So well as by reflection, I, your glass, That of yourself which you yet know not of. To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cas. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.But wherefore do you hold me here so long? What is it that you would impart to me? I was born free as Cæsar; so were you. The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores, 1 Johnson has erroneously given the meaning of allurement to stale, in this place. "To stale with ordinary oaths my love," is "to prostitute my love." Cæsar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now And bade him follow; so, indeed, he did. 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, And, when the fit was on him, I did mark How he did shake. 'Tis true, this god did shake: 2 And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world, Bru. Another general shout! I do believe that these applauses are [Shout. Flourish. For some new honors that are heaped on Cæsar. Walk under his huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves. 1 The verb arrive is also used by Milton without the preposition. 2 Some commentators suppose that the allusion here is to a coward's desertion of his standard. Probably nothing more was intended than to describe the effect of the disease on the appearance of the lips. 3 Temperament, constitution. Men at some time are masters of their fates: [Shout. Brutus, and Cæsar! what should be in that Cæsar? O! you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a Brutus 2 once, that would have brooked Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; Than to repute himself a son of Rome, 1 The first folio reads walks. 2" Lucius Junius Brutus." 3 i. e. guess. 4 Ruminate on this. 5 As, according to Tooke, is an article, and means the same as that, which, or it; accordingly we find it often so employed by old writers, and particularly in our excellent version of the Bible. Cas. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Bru. I will do so.-But, look you, Cassius, Being crossed in conference by some senators. Ant. Cæsar. Cæs. Let me have men about me that are fat; Cæs. 'Would he were fatter.-But I fear him not Yet if my name were liable to fear, Cassius. He reads much; He loves no plays, I do not know the man I should avoid Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf, [Exeunt CESAR and his Train. CASCA stays behind. Casca. You pulled me by the cloak; would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced 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 chanced. 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 offered 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 neighbors 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 chapped 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 |