Cæsar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, [Shout. Flourish. Bru. Another general shout! For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world, -feeble temper-] i. e. temperament, constitution. [Shout. Like a Colossus; and we petty men Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; I will with patience hear: and find a time There was a Brutus once,] i. e. Lucius Junius Brutus. Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things. Than to repute himself a son of Rome Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Re-enter CÆSAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve; And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day. Bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius, The angry spot doth glow on Cæsar's brow, And all the rest look like a chidden train: Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero Looks with such ferret1 and such fiery eyes, As we have seen him in the Capitol, Being cross'd in conference by some senators. Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is. Cæs. Antonius. Ant. Cæsar. Cæs. Let me have men about me that are fat; Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given. Cæs. 'Would he were fatter: - But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear, So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; 3 this. - chew upon this;) Consider this at leisure; ruminate on -ferret-] A ferret has red eyes. He is a great observer, and he looks [Exeunt CÆSAR and his Train. CASCA stays behind. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad. Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him: and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the last cry for? Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Casca. Why, Antony. Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these 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 loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? Did Cæsar swoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased, and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.5 Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered 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 5 6 no true man.] No honest man. a man of any occupation,] Had I been a mechanick, one of the Plebeians to whom he offered his throat. |