Julius Caesar - The Original Classic Edition. Shakespeare William

Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,

       Cry "Caesar." Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.

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       SOOTHSAYER. Beware the ides of March. CAESAR. What man is that?

       BRUTUS. A soothsayer you beware the ides of March. CAESAR. Set him before me let me see his face.

       CASSIUS. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar. CAESAR. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again. SOOTHSAYER. Beware the ides of March.

       CAESAR. He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass.

       Sennet. Exeunt all but Brutus and Cassius. CASSIUS. Will you go see the order of the course? BRUTUS. Not I.

       CASSIUS. I pray you, do.

       BRUTUS. I am not gamesome; I do lack some part

       Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.

       Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I'll leave you.

       CASSIUS. Brutus, I do observe you now of late; I have not from your eyes that gentleness

       And show of love as I was wont to have;

       You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand

       Over your friend that loves you. BRUTUS. Cassius,

       Be not deceived; if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Merely upon myself. Vexed I am

       Of late with passions of some difference, Conceptions only proper to myself,

       Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors; But let not therefore my good friends be grieved-Among which number, Cassius, be you one-

       Nor construe any further my neglect

       Than that poor Brutus with himself at war

       Forgets the shows of love to other men.

       CASSIUS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion, By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.

       Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face? BRUTUS. No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself But by reflection, by some other things. CASSIUS. 'Tis just,

       And it is very much lamented, Brutus,

       That you have no such mirrors as will turn

       Your hidden worthiness into your eye

       That you might see your shadow. I have heard Where many of the best respect in Rome, Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus And groaning underneath this age's yoke, Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

       BRUTUS. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself

       For that which is not in me?

       CASSIUS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear, And since you know you cannot see yourself

       So well as by reflection, I your glass

       Will modestly discover to yourself

       That of yourself which you yet know not of. And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus; Were I a common laugher, or did use

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       To stale with ordinary oaths my love

       To every new protester, if you know

       That I do fawn on men and hug them hard And after scandal them, or if you know That I profess myself in banqueting

       To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

       Flourish and shout.

       BRUTUS. What means this shouting? I do fear the people

       Choose Caesar for their king. CASSIUS. Ay, do you fear it?

       Then must I think you would not have it so. BRUTUS. I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well. But wherefore do you hold me here so long?

       What is it that you would impart to me? If it be aught toward the general good,

       Set honor in one eye and death i' the other

       And I will look on both indifferently. For let the gods so speed me as I love

       The name of honor more than I fear death. CASSIUS. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, As well as I do know your outward favor.

       Well, honor is the subject of my story. I cannot tell what you and other men Think of this life, but, for my single self, I had as lief not be as live to be

       In awe of such a thing as I myself.

       I was born free as Caesar, so were you;

       We both have fed as well, and we can both

       Endure the winter's cold as well as he. For once, upon a raw and gusty day,

       The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, Caesar said to me, "Darest thou, Cassius, now Leap in with me into this angry flood

       And swim to yonder point?" Upon the word, Accoutred as I was, I plunged in

       And bade him follow. So indeed he did. The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it With lusty sinews, throwing it aside

       And stemming it with hearts of controversy. But ere we could arrive the point proposed, Caesar cried, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink!

       I, as Aeneas our great ancestor

       Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber Did I the tired Caesar. And this man

       Is now become a god, and Cassius is

       A wretched creature and must bend his body

       If Caesar carelessly but nod on him. He had a fever when he was in Spain, And when the fit was on him I did mark

       How he did shake. 'Tis true, this god did shake;

       His coward lips did from their color fly,

       And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world

       Did lose his luster. I did hear him groan.

       Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans Mark him and write his speeches in their books, Alas, it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinius,"

       As a sick girl. Ye gods! It doth amaze me

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       A man of such a feeble temper should

       So get the start of the majestic world

       And bear the palm alone. Shout. Flourish. BRUTUS. Another general shout!

       I do believe that these applauses are

       For some new honors that are heap'd on Caesar. CASSIUS. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men

       Walk under his huge legs and peep about

       To find ourselves dishonorable graves.

       Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves that we are underlings.

       Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that "Caesar"? Why should that name be sounded 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 start a spirit as soon as "Caesar." Now, in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed

       That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed! Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! When went there by an age since the great flood But it was famed with more than with one man? When could they say till now that talk'd of Rome That her wide walls encompass'd 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 say

       There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd

       The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome

       As easily as a king.

       BRUTUS. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; What you would work me to, I have some aim.

       How I