Be not fond
    To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood
    That will be thaw'd from the true quality
    With that which melteth fools- I mean sweet words,
    Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel-fawning.
    Thy brother by decree is banished.
    If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
    I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
    Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
    Will he be satisfied.
  METELLUS. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
    To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear
    For the repealing of my banish'd brother?
  BRUTUS. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar,
    Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
    Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
  CAESAR. What, Brutus?
  CASSIUS. Pardon, Caesar! Caesar, pardon!
    As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall
    To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
  CAESAR. I could be well moved, if I were as you;
    If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;
    But I am constant as the northern star,
    Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
    There is no fellow in the firmament.
    The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks;
    They are all fire and every one doth shine;
    But there's but one in all doth hold his place.
    So in the world, 'tis furnish'd well with men,
    And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
    Yet in the number I do know but one
    That unassailable holds on his rank,
    Unshaked of motion; and that I am he,
    Let me a little show it, even in this;
    That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
    And constant do remain to keep him so.
  CINNA. O Caesar-
  CAESAR. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
  DECIUS. Great Caesar-
  CAESAR. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
  CASCA. Speak, hands, for me!
                        Casca first, then the other Conspirators
                                  and Marcus Brutus stab Caesar.
  CAESAR. Et tu, Brute?- Then fall, Caesar! Dies.
  CINNA. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
    Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
  CASSIUS. Some to the common pulpits and cry out
    "Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!"
  BRUTUS. People and senators, be not affrighted,
    Fly not, stand still; ambition's debt is paid.
  CASCA. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.
  DECIUS. And Cassius too.
  BRUTUS. Where's Publius?
  CINNA. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
  METELLUS. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's
    Should chance-
  BRUTUS. Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer,
    There is no harm intended to your person,
    Nor to no Roman else. So tell them, Publius.
  CASSIUS. And leave us, Publius, lest that the people
    Rushing on us should do your age some mischief.
  BRUTUS. Do so, and let no man abide this deed
    But we the doers.

Re-enter Trebonius.

  CASSIUS. Where is Antony?
  TREBONIUS. Fled to his house amazed.
    Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run
    As it were doomsday.
  BRUTUS. Fates, we will know your pleasures.
    That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time
    And drawing days out that men stand upon.
  CASSIUS. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
    Cuts off so many years of fearing death.
  BRUTUS. Grant that, and then is death a benefit;
    So are we Caesar's friends that have abridged
    His time of fearing death.