And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt CESAR, and Train: Cafca fays. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you fpeak with me?

BRU. Ay, Cafca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Casar looks fo fad.

Casca. Why you were with him, were you not?

BRU. I fhould not then ask Cafea what had chanc'd. Casca. 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' fhouting. What was the fecond noise for?

BRU.

CASCA. Why for that too?

CAS. They fhouted thrice; What was the laft cry for? Casca. Why for that too?

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 honeft neighbours fhouted.

CAS. Who offer'd him the crown?
Casca. Why, Antony.

BRU. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca. Casca, I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I faw 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

VOL. VIII.

B

offer'd 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 offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by and ftill as he refus'd it, the rabblement houted, and clap'd their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath because Cæsar refus'd the crown, that it had almost choak'd Cæsar; 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.

CAS. But, foft, I pray you; What, did Cæsar fwoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless.

BRU. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-fickness. CAS. No, Casar hath it not; but you, and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling-fickness.

Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am fure, Cæsar 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? CA sca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the crown, he pluck'd me 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 himself again, he faid, If he had done, or faid, any thing amifs, he desir'd their worships to think it was his in

15

firmity. Three or four wenches, where 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 Cæsar had stab'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

BRU. And after that, he came, thus fad, away?
Casca, Ay.

CAS. Did Cicero say any thing?

Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek.

CAS. To what effect?

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

CAS. Will you fup with me to-night, Cafca?
Casca. No, I am promis'd forth.

CAS. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and

your dinner worth the eating.

CAS. Good; I will expect you.

Casca. Do fo : Farewel, both.

[Exit CASCA.

BRU. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?

He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
CAS. So is he now, in execution

Of

any bold or noble enterprise,

However he puts on this tardy form.

This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digest his words
With better appetite.

B &

BRU. And fo it is.

For this time, I will leave you, Caffius:
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 world.
[Exit BRUTUS.
Well, Brutus, thou art noble: yet, I fee,
Thy honourable metal 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?
Cæsar 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 several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obfcurely
Cæsar's ambition fhall be glanced at:

And, after this, let Casar feat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Exit.

SCENE III. The fame. A Street.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter, from opposite Sides, CICERO, and CASCA with his

CIC.

Sword drawn.

Good even, Cafca: Brought you Cesar home? Why are you breathlefs? and why ftare you fo? Casca. Are not you mov'd, when all the sway 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 feen
The ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threat'ning 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 else the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenfes them to fend deftruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
CASCA, 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 have not fince put up my sword)
Against the capitol I met a lion,

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me: And there were drawn

Upon a heap a hundred gaftly women,

Tranfformed 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, let not men say,
These are their reasons,―They are natural;
For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Crc. Indeed, it is a ftrange-difposed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Casar to the capitol to-morrow?

CASCA. He doth; for he did bid Antonio

16 glaz'd