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?

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 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 denied 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

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied 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

Dash him to pieces!

Cas.

Bru. You did.

Cas.

thunderbolts;

I denied you not.

I did not he was but a fool,

That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath rived 1

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.

Bru.

I do not like your

faults.

Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do

appear

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;
Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

1 Split.

My spirit from mine eyes!-There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;

I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him

better

Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

Sheathe your dagger:

Bru.
Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor.
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger, as the flint bears fire;
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

Cas.
Hath Cassius lived
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your
hand.

Bru. And my heart too.

Cas.

Bru.

O Brutus !

What's the matter?

Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humor, which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful?

Bru.

Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,

He'll think your mother chides, and leave you sc. [noise within.

Poet. [within.] Let me go in to see the generals : There is some grudge between them; 'tis not meet hey be alone.

Lucius. [within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.

Enter POET.

Cas. How now? What's the matter?

Poet. For shame, you generals: what do you mean?

Love, and be friends, as two such men should be; For I have seen more years, I am sure, than ye.

Cas. Ha, ha; how vilely doth this cynic rhyme! Bru. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence. Cas. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

Bra. I'll know his humor when he knows his

time:

What should the wars do with these jigging 1 fools? Companion, hence.

Cas.

2

Away, away, be gone.

[Exit Poet.

Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders

A jig, in our author's time, signified a metrical composition as well as a dance.

2 Fellow.

Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala

with you

Immediately to us.

Bru.

[Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius.

Lucius, a bowl of wine.

Cas. I did not think you could have been so

angry.

Bru. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use,

If you give place to accidental evils.

Bru. No man bears sorrow better:-Portia is dead.

Cas. Ha! Portia ?

Bru. She is dead.

Cas. How 'scaped I killing, when I cross'd you so?

O insupportable and touching loss !—

Upon what sickness?

Bru.

Impatient of my absence;

And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong;-for with her

death

That tidings came :—with this she fell distract,

And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

Cas. And died so?

Bru. Even so.

Cas. O ye immortal gods!

Enter LUCIUS, with wine and tapers.

Bru. Speak no more of her.-Give me a bowl of

wine.