BRUTUS.

Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?

CASSIUS.

Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear:
And, since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modestly 1) discover to yourself

That of yourself, which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love

To every new protester; 2) if you know

That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,

And after scandal them; or if you know

That I profess myself, 3) in banqueting,

To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish and shout.

BRUTUS.

What means this shouting? I do fear, the people
Choose Cæsar for their king.

1) d. i. met bescheiden maat, zonder de minste overdrijving.

2) Protester is hier iemand, die een plechtige verzekering doet van zijn liefde. Maar wat heet het nu, to stale his love aan zulk een met gewone eeden? De beteekenis van to stale was hier velen niet zeer duidelijk. Johnson dacht aan het substantief stale, lokaas, en verklaarde daarom het werkwoord zoo: „to invite every new protester to my affection by the stale or allurement of customary oaths." Hoe iemand met die verklaring vrede kan hebben, is mij een raadsel. To stale heeft hier den gewonen zin van to make stale, familiar, common, iets door het telkens te gebruiken afslijten, gemeen maken. De plaats beteekent dus : indien ik gewoon was mijn liefde met alledaagsche eeden aan ieder gemeen te maken, die mij van zijn vriendschap verzekering geliefde te doen. Dyce heeft dit alles uitmuntend in het licht gesteld.

3) d. i. dat ik mij als vriend erken. Ook to profess alleen, als onzijdig werkwoord, komt in dien zin voor.

CASSIUS.

Ay, do you fear it? Then, must I think you would not have it so.

BRUTUS.

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?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently;

For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.

CASSIUS.

-

I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be

In awe of such a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cæsar, so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Cæsar said to me, »Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?"- Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it

With lusty sinews, throwing it aside,

And stemming it, with hearts of controversy; 1)

1) d. i. met harten die lust hadden in den strijd, in den tegenstand tegen het geweld der golven.

But ere we could arrive 1) the point propos'd,
Cæsar cried, »Help me, Cassius, or I sink."
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Cæsar. And this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 't is true, this god did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly; 2)
And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre. I did hear him groan;

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, »Give me some drink, Titinius,"
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.

BRUTUS.

[Shout. Flourish.

Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applauses are

For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar.

CASSIUS.

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world,

1) To arrive komt als bedrijvend werkwoord meer voor.

2) d. i. zijn laffe, als die van een lafaard bevende lippen vloden van haar kleur. De bevende lippen, aan die van den lafaard gelijk, zijn hier zelf als lafaards voorgesteld, die van de kleur vlieden, terwijl wij zouden zeggen, dat de kleur van de lippen vliedt. Men zou hier ook, met de uitgevers van Warburton af, aan een woordspeling kunnen denken van colour, kleur, en colours (in dien zin alleen in het meervoud gebruikt), vaan. Volstrekt noodig is dit echter niet.

Like a Colossus; and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates:
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?
Why should that name be sounded 1) more than yours?
Write them together, yours' as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd:
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough, 2)
When there is in it but one only man.

O! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,

As easily as a king.

BRUTUS.

That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim;
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter: for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any farther mov'd. What you have said,

1) To sound is hier, en twee regels verder, laten weerklinken. 2) De woordspeling tusschen Rome en room zal wel door de meesten worden opgemerkt.

I will consider; what you have to say,

I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome 1)
Under these hard conditions, as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

CASSIUS.

I am glad, that my weak words

Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

BRUTUS.

The games are done, and Cæsar is returnung.

Re-enter CESAR and his train.

CASSIUS.

As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;
And he will, after his sour fashion, 2) tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

BRUTUS.

I will do so. But, look you, Cassius;

The angry spot doth glow on Cæsars' brow, 3)
And all the rest look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero

Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes, 4)
As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being cross'd in conference by some senator.

1) Brutus denkt bij deze woorden zeker aan een vrijwillige ballingschap. Aan een verzet tegen de oorzaak van al het kwaad, dat hij vreest, heeft hij nu nog niet gedacht. Lijden en berusten is de leer zijner wijsbegeerte, waaraan hij nog trouw blijft.

2) d. i. op zijn knorrige manier.

3) De vlek van toorn gloeit op Caesar's gelaat, d. i. Caesar ziet rood van toorn.

4) Ferret eyes zijn: fonkelende oogen als die van een fret.