Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applauses are

For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar.
Caf. 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 difhonourable graves.
Men at fome time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus, and Cæfar: What should be in that Cæfar?
Why fhould that name be founded 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 them,
Brutus will start a spirit as foon as Cæfar.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæfar feed,

That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art fham'd:
Rome, thou haft 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 fay, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls incompafs'd 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 fay,

There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his ftate in Rome,

As eafily as a king.

?

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

* walls]-walks.

y Brutus]-Lucius Junius.

The eternal devil]-His perpetual dominion-infernal.

What

What you would work me to, I have fome aim:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I fhall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, fo with love I might entreat you,
Be any further mov'd What you
have faid,
I will confider; what you have to fay,

I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, fuch high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;
Brutus had rather be a villager,

a

Than to repute himself a fon of Rome
Under fuch hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad, that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus.

Re-enter Cæfar, and his Train.

Bru. The games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;
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 reft look like a chidden train :
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have feen him in the Capitol,

b

Being crofs'd in conference by fome fenators,

Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is,
Caf. Antonius.

Ant. Cæfar.

chow upon this ;]-ruminate, reflect upon this at your leifure. b ferret-red.

Caf.

Caf. Let me have men about me, that are fat;
Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep o'nights:
Yon Caffius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much; fuch men are dangerous.
Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Ca. '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 musick :
Seldom he fmiles; and fimiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himself, and fcorn'd his fpirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
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 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 Cafar, and his train.

Manent Brutus and Caffius: Cafea to them.

Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca, tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why you were with him, were you not?

Bru. I fhould not then aík Cafca what had chanc'd. Cafca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him: and being

offer'd

offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus: and then the people fell a' fhouting.

Bru. What was the fecond noise for?

Cafca. Why for that too.

Caf. They fhouted thrice: What was the laft cry for? Cafca. Why for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice ?

Cafca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted.

Caf. Who offer'd him the crown?

Cafca, Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.

Cafca. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it; it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a crown;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of thefe 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 offer'd it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by and ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath because Cæfar refus'd the crown, that it had almost choak'd Cæfar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you: What? did Cæfar fwoon? Cafca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless.

coronets;]-chaplets of laurel.

and fell down]-Cafar was fubject to the falling-fickness.

Bra.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-sickness.
Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you, and I,
And honest Casca, we have the falling-fickness.

Cafca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am fure, Cæfar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am

no true man.

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himself?

Cafca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the crown, he pluck'd me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut.-An I had been fa 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 fo he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cry'd, Alas, good foul!-ånd forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæfar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away? Cafea. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafca. Ay, he fpoke Greek.

Caf. To what effect?

Cafca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: But thofe, that understood him, fmil'd at one another, and shook their heads: but, for mine own part,

the tag-rag people]" Before the tag return."

COR. A. III. S. 1. Com.

f a man of any occupation,]-a common mechanic, one of those ple

beians to whom he made the offer.