SCENE,-During a great part of the Play, at ROME: afterwards at SARDIS and near PHILIPPI. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a throng of Citizens. Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you home: Is this a holiday? What! know you not, Of your profession?-Speak, what trade art thou? 1 Cit. Why, Sir, a carpenter. Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on?You, Sir, what trade are you? 1 Cit. Truly, Sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 2 Cit. A trade, Sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, Sir, a mender of bad soles. Mar. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade? 2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, Sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow! 2 Cit. Why, Sir, cobble you. Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou? 2 Cit. Truly, Sir, all that I live by is, with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, Sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neats-leather have gone upon my handywork. Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 Cit. Truly, Sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, Sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph. Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome, To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, And do you now put on your best attire? Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, fault, Assemble all the poor men of your sort; Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. [Exeunt Citizens. See whe'r their basest metal be not mov'd; They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. Go you down that way towards the Capitol; This way will I: disrobe the images, If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies. Mar. May we do so? You know it is the feast of Lupercal. Flav. It is no matter; let no images Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about, And drive away the vulgar from the streets: So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing, Will make him fly an ordinary pitch; Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-ROME. A public Place. Enter, in procession, with music, CÆSAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPHURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great crowd following, among them a Soothsayer. Cas. Calphurnia,— Casca. Cas. Cal. Here, my lord. Peace, ho! Cæsar speaks. Cas. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, Cas. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile curse. Ant. I shall remember: When Cæsar says, "Do this," it is perform'd. Cas. Set on; and leave no ceremony out. Sooth. Cæsar! Cas. Ha! Who calls? [Music Casca. Bid every noise be still:-peace yet again! Cas. Set him before me; let me see his face. Cas. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cas. He is a dreamer; let us leave him:-pass. Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I'll leave you. Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness, And show of love, as I was wont to have: You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Of late, with passions of some difference, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours; Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, That you would have me seek into myself Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar❜d to And, since you know you cannot see yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. [Flourish, and shout. Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, I had as lief not be, as live to be I was born free as Cæsar; so were you: And swim to yonder point?" Upon the word, And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. And stemming it, with hearts of controversy: Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world, Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan: Like a Colossus; and we petty men Men at some time are masters of their fates: yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Rome, That her wide walls encompass'd but one man? When there is in it but one only man. O, you and I have heard our fathers say, 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 these times, I shall recount hereafter; for this present, I would not, so with love I might entreat you, Be any farther mov'd. What you have said, I will with patience hear; and find a time Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things. Than to repute himself a son of Rome Cas. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve, And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day. Re-enter CESAR and his train. Bru. I will do so:-but, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cæsar? Cas. Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights: Yond' Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. Aut. Fear him not, Cæsar; he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given. Cas. 'Would he were fatter! but I fear him not; Yet if my name were liable to fear, I do not know the man I should avoid So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad. Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not, then, ask Casca what had Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was 't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery; I did not mark it. I saw 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 offered it to him again; then he put it by agair but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay h fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time: he put it the third time by; and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty nightcaps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath, because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, 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. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: what, did Cæsar swoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like,-he hath the falling-sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him and hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man. Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered 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 so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done or said any thing amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, "Alas, good soul!" and forgave him with all their hearts: but there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away? Casca. Ay. Cas. Did Cicero say any thing? Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek. Cas. To what effect? Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another, and shook 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 Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it. Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow? Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the eating. Cas. Good; I will expect you. Casca. Do so: farewell, both. [Exit. Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be! Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you: [Exil. Thunder and lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero, Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful? sight) Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn And yesterday the bird of night did sit, Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time: Casca. He doth; for he did bid Antonius Farewell, Cicero. [Exit CICERO. Enter CASSIUS. A Roman. Cas. Who's there? Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men. For my part, I have walk'd about the streets, Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt the It is the part of men to fear and tremble, Casca. Indeed, they say, the senators to-morrow And he shall wear his crown by sea and land, Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger, Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius: Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, If I know this, know all the world besides, Casca. [Thunder still. So can I: So every bondman in his own hand bears Cas. And why should Cæsar be a tyrant, t. en? But, O grief, I, perhaps, speak this then I know Casca. You speak to Casca; and to such a man Be factious for redress of all these griefs; There's a bargain made. Cas. You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already life That should be in a Roman you do want, Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man That thunders, lightens, opens graves and roars A man no mightier than thyself, or me, In personal action; yet prodigious grown, Casca. 'Tis Cæsar that you mean; is it not, Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans, In Pompey's porch: for now, this fearful night, In favour's like the work we have in hand, Casca. Stand close a while, for here comes one in Cas. 'Tis Cinna,-I do know him by his gait; He is a friend. Enter CINNA. Cinna, where haste you so? Cin. To find out you. Who's that? Metellus Cimber? Cas. No, it is Casca; one incorporate To our attempts. Am I not stay'd for, Cinna? this! There's two or three of us have seen strange sights. Cas. Be you content: good Cinna, take this And look you lay it in the prætor's chair, |