You had but that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

Brut.

He is welcome hither.

Cass. This, Decius Brutus.

Brut.

95

He is welcome too.

Cass. This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus

Brut. They are all welcome.

Cimber.

What watchful cares do interpose themselves
Betwixt your eyes and night?

Cass. Shall I entreat a word?

[Brutus and Cassius whisper.

Dec. Here lies the east: doth not the day break here?

Casca. No.

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

100

Casca. You shall confess that you are both deceiv'd. 105 Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises; Which is a great way growing on the south, Weighing the youthful season of the year. Some two months hence, up higher toward the north He first presents his fire; and the high east Stands, as the Capitol, directly here..

Brut. Give me your hands all over, one by one. Cass. And let us swear our resolution. Brut. No, not an oath: if not the face of men, The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse, If these be motives weak, break off betimes, And every man hence to his idle bed; So let high-sighted tyranny range on,

English authors. 12. Lieferung. Ausg. B.

110

115

Till each man drop by lottery. But if these, 120 As I am sure they do, bear fire enough

To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour
The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any spur but our own cause,
To prick us to redress? what other bond

125 Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word, And will not palter? and what other oath Than honesty to honesty engag'd,

That this shall be, or we will fall for it? Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous, 180 Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain The even virtue of our enterprise,

Nor th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits,

185 To think that or our cause or our performance
Did need an oath; when every drop of blood
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy,

If he do break the smallest particle

140 Of any promise that hath pass'd from him.

Cass. But what of Cicero? shall we sound him? I think he will stand very strong with us.

Casca. Let us not leave him out.

Cin.

No, by no means. Met. 0, let us have him; for his silver hairs

145 Will purchase us a good opinion,

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

Brut. O, name him not: let us not break with him; 150 For he will never follow any thing

That other men begin.

Cass.

Then leave him out.

Casca. Indeed he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar?

Cass. Decius, well urg'd:

I think it is not meet, 155

Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar,

Should outlive Cæsar: we shall find of him
A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means,
If he improve them, may well stretch so far
As to annoy us all: which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cæsar fall together.

Brut.

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius

Cassius,

To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs,
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards;
For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar:

Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
O, that we, then, could come by Cæsar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must 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 carcass fit for hounds,
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make
Our purpose necessary, and not envious;
Which so appearing to the common eyes,

160

165

170

175

180 We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.

185

190

And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm
When Cæsar's head is off.

Cass.

Yet I fear him; For in th' ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar

Brut. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him: If he love Cæsar, all that he can do

Is to himself, -take thought, and die for Cæsar: And that were much he should; for he is given To sports, 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.

Brut. Peace! count the clock.
Cass.

[Clock strikes.

The clock hath stricken three.

Treb. 'Tis time to part.

But it is doubtful yet,

Cass.
Whether Cæsar will come forth to-day or no;

195 For he is superstitious grown of late;
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies:
It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
200 And the persuasion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day..

Dec. Never fear that: if he be so resolv'd,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
205 And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers:
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,