Cafea Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca. Cafea. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a crown; yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets: and, as I told you, he' put it by once; but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offer'd it to him again: then he put it by again; but to my thinking, he' was very loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he' offer'd it the third time: he put it the third time by; and ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement shouted, and clapp'd their chopp d hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and utter'd such a deal of flinking breath, because Cæfar refus'd the crown, that it had almost chocked Cæfar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it: and for mine own part I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you; what, did Cæfar fwoon? Cafca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth. and was fpeechlefs.

Bru. 'Tis very like, he hath the falling-fickness. Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-ficknefs.

Cafca. I know not what you mean by that; but I am fure Cæfar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd and difpleas'd them, as they used to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru. What faid he when he came unto himself? Cafca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the crown, he pluck'd me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut: an' I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues; and fo he fell. When he came to himfelf again, he faid, "If he had done "or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their Worthips to "think it was his infirmity." Three or four wenches "where I ftood, cry'd, Alas, good foul !"and forgave him with all their hearts: but there's no heed

to be taken of them; if Cæfar had ftabb'd their mothers, they would have done no lefs.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away.

A Cafca. Ay,

Gaf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafea. Ay, he spoke Greek.
Caf. To what effect?

Gafca Nay, an' I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you ith face again. But those that understood him, fmil'd at one another, and fhook their heads; but for mine own part it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too. Marullus and Flavius, for pulling fcarfs off Cæfar's images, are put to filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it. Caf. Will you fup with me to-night, Cafca?

1

Cafca. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Cafca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and

your dinner be worth the eating.

Caf. Good, I will expect you.

Cafca. Do fo: farewel both.

[Exit.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?

He was quick mettle when he went to fchool.
Caf. So is he now, in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprife,

However he puts on this tardy form.

This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,

Which gives men stomach to digelt his words
With better appetite.

Bru. And fo it is for this time I will leave you.
To-morrow, if you please to fpeak with me,
I will come home to you; or, if you will,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
Caf. I will do fo; till then think of the world.
[Exit Brutus.

Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I fee
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From what it is difpos'd; therefore 'tis meet,
That noble minds keep ever with their likes
For who fo firm that cannot be feduce'd ?
Cæfar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,

He

He fhould not humour me. -I will this night,poff
In feveral hands, in at his windows throw, io.
At if they came from feveral citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion

That Rome holds of his name; wherein, obfcurely,
Cæfars ambition fhall be glanced at.

And, after this, let Cæfar seat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Exit.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Cafca, his fword drawn and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Cafca; brought you Cæfar home? Why are you breathlefs, and why ftare you fo?

Cafca. Are not you mov'd, when all the fway of earth Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero!

I have seen tempelts, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have feen
Th' ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds:
But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in Heav'n';
Or elfe the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenfes them to fend destruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafca. A common flave, you know him well by fight,
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unfcorch'd.
Befides, (I ha' not fince put up my fword),
Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn

Upon a heap a hundred ghafly women,

Transformed with their fear; who swore they faw

Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.

And yefterday, the bird of night did fit,

Ev'n at noon-day, upon the market-place,

*To, kamour fignifies here to turn and wind him, by inflaming his p. fions.

Houting

Houting and fhrieking. When these prodigies
Do fo conjointly meet, let not men say,
"These are their reafons, they are natural :"
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed it is a ftrange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpofe of the things themselves.
Comes Cæfar to the capitol to-morrow?

Cafca. He doth: for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Cafca; this disturbed fky
Is not to walk in.

Cafca. Farewel, Cicero.

[Exit Cicero.

SCENE VII. Enter Caffius.

Caf. Who's there?

Cafca. A Roman.

Caf Cafea, by your voice.

Cafca. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this? Caf. A very pleafing night to honeft men.

Cafca. Who ever knew the heaven's menace fo? Caf. Thofe that have known the earth fo full of faults. For my part, I have walk'd about the streets, Submitting me unto the perilous night;

And thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee,

Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-ftone:
And when the cross blue lightning feem'd to open
The breast of heav'n, I did prefent myself

Ev'n in the aim and very flash of it.

Cafea. But wherefore did you fo much tempt the It is the part of men to fear and tremble, [heav'ns ? When the moft mighty gods, by tokens, fend Such dreadful heralds to aftonifh us.'

Caf You are dull, Cafca; and those sparks of life That should be in a Roman, you do want, Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze, And put on fear, and caft yourself in wonder, To fee the frange impatience of the heav'ns; But if would confider the true caufe, Why all thefe fires, why all thefe gliding ghofts, Why birds and beafts, from quality and kind,

you

Why

Why old men, fools, and children calculate * ;
Why all thefe things change, from their ordinance,
Their natures and pre-formed faculties

To monfirous quality; why, you fhall find,
That heaven has infus'd them with these spirits,
To make them inftruments of fear and warning
Unto fome monstrous state.

Now could 1, Cafca, name to thee a man
Mot like this dreadful night;

That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol;

A man no mightier than myself, or me,
In perfonal action; yet prodigious grown,
And fearful, as thefe ftrange eruptions are.

Cafca. 'Tis Cæfar that you mean; is it not, Caffius?
Caf. Let it be who it is for Romans now
Have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors;
But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are govern'd with our mothers' fpirits:
Our yoke and fuff 'rance fhew us womanish.

Cafca. Indeed they fay the fenators to-morrow
Mean to eftablish Cæfar as a King:

And he shall wear his crown by fea and land."
In every place, fave here in Italy:

Caf

A

I know where I will wear this dagger then. • Caffius from bondage deliver Caffius.

Therein, ye gods, you make the weak moft ftrong; • Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat; Nor ftony tower, nor walls of beaten brafs, Nor airless dungeon, nor ftrong links of iron, • Can be retentive to the ftrength of fpirit: But life, being weary of these worldly bars, Never lacks power to difmifs itself.

• If I know this; know all the world befides,
That part of tyranny that I do bear
I can shake off at pleasure.

Cafea. So can I:

So every bondman in his own hand bears

The power to cancel his captivity.

Caf. And why fhould Cæfar be a tyrant then?

Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,

* Calculate here fignifies to fortel er prophesy.