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Ambition fhould be made of sterner stuff.

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did fee, that, on the Lupercal,
I thrice presented him a kingly crown;
Which he did thrice refufe.

Was this ambition?

Yet Brutus fays, he was ambitious;

And, fure, he is an honourable man.

I fpeak not to disprove what Brutus spoke.
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause.
What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him!
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have loft their reafon.-Bear with me.-
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæfar,
And I muft pause till it come back to me.

If you have tears, prepare to fhed them now,
You all do know this mantle; I remember,
The first time ever Cæfar put it on,
"Twas on a fummer's evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii-

Look! in this place ran Caffius' dagger through ;-
See what a rent the envious Cafca made.-
Through this the well-beloved Brutus ftabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæfar follow'd it!

As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd,
If Brutus fo unkindly knock'd, or no:

For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel.
Judge, oh ye gods! how dearly Cæfar lov'd him;
This, this was the unkindeft cut of all;

For when the noble Cæfar faw him ftab,

I

Ingratitude,

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 bafe of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Cæfar fel!.
Oh what a fall was there, my countrymea!
Then I and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilft bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity; thefe are gracious drops."
Kind fouls; what, weep you when you but behold
Our Cæfar's vefture wounded? look you here!
Here is himself, marr'd, as you fee, by traitors.-
Good friends, fweet friends, let me not stir you up
To any fudden flood of mutiny.

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 reafon 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 ;
Show you sweet Cæfar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths!
And bid them fpeak for me. 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 should move

The flones of Rome to rife and mutiny.

SHAKSPEARE

CHA P. XXVI.

THE QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS.

CAS. TH

in this,

HAT you have wrong'd me doth appear
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 fhould bear its comment.
BRU. Yet let me tell you, Caffius, you yourfelf
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 spake this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
BRU. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide its head.

CAS. Chaftifement!

BRU. Remember March, the ides of March remember! Did not great Julius bleed for juftice 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 bafe bribes ?

And fell the mighty meed of our large honours
For fo much trafh, as may be grafped thus?
1 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 myself—— Have mind upon your health-tempt me no farther. BRU. Away, flight man!

CAS. Is't poffible?---

BRU. Hear me, for I will fpeak.

Muft I give way and room to your rafh 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? muft I ftand and crouch

Under your tefty humour? By the gods,
You fhall digeft the venom of your spleen,

Tho' it do fplit 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;

Let

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?

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 prefume too much upon my love;

I 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 fo ftrong in honesty,
That they pafs by me, as the idle wind,
Which I refpect 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 heav'n, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hand of peafants their vile trafh,
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,

T

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