Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

Set honour in one eye, and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently :

For, let the gods so speed 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 subject of my story.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 as free as Caesar; so 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 gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Cæsar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?-Upon the word,
Accouter'd as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Cæsar cried, Help me, Cassius, or I sink.

[ocr errors]

as Eneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tiber

Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man

Is now become la god]; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And, when the fit was on him, I did mark

[ocr errors]

How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake :
His coward lips did from their colour fly;

And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan :

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, [Give me some drink, Titinius),
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.

(Shout. Flourish.)

Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applauses are

For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.

Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world,

Like a Colossus; and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and реер about

To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates:

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

But in ourselves, that we are uuderlings.

Brutus, and Cæsar: What should be in that Cæsar?
Why should that name be sounded 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 soon as Cæsar. (Shout.)

Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age thou art ashamed
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walks encompass'd but lone 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 say,

There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,

As easily as a king.

Bru. That you do love me, J 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, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any farther moved. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say,

I will with patience hear: and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things,
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this;

Brutus had rather be a villager,

Then to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Cas. I am glad that my weak words

Have struck but thus much shew of fire from Brutus.

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »