But for the general. He would be crown'd

"How that might change his nature, there's the que

ftion.

"It is the bright day that brings forth the adder; "And that craves wary walking: crown him-that"And then I grant we put a fting in him,

"That at his will he may do danger with. "Th' abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins "Remorfe * from power: and, to speak truth of Cæsar, I have not known when his affections fway'd More than his reafon. But 'tis a common proof, That lowlinefs is young ambition's ladder, • Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; • But when he once attains the upmost round, * He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, fcorning the base degrees By which he did afcend: fo Cæfar may : Then, left he may, prevent. And fince the quarrel Will bear no colour, for the thing he is, Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented, Would run to these, and these extremities: And therefore think him as a ferpent's egg,

Which hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mifchieAnd kill him in the fhell.

Enter Lucius.

Lue. The taper burneth in your closet, Sir.
Searching the window for a flint, I found
This paper thus feal'd up; and I am fure

It did not lie there when I went to bed.

[vous,

[Gives him a letter.

Bru. Get you to bed again, it is not day.
Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March?
Luc. I know not, Sir.

Bru. Look in the kalendar, and bring me word.
Luc. I will, Sir.

Bru. The exhalations whizzing in the air,

Give so much light, that I may read by them.

[Exite

[Opens the letter, and reads Brutus, thou sleep ft; awake, and fee thyfelf: Shall Rome-Speak, frike, redress.

⚫ remorse, for mercy.

Brutus, thou fleep'ft: awake.

Such inftigations have been often dropt,
Where I have took them up:

Shall Rome

thus mult I piece it out,

Shall Rome ftand under one man's awe? what! Rome?
My ancestors did from the streets of Rome

The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a King..
Speak, frike, redress. Am I intreated then
To fpeak, and strike! O Rome! I make thee promise,,
If the redrefs will follow, thou receiv'ft

Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus!

Enter Lucius..

Luc. Sir, March is wafted fourteen days..

[Knock within.. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; fome body knocks:

[Exit Lucius.. Since Caffius firft did whet me against Cæfar, I have not flept.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing,.
And the firft motion, all the interim is
• Like a phantafina, or a hideous dream:
The genius, and the mortal inftruments
Are then in council; and the state of man,,
Like to a little kingdom, fuffers then.
The nature of an infurrection.

Enter Lucius.

Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Caffius at the door,, Who doth defire to fee you.

Bru. Is he alone?

Luc. No, Sir, there are more with him.

Bru. Do you know them?

Luc. No, Sir, their hats are pluck'd about their ears, ̧

And half their faces buried in their cloaks;

That by no means I may difscover them

By any mark of favour.

Bru Let them enter,

They are the faction.

"O Confpiracy!

[Exit Lucius.

"Sham' thou to fhew thy dang rous brow by night, When evils are, moft free? O then, by day

Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough,

"To mafk thy monftrous vifage? Seek none, Confpi"Hide it in fmiles and affability:

"For if thou path, thy native femblance on, Not Erebus itself were dim enough.

"To hide thee from prevention..

SCENE II.

[racy ;:

Enter Caffius, Cafca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus, and Trebonius.

Caf. I think we are too bold upon your reft; Good morrow, Brutus, do we trouble you?

Bru. I have been up this hour, awake all night.
Know I these men that come along with you? [Afide.
Caf. Yes, every man of them; and no man here
But honours you and every one doth with
You had but that opinion of yourself,

Which every noble Roman bears of you..
This is Trebonius.

Bru. He is welcome hither.
Caf. This, Decius Brutus..
Bru. He is welcome too.
Caf. This Cafca; this Cinna;
And this Metellus Cimber.

Bru. They are all welcome.

What watchful cares do interpofe themselves

Betwixt your eyes and night ?

Caf. Shall I intreat a word?

[They whisper.

Dec. Here lies the eaft: doth not the day break here? Cafca. No.

Cin. O pardon, Sir, it doth; and yon grey lines That fret the clouds, are meffengers of day.

Cafca. You fhall confefs, that you are both deceiv'd: Here, as I point my fword, the fun arifes,

Which is a great way growing on the fouth,
Weighing the youthful feafon of the year.

Some two months hence, up higher toward the north
He first prefents his fire; and the high east.
Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one.
Gaf. And let us fwear our refolution.

Bru, "No, not an oath: if that the fate of men,

"The fufferance of our fouls, the time's abuse,-
"If thele be motives weak, break off betimes;
"And ev'ry man hence to his idle bed;
"So let high fighted* Tyranny range on,
"Till each man drop by lottery. But if thefe,
"As I am fure they do, bear fire enough
"To kindle cowards, and to fteel with valour
"The melting fpirits of women; then countrymen,
"What need we any fpur, but our own cause,
"To prick us to redreis ? what other bond,
"Than fecret † Romans, that have spoke the word,
"And will not palter? and what other oath,
"Than honefty to honefty engag'd,

"That this fhall be, or we will fall for it?
"Swear priests and cowards, and men cautelous,
"Old feeble carrions, and fuch fuffering fouls
"That welcome wrongs: unto bad caufes, fwear
"Such creatures as men doubt; but do not ftain
"The even virtue of our enterprife,

"Nor th' infuppreffive mettle of our fpirits,

"To think, that or our caufe, or our performance,, Doth need an oath; when ev'ry drop of blood That ev'ry Roman bears, and nobly bears,

Is guilty of a feveral bastardy,

If he doth break the fmalleft particle:

Of any promife that hath pass'd from him.

Caf. But what of Cicero ? fhall we found him?
I think he will stand very strong with us.
Cafca Let us not leave him out.

Cin. No, by no means.

Met. O let us have him, for his filver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion,

And buy mens' voices to commend our deeds;
It shall be said, his judgment rul'd our hands;
Our youths and wildness fhall no whit appear,
But all be buried in his gravity.

Bru. O, name him not let us not break with him For he will never follow any thing

That other men begin.

Alluding to a hawk foaring on high, and intent upon its prey. † fecret, for federate; used because fecrecy is an effential quality in confederations.

Gaf. Then leave him out.

Cafca. Indeed he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd, but only Cæfar? Caf. Decius, well urg'd: I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, fo well belov'd of Cæfar,

Should outlive Cæfar

A fhrewd contriver.

If he improve them,

we fhall find of him

And you know, his means, may well ftretch fo far,

As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cæfar fall together.

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Caffius,
To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs ;
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards :
For Antony is but a limb of Cæfar,

Let us be facrificers, but not butchers, Caius;
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæfar,
And in the spirit of man there is no blood :
O, that we then could come by Cæfar's spirit,
And not difmember Cæfar! but alas !

This fhall make

Cæfar muft bleed for it--" And, gentle friends,
"Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
"Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
"Not hew him as a carcafe fit for hounds.
"And let our hearts, as fubtle masters do,
"Stir up their fervants to an act of rage,
"And after feem to chide them.
Our purpofe neceffary, and not envious:
Which fo appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murtherers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæfar's arm,
When Cæfar's head is off.

Caf. Yet do I fear him;

For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæfar--
Bru. Alas, good Caffius, do not think of him :
If he love Cæfar, all that he can do

Is to himself, take thought, and die far Cæfar :
And that were much he should; for he is giv'n
To fports, to wildness, and much company.

Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die;
For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter. [Clock ftrikes.
Bru. Peace, count the clock.