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. 145
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.

Cassius.
I am glad that my weak words 150
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

SCENE II. THE TURN OF THE BALANCE.

Brutus, after anxious thought, decides to join the movement against Caesar. The night has been stormy and he cannot sleep. He walks in his garden before daybreak. The darkness is broken by occasional flashes of lightning as the storm begins to die away.

Enter Brutus.

Brutus. What, Lucius, ho!

I cannot, by the progress of the stars,

Give guess how near to day. Lucius, I say!
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.

When, Lucius, when! Awake, I say! what, Lucius !

Enter Lucius, the page.

Lucius. Called you, my lord?

Brutus. Get me a taper in my study, Lucius : When it is lighted, come and call me here.

Lucius. I will, my lord.

5

[Exit.

Brutus. It must be by his death: and, for my part, 10

I know no personal cause to spurn at him,

But for the general. He would be crowned:

How that might change his nature, there's the question :
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;

And that craves wary walking. Crown him?—that ;—
And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,
That at his will he may do danger with.
The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse from power and, to speak truth of Caesar,
I have not known when his affections swayed
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof,

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20

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend: so Caesar may;
Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no colour for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these and these extremities:

And therefore think him as a serpent's egg,

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30

Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous; And kill him in the shell.

Re-enter Lucius.

Lucius. The taper burneth in your closet, sir.
Searching the window for a flint, I found
This paper, thus sealed up, and I am sure
It did not lie there when I went to bed.

35

[Gives him the letter. Brutus. Get you to bed again; it is not day. Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March? Lucius. I know not, sir.

Brutus. Look in the calendar, and bring me word. Lucius. I will, sir.

40

[Exit.

Brutus. The exhalations whizzing in the air Give so much light, that I may read by them. [Opens the letter, and reads

'Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake, and see thyself.
Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress!'-[A pause.
'Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake!'

Such instigations have been often dropped
Where I have took them up.

Shall Rome, &c.' Thus must I piece it out;

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50

Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome ?

My ancestors did from the streets of Rome

The Tarquin drive, when he was called a king. 'Speak, strike, redress!' Am I entreated

55

To speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise,
If the redress will follow, thou receivest
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus !

SCENE III. THE MURDER OF CAESAR.

The scene is at first a street before the Capitol, or great national temple of Rome; then it changes to the Capitol itself. The date is the ' ides', or 15th of March, 44 B.C. Enter Caesar in state, attended by Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius, Publius, and Senators. A crowd comes in; among them a Soothsayer, who has already prophesied danger to Caesar on the ides, and Artemidorus, who knows of the plot and hopes to warn Caesar. The procession advances to the front of the stage.

Caesar [noticing the Soothsayer]. The ides of March are

come.

Soothsayer. Aye, Caesar; but not gone.

Artemidorus [coming forward with a paper]. Hail, Caesar! read this schedule.

Decius [pushing him aside, and presenting another paper which he snatches from Trebonius]. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,

At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

5

Artemidorus. O Caesar! read mine first; for mine's a suit

That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar. Caesar [taking the paper from Decius]. What touches us ourself shall be last served.

Artemidorus [excitedly, while_Trebonius, Decius, and Publius stand in his way]. Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.

Caesar. What, is the fellow mad?

Publius. Sirrah, give place. [They thrust him aside. 10 Caesar. What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol.

Caesar passes to the Capitol (that is, to the Shadow' at the back of the stage); the Senators go with him. Popilius [following with the Senators, and passing Cassius]. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. Cassius. What enterprise, Popilius ?

Popilius.

Fare you well. [He advances to Caesar, Cassius looks confused.

Brutus [noticing Cassius' look]. What said Popilius Lena ?

15

Cassius. He wished to-day our enterprise might thrive. I fear our purpose is discoverèd.

Brutus. Look, how he makes to Caesar: mark him. Cassius.

Be sudden, for we fear preventión.

Casca,

[Popilius kisses Caesar's hand. Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.
Brutus.

Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

20

For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change. Cassius. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

25

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius. Decius. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

[Metellus advances to Caesar. Brutus. He is addressed: press near and second him. Cinna. Casca, you are the first that rear your hand. Casca. Are we all ready?

Caesar.

[He takes his place by Caesar's chair. What is now amiss,

That Caesar and his senate must redress?

Metellus. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant

Caesar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
A humble heart,—

[Kneeling.

35

Caesar.
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond

To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood,
That will be thawed from the true quality

40

With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel-fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished:

If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, 45
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

[Metellus rises and turns towards the Conspirators. Metellus. Is there no voice more worthy than my

own,

To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear,
For the repealing of my banished brother?

50

[The Conspirators come forward in turn, and kneel

close to Caesar.

Brutus [kneeling]. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery,
Caesar,

Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

Caesar. What, Brutus !

54

[Brutus rises.

Cassius [kneeling]. Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon :

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Caesar. I could be well moved, if I were as you ;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me: 60

[Cassius rises.

But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the world; 'tis furnished well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,

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70

Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,

Let me a little show it, even in this,

That I was constant Cimber should be banished,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cinna [kneeling]. Oh, Caesar,

Caesar. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus ! 75 Decius [kneeling]. Great Caesar,—

Caesar.

Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me!

[Casca stabs Caesar in the neck. Caesar catches at the dagger and struggles with him. Several other conspirators stab him, and he defends himself until Brutus strikes.