Puslapio vaizdai
PDF
„ePub“

In awe of fuch a Thing as I my felf.
I was born free as Cafar, fo were you, be
We both have fed as well, and we can Goth
Endure the Winters cold, as well as he.
For once, upon a raw and gufty Day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with his Shores,
Cafar fays to me, Dar'ft thou Caffius 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 bad him follow; fo indeed he did.
The Torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it,
With lufty Sinews, throwing it afide,

And ftemming it with Hearts of Controverfie.
But e'er we could arrive the Point propos'd,
Cafar cry'd, Help me Caffius, or I fink.
I, as Æneas, our great Ancestor,

Did from the Flames of Troy, upon his Shoulder
The old Anchifes bear, fo, from the Waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cafar: And this Man

Is now become a God, and Caffius is

A wretched Creature, and muft bend his Body,
If Cafar carelefly but nod on him.

He had a Feaver 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,
His coward Lips did from their Colour fly,
And that fame Eye, whofe bend doth awe the World,
Did lofe his Luftre; I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that Tongue of his that bad the Romans
Mark him, and write his Speeches in their Books,
Alas! it cryed Give me fome drink, Titinius
As a fick Girl. Ye Gods, it doth amaze me,
A Man of fuch a feeble Temper should
So get the Start of the majestick World,
And bear the Palm alone.

Bru. Another general Shout?

I do believe, that thefe Applaufes are

[Shout. Flourishe

For fome new Honours that are heap'd on Cafar.

Caf. Why Man, he doth beftride the narrow World

Like

Like a Coloffus, and we petty Men

Walk under his huge Legs, and peep about
To find our felves difhonourable Graves.

Men at fome times are Mafters of their Fates:
The Fault, dear Brutus, is not in our Stars,
But in our felves, that we are Underlings.
Brutus and Cæfar. What should be in that Cafar?
Why should that name be founded more than yours?
Write them together; yours is 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 foon as Cæfar.
Now in the Names of all the Gods at once,
Upon what Meat doth this our Cafar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art tham'd;
Rome, thou haft loft the breed of noble Bloods.
When went there by an Age, fince the great Flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one Man?
When could they fay, 'till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide Walks incompaft but one Man ?
Now is it Rome indeed, and Room enough
When there is in it but one only Man.
O! you and I have heard our Fathers fay,
There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
Th' eternal Devil to keep his State in Rome,
As eafily as a King.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous
What you would work me to, I have fome aim;
How I have thought of this, and of these times
I shall recount hereafter: For this prefent,
I would not fo (with Love I might intreat you).
Be any further mov'd. What you have faid,
I will confider; what you have to fay
I will with Patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear, and anfwer fuch high Thing
'Till then, my noble Friend, chew upon this;
Brutus had rather be a Villager,

Than to repute himself a Son of Rome
Under fuch hard Conditions, as this Time
Is like to lay upon us.

M 2

Caf

Caf. I am glad that my weak Words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of Fire from Brutas.

Enter Cæfar and his Train.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cafar is returning
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Caska by the Sleeve,
And he will, after his fowre Fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy Note to day.

Bru. I will do fo: But look you, Caffius,
The angry fpot doth blow on Cafar's Brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden Train;
Calphurnia's Cheek is pale, and Cicero
Looks with fuch Ferret, and fuch fiery Eyes
As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being croft in Conference with fome Senators.
Caf. Caska will tell us what the Matter is.
Caf. Antonio.

Ant. Cafar.

Caf. Let me have Men about me that are Fat,
Sleek-headed Men, and fuch as fleep a-Nights:
Yond Caffius has a lean and hungry Look,
He thinks too much; fuch Men are dangerous.
Ant. Fear him not, Cafar, he's not dangerous,
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

&

Caf. Would he were fatter; but I fear him not: Yet if my Name were liable to fear,

I do not know the Man I should avoid,

So foon as that spare Caffius. He reads much,
He is a great Obferver, and he looks

Quite through the Deeds of Men. He loves no Plays,
As thou doft, Antony; he hears no Mufick :
Seldom he fmiles, and fmiles in fuch a fort
As if he mock'd himfelf, and fcorn'd his Spirit
That could be mov'd to fmile at any thing.
Such Men as he, be never at Hearts ease,
Whilft they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cafar.

Come

Come on my right Hand, for this Ear is deaf,
And tell me truly, what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt Cæfar and his Train. Cask. You pull'd me by the Cloak, would you fpeak with me ?

Bru. Ay Caska, tell us what hath chanc'd to Day, That Cafar looks fo fad.

Cask. Why you were with him, were you not?

Bru. I fhould not then ask Caska what had chanc'd. Cask. Why, there was a Crown offer'd him; and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his Hand, thus, and then the People fell a Shouting.

Bru. What was the fecond Noife for?

Cask. Why, for that too,

Caf. They fhouted thrice; what was the laft Cry for ? Cask. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the Crown offer'd him thrice?

Cask. Ay marry was't, 'and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every.putting by, mine honeft Neighbours fhouted.

Caf. Who offer'd him the Crown?

Cask. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Caska.

Cask. I can as well be hang'd as tell the manner of it: It was meer Foolery, I did not mark it. I faw Mark Antony offer him a Crown, yet 'twas not a Crown neither, 'twas one of thefe 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 loth to lay his Fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by; and ftill as he refus'd it, the Rabblement houted, and clapp'd their chopt Hands, and threw up their fweaty Night-caps, and uttered fuch a deal of ftinking Breath, becaufe Cafar refus'd the Crown, that it had almoft choaked Cafar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my Lips, and receiving the bad Air. Caf. But foft I pray you; what, did Cafar fwoon?

[merged small][ocr errors]

Cask. He fell down in the Market-place, and foam'd at Mouth, and was fpeechless.

Bru. Tis very like, he hath the Falling-Sickness. Caf. No, Cafar hath it not; but you, and I, 'And honeft Caska; we have the Falling-Sickness.

Cask. I know not what you mean by that; but I am fure Cafar fell down; if the tag-rag People did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they use to do the Players in the Theatre, I am no true

Man.

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himself?

Cask Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common Herd was glad he refus'd the Crown, he pluckt me ope his Doublet, and offer'd them his Throat to cut; and 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 fo he fell. When he came to himfelf again, he faid, If he had done, or faid any thing amiss, he defir'd their Worfhips to think it was his Infirmity. Three or four Wenches where I ftood, cryed, Alas, good Soul and forgave him with all their Hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cafar had stabb'd their Mothers, they would have done no lefs.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away.
Cask. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cask. Ay, he fpoke Greek.

Caf. To what effect?

Cask. Nay, and I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i’th' Face again. But thofe that understood him, fmil'd at one another, and fhook their Heads; but for mine own part it was Greek to me. I could tell you more News too: Murellus and Flavius, for pulling Scarffs off Cafar's Images, are put to Silence. Fare you well. There was more Foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to Night, Caska?
Cask. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to Morrow ?

Cask. Ay, if I be alive, and your Mind hold, and your Dinner be worth the eating.

Caf, Good, I will expect you.

Cask

« AnkstesnisTęsti »