Bru.

Thou hast describ'd A hot friend cooling: Ever note, Lucilius, When love begins to sicken and decay, It useth an enforced ceremony. There are no tricks in plain and simple faith: But hollow men, like horses hot at hand, Make gallant show and promise of their mettle: But when they should endure the bloody spur, They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades, Sink in the trial. Comes his army on? Luci. They mean this night in Sardis to be

quarter'd; The greater part, the horse in general, Are come with Cassius.

[March within. Bru.

Hark, he is arriv'd:March gently on to meet him.

Enter Cassius and Soldiers.

Cas. Stand, ho!
Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along,
Within. Stand.
Within. Stand.
Within. Stand.
Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me

wrong. Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine ene

mies? And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do themBru.

Cassius, be content, Speak your griefs softly, I do know you well:- -

Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
Let us not wrangle: Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.
Cas.

Pindarus,
Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucilius, do the like; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door. [E.reunt.

SCENE III.

WITHIN THE TENT OF BRUTUS.

Lucius and Titinius at some distance from it.

Enier Brutus and Cassius. Cas. That you have wrong'd me, doth

appear

in this: You have condemn’d 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 off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself, to write in such a

case.

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

Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemn’d 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 honours this corrup-

tion,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cas. Chastisement!
Bru. Remember March, the ides of March re-

member!
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd 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 honours,
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're not, Cassius.
Cas. I am.
Bru. I say, you are not.

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

Bru. Away, slight man!

I'll use you

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. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all

this? Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud

heart break; Go, show your slayes how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humour? By the gods, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, 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 liv'd, he durst not thus have

mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have your life

Cas. What? durst not tempt him?
Bru.

For

you

durst not.
Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love,
I may do that I shall be sorry for.
Bru. You haye done that you should be sorry

for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm’d 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 deny'd me;-
For I can raise no money by vile means:
By heaven, 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
Το

you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you deny'd me: Was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd 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 to pieces !
Cas.

I deny'd you not.
Bru. You did,
Cas.

I did not:-he was but a fool, That brought my answer back.—Brutus hath riv'd

my heart:

A friend should bear his 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.