m

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 fo he fell. When he came to himfelf again, he faid, If he had done or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, wh I ftood, cry'd, Alas, good foul! and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæfar had " stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And after that, he came thus fad away?

Cafes Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero fay any thing?

Cafe. Ay, He fpoke Greek.

Caf. To what effect?

Cafe. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' th' face again. But thofe that understood him fimil'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: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling fcarfs off Cafar's images, are put to filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to-night, Cafca?

Cafe. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

1 The fo's and R. and; P, and H. if for an.

H. bis for a

n The 2d and 3d fo's, fiabl’d for Stabb'd.

The fo's and R. and; P. and H. f for a

C 2

Cafe.

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

He

Caf. Good; I will expect you.

Cafe. Do fo. Farewell both.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!

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 fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

[Exit.

you' :

Bru. And fo it is. For this time I will leave
To-morrow, if you please to speak with meg
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.

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?
Cæfar doth bear ine hafd; but he loves Brutus.

[Exit Brutus,

If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,
* He should 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 Cæfar feat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

[Exit.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter, from oppofite Sides, Cicero, and Casca, with his fword drawn *.

2

Cic. Good even, Cafea; brought you Cafar home? Why are you breathlefs, and why ftare you fo?

Cafe. 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 Caffius, He bould not humour me.-] This (fays W.) is a reflexion on Brutus's ingratitude; which concludes, as is ufual on fuch occafions, in an encomium on his own better conditions. If I were Brutus, (fays he) and Brutus, Caffius, be should not cajɔle me as I do bim, To bumour fignifies here to turn and wind him, by inflaming his paffions. W. But Mr. Seward in his notes on Beau

ment and Fletcher, Vol. IV. p. 179. explains this paffage differently; viz. Were I in Brutus's cafe, and as much loved by Cæfar, He [vix. Cæfar] with all bis far vours, fhould not bumour me out of my principles.

x H. reads, Cæfar fhould not love me, for, He should not bumour me.

y from oppofite fides, put in by G. 2 with bis fword drasun, first added by R..

a T, W. and J, add, menntag bim.

I have seen tempefts, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatning clouds:
But never 'till to-night, never 'till now,
Did I

go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heaven;
Or elfe the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenses them to fend deftruction.

Eic, Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?

Cafe. A common flave (you know him well by fight)
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,

Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.

Befides, (I ha' not fince put up my fword)

Against the capitol I met a lion,

d

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn

Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,

Transformed with their fear; who fwore, they faw
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 fhrieking. When these prodigies

Do fo conjointly meet, ler not men say,
These are their reafons, they are natural:

For I believe, they are portentous things

Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-difpofed time :
But men may conftrue things after their fafhion,
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, Cafca; this disturbed fky

Is not to walk in.

Cafe, Farewell, Cicero.

[Exit Cicero.

SCENE

VII.

Enter Caffius.

Caf. Who's there?

Cafe. A Roman.

Caf. Cafca, by your voice.

Cafe. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this?
Caf. A very pleafing night to honeft men.

Caf. Who ever knew the heavens menace fo?

Caf. Those that have known the earth fo full of faults. For my part, I have walk'd about the streets, Submitting me unto the perilous night; And thus unbraced, Cafca, as you see, Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-stone : And when the cross blue lightning feem'd to open The breaft of heaven, I did prefent myself

Even in the aim and very flash of it.

P. and all after, except G. Antonius,

C 4

Cafe.