Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Caffius, your desires;
I'll leave

you.

CAS. Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness,
And fhow of love, as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too ftrange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

BRU. Caffius,

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,
Conceptions only proper to myself,

Which give fome 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 fhows of love to other men.

CAS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your paffion;

By means whereof, this breaft of mine hath buried
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.

CAS. 'Tis just :

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,

That you

have no fuch mirrors, as will turn

Your hidden worthiness into your eye,

That

Where

you might fee your fhadow. I have heard, many of the best respect 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?

CAS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear :
And, fince
you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modeftly discover to yourself

That of yourself which you yet 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 protefter; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after fcandal them; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting

To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

[Flourish, and fbout.

BRU. What means this fhouting? I do fear the people Choose Cæfar for their king.

CAS. Ay, do you fear it?

Then must I think you would not have it so.

BRU. I would not, Caffius; yet I love him well :-
But wherefore do you hold me here fo long?
What is it that you would impart to me?

If it be aught 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 fo fpeed 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 fubject of my story.-
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my fingle felf,
I had as lief not be, as live to be

In awe of fuch a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cæfar; fo 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 gufty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her fhores,
Cæfar faid to me, Dar'ft thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And fwim to yonder point?-Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: fo, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lufty finews; throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controverfy.
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 fhoulder

The old Anchifes bear, fo, from the waves of Tiber

Did I the tired Cæfar: And this man

Is now become a god; and Caffius is

A wretched creature, and muft 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 lofe his luftre: 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 fhould

So get the start of the majestick world,
And bear the palm alone.

BRU. Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applaufes are

[Shout. Flourish.

For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar.
CAS. Why man, he doth beftride 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 fome time are mafters 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 should 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,

[Shout.

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 walks encompass'd but one man? Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,

When there is in it but one only man.

0! 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 ;
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 say,

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,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome

Under thefe hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us."

CAS. I am glad, that my weak words

Hath ftruck but thus much fhow of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR, and his Train.

BRU. The games are done, and Cæfar is returning. CAS. As they pafs 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 reft look like a chidden train : Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero Looks with fuch ferret and fuch fiery eyes, As we have seen him in the Capitol, Being cross'd in conference by fome fenators.

CAS. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.