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Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Brut.

Thou hast describ'd

A hot friend cooling: ever note, Lucilius,
When Love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quar

ter'd;

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

Brut.

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[March within. 30

Hark! he is arriv'd:

Enter CASSIUS and Soldiers.

March gently on to meet him.

Cass. Stand, ho!

Brut. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

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Cass. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Brut. Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies? And if not so, how should I wrong a brother? Cass. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them

Brut.
Cassius, be content;
Speak your griefs softly: I do know you well.

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Before the eyes of both our armies here, 45 Which should perceive nothing but love from us, Let us not wrangle: bid them move away; Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs, And I will give you audience.

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Bid our commanders lead their charges off 50 A little from this ground.

Brut. Lucius, do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent till we have done our conference. Lucilius and Titinius guard the door.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Within the tent of BRUTUS.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cass. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in

this:

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
5 Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Brut. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
Cass. In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.
Brut. And let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
10 Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold
To undeservers.

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You know that you are Brutus that speaks this, Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Brut. The name of Cassius honours this corrup- 15 tion,

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

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Brut. Remember March, the ides of March re

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member:

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Cass.
Brutus, bay not me;
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,

To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

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Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Brut. I say you are not.

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Cass. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; 35 Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Brut. Away, slight man!

Cass. Is 't possible?

Brut.
Hear me, for I will speak.
Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Cass. O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?

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Brut. All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;

Go show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? 45 Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch Under your testy humour? By the gods, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, 50 When you are waspish.

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Cass.

Is it come to this?

Brut. You say you are a better soldier: Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well: for mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of abler men.

Cass. You wrong me every way; you wrong me,

Brutus;

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:

Did I say "better"?

Brut.

If you did, I care not.

Cass. When Cæsar liv'd he durst not thus have

mov'd me.

Brut. Peace, peace! you durst not so have

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Cass. I durst not!

Brut.

No.

tempted him.

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Cass. What, durst not tempt him!

Brut.

For your life you durst not. Cass. Do not presume too much upon my love;

I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Brut. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;

For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,

That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you

For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; 70 For I can raise no money by vile means:

By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash By any indirection; I did send

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!

Cass.

Brut. You did.

Cass. I did not:

My answer back.

I denied you not.

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he was but a fool that brought
Brutus hath riv'd my heart: 85

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Brut. I do not, till you practise them on me.
Cass. You love me not.

Brut.

I do not like your faults. Cass. A friendly eye could never see such faults. 90 Brut. A flatterer's would not, though they do

As huge as high Olympus.

appear

Cass. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is aweary of the world;

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