And
so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said if he had
done or said anything amiss, he desired their worships to
think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches where I
stood cried ‘Alas, good soul!’ and forgave him with all their
hearts: but there’s no heed to be taken of them; if Caesar had
stabbed277 their mothers, they would have done no less.
BRUTUS And after that he came thus sad away.
CASCA Ay.
CASSIUS Did Cicero say anything?
CASCA Ay, he spoke Greek.
CASSIUS To what effect?
CASCA Nay, and I tell you that, I’ll ne’er look you i’th’face
again. But those that understood him smiled at one another,
and shook their heads: but, for mine own part, it was Greek to285
me. I could tell you more news too: Murellus and Flavius, for
pulling scarves off Caesar’s images, are put to silence287. Fare
you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.
CASSIUS Will you sup with me tonight, Casca?
CASCA No, I am promised forth290.
CASSIUS Will you dine with me tomorrow?
CASCA Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold292, and your
dinner worth the eating.
CASSIUS Good, I will expect you.
CASCA Do so. Farewell, both.
Exit
BRUTUS What a blunt296 fellow is this grown to be!
He was quick mettle297 when he went to school.
CASSIUS So is he now, in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy300 form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit301,
Which gives men stomach302 to digest his words
With better appetite.
BRUTUS And so it is. For this time I will leave you:
Tomorrow if you please to speak with me,
I will come home to you306: or if you will,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
CASSIUS I will do so. Till then, think of the world308.
Exit Brutus
Well, Brutus, thou art noble309: yet I see
Thy honourable mettle may be wrought310
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet311
That noble minds keep ever with their likes312
For who313 so firm that cannot be seduced?
Caesar doth bear me hard314, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me316. I will this night
In several hands317 in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings all tending to319 the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name — wherein obscurely320
Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced321 at.
And after this let Caesar seat him sure322,
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
Exit
[Act 1 Scene 3]
running scene 1 continues
Thunder and lightning. Enter Casca and Cicero
CICERO Good even, Casca. Brought1 you Caesar home?
Why are you breathless, and why stare you so?
CASCA Are not you moved, when all the sway3 of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding5 winds
Have rived6 the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th’ambitious ocean swell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with8 the threatening clouds:
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy12 with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.
CICERO Why, saw you anything more wonderful14?
CASCA A common slave — you know him well by sight —
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches joined; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of18 fire, remained unscorched.
Besides — I ha’ not since put up19 my sword —
Against20 the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glazed21 upon me and went surly by
Without annoying22 me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly23 women,
Transformèd with their fear, who swore they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night26 did sit
Even at noonday upon the market-place
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies28
Do so conjointly meet29, let not men say
‘These are their reasons, they are natural’,
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon32.
CICERO Indeed, it is a strange-disposèd time:
But men may construe things after their fashion34
Clean35 from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?
CASCA He doth, for he did bid Antonio
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.
CICERO Goodnight then, Casca: this disturbèd sky
Is not to walk in.
CASCA Farewell, Cicero.
Exit Cicero
Enter Cassius
CASSIUS Who’s there?
CASCA A Roman.
CASSIUS Casca, by your voice.
CASCA Your ear is good. Cassius, what45 night is this?
CASSIUS A very pleasing night to honest men.
CASCA Whoever knew the heavens menace so?
CASSIUS Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walked about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And thus unbracèd51, Casca, as you see,
Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone52:
And when the cross53 blue lightning seemed to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
CASCA But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble
When the most mighty gods by tokens58 send
Such dreadful heralds59 to astonish us.
CASSIUS You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life
That should be in a Roman you do want61,
Or else you use not62. You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder
To see the strange impatience64 of the heavens:
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts, from quality and kind67,
Why old men, fools, and children calculate68,
Why all these things change from their ordinance69
Their natures and preformèd70 faculties
To monstrous71 quality, why, you shall find
That heaven hath infused them with these spirits
To make them instruments of fear and warning
Unto some monstrous state74.
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night
That thunders, lightens77, opens graves and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol:
A man no mightier than thyself, or me,
In personal action, yet prodigious80 grown
And fearful, as these strange eruptions81 are.
CASCA ’Tis Caesar that you mean, is it not, Cassius?
CASSIUS Let it be who it is, for Romans now
Have thews84 and limbs like to their ancestors;
But woe the while, our fathers85’ minds are dead,
And we are governed with our mothers’ spirits:
Our yoke and sufferance87 show us womanish.
CASCA Indeed, they say the senators tomorrow
Mean to establish Caesar as a king,
And he shall wear his crown by sea and land90,
In every place, save here in Italy.
CASSIUS I know where I will wear this dagger then:
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius93.—
Therein94, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.—
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to98 the strength of spirit:
But life being weary of these worldly bars99
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides101,
That part of tyranny that I do bear102
I can shake off at pleasure103.
Thunder still
CASCA So can I:
So every bondman105 in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.
CASSIUS And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man, I know he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep:
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds110.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire111
Begin it with weak straws. What trash112 is Rome?
What rubbish, and what offal113, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile115 a thing as Caesar?— But, O grief,
Where hast thou led me? I, perhaps, speak this
Before a willing bondman: then I know
My answer must be made118. But I am armed,
And dangers are to me indifferent.
CASCA You speak to Casca, and to such a man
That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my121 hand:
Be factious122 for redress of all these griefs
And I will set this foot of mine123 as far
As who124 goes farthest.
They shake hands
CASSIUS There’s a bargain made.
Now know you, Casca, I have moved already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
To undergo with me an enterprise
Of honourable dangerous consequence;
And I do know by this, they stay130 for me
In Pompey’s porch131, for now this fearful night
There is no stir or walking in the streets;
And the complexion of the element133
In favour134’s like the work we have in hand
Most bloody, fiery and most terrible.
Enter Cinna
CASCA Stand close136 awhile, for here comes one in haste.
CASSIUS ’Tis Cinna, I do know him by his gait.
He is a friend.— Cinna, where haste you so
CINNA To find out you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?
CASSIUS No, it is Casca, one incorporate140
To our attempts. Am I not stayed141 for, Cinna?
CINNA I am glad on’t142. What a fearful night is this?
There’s two or three of us have seen strange sights.
CASSIUS Am I not stayed for? Tell me.
CINNA Yes, you are.
O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party—
CASSIUS Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper
Gives paper
And look you lay it in the praetor149’s chair
Where Brutus may but find it150. And throw this
In at his window; set this up151 with wax
Upon old Brutus’ statue. All this done,
Repair153 to Pompey’s porch, where you shall find us.
Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?
CINNA All but Metellus Cimber, and he’s gone
To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie156,
And so bestow these papers as you bade me.
CASSIUS That done, repair to Pompey’s theatre.—
Exit Cinna
Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day
See Brutus at his house: three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire
Upon the next encounter yields him ours.
CASCA O, he sits high in all the people’s hearts:
And that which would appear offence in us,
His countenance, like richest alchemy165,
Will change to virtue and to worthiness.
CASSIUS Him, and his worth, and our great need of him
You have right well conceited168. Let us go,
For it is after midnight, and ere day
We will awake him and be sure of him.
Exeunt
running scene 2
Enter Brutus in his orchard
BRUTUS What, Lucius, ho?—
Calls
I cannot by the progress of the stars
Give guess how near to day.— Lucius, I say!—
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.—
When5, Lucius, when? Awake, I say: what, Lucius!
Enter Lucius
LUCIUS Called you, my lord?
BRUTUS Get me a taper7 in my study, Lucius,
When it is lighted, come and call me here.
LUCIUS I will, my lord.
Exit
BRUTUS It must be by his10 death: and for my part,
I know no personal cause to spurn11 at him
But for the general12. He would be crowned:
How that might change his nature, there’s the question.
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder,
And that craves wary walking: crown him that15,
And then I grant we put a sting in him,
That at his will he may do danger with.
Th’abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse19 from power: and to speak truth of Caesar,
20 I have not known when his affections swayed20
More than his reason. But ’tis a common proof21
That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder22
Whereto the climber upward turns his face.
But when he once attains the upmost round24,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees26
By which he did ascend: so Caesar may;
Then, lest he may, prevent.
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