Brutus. If thou deny me this, thou giv'st me nothing Yes, Titus, since the gods have so decreed That I must lose thee, I will take the advantage Of cruel rigor? To behold me, too; Ha a beaten slave! To sit, unmoved, and see me whipped to death! Ah, Sir, why should you make my heart suspect Brutus. Think that I love thee, by my present passion, By these unmanly tears, these earthquakes here; These sighs, that twitch the very strings of life; Think that no other cause on earth could move me To tremble thus, to sob, or shed a tear, Nor shake my solid virtue from her point, Titus. O, rise, thou violated majesty! For want of spirits, grovelling in the dust, Then, take my head, and give it to his justice:- 23 CATO'S SOLILOQUY ON IMMORTALITY.—Addison. Born, 1672, died, 17 12. Or whence this secret dread, and inward horror, 'Tis Heaven itself, that points out an hereafter, Eternity!-thou pleasing, dreadful thought! Through what new scenes and changes must we pass! Through all her works, He must delight in virtue • But when? or where? This world was made for Cæsar Thus am I doubly armed. My death and life. The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds. 23. QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS. —Shakspeare. Cassius. That you have wronged me, doth You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella, appear in this Brutus. You wronged yourself to write in such a case, That * The dagger. Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemned to have an itching palm. To sell and mart your offices for gold, To rndeservers. Cas. I an itching palm ? You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Cas. Chastisement! Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? - What villain touched his body, that did stab, Cas. Brutus, bay not me! I'll not endure it. You forget yourself, To make conditions. Bru. Go to! you are not, Cassius, 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! 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. Must I endure all this? Bru. All this? ay, more! Fret till your proud heart break Go, show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble! Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humor? You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, Cas. Is it come to this? Bru. You say you are a better soldier: Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, For mine own part, Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Brutus I said, an elder soldier, not a better. I'd I say better? I Bru. If you did, I care not! Cas. When Cæsar lived, he durst not thus have moved me Bru. Peace, peace: you durst not so have tempted him ' Cas. I durst not? Bru. No. Cas. What? durst not tempt him? Bru. For your life, you durst not! Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love; may do that I shall be sorry for. Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am armed so strong in honesty, That they pass by me as the idle wind, For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; To you for gold to pay my legions, Was that done like Cassius? Cas. I denied you not. Bru. You did. Cas. I did not: - he was but a fool That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart. A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not like your faults. Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. As huge as high Olympus. Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come! Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother, 1, that denied thee gold, will give my heart When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him? Cas. O Brutus! Bru. What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humor which Makes me forgetful? my mother gave me Bru. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so. 24. REGRETS OF DRUNKENNESS. Shakspeare. Iago. What! be you hurt, Lieutenant? Cassio. Past all surgery! Iago. Marry, Heaven forbid! Cassio. Reputation! reputation! reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself; and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation! Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound: there is more offence in that than in reputation. Repu tation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. What, man! There are ways to recover the General again. Sue to him, and he is yours. |