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 Cafar. What fhould 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 ftart a Spirit as foon as Cafar.
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 sham'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 Walls incompast 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 would you work me to, I have fome aim;
How I have thought of this, and of thefe times
I shall recount hereafter: For this prefents
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 lay,
I will with Patience hear, and find a time
But meet to hear, and anfwer fuch high Things.
'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 thew 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 spot 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 feen 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 fhould avoid,.

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

t

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 himself, and fcorn'd his Spirit
That could be moy'd to fmile at any thing.
Such Men as he be never at Hearts eafe,
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'ft of him.

[Exeunt Cæfar and his Train. Cask. You pull'd me by the Cloak, would you speak 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 should 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 shouted thrice; what was the last 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, because Cafar refus'd the Crown, that it had almoft chbaked 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?

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.
Cafe 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 plucke 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 donc, or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their Worthips to think it was his Infirmity. Three or four Wenches where I food, cryed, Alas, good Souland forgave him with all their Hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cafar had ftabb'd their Mothers, they would have done no lels.

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 effe?

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

Dinner be worth the eating.

Caf. Good, I will expect you.

your

Cask.

Cask, Do fo: Farewel both.

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 Sawce to his good Wit,
Which gives Men ftomach to digeft his Words
With better Appetites.

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.
Caf. I will do fo: 'till then, think of the World.

[Exit.

[Exit Brutus.

Well Brutus, thou art Noble: Yet I fee
Thy honourable Mettle may be wrought
From that it is difpos'd, therefore 'tis meet
That noble Minds keep ever with their likes:
For who fo firm, that cannot be feduc'd?
Cafar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
He fhould not humour me. I will this Night,
In feveral Hands, in at his Windows throw,
As if they came from feveral Citizens,

Writings, all tending to the

great Opinion

That Rome holds of his Name: Wherein obfcurely
Cafar's ambition fhall be glanced at.

And after this, let Cafar feat him fure,

For we will fhake him, or worse days endure.

[Exit.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter Caska with his Sword drawn,

and Cicero.

Cic. Good Even, Caska; brought you Gafar home?
Why are you breathlefs, and why ftare you fo?
Cask. Are not you mov'd, when all the fway of Earth
Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero!

I have feen Tempefts, when the fcolding Winds
Have riv'd the knotty Oaks, and I have fen
Th' ambitious Ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatning Clouds:

M 4

But