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HAM. What, look'd he frowningly?

HOR. A count'nance more in sorrow than in anger.

HAM. Pale, or red?

HOR. Nay, very pale.

HAM. And fix'd his eyes upon you?

HOR. Most constantly.

HAM. I would I had been there!

HOR. It would have much amaz'd you.

HAM. Very like! Staid it long?

HOR. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

HAM. His beard was grisl'd? -no.

HOR. It was, as I have seen it in his life;

A sable silver'd.

HAM. I'll watch to-night; perchance 'twill walk again.
HOR. I warrant you, it will.

HAM. If it assumes my noble father's person,
I'll speak to it, tho' hell itself should gape,
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,
Let it be ten'ble in your silence still:
And whatsoever shall befall to night,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue :
I will requite your love: so fare ye well.
Upon the platform 'twixt eleven and twelve
I'll visit you.

SHAKSPEARE,

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BRUTUS AND CASSIUS.

Cas. WILL you go see the order of the course?

Bru. Not I.

Cas. I pray you do.

Bru. I am not gamesome; I do not lack some part

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

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

Bru. Cassius,

Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am

Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself;

Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviour;
But let not therefore my good friends be grieved,
Among which number, Cassius, be you one;
Nor construe any farther my neglect,

Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the show of love to other men.

Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;

By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
Bru. No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection from some other thing.
Cas. Tis just.

I have heard,

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirror as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow.
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæsar) 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, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself

For that which is not in me ?

Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear; And since you know you cannot see yourself

So well as by reflection, I, your glass,

Will modestly discover to yourself

That of yourself which yet you know not of
And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus :
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protestor; if you know,"
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know,
That I profess myself in banquetting

To all the rout; then hold me dangerous.

Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Cæsar for their king.

Cas. Ay, do you fear it?

Then must I think you would not have it so.

Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well,
But wherefore do you hold me here so 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' th' other,
And I will look on Death indifferently:
For let the gods so speed 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 subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cæsar; so 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 gusty day,

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The troubled Tyber chasing with his shores,
Cæsar says to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point? Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,

And bid him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffit it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cry'd, help me, Cassius, or I sink.
I, as neas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear; so from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cæsar: and this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

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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 same eye whose bend does awe the world,
Did lose its lustre; 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 some drink, Titinius-
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it th amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone..

Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applauses are

For some new honours that are heaped on Cæsar. Cas. Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world a Colossus! and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about

To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Men at sometimes are masters of their fates;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Brutus and Cæsar-what should be in that Cæsar?
Why should that name be sounded, more than yours?
Write them together; your's is as fair a name:
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meats does this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd;
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods.
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Oh! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus, one that would have brook'd
Th' eternal devil, to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous ;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter: for this present,
I would not (so with love I might intreat you).
Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say,
I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer such 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 such hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

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