Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From what it is disposed: therefore 'tis 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 Brufus.
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.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

[Exit.

A Street in Rome.

Enter CASCA, his Sword drawn, and TREBONIUS meeting him.

Tre. Good even, Casca: brought you Cæsar home?

Why are you breathless, and why stare you so? Casca. Are you not moved, when all the sway of earth

Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Trebonius!
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds

Have rived the knotty oaks : and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell and rage, and foam
To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds';
But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

[Thunder.

Tre. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?
Casca. A common slave, you know him well by
sight,

Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.
Besides, (I ha' not since put up my sword)
Against the capitol I met a lion,

Who glared upon me, and went surly by,
Without annoying me.

And, yesterday, the bird of night did sit,
Ev'n at noon day, upon the market place,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
That they are natural.

For, I believe, they are portentous things,
Unto the climate that they point upon.

;

Tre. Indeed, it is a strange disposed me
But men may construe things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Cæsar to the capitol to-morrow?

Casca. He doth ; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you to meet him there to-morrow.

[Thunder. Tre. Good night, then, Casca, this disturbed sky Is not to walk in.

Casca Farewell, Trebonius.

[Exit TREBONius.

Enter CASSIUS.

Cas. Who's there?

Casca. A Roman.

Cas. Casca by your voice.

Casca. Your ear is good, Cassius, what night is this?

Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men.

Casca. Who ever knew the heavens menace so? Cas. Those, that have known the earth so full of faults.

For my part I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;

And when the cross blue light'ning seem'd to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself,
Ev'n in the aim and very flash of it.

Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty gods, by tokens, send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

Cas. You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of life,

That should be in a Roman, you do want,

Or else you use not;

Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man,
Most like this dreadful night;

That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars,
As doth the lion in the capitol;

A man no mightier than thyself or me,

In personal action; yet prodigious grown,

And fearful as these strange eruptions are.

Casca. 'Tis Cæsar that you mean, is it not, Cassius?

1

Cas. Let it be who it is; for Romans now Have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors: But woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead, And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits; Our yoke and suff'rance show us womanish.

Casca. Indeed, they say, the senators, to-morrow, Mean to establish Cæsar as a king:

And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,
In every place, save here in Italy.

Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger, then; Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.

Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit:
But life being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.

If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny, that I do bear,
I can shake off at pleasure.

So

Casca. So can I:

every bondman in his own hand bears, The power to cancel his captivity.

Cas. And why should Cæsar be a tyrant, then?
Poor man! I know, he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those, that with haste will make a mighty fire,
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome!
What rubbish, and what offal! when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate

So vile a thing as Cæsar! But, oh grief!
Where hast thou led me? I, perhaps speak this
Before a willing bondman; then I know
My answer must be made. But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.

Casca. You speak to Casca, and to such a man,

That is no fleering tell-tale.

Hold my hand;

Be factious for redress of all these griefs,

And I will set this foot of mine as far,

As who goes farthest.

Cas. There's a bargain made,

Now know you, Casca, I have moved already,
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans,

To undergo, with me, the enterprize,
Of honourable dang'rous consequence;
And I do know, by this they stay for me
In Pompey's porch.

Enter CINNA.

Casca. Stand close a while, for here comes one in haste.

Cas. 'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait; He is a friend. Cinna, where haste

you so ?

Cin. To find out you:-Who's that, Metellus Cimber?

Cas. No; it is Casca, one incorporate

To our attempts.-Am I not staid for, Cinna?
Cin. Yes, you are.—

O, Cassius! could you win the noble Brutus
To our party.-

Cas. Be you content.-Good Cinna, take this paper:

And look you lay it in the prætor's chair,
Where Brutus may but find it; and throw this
In at his window; set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus' statue. All this done,
Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find

us.

Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?

Cin. All but Metellus Cimber, and he's gone To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie, And so bestow these papers as you bid me.

[Exit CINNA. Cas. Come, Casca, you and I will yet, ere day, See Brutus at his house; three parts of him

Are our's already, and the man entire,

Upon the next encounter, yields him ours. [Exeunt.