Ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut; 'an 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 so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done or said any thing amiss, he desir'd their worships to think it was his infirinity. Three or four wenches, whę I stood, cry'd, Alas, good soul! and forgave

him with all their hearts : But there's no lieed to be taken of them; if Cæsar had stabb’d their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And after that, he came thus fad away?
Casco Ay.
Cas. Did Cicero say any thing?
Casc. Ay, lie spoke Greek.
Caf. To what effeat?

Casc. Nay, ° an I tell you that, I 'll ne'er look you i'th face again. But those that understood him simild at one another; and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca?
Casc. No, I am promis'd forth.
Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

i The fo's and R. and; P, and H. if n The ad and 3d fo's, fablid for for an.

fabbid. i H. Li, for er

o The fo's and R. and; P. and H. if

for a.

Casc. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner P worth the eating.

Caf. Good; I will expect you.
Casc. Do lo. Farewell both.

(Exit. Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be! He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Caf. So is he now, in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form,
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digeft his words
With better 9 appetite.

Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you':
To-morrow, if you please to speak with me,
I will come home to you; or if you will,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
Cas. I will do fo: till then, think of the worlda

[Exit Brutus,
Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see
Thy honourable : méttle may be wrought
From that it is dispos'd; therefore u 'tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes :
For who fo firm, that cannot be seduc'd ?
Cæfar doth bear ine hard; but he loves Brutus.

P All but the fo's and C. insert be before worib.

. So the firt f. T. W. 7. and C; the telt, appetites.

+ C. infarts Caffius after yoxo

• The three lalt fo's, T. H. . and C. mrial.

P. and all after but H. and Co what for ibar.

• First f. it is for id,

TO

If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
* He should not humour me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
Cesar's ambition shall be glanced at.
And after this, let Cæfar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

[Exit.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter, ' from opposite Sides, Cicero,

and Casca, 2 with bis sword drawn .

Cic. Good even, Casca; brought you Cæfar home? Why are you breathless, and why ftare you so?

Casc. Are not you mov’d, when all the fway of earth Shakes like a thing unfirm: O Cicero,

* If I were Brutus now, and be were mont and Fletcber, Vol. IV. p. 179. exCatfius, ,

plains this passage differently ; viz. Wero He foould no: humour me.-) This lin Brutus's case, and as much loved by (says W.) is a reflexion on Brutus's Cæsar, He [vix. Cæsar) with all bis for ingratitude ; which concludes, as is vours, should not bumour me out of my usual on such occasions, in an encomium principles. on his own better conditions. If I were * H. reads, Cæfar fhould not love me, Brutus, (says he) and Brutus, Caffius, for, He fould not bumour me. be pould not cajole me as I do bim. To y from opposite sides, put in by C. bumour fignifies here to turn and wind 2 with bis sword drawn, first added bim, by inflaming his paftions. W.

by R. Put Mr. Srward in his notes on Beau- • T, W. and ), adà, mrering bim.

Dare

C3

I have seen tempests, when the (colding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean swell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatning clouds :
But neter 'till to-night, never 'till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heaven;
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send dcítruction.

Eic, Why, saw you any thing inore wonderful?

Casc. A cominon Nave (you know him well by figiit)
Held up his left hand, which did frame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, reinain’d unscorchid,
Besides, (I' ha' not fince put up my sword)
Against the capitol I met a lion,
Who "glar'd upon me, and went o surly by
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,
Transformed with their fear; who swore, they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did fit,
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,

Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do fo conjointly meet, Jer not men say,
These are their reasons, they are natural :

b The fo's, Tempef-dropping-fore. be gaz'd. ¢ C. bave for ba'

• The 2d and 3d fo's, furely for furly & The fo's and R.': octavo, glaz'd; So 7. and C; the three fist fo's * on y hich reading I. fupposeş it might bouring, the sift, touring,

Fo

Fór I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time :
But men may construe things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Cafar to the capitol to-morrow?

Cafe. He doth; for he did bid & Antonio
Send word to you he would be there to-morrow.

Cic. Good night then, Casca; this disturbed fky
Is not to walk in.
Cafc, Farewell, Cicero.

[Exit Cicero.

Caf. Who's there?
Cafc. A Roman.
Cas. Casca, by your voice.
Casc. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this?
Cas. A very pleasing night to honest men.
Caf. Who ever knew the heavens menace so?

Caf. Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;
And thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,
Have bar'd my bosom to the thunder-stone:
And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.

SP. and all after, except C. Anceninha

C4

Cafe.