Auf. My lords, when you shall know (as in this rage, Provok'd by him, you cannot,) the great danger Which this man's life did owe you, you'll rejoice That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours 1 Lord. Bear from hence his body, And mourn you for him: let him be regarded As the most noble corse, that ever herald Did follow to his urn. 4 R ACT I. SCENE I.-Rome.-A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a Rabble of CITIZENS. Flav. Hence; home, you idle creatures, get you home; Is this a holiday? What! know you not, 1 Cit. Why, Sir, a carpenter. Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on?You, Sir; what trade are you? 2 Cit. Truly, Sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 2 Cit. A trade, Sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, Sir, a mender of bad soals. Mar. What trade, thou knave; thou naughty knave, what trade? 2 Cil. Nay, I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, Sir, I can mend they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neats-leather, have gone upon my handy-work. Flav But wherefore art not in thy shop today? [streets? Why dost thou lead these men about the 2 Cit. Truly, Sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, Sir, we make holiday to see Cesar, and to rejoice in his triumph. Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome, less things! O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, SCENE II.3 Assemble all the poor men of your sort;* You know, it is the feast of Lupercal. Flav. It is no matter; let no images Will make him fly an ordinary pitcb; [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same.-A public Place. Enter, in Procession, with Music, CESAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPHURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA, a great Crowd following, among them a SOOTHSAYER. Ces. Calphurnia, Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: Bru. Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook By means whereof, this breast of mine hath Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. And it is very much lamented, Brutus, Casca. Peace, ho! Cesar speaks. Ces. Calphurnia,— Ces. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, When he doth run his course.§-Antonius. Ant. Cesar, my lord. Ces. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia: for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their steril curse. Ant. I shall remember: When Cesar says, Do this, it is perform'd. Sooth. Cesar. [Music. Ces. Ha! who calls? me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Bru. A soothsayer, bids you beware the ides Ces. Set him before me, let me see his face. Ces. What say'st thou to me now? Speak South. Beware the ides of March. (Except immortal Cesar,) speaking of Brutus, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar❜d to hear: And, since you know you cannot see yourself Cas. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. well: But wherefore do you hold me here so long? Set honour in one eye, and death i'the other, The name of honour more than I fear death. Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, + Allure. I had as lief not be, as live to be In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cesar; so were you: Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Did I the tired Cesar: And this man His coward lips did from their colour fly; And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world, mans Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan: I do believe, that these applauses are Like a Colossus; and we petty men 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 them, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cesar. [Shout. Now in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Cesar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd: Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! That her wide walks encompass'd but one There was a Brutus* once, 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; [aim;1 What you would work me to, I have some How I have thought of this, and of these times, I shall recount hereafter; for this present, Till then, my noble friend, chew‡ upon this; Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cesar is returning. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca, by the sleeve; And he will after his sour fashion, tell you Bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius, Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o'nights: [ous; Yet if my name were liable to fear, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cesar looks so sad. Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. 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? Casca. Ay. Cas. Did Cicero say any thing? Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek. Cas. To what effect? Cusca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i'the face again: But those, that understood him, smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cesar's images, are put to silence. Fare you Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it. last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice ? Casca. Ay, marry, 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? Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. 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 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 hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cesar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cesar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. "Tis very like: he hath the falling-sick ness. Cas. No, Cesar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sick ness. Cusca. I know nor what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cesar fell down. If the tagrag 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? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd 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 Cesar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away? Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? 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 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. Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you: To-morrow if you please to speak with me, If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, Cesar's ambition shall be glanced at: SCENE III.-The same.-A Street. Thunder and Lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, CASCA, with his sword drawn, and CICERO. Cic. Good even, Casca: Brought you Cesar home? Why are you breathless? and why stare you so? Casca. Are you not mov'd, when all the sway of earth Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero, * Disposed to. Has an unfavourable opinion of me. |