And yesterday the bird of night did sit Even at noon-day upon the market-place, Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies Do so conjointly meet, let not men say "These are their reasons; they are natural;" 30 For, I believe, they are portentous things Unto the climate that they point upon. Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time: But men may construe things after their fashion,

Clean from the purpose of the things them- 85 selves.

Comes Caesar to the Capitol to-morrow? Casca. He doth; for he did bid Antonius

Send word to you he would be there to-mor

row.

Cic. Good night then, Casca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.

Casca. Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is

this!

Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men.

Casca. Who ever knew the heavens menace so?

Cas. Those that have known the earth so full of 45

faults.

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For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And, thus unbracéd, Casca, as you see,
Have bar'd my bosom to the thunder-stone;
And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to
open

The breast of heaven, I did present myself

Even in the aim and very flash of it.

Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,

When the most mighty gods by tokens send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

Cas. You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life

That should be in a Roman you do want,
Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze
And put on fear and cast yourself in wonder,
To see the strange impatience of the heavens:
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding
ghosts,

Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,
Why old men, fools, and children calculate,
Why all these things change from their
ordinance

Their natures and preformed faculties

To monstrous quality, why, you shall find
That heaven hath infus'd them with these

spirits.

To make them instruments of fear and warn

ing

Unto some monstrous state.

Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night,

That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and

roars

As doth the lion in the Capitol,

A man no mightier than thyself or me
In personal action, jet prodigious grown

And fea.ful, as these strange eruptions are. Casca. "Tis Caesar that you mean; is it not, Cassius?

Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now

Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors; But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,

And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;

Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.
Casca. Indeed, they say the senators to-morrow
Mean to establish Caesar as a king;

And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,
In every place, save here in Italy.

Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger then;

Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most
strong;

Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,

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100

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115

Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.

If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny that I do bear

I can shake off at pleasure.

Casca.

[Thunder still.

So can I:

So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.
Cas. And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?

Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep:
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws: what trash is
Rome,

What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate

So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,
Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak
this

Before a willing bondman; then I know

My answer must be made. But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.
Casca. You speak to Casca, and to such a man

That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand:
Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
And I will set this foot of mine as far

Cas.

As who goes farthest.

There's a bargain made. 120
Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
To undergo with me an enterprise

Of honourable-dangerous consequence;
And I do know, by this, they stay for me
In Pompey's porch: for now, this fearful

night,

There is no stir or walking in the streets;
And the complexion of the element

In favour 's like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
Casca. Stand close awhile, for here comes one in

haste.

Cas. 'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait;

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He is a friend.

Enter Cinna.

Cinna, where haste you so?
Who's that? Metellus

Cin. To find out you.

Cimber?

Cas. No, it is Casca; one incorporate

To our attempts.

Cinna?

Cin. I am glad on't.

this!

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Am I not stay'd for,

What a fearful night is

There's two or three of us have seen strange

sights.

Cas. Am I not stay'd for? tell me.

Din.

Yes, you are.