Because I knew the man, were slighted off. Bru. You wronged yourself to write in such a case. That every nice offence should bear its comment. Cas. I an itching palm? You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Cas. Chastisement ! Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember! Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? What villain touched his body, that did stab, And not for justice? What, shall one of us, That struck the foremost man in all this world, But for supporting robbers; shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, And sell the mighty space of our large honors, For so much trash as may be graspéd thus?I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than such a Roman. Cas. Brutus, bay not me; I'll not endure it. You forget yourself, Bru. Go to; you're not, Cassius. Cas. I am. Bru. I say you are not. Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no farther. Cas. Is't possible? Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Cas. Must I endure all this? Bru. All this? ay, more. Fret till your proud heart break; Go, show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge? You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, Cas. Is it come to this? Bru. You say you are a better soldier : Let it appear so; make your vaunting true, And it shall please me well. For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men. Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Brutus; I said, an elder soldier, not a better. Did I say better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar lived, he durst not thus have moved me. Bru. Peace, peace: you durst not so have tempted him. Cas. I durst not! Bru. No. Cas. What? durst not tempt him? Bru. For your life you durst not. Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love: I may do that I shall be sorry for. Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am armed so strong in honesty, That they pass by me as the idle wind, Which I respect not. I did send to you For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; By Heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring To you for gold to pay my legions,. Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius? Should I have answered Caius Cassius so? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, Cas. I denied you not. Bru. You did. That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart. A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me. Bru. I do not like your faults. Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. As huge as high Olympus. Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother ; My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger, I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart: When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better Than ever thou lovedst Cassius. Bru. Sheathe your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Cas. Hath Cassius lived To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, Cas. O Brutus ! Bru. What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humor, which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful? Bru. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, LESSON CXIV. Antony's Address to the Roman Populace. SHAKSPEARE. FRIENDS, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones: So let it be with Cæsar! The noble Brutus He was my friend, faithful and just to me: And Brutus is an honorable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man. You all did see, that, on the Lupercal, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? And, sure, he is an honorable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar; And I must pause till it come back to me. But yesterday, the word of Cæsar might Have stood against the world: now lies he there, O masters! if I were disposed to stir |