Have you not made an univerfal fhout,
That Tyber trembled underneath his banks,
To hear the replication of your founds,
Made in his concave fhores?
And do you now put on your best attire?"
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now ftrew flowers in his way,
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone;

Run to your houfes, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs muft light on this ingratitude. [fault,
Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this
Affemble all the poor men of your fort;
Draw them to Tyber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, 'till the lowest ftream
Do kifs the most exalted thores of all.

[Exeunt Commoners.
See, whe'r their baleft metal be not mov'd;
They vanish tongue-ty'd in their guiltiness.
Go you down that way towards the Capitol;
This way will 1: Difrobe the images,,
If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies 1.
Mar. May we do fo?

You know, it is the feaft of Lupercal.

Flav. It is no matter; let no images
Be hung with Cæfar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
Thefe growing feathers pluck'd from Cæfar's wing,
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch;
Who else would foar above the view of men,
And keep us all in fervile fearfulness.
SCENE II.
The fame.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cafar; Antony, for the courfe; Calphurnia,
Portia, Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Caffius, Cafea,
Soothsayer, &c.

Caf. Calphurnia,

Cafta. Peace, ho! Cæfar speaks.
Caf. Calphurnia,-
Calp. Here, my lord.

Caf. Stand you directly in Antonius' way,
When he doth run his courfe.-Antonius.

Ant. Cæfar, my lord.

Ccf. Forget not, in your fpeed, Antonius,
To touch Calphurnia: for our elders fay,
The barren, touched in this holy chafe,
Shake off their fterile curfe.

Ant. I fhall remember:

When Cæfar fays, Do this, it is perform❜d.
Cf. Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
Scoth. Cæfar.

Caef. Ha! Who calls?

Bru. I am not gamefome; I do lack fome part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Caffius, your defires;
I'll leave you.

Caf. Brutus, I do obferve you now of late :
I have not from your eyes that gentleness,
And fhew of love, as I was wont to have:
You bear too ftubborn and too strange 4 a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

Bru. Cafias,

Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am,

Of late, with paflions of fome difference 5,
Conceptions only proper to myself,

Which give fome foil, perhaps, to my behaviours :
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd;
| (Among which number, Caffius, be you one)
Nor conftrue any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the fhews of love to other men.

Caf. Then, Brutus, I have much miftook your
paffion;

By means whereof, this breast of mine hath bury'd
aThoughts 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, by fome other things.

Cafca. Bid every noise be ftill:-Peace yet again.
Cf. Who is it in the prefs, that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, fhriller than all the mufick,
Cry, Cæfar: Speak; Cæfar is turn'd to hear.
Scoth. Beware the ides of March.

1 Ceremonies for religious ornaments.

Caf. "Fis juft:

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no fuch mirrors, as will turn/
Your hidden worthinefs into your eye,
That you
might fee your fhadow. I have heard
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immort Cæfar) speaking 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 feek 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 yourfelf
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 1 a common laugher, or did ufe

2 This perfon was not Decius, but Decimus Brutus.

3 We have before obferved, that Sennet appears to be a particular tune or mode of martial mufick. 4 Strange is alien, unfamiliar.

5 i. c. with a fluctuation of difcordant opinions and defires.

To

To ftale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protefter; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after fcandal them; or if you know
That I profefs myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

[Flourish and fhout. Bru. What means this fhouting? I do fear, the [people Choose 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' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:
For, let the gods fo speed 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 story.-
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 faid to me, Dar'ft thou, Caffies, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And fwim to yonder point ?-Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, plunged in,
And bade him follow :.fo, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lufty finews; throwing it afide,
And stemming it with hearts of controverfy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæfar cry'd, Help me, Caffias, 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 Cæfar: And this man
Is now become a god: and Caffius is
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 thake: '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 his 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 fhould
So get the start of the majestick world,
And bear the palm alone.

[Shout. Flourish.

Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe, that thefe applaufes are

For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar.
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 fome time 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 should be in that Cæfar?
Why should 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 them,
Brutus will start a fpirit as foon as Cæfar.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæfar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art tham'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 encompafs'd but one man ?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man. -
O! you and I have heard our fathers fay, [brook'd
There was a Brutus 2 once, that would have
The 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,
What you have faid,
Be any further mov'd.

I will confider; what you have to say,

;

I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, fuch high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this 3
Brutus had rather be a villager,
Than to repute himself a fon 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 thew of fire from
Brutus.

Re-enter Caefar and his train.

Bru. The games are done, and Cæfar is re

turning.

Caf. As they país by, pluck Casca by the fleeve:
And he will, after his four fathion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.

Bru. I will do fo:-But, look you, Caffius,
The angry fpot doth glow on Cæfar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train:
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret 4 and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have feen him in the Capitol,
Being crois'd in conference by fome fenators.

That is, to invite every new protefter to my affection by the file or allurement of cuftomary oaths.

2 i. e. Lucius Junus Brutus.

3. C. ruminate on this.

3 B4

4 A ferret has red eyes.

Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
Cef. Antonius.
Ant. Cæfar.

Caf. Let me have men about me, that are fat;
Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep o' nights:
Yon Caffius has a lean and hungry look;

He thinks too much fuch men are dangerous.

Jand ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath because Cæfar refus'd the crown, that it had almoft choak'd Cæfar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and re

Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous;ceiving the bad air. He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Cf. '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 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 mufick:
Seldom he fmiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himfelf, and fcorn'd his fpirit
That could be mov'd to fmile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whiles 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 1 am Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'it of him.

[Exeunt Cafar, and his train. Manent Brutus and Caffius: Cafea to them. Cafea. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you fpeak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fed.

Cafea. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Cafca what had chanc'd.

Cafca. 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 noife for?

Cafea. Why for that too.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you: What? did Cæfar fwoon >

Cafea. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was fpeechless.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-ficknefs.

Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you, and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-fickness.

Cafea. I know not what you mean by that ; but, I am fure, Cæfar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they ufe to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himfelf? Cafca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the crown, he pluck'd 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 defir'd their worthips to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I ftood, cry'd, zilas, good foul!—and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Cæfar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no lefs.

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

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?
Cafca. Ay, he spoke Greek.
Caf. To what effect?

Cafca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er lock

Caf. They shouted thrice; What was the laft you i' the face again: But thofe, that understood

cry for?

Cajca. Why for that too.

him fmil'd 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 fcarfs off Cafar's images, are put

Bu. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Cafea. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every put-to filence. Fare you well. There was more

ting by, mine honeft neighbours shouted. Caf. Who offer'd him the crown?

Cafea. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca. Cafea. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was meer foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a crown,――――yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of thefe 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 Fut 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:

foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to-night, Casca ?
Cafea. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow ?
Cafea. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold,
and your dinner worth the eating.

Caf. Good; I will expect you.
Cafca. Do fo: Farewel both.

[Exit.

Bra. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?
He was quick mettie, when he went to school.
Caf. So is he now, in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,

1 i, e. Had I been a mechanick, one of the Plebeians, to whom he offered his throat.

Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

Bru. And fo it is. For this time I will leave you:
To morrow, if you please to speak with me,
1 will come home to you; or,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.

if

you will,

[Exit Brutus.

Do fo conjointly meet, let not men say,
Thefe are their reafons,-They are natural;
For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cit. Indeed, it is a ftrange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,

Caf. I will do fo:-till then, think of the world:Clean from the purpose of the things themfelves.
Comes Cæfar to the Capitol to-morrow?
Cafea. He doth: for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Cafca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.
Cafea. Farewel, Cicero.

Well, Brutus, thou art noble: yet, I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is difpos'd: Therefore 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who fo firm, that cannot be feduc'd?
Cæfar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus :
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
I will this night,
He should not humour me 2.
In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from feveral citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obfcurely
Cæfar's ambition fhall be glanced at :
And, after this, let Cæfar feat him fure;
For we will shake him, or worfe days endure.

SCENE

III.

A Street.

[Exit.

Enter Caffius.

Caf. Who's there?

Cafea. A Roman.

[Exit Cicero.

[this?

Caf. Cafca, by your voice.
Cafea. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is
Caf. A very pleafing night to honest men.
Cafea. Who ever knew the heavens menace fo?
Caf. Thofe, that have known the earth fo full of
faults.

For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;
And, thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee,
Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-ftone:
And, when the cross blue lightning seem'd to oper
The breaft of heaven, I did prefent myfelf

Thunder and Lightning. Enter Cafea, his favord Even in the aim and very flash of it.

drawn; and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Cafca: Brought you Cæfar

home?

Why are you breathlefs? and why stare you fo?
Cafta. Are you not mov'd, when all the fway
of earth 3

Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempeits, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have fcen
The ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatning clouds:
But never 'till to-night, never 'till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heaven;
Or elfe the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenfes them to fend destruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafea. A common flave (you know him well by
fight)

Held up his left hand, which did flame, and burn.
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unfcorch'd.
Befides, (I have not fince put up my fword)
Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me: and there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,
Transformed with their fear; who fwore, they faw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the ftreets.
And, yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Hooting, and fhrieking. When thefe prodigies

Cafea. But wherefore did you so much tempt
the heavens ?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty gods, by tokens, fend
Such dreadful heralds to aftonifh us.

(life

Caf. You are dull, Cafea; and those sparks of
That thould be in a Roman, you do want,
Or elfe you use not: You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and caft yourself in wonder,
To fee the strange impatience of the heavens:
But if you would confider the true caufe,
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghofts,
Why birds, and beafts, from quality and kind 4;
Why old men fools, and children calculate 5;
Why all these things change, from their ordinance,
Their natures, and pre-formed faculties,
To monitrous quality; why, you fhall find,
That heaven hath infus'd them with these spirits,
To make them inftruments of fear, and warning,
Unto fome monitrous ftate.

Now could I, Cafca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night;

That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol :

A man no mightier than thyfelf, or me,
In perfonal action; yet prodigious 6 grown,
And fearful, as thefe ftrange eruptions are.

Cafea. 'Tis Cæfar that you mean: Is it not, Caffius?
Caf. Let it be who it is: for Romans now
Have thews 7 and limbs like to their ancestors;
But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are govern'd with our mothers' fpirits;

3 The whole

1 i. e. The best metal or temper may be worked into qualities contrary to its original conftitution. 2 The meaning is, Cafar loves Brutus, but if Brutus and I were to change places, his love fhould not humour me, fhould not take hold of my affection, fo as to make me forget my principles. 4 i. e. why they deviate from quality and nature. Prodigious is portentous. 7 Thewes is an optolete word implying

weight or momentum of this globe.
5 i. e. foretel or prophesy.
nerves or mufcular firength.

Our