40

Bru. Stand ho, speake the word along.

[1 Sol.] Stand.

2 Sol.] Stand.

Stand.

[3 Sol.

Cassi. Most Noble Brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me you Gods; wrong I mine Enemies? And if not so, how should I wrong a Brother.

Cassi. Brutus, this sober forme of yours, hides wrongs, And when you do them

Brut. Cassius, be content,

Speake your greefes softly, I do know you well. 50 Before the eyes of both our Armies heere

(Which should perceive nothing but Love from us) Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away:

Then in my Tent Cassius enlarge your Greefes,
And I will give you Audience.

Cassi. Pindarus,

Bid our Commanders leade their Charges off
A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucillius, do you the like, and let no man Come to our Tent, till we have done our Conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our doore. Exeunt 61

[Scene iii. Brutus's tent.]

Manet [Enter] Brutus and Cassius.

Cassi. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear in this: You have condemn'd, and noted Lucius Pella

For taking Bribes heere of the Sardians;

Wherein my Letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man was slighted off.

Brn. You wrong'd your selfe to write in such a case.

6. was: were-MALONE.

7. Brn.: misprint IF.

Cassi. In such a time as this, it is not meet That every nicel offence should beare his Comment. Bru. Let me tell you Cassius, you your selfe Are much condemn'd to have an itching Palme, To sell, and Mart your Offices for Gold To Undeservers.

Cassi. I, an itching Palme?

1Ο

1 slight

You know that you are Brutus that speakes this,
Or by the Gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius Honors this corruption,
And Chasticement doth therefore hide his head.

Cassi. Chasticement?

21

Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleede for Justice sake?
What Villaine touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for Justice? What? Shall one of Us,
That strucke the Formost man of all this World,
But for supporting Robbers: shall we now,
Contaminate our fingers, with base Bribes?
And sell the mighty space of our large Honors
For so much trash, as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a Dogge, and bay the Moone,
Then such a Roman.

Cassi. Brutus, baite not me,
Ile not indure it: you forget your selfe

To hedge me in.

I am a Souldier, I,

Older in practice, Abler then your selfe

To make Conditions.

Bru. Go too: you are not Cassius.

Cassi. I am.

Bru. I say, you are not.

Cassi. Urge me no more, I shall forget my

selfe:

30

Have minde upon your health:

Tempt me no farther.

15. speakes: speak-POPE.

31. baite: bay-THEOBALD.

Bru. Away slight man.

Cassi. Is't possible?

41

Bru. Heare me, for I will speake.

Must I give way, and roome to your rash Choller?
Shall I be frighted, when a Madman stares?

Cassi. O ye Gods, ye Gods, Must I endure all this?
Bru. All this? I more: Fret till your proud hart break.
Go shew your Slaves how Chollericke you are,
And make your Bondmen tremble. Must I bouge?
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your Testie Humour? By the Gods,
You shall digest the Venom of your Spleene
Though it do Split you. For, from this day forth,
for my Laughter

Ile use you
When you are Waspish.

for my Mirth,

1, yea

Cassi. Is it come to this?

Bru. You say, you are a better Souldier:
Let it appeare so; make your vaunting true,
And it shall please me well.
For mine owne part,

I shall be glad to learne of Noble men.

Cass. You wrong me every way:

You wrong me Brutus:

I saide, an Elder Souldier, not a Better.

50

60

Cass. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me. |

Brut. Peace, peace, you durst not so have tempted

him.

Cassi. I durst not.

Bru. No.

Cassi. What? durst not tempt him?

Bru. For your life you durst not.

61-2. 1 1.-Rowe.

70

Cassi. Do not presume too much upon my Love, I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Bru. You have done that you
should be sorry
There is no terror Cassius in your threats:
For I am Arm❜d so strong in Honesty,
That they passe by me, as the idle winde,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certaine summes of Gold, which you deny'd
For I can raise no money by vile meanes:
By Heaven, I had rather Coine my Heart,

And drop my blood for Drachmaes, then to wring
From the hard hands of Peazants, their vile trash
By any indirection. I did send

To you for Gold to pay my Legions,

for.

me, 80

Which you deny'd me: was that done like Cassius? Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus growes so Covetous,

To locke such Rascall Counters from his Friends,
Be ready Gods with all your Thunder-bolts,

Dash him to peeces.

Cassi. I deny'd you not.

Bru. You did.

90

Cassi. I did not.

He was but a Foole

That brought my answer back. Brutus hath riv'd my hart:
A Friend should beare his Friends infirmities;

But Brutus makes mine greater then they are.
Bru. I do not, till you practice them on me.
Cassi. You love me not.

Bru. I do not like your faults.

100

Cassi. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Bru. A Flatterers would not, though they do appeare

As huge as high Olympus.

Cassi. Come Antony, and yong Octavius come, 94-5. 2 five-accent 11.-DYCE.

Revenge your selves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is a-weary of the World:
Hated by one he loves, brav'd by his Brother,
Check'd like a bondman, all his faults observ'd,
Set in a Note-booke, learn'd, and con'd by roate
To cast into my Teeth.
OI could weepe
My Spirit from mine eyes. There is my Dagger,
And heere my naked Breast: Within, a Heart
Deerer then Pluto's Mine, Richer then Gold:
If that thou bee'st a Roman, take it foorth.
I that deny'd thee Gold, will give my Heart:
Strike as thou did'st at Cæsar: For I know,

When thou did'st hate him worst, thou loved'st him better |

Then ever thou loved'st Cassius.

Bru. Sheath your Dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope:
Do what you will, Dishonor, shall be Humour.
O Cassius, you are yoaked with a Lambe
That carries Anger, as the Flint beares fire,
Who much inforced, shewes a hastie Sparke,
And straite is cold agen.

Cassi. Hath Cassius liv'd

120

To be but Mirth and Laughter to his Brutus,
When greefe and blood ill temper'd, vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill remper'd too.
Cassi. Do you confesse so much? Give me your hand.
Bru. And my heart too.

Cassi. O Brutus!

Bru. What's the matter?

131

Cassi. Have not you love enough to beare with me, When that rash humour which my Mother gave me Makes me forgetfull.

113. Pluto's: Plutus'-POPE.

129. remper'd: temper'd-2-4F.