I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myfelf. Vexed I am
Of late with paffions of fome difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself;
Which give fome foil perhaps to my behaviour:
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd,
Among which number, Caffius, be you one;
Nor conftrue any farther my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the fhews of love to other men.
Caf. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your paffion;
By means whereof, this breaft of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you fee your face?
Bru. No, Caffius; for the eye fees not itself,
But by reflection from fome other things.
Caf. 'Tis juft.
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no fuch mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might fee your fhadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæfar), fpeaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wifh'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru Into what dangers would you lead me, Caffius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?
Caf. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear; And fince you know you cannot fee yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modeftly discover to yourself
That of yourself which yet you know not of.
And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus :
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To ftale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protector; if you know,
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after fcandal them; or if you know,
That I profefs myfelf in banqueting
To all the rout; then hold me dangerous.
[Flourish and fhout.
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myfelf. Vexed I am
Of late with paffions of fome difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself;
Which give fome foil perhaps to my behaviour:
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd,
Among which number, Caffius, be you one;
Nor conftrue any farther my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the fhews of love to other men.
Caf. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your paffion;
By means whereof, this breaft of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you fee your face?
Bru. No, Caffius; for the eye fees not itself,
But by reflection from fome other things.
Caf. 'Tis juft.
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no fuch mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might fee your fhadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæfar), fpeaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wifh'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru Into what dangers would you lead me, Caffius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?
Caf. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear; And fince you know you cannot fee yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modeftly difcover to yourself
That of yourself which yet you know not of.
And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To ftale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new proteftor; if you know,
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after fcandal them; or if you know,
That I profefs myfelf in banqueting
To all the rout; then hold me dangerous.
[Flourish and fhout.
Bru. What means this fhouting? I do fear the people Chufe Cæfar for their King.
Caf. Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it fo.
Bru. I would not, Caffius; yet I love him well.
But wherefore do you hold me here fo long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set Honour in one eye, and Death i'th' other,
And I will look on death indifferently:
For let the Gods fo fpeed me, as I love
The name of Honour more than I fear Death.
Caf. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the fubject of my ftory.-
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my fingle felf,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of fuch a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cæfar, fo were you;
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he.
"For once upon a raw and gufty day,'
"The troubled Tyber chafing with his fhores,
"Cæfar fays to me, Dar'ft thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
"And fwim to yonder point?
"Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
"And bid him follow; fo indeed he did.
"The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
"With lufty finews; throwing it afide,
"And ftemming it with hearts of controverfy.
"But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,"
Cæfar cry'd, Help me, Caffius, or I fink.
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his fhoulder
The old Anchifes bear; fo from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cælar: and this man
Is now become a god, and Caffius is
Swimming was one of the gener us exercifes practifed at Rome, and lea ned by all th youth of the heft birth aud quality as a neceffary qualification towards good foldiership.
A wretched creature; and must bend his body,
If Cæfar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did fhake. 'Tis true, this god did fhake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that fame eye whofe bend doth awe the world,
Did lofe its luftre; I did hear him grone:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans Mark him, and write his fpeeches in their books, Alas! it cry'd-Give me fome drink, TitiniusAs a fick girl, Ye gods, it doth amaze me, A man of fuch a feeble temper should "So get the start of the majestic world, "And bear the palm alone."
Bru. Another general fhout!
I do believe, that thefe applaufes are
For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar.
Caf. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Coloffus; and we petty men
• Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourfelves difhonourable graves.
'Men at fome times are mafters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
'Brutus and Cæfar! what fhould be in that Cæfar? Why should that name be founded, more than your's? Write them together; your's is as fair a name : Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, Brutus will start a fpirit as foon as Cæfar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat does this our Cæfar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou are fham'd; Rome, thou haft loft the breed of noble bloods. When went there by an age, fince the great flood, But it was fam'd with more than with one man? When could they fay, till now, that talk'd of Rome, That her wide walls encompass'd but one man? * Oh !
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
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