And bade him follow; so indeed he did. 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, He had a fever when he was in Spain, And when the fit was on him, I did mark 110 120 How he did shake: 't is true, this god did shake: And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans Bru. Another general shout! [Shout. Flourish. I do believe that these applauses are For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men 130 Walk under his huge legs and peep about Brutus and Cæsar: what should be in that "Cæsar"? 140 That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed! 150 O, you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd As easily as a king. Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; What you would work me to, I have some aim: How I have thought of this and of these times, I shall recount hereafter; for this present, I would not, so with love I might entreat you, Be any further moved. What you have said I will consider; what you have to say 160 I will with patience hear, and find a time Than to repute himself a son of Rome Cas. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Bru. The games are done and Cæsar is returning. Re-enter CESAR and his Train Bru. I will do so. But, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cæs. Cæsar? Let me have men about me that are fat: Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar; he's not dangerous; 170 180 190 Cæs. Would he were fatter! But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear, I do not know the man I should avoid So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; Quite through the deeds of men; he loves no plays, I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd [Sennet. Exeunt Cæsar and all his Train, but Casca. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you / speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad. Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had chanced. Casca. 200 210 Why, there was a crown offered him: 220 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? Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offered him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was 't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other, and at every putting- 230 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 't was not a crown neither, 't was 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 240 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 chapped 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 Cæsar; for he swounded and fell down at it: and for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of 250 opening my lips and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: what, did Cæsar swound? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling sickness. |