Oh! you and I have heard our fathers fay,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome

As eafily 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 thefe times, I fhall recount hereafter: for this prefent, I would not (fo with love I might intreat you) Be any further mov'd. have faid, I will confider; what you have to say,

What you

I will with patience hear; and find a time

Both meet to hear, and anfwer fuch high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;

Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a fon of Rome

Under fuch harsh conditions, as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus.

SCENE IV. Enter Cæfar and his train.

Bru. The games are done, and Cæfar is returning. Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve, And he will, after his four fashion, tell you What hath proceeded worthy note to-day. Bru. I will do fo; but look you Caffius, The angry fpot doth glow on Cæfar's brow, And all the reft look like a chidden train. Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and CiceroLooks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes, As we have feen him in the Capitol, Being cros'd in conf'rence by fome fenators. Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is. Caf. Antonius,

Ant. Cæfar?

Caf. "Let me have men about me that are fat, "Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep a nights: "Yond Caffius has a lean and hungry look, "He thinks too much; fuch men are dangerous.

When there is in it but one only man.

Oh! you and I, &..

Ant.

Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Gaf. 'Would he were fatter; but I fear him not:
Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I fhould avoid,

So foon as that fpare Caffius. He reads much;
He is a great obferver; and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays, As thou doft, Antony; he hears no music ; • Seldom he smiles; and smiles in fuch a fort, As if he mock'd himself, and fcorn'd his fpirit, That could be mov'd to file at any thing. • Such men as he be never at heart's ease, • Whilst they behold a greater than themselves; • And therefore are they very dangerous. • I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,

Than what I fear; for always I am Cæfar. Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf, And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt Cæfar and his train.

Manent Brutus and Caffius: Cafca, to them.

Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca, tell us what hath chance'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Cafea what had chance'd. Cafea. Why, there was a crown offer'd him; and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand thus, and then the people fell a fhouting. Bru. What was the fecond noise for? Cafca. Why, for that too.

Caf. They fhouted thrice. What was the last

cry

for?

Cafca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Cafea. Ay, marry was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted.

Caf. Who offer'd him the crown?

Cafca.

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 still as he refus'd it, the rabblement fhouted, and clapp'd their chopp'd hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath, becaufe 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 durst 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 L, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-fickness.

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 Worships to "think it was his infirmity." Three or four wenches "where I stood, cry'd,

66

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.
Cafea. Ay,

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

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

Cafca Nay, an' I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' th' face again. But thofe that understood him, smil'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 scarfs 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?

Cafea. No, I am promis'd forth.

Gaf. 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.

Cafea. 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 enterprise,

However he puts on this tardy form.

This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

Bru. And fo it is: for this time I will leave you.
To-morrow, if you pleafe 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,
VOL. VII.
B

He

He fhould not humour * me.

I will this night,

In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,
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 feat him sure ;

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

S CE NE IV.

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 so ?

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 seen
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 deftruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafea. 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 ghaftly women,

Transformed with their fear; who wore they faw
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Ev'n at noon-day, upon the market-place,

* Tó bumour fignifies here to turn and wind him, by inflaming his pafions.

Houting