I will consider ; what you have to say,
I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under such hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

Cas. I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

SHAKSPEARE

76. The Quarrel of Brutus and Cassius.

Cassius. That you have wronged me, doth appear in this You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella, For taking bribes here of the Sardians; Wherein my letters — praying on his side, Because I knew the man were slighted of.

Brutus. You wronged yourself, to write in such a case

Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear its comment.

Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm,
To sell and mart your offices for gold
To undeservers.

Cas. I an itching palm ?
You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Bru. The name of Cassius honors this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide its head.

Cas. Chastisement !

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember? Did not great Julius bleed for justice sake.

What villain touched his body, that did stab,
And not for justice ? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost 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 dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Cas. Brutus, bay not me;
I'll not endure it; you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

Bru. Go to; you are not, Cassius.
Cas. I am.
Bru. I say, you are not.

Cas. Urge me no more; I shall forget myself;
Have inind upon your health, – tempt me no further.

Bru. Away, slight man !
Cas. Is't possible?

Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. –
Must I give way and room to your rash choler ?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares ?

Cas. Must I endure all this?

Bru. All this? Ay, more. Fret till your proud heart break Go, show your slaves, how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge! Must I observe you ? must I stand and crouch Under your testy humor? You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish.

Cas. Is it come to this?

Bru. You say, you are a better soldier ; Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,

And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of noble men.
Cas. You wrong me every way

you wrong me, Brutus, I said, an elder soldier ; not a better. Did I

say

better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar lived, he durst not thus have moved me Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted him Cas. I durst not ? Bru. No. Cas. What, durst not tempt him ? Bru. For your life you durst not.

Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love; I may do what I shall be

sorry

for.
Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am armed so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;
For I can raise no money by vile means.
I had rather coin my heart,
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,
Which

you

denied me; was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him in pieces !

Cas. I denied you not.
Bru. You did.

Cas. I did not; - he was but a fool
That brought my answer back.- Brutus hath rived

my

heart

A friend should bear a friend's infirmities;
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.
Cas. You love me not.
Bru. I do not like

your

faults. Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults.

Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come! Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is a-weary of the world; Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; Checked like a bondman ; all his faults observed, Set in a note-book, learned, and conned by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep My spirit from mine eyes ! - There is my dagger, And here my naked breast - within, a heart Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold; If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth. I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart; Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know, When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov’dst him better Than ever thou lov’dst Cassius.

Bru. Sheathe your dagger; Be angry

when you will, it shall have scope
Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor.
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger, as a flint bears fire;
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

Cas. Hath Cassius lived
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him?

Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand
Bru. And my heart too
Cas. O Brutus !

Bru. What's the matter ?

Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humor, which

my
mother

gave me, Makes me forgetful?

Bru. Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth,
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

SHAKSPEARE.

77. Pen, Ink, and Paper.

THERE was little in my inkstand, and nothing in my head, when I sat down, with a fair sheet of Bath-post before me, to write an essay for a lady's portfolio. At first, with a degree of self-complacency, which, perhaps, none but an author in favor can feel, I contemplated the blank under my eye, which was to be enlivened by my wit, or enriched with my eloquence.

As I mended my pen to begin, thought I, “The wisest men on earth could not anticipate what I shall do here, nor the shrewdest guess the subject which will speedily adorn these

pages; for I myself am not yet in the secret, nor do I know what I am going to write.” This reflection startled me, and “What will it be?” came with such importunity into my mind, that I could not help replying, "What, indeed!” There was silence among my thoughts

a deadwhite silence; and though I called them, — called them repeatedly and earnestly, as if I were a drowning man, to come to my assistance, not one would move or speak.

I looked with consternation around, but saw nothing except pen, ink, and paper; nay, do what I would, I could make no more of them; pen, ink, and paper they were, and remained. Every moment increased my perplexity, for whatever might be their good-will, or their occult capabilities, they could do nothing for me of themselves ; the pen could