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 thy important fate; cement Rome's flaws, And heal her wounded freedom with thy blood. I will ascend myself the sad tribunal, And sit upon my son — on thee, my Titus: Behold thee suffer all the shame of death, The lictor's lashes, bleed before the people; Then, with thy hopes and all thy youth upon thee, See thy head taken by the common axe, Without a groan, without one pitying tear (If that the gods can hold me to my purpose), To make my justice quite transcend example. Titus. Scourged like a bondman! Ha! a beaten slave! But I deserve it all; yet, here I fail; The image of this suffering quite unmans me. O, Sir! O, Brutus! must I call you father, No sign of mercy? What! not bate me that? Of cruel rigor? To behold me, too; 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, Think that no other cause on earth could move me Titus. O, rise, thou violated majesty! Nay, all ye lictors, slaves, and common hangmen, For want of spirits, grovelling in the dust, Then, take my head, and give it to his justice: 22. CATO'S SOLILOQUY ON IMMORTALITY.— Addison. Born, 1672; died, 1719. 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! But when? or where? This world was made for Cæsar. Thus am I doubly armed. My death and life, My bane and antidote, are both before me. The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds. 23. QUARREL OF BRUTUS AND CASSIUS. -Shakspeare. Cassius. That you have wronged me, doth appear in this: Brutus. You wronged yourself to write in such a case. That 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 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, 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 To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius? Should I have answered Caius Cassius so? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, To lock such rascal counters from his friends, 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, 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. 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; When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better Be Bru. Sheathe your dagger: angry when you will, it shall have scope; Cas. Hath Cassius lived To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him? Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. Cas. O Brutus! Bru. What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, Bru. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth, 24. REGRETS OF DRUNKENNESS.-Shakspeare. Tago. 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. Reputation 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. |