With lusty sinews; throwing it aside I, as Æneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain, How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake: Bru. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are [Shout. Flourish. 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 peep about The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus, and Cæsar: What should be in that Cæsar? Write them together, yours is as fair a name ; So get the start of the majestick world, And bear the palm alone.] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympic games. - WARBURTON. [Shout. Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Re-enter CÆSAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve; ■ There was a Brutus once,] i. e. Lucius Junius Brutus. 0 aim;] i. e. Guess. Pchew upon this;] Consider this at leisure; ruminate on this.-JOHNSON. And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you Cas. Antonius. Ant. Cæsar. Cas. Let me have men about me that are fat; Cas. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, [Exeunt CÆSAR and his Train. CASCA stays behind. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you speak with me? 9-ferret-] A ferret has red eyes.-JOHNSON. Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad? Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him: and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every 'time gentler than other: and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Casca. Why, Antony. Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it : it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets ;-and, as I told you, he put it by once; but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? Did Cæsar swoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. r Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling sickness. these coronets ;-) So in the old translation of Plutarch :-" he came to Cæsar and presented him a diadem wreathed about with laurel." STEEVENS. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased, and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.s Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues:--and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done, or said, any thing amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, Alas, good soul!-and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away? Casca. Ay. Cas. Did Cicero say any thing? Cas. To what effect? Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: But those, that understood him, smiled at one another, and shook their heads: but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it. Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? Casca. No, I am promised forth. Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow? : Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your Cas. Good; I will expect you. true man.] i. e. Honest man. a man of any occupation,] Had I been a mechanick, one of the ple beians to whom he offered his throat.-JOHNSON. |