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 shoulder The old Anchises bear, fo, from the waves of Tyber Did I the tired Cæfar: and this man

Is now become a God; and Caffius is

A wretched creature, and muft bend his body,
If Cæfar carelefly 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 shake;
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 groan:
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, Titinius-
As a fick girl. Ye Gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of fuch a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majeftic world,
And bear the Palm alone.

Bru. Another general fhout!

I do believe, that thefe applaufes are

[Shout. Flourish.

For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cafar.
Caf. Why, man, he doth beftride the narrow world
Like a Coloffus; and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves difhonourable graves.

Men at sometimes 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 fhould that name be founded, more than yours?
Write them together; yours 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.

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Now

Now in the names of all the Gods at once,
Upon what meat does this our Cafar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art 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 incompafs'd but one man?
Now is it Rome, indeed; and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.

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 ftate 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 fome 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. What you have said,
I will confider; what you have to fay,

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 son of Rome

Under fuch hard 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.

Enter Cæfar and his Train.

Bru. HE Games are done, and Cefar is returning. Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the

fleeve,

And

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 Cafar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being croft in conf'rence by fome Senators.
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. Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caf. '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 mufic;
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himfelf, and fcorn'd his fpirit,
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whilft 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: Casca, to them.

Cafea. You pull'd pull'd me by the cloak; would you fpeak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafea, tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cafar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then ask Cafca what had chanc'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 laft cry for? Cafca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Cafca. 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. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafea.

Cafca. 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 fill as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clap'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of flinking breath, becaule Cafar refus'd the crown, that it had almoft choaked Cafar; for he fwooned,

fwooned, and fell down at it: and for mine own part, I durft 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 speechlefs.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling Sicknefs. Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-fickness.

Gafca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am fure, Cefar fell down: If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and displeas'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 pluckt 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 himself again, he said, If he had done, or faid any thing amifs, he de'fir'd their Worfhips to think it was his infirmity.' Three or four wenches where I stood, cry'd," 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.

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Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away?
Cafca. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafca. Ay, he fpoke 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 liim, fmil'd at one another, and fhook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell

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you