ACT II. SCENE I-The same. BRUTUS' Orchard. Enter BRUTUS. Bru. What, Lucius! ho! I cannot, by the progress of the stars, Give guess how near to day.-Lucius, I say!- When, Lucius, when !* Awake, I say: What, Lucius! Enter LUCIUS. Luc. Call'd you, my lord ? Bru. Get me a taper in my study, Lucius: When it is lighted, come and call me here. Luc. I will, my lord. Bru. It must be by his death: and, for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crown'd: How that might change his nature, there's the question. And that craves wary walking. Crown him ?-That;- Remorset from power: And, to speak truth of Cæsar, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees § Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented, Would run to these, and these extremities: Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous; Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. The taper burneth in your closet, Sir. Bru. Look in the calendar, and bring me word. An exclamation of impatience. [Exit. [Exit + Pity. Low steps. Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, Give so much light, that I may read by them. [Opens the letter, and reads. Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. Such instigations have been often dropp'd Shall Rome, &c. Thus, must I piece it out; Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome ? My ancestors did from the streets of Rome The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king. Speak, strike, redress!-Am I entreated then To speak, and strike? O Rome! I make thee promise, Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus. Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. [Knock within. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. [Exit LUCIUS. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, Who doth desire to see you. Bru. Is he alone ? Luc. No, Sir, there are more with him. Bru. No you know them? Luc. No, Sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears, And half their faces buried in their cloaks, That by no means I may discover them By any mark of favour.* Bru. Let them enter. They are the faction. O conspiracy! [Exit LUCIUS. Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free! O, then, by day, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy; Hide it in smiles, and affability: For if thou path thy native semblancet on, Not Erebus itself were dim enough To hide thee from prevention. Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS. Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest: Which every noble Roman bears of you. Bru. He is welcome hither. Cas. This Decius Brutus. Cas. This, Casca; this, Cinna; And this, Metellus Cimber. Bru. They are all welcome. What watchful cares do interpose themselves Betwixt your eyes and night? Cas. Shall I entreat a word ? [They whisper Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break here? Cin. O, pardon, Sir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. Casca. You shall confess, that you are both deceived. Which is a great way growing on the south, Some two months hence, up higher toward the north Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one. Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face of men, So let high-sighted tyranny rage on, Till each man drop by lottery. But if these, To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen, That this shall be, or we will fall for it? • Public opinion. Cautions Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits, To think, that, or our cause, or our performance, If he do break the smallest particle Of any promise that hath pass'd from him. Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him? I think, he will stand very strong with us. Cin. No, by no means. Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: Bru. O, name him not; let us not break† with him; For he will never follow anything That other men begin. Cas. Then leave him out. Casca. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? Should outlive Cæsar: We shall find of him Let Antony, and Cæsar, fall together. ; Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs; Like wrath in death, and envy‡ afterwards: For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar. Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius. We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar And in the spirit of men there is no blood: O, that we then could come by Cæsar's spirit, And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas, Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends, Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: And let our hearts, as subtle masters do Stir up their servants to an act of rage, And after seem to chide them. This shall make Our purpose necessary, and not envious: Which so appearing to the common eyes, We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers. And for Mark Antony, think not of him; * Character. † (The matter.) + Malice. IL For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm, Cas. Yet I do fear him: For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar,- Is to himself, take thought, and die for Cæsar: Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die; Cas. The clock hath stricken three. Cas. But it is doubtful yet, Whe'r Caesar will come forth to-day, or no: For I can give this humour the true bent; [Clock strikes. Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him. Cas. The morning comes upon us: We'll leave you, Brutus:And, friends, disperse yourselves: but all remember What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans. Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; Let not our looks put on § our purposes: But bear it as our Roman actors do, [Exeunt all but BRUTUS. By his house. • Show. Boy! Lucius!-Fast asleep? It is no matter; с |