My ancestors did from the streets of Rome To speak, and strike? O Rome! I make thee promise, If the redress will follow, thou receivest Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. [Knock within. [Exit LUCIUS. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar, Between the acting of a dreadful thing Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, Who doth desire to see you. Luc. No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears, And half their faces buried in their cloaks, That by no means I may discover them By any mark of favour 3. Let them enter. [Exit LUCIUS. 2 Vision. 3 Countenance. They are the faction. O conspiracy! Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free! O, then, by day, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough To mask thy, monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy; Hide it in smiles, and affability: For if thou path, thy native semblance on,+ To hide thee from prevention. Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS. Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest. Which every noble Roman bears of you. Bru. Cas. This Decius Brutus. Cas. This Casca: this, Cinna; Bru. He is welcome hither. He is welcome too. They are all welcome. [They whisper. What watchful cares do interpose themselves Betwixt your eyes and night? Cas. Shall I entreat a word? Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break here? Casca. No. Cin. O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. 4 Walk in thy true form. › Hell. Casca. You shall confess, that you are both de ceiv'd. Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises; 6 Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one. Cas. And let us swear our resolution. Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face of men, The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse, If these be motives weak, break off betimes, And every man hence to his idle bed; So let high-sighted tyranny range on, Till each man drop by lottery. But if these, As I am sure they do, bear fire enough That this shall be, or we will fall for it? Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits, If he do break the smallest particle 6 Perhaps Shakspeare wrote faith. VOL. VIII. 8 Cautious. Y 7 Prevaricate. Of any promise that hath pass'd from him. Casca. Let us not leave him out. Cin. No, by no means. And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him ; 9 For he will never follow any thing That other men begin. Cas. Then leave him out. Casca. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? Cas. Decius, well urg'd: -I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar, Should outlive Cæsar: We shall find of him Let Antony, and Cæsar, fall together. Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs ; Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius. 9 Let us not break the matter to him. 1 Malice. Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Cas. Is to himself; take thought, and die for Cæsar : Treb. There is no fear in him, let him not die; For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter. Bru. Peace, count the clock. [Clock strikes. The clock hath stricken three. Treb. 'Tis time to part. Cas. But it is doubtful yet, Whe'r Cæsar will come forth to-day, or no ; For he is superstitious grown of late; Quite from the main opinion he held once Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies ; It may be, these apparent prodigies, The unaccustom'd terror of this night, And the persuasion of his augurers, May hold him from the Capitol to-day. Dec. Never fear that: If he be so resolv'd I can o'ersway him: for he loves to hear, That unicorns may be betray'd with trees, And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, Lions with toils, and men with flatterers, |