SCENE II.

Before Brutus' tent, in the camp near Sardis.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Lucius, and Sol

diers : Titinius and Pindarus meeting them.

Bru. Stand here.
Luc. Give the word, ho! and stand.
Bru. What now, Lucilius? is Cassius near?

Luc. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come
To do you salutation from his master.

[Pindarus gides a letter to Brutus,
Bru. He greets me well.--Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change, or by ill officers,
Hath given me some worthy cause to wish
Things done, undone : but, if he be at hand,
I shall be satisfied.
Pin.

I do not doubt,
But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard, and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted.-A word, Lucilius:
How he received you, let me be resolved.

Luc. With courtesy, and with respect enough;
But not with such familiar instances,
Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath used of old.
Bru.

Thou hast describ'd
A hot friend cooling: Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.
There are no tricks in plain and simple faith :
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle :
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be quar

ter'd; The greater part, the horse in general, Are come with Cassius.

[March within. Bru.

Hark, he is arriv'd; March gently on to meet him.

Enter Cassius and Soldiers.

yours hides

Cas. Stand, ho!
Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.
Within. Stand.
Within, Stand,
Within. Stand.
Cus. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.
Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I wine ene.

mies?
And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?
Cas, Brutus, this sober form of

wrongs; And when you do themBru.

Cassius, be content,
Speak your griefs* softly,—I do know you well:
Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
Let us pot wrangle: Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.
Cas.

Pindarus,
Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucilius, do the like; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door. (Ereunt.

# Grievances.

SCENE III.

Within the tent of Brutus.

Lucius and Titinius at some distance from it.

Enter Brutus and Cassius.

Cas. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear in

this :
You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein, ny letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted of.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself, to write in such a case.

Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice* offence should bear his comment.

Bru. Let me tell you, Cassias, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold,
To undeservers.
Cas.

I an itching palm?
You know, that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption, And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cas. Chastisement!
Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remem-

ber!
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world,
But for supporting robbers; shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes?

* Trilling

And sell the mighty space of our large honours,
For so much trash, as may be grasped thus
I had rather be a dog, and bay* the moon,
Than such a Roman.
Cas.

Brutus, bay not me,
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me int; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions I.
Bru.

Go to; you're not, Cassius.
Cas. I am.
Bru. I say, you are not.

Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further,

Bru. Away, slight man!
Cas. Is't possible?
Bru.

Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares ?

Cas. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this? Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud

heart break; Go, show your slaves how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humour? By the gods, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish. Cas.

Is it come to this? Bru. You say, you are a better soldier: Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well: For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men. Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me,

Brutus;

• Bait, bark at. + Limit my authority.

Terms, fit to confer the offices at my disposal.

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
Did I say, better?
Bru.

If

you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have

mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted

bim,
Cas. I durst not?
Bru. No.
Cus. What? durst pot tempt him?
Bru.

For
your
life
you

durst not. Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love, 1 may do that I shall be sorry for.

Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats: For I am arm's so strong in honesty, That they pass by me, as the idle wind, Which I respect not. I did send to you For certain sums of gold, wbich you denied me;For I can raise no money by vile means: By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas*, thad to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash, By any indirection. I did sevd To

you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!
Cas.

I denied you not.
Bru. You did.
Cas.

I did not:-he was but a fool, That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath riv’dt

my heart: A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.