But by reflection, by fome other things.
CAS. "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 refpect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæsar) speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoak,
Have with'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
BRU. Into what dangers would you lead
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?
CAS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: And, fince you know you cannot see 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 stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester ; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know
That I profefs myfelf in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
BRU. What means this fhouting? I do fear, the people Choose Cesar for their king.
CAS. Ay, do you fear it?
Then muft 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 so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be ought 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 fpeed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
CAS. 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 single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Casar; 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 troubl'd Tyber chafing with his fhores,
Casar faid to me, Dar'ft thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And faim to yonder point? Upon the word,
Accouter'd as I was, I plunged in,
And bad him follow: fo, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lufty finews; throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cæsar cry'd, Help me, Caffius, or 1 fink.
I, as Eneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchifes bear, fo, from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Casar: And this man
Is now become a god; and Caffius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Casar 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 shake: 'tis true, this god did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that fame eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose it's luftre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bad the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches 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.
BRU. Another general shout:
I do believe, that these applauses are
For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.
CAS. 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 masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus, and Cæsar: What fhould be in that Cæsar?
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 them,
Brutus will start a spirit as foon as Cæsar.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar 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 encompaff'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,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his ftate in Rome,
As easily as a king.
BRU. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, fo with love I might intreat you,
Be any further mov'd: What you have faid,
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;
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.
CAS. I am glad, that my weak words
Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR, and his Train.
9 Walkes 28 Under these hard
BRU. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning.
CAS. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve;
And he will, after his four fafhion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.
BRU. I will do fo:-But, look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Casar'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 feen him in the capitol,
Being croff'd in conference by fome fenators.
CAS. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
CAS. Antonio,
CAS. 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.
ANT. Fear him not, Cesar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.
CAS. '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 observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou doft, Antony; he hears no musick:
Seldom he fmiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
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