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Ingratitude, more ftrong than traitors' arms,

Quite vanquish'd him: then burft his mighty heart:
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statue,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fell.
Oh what a fall was there, my countrymen !
Then I and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilft bloody Treafon flourish'd over us.
O, now ye weep; and I perceive you feeli
The dint of pity; these are gracious drops.
Kind fouls! what, weep you when you but behold
Our Cæfar's vesture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.-
Good friends, fweet friends, let me not ftir you up
fudden flood of mutiny..

To any

They that have done this deed are honourable.

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,

That made them do it; they are wife and honourable :
And will, no doubt, with reason answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts;
I am no orator, as Brutus is:

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,

That loves my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utt'rance, nor the power of speech,
To ftir men's blood; I only fpeak right on;
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Shew fweet Cæfar's wounds,

you

And bid them fpeak for me.

poor, poor,

dumb mouths!

But were I Brutus,

And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue

In every wound of Cæfar, that fhould move

The ftones of Rome to rife and mutiny.

CHAP.

SHAKSPEARE

XXVI.

THE QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS.

CASS. THAT you have wrong'd medothappear in this,

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letter praying on his fide,
Because I knew the man was flighted of.

BRU. You wrong'd yourfelf to write in fuch a cafe.
CAS. In fuch a time as this, it is not meet

That ev'ry nice offence thould bear its comment.
BRU. Yet let me tell you, Caffius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm,
To fell and mart your offices for gold,
To undefervers.

CAS. I an itching palm ?

You know, that you are Brutus that fpake this,
Or, by the gods, this fpeech were else your last.
BRU. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chaftifement doth therefore hide its head.

CAS. Chaftifement!.

BRU. Remember March, the ides of March remember!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice fake?

What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for juftice? What, fhall one of us
That ftruck the foremost man of all this world,
But for fupporting robbers; shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes ?

And

And fell the mighty meed of our large honours
For fo much trafh, as may be grafped thus ?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than fuch a Roman.

CAS. Brutus, bay not me.

I'll not endure it; you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a foldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

BRU. Go to: you are not, Caffius.
CAS. I am.

BRU. I fay, you are not.

CAS. Urge me no more; I fhall forget myfelf Have mind upon your health-tempt me no farther. BRU. Away, flight man!

CAS. Is't poffible!

BRU. Hear me, for I will speak.

Muft I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I be frighted when a madman stares ?

CAS. O gods! ye gods! muft I endure all this?

BRU. All this? ay more. Fret till your proud heart break;

Go tell your flaves how choleric you are,

And make your bondmen tremble. Muft I budge? ►
Muft I obferve you? must I ftand and crouch
Under your tefty humour? By the gods,

You shall digeft the venom of your fpleen,

Tho' it do split you: For from this day forth,

I'll ufe you for my mirth, yea for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

CAS. Is it come to this?

BRU. You fay, you are a better foldier;

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Let it appear
fo;
make your vaunting true,
And it shall please me well.

For mine own part,
I fhall be glad to learn of noble men.

CAS. You wrong me every way-
Brutus ;

I faid an elder foldier, not a better;
Did I fay better?

I

BRU. If you did, I care not.

you wrong me,

CAS. When Cæfar liv'd, he durft not thus have mov'd me, BRU. Peace, peace, you durft not so have tempted him. CAS. I durft not!

BRU. No.

CAS. What! durft not tempt him?

BRU. For your life you durft not.

CAS. Do not presume too much upon my love; may do what I fhall be forry for.

BRU. You have done that you should be forry for.

There is no terror, Caffius, in your

threats;

For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,

That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did fend to you

For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me;
For I can raise no money by vile means:

By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachms, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did fend

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied me: was that done like Caffius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Caffius fo?
When Marcus Brutus grows fo covetous,

To lock fuch rafcal counters from his friends,

Be

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts

Dash him to pieces.

CAS. I deny'd you not.

BRU. You did:

CAS. I did not-he was but a fool

That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath riv'd my heart,
A friend fhould bear a friend's infirmities,

But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
BRU. I do not fill you practise them on me.

CAS. You love me not.

BRU. I do not like your faults..

CAS. A friendly eye could never fee fuch faults.
BRU. A flatt'rer's would not, though they do appear

As huge as high Olympus.

CAS. Come, Anthony, and young Octavius, come! Revenge yourfelves alone on Caffius,

For Caffius is a weary of the world;

Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother;
Check'd by a bandman; all his faults obferv'd;
Set in a note-book, learn'd and con'd by rote,
To caft into my teeth. OI could weep

1

My fpirit from mine eyes!-There is my dagger,
And here my naked breaft --within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold!

If that thou need't a Roman's, take it forth.

I, that deny'd thee gold, will give my heart: :

Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'd'ft him better Than ever thou lov'd'ft Caffius.

BRU. Sheathe your dagger;

Be angry when you will, it fhall have scope;

Do

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