Houting and fhrieking. When these prodigies Cic. Indeed it is a strange-difpofed time: Cafca, He doth : for he did bid Antonius: Cafea. Farewel, Cicero. SCENE VII. Enter Caffius. Caf. Who's there? Cafea. A Roman. Caf Cafea, by your voice. [Exit Cicero. Cafea. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this? Caf. A very pleafing night to honeft men. Cafca. Who ever knew the heavens menace fo?. And thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee, [heav'ns? Cafca. But wherefore did you so much tempt the Such dreadful heralds to astonish us. Caf. You are dull, Cafca; and those sparks of life. That should be in a Roman, you do want, Or elfe you ufe not. You look pale, and gaze, And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder, To fee the strange impatience of the heav'ns: But if you would confider the true cause, Why all these fires, why all thefe gliding ghofts, Why birds and beafts, from quality and kind, VOL. VII. B. Why Why old men, tools, and children calculate † ; To monftrous quality; why, you fhall find, Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man Moft like this dreadful night; That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars A man no mightier than thyfelf, or me, In perfonal action; yet prodigious grown, Cafea. "Tis Cæfar that you mean; is it not, Caffius? Caf. Let it be who it is: for Romans now Have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors; But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead, And we are govern'd with our mothers' fpirits: Our yoke and fuff'rance fhew us womanish. Cafea. Indeed they fay the fenators to-morrow And he shall wear his crown by sea and land, af. I know where I will wear this dagger then. • Caffius from bondage will deliver Caffius. Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong; • Nor ftony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, • If I know this; know all the world befides, Cafca. So can I: So every bondman in his own hand bears Caf. And why fhould Cæfar be a tyrant then? Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf, ↑ Calculate here fignifies to foretel or propbefy. But But that he fees the Romans are but sheep; So vile a thing as Cæfar? But, oh, grief! But I am arm'd, And dangers are to me indifferent. Cafea. You speak to Cafca, and to such a man, Caf. There's a bargain made. Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already Is fev'rous, like the work we have in hand ; Enter Cinna. Cafea. Stand clofe a while, for here comes one in hafte; He is a friend. Cinna, where hafte you fo? Cin. To find out you: who's that, Metellus Cimber? To our attempts. Am I not ftaid for, Cinna? And look you lay it in the Prætor's chair, Repair to Pompey's porch, where you fhall find us. Cin. All but Metellus Cimber, and he's gone Come, Cafca, you and I will yet, ere day, Upon the next encounter yields him ours. [Exit Cinna Cafca. O, he fits high in all the people's hearts: Will change to virtue and to worthiness. Caf. Him, and his worth, and our great need of him, You have right well conceited; let us go, For it is after midnight; and ere day We will awake him, and be fure of him. ACT II. SCENE I. Brutus's garden. [Exeunt. Enter Brutus. Eru. WHAT, Lucius! ho!——— I cannot by the progrefs of the stars Give guess how near to day. -Lucius, I fay! I would it were my fault to fleep fo foundly. When, Lucius, when? awake, I fay! what, Lucius? Enter Lucius. Luc. Call'd you, my Lord? Bru. Get me a taper in my study, Lucius: When it is lighted, come and call me here. Luc. I will, my Lord. Bru. It must be by his death: and, for my part, I know no perfonal cause to spurn at him; [Exit. But But for the general. He would be crown'd "How that might change his nature, there's the queftion. "It is the bright day that brings forth the adder; "And that craves wary walking: crown him-that"And then I grant we put a fting in him, "That at his will he may do danger with. "Th' abufe of greatnefs is, when it disjoins "Remorfe + from power: and, to speak truth of Cæfar, I have not known when his affections fway'd More than his reafon. But 'tis a common proof, That lowlinefs is young ambition's ladder, 'Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; "But when he once attains the upmoft round, "He then unto the ladder turns his back, "Looks in the clouds, fcorning the bafe degrees By which he did afcend: fo Cæfar may: Then, left he may, prevent. And fince the quarrel i Which hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mifchievous,, Enter Lucius. Luc. The taper burneth in your clofet, Sir. It did not lie there when I went to bed. [Gives him a letter. Bru. Get you to bed again, it is not day. Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March?. Luc. I know not, Sir.. Bru. Look in the kalendar, and bring me word. Bru. The exhalations whizzing in the air, Give fo much light, that I may read by them. [Exit. · [Opens the letter, and reads. · Brutus, thou fleep'ft; awake, and fee thyfelf:peak, frike, redrefs. Shall Rome B 3 tremorse, for mercy. Brutus, |