Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Tell me, good Brutus, can you fee your face?
Bru. No, Caffius: for the eye fees not itself, But by reflection, by fome other things.
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no fuch mirrors, as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might fee your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best refspect in Rome
(Except immortal Cæfar), speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me Caffius,
That you would have me feek into myself
For that which is not in me?
Caf. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: And, fince you know you cannot fee yourself [3] Strange-is alien, unfamiliar, fuch as might become a stranger. JOH [4] With a fluctuation of difcordant opinions and defires.
So well as by reflexion; I, your glass,
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself, which yet you know not of.
And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus :
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To ftale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protestor ; [5] if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know,
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people
Choose Cæfar for their king.
Caf. Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think, you would not have it fo.
Bru. I would not, Caffius; yet I love him well :-
But wherefore do you hold me here so long ?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be ought toward the general good,
Set Honour in one eye, and Death i'the other,
And I will look on both indifferently :
For, let the Gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.-
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my fingle self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cæfar; so were you :
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold, as well as he.
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with his shores,
Cæfar said to me, Dar'st thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point ?-Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty finews; throwing it afide,
[5] To invite every new protestor to my affection by the stale or allure ment of customary oaths. JOHNS. VOL. VI. T
And stemming it with hearts of controversy:
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæfar cry'd, Help me, Caffius, or I fink.
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, fo, from the waves of Tyber,
Did I the tired Cæfar: And this man
Is now become a God; and Caffius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæfar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And, when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this God did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that fame eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre. I did hear him groan :
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cry'd, Give me fome drink, Titinius,
As a fick girl. Ye Gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of fuch a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,[5]
And bear the palm alone.
Bru. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar. Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Coloffus; 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 Gesar! What should be in that Cæfar? Why should that name be founded more than your's! 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 them, Brutus will start a spirit as foon as Cæfar.
[5] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympic games. The majestic world' is a fine periphrafis for the Roman Empire: their citizens set themselves on a footing with Kings, and they called their dominion Orbis Romanus. But the particular allusion seems to be to the known ftory of Cæfar's great pattern Alexander, who being asked, Whether he would run the course at the Olympic games, replied, "Yes, if the racers were kings." WARBUR.
Now, in the names of all the Gods at once,
Upon what meat does this our Cæfar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd!
Rome, thou hast loft the breed of noble bloods !
When went there by an age, fince 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 walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
Oh! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once, [6] that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king..
Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous ;
What you would work me to, I have fome 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 mov'd. What you have faid,
I will confider; 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 fon of Rome
Under such hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
Caf. I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much shew of fire from Brutus,
Re-enter CÆSAR and his Train.
Bru. The games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the fleeve:
And he will, after his four fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.
Bru. I will do fo :-But look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cæfar'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, [7]
As we have fseen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by some senators.
[6] i. e. Lucius Junius Brutus. [7] A ferret has red eyes. JOHNG.
Caf. Casca will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,
Ant. Cæfar !
Caf. [To ANTONY apart.] Let me have men about
Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep o'nights:
Yon Caffius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.
Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.
Caf. 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 foon as that spare Caffius. He reads much;
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou doft, Antony: he hears no music :
Seldom he fmiles; and smiles in such a fort,
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,
Whilft they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Exeunt CESAR, and his Train.
Manent BRUTUS and CASSIUS: CASCA to them. Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?
Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks so sad?
Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then afk Casca what had chanc'd. Cafca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him: and being offer'd 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?
Cafca. Why, for that too.
Caf. They shouted thrice; what was the last cry for? Cafca. Why, for that too.
Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?
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