Shakespeare's First Folio Part 536

Ca.s.si. To what effect?

Cask. Nay, and I tell you that, Ile ne're looke you i'th' face againe. But those that vnderstood him, smil'd at one another, and shooke their heads: but for mine owne part, it was Greeke to me. I could tell you more newes too: Murrellus and Flauius, for pulling Scarffes off Caesars Images, are put to silence. Fare you well.

There was more Foolerie yet, if I could remember it

Ca.s.si. Will you suppe with me to Night, Caska?

Cask. No, I am promis'd forth

Ca.s.si. Will you Dine with me to morrow?

Cask. I, if I be aliue, and your minde hold, and your Dinner worth the eating

Ca.s.si. Good, I will expect you

Cask. Doe so: farewell both.

Enter.

Brut. What a blunt fellow is this growne to be?

He was quick Mettle, when he went to Schoole

Ca.s.si. So is he now, in execution Of any bold, or n.o.ble Enterprize, How-euer he puts on this tardie forme: This Rudenesse is a Sawce to his good Wit, Which giues men stomacke to disgest his words With better Appet.i.te

Brut. And so it is: For this time I will leaue you: To morrow, if you please to speake with me, I will come home to you: or if you will, Come home to me, and I will wait for you

Ca.s.si. I will doe so: till then, thinke of the World.

Exit Brutus.

Well Brutus, thou art n.o.ble: yet I see, Thy Honorable Mettle may be wrought From that it is dispos'd: therefore it is meet, That n.o.ble mindes keepe euer with their likes: For who so firme, that cannot be seduc'd?

Caesar doth beare me hard, but he loues Brutus.

If I were Brutus now, and he were Ca.s.sius, He should not humor me. I will this Night, In seuerall Hands, in at his Windowes throw, As if they came from seuerall Citizens, Writings, all tending to the great opinion That Rome holds of his Name: wherein obscurely Caesars Ambition shall be glanced at.

And after this, let Caesar seat him sure, For wee will shake him, or worse dayes endure.

Enter.

Thunder, and Lightning. Enter Caska, and Cicero.

Cic. Good euen, Caska: brought you Caesar home?

Why are you breathlesse, and why stare you so?

Cask. Are not you mou'd, when all the sway of Earth Shakes, like a thing vnfirme? O Cicero, I haue seene Tempests, when the scolding Winds Haue riu'd the knottie Oakes, and I haue seene Th' ambitious Ocean swell, and rage, and foame, To be exalted with the threatning Clouds: But neuer till to Night, neuer till now, Did I goe through a Tempest-dropping-fire.

Eyther there is a Ciuill strife in Heauen, Or else the World, too sawcie with the G.o.ds, Incenses them to send destruction

Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderfull?

Cask. A common slaue, you know him well by sight, Held vp his left Hand, which did flame and burne Like twentie Torches ioyn'd; and yet his Hand, Not sensible of fire, remain'd vnscorch'd.

Besides, I ha' not since put vp my Sword, Against the Capitoll I met a Lyon, Who glaz'd vpon me, and went surly by, Without annoying me. And there were drawne Vpon a heape, a hundred gastly Women, Transformed with their feare, who swore, they saw Men, all in fire, walke vp and downe the streetes.

And yesterday, the Bird of Night did sit, Euen at Noone-day, vpon the Market place, Howting, and shreeking. When these Prodigies Doe so conioyntly meet, let not men say, These are their Reasons, they are Naturall: For I beleeue, they are portentous things Vnto the Clymate, that they point vpon

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange disposed time: But men may construe things after their fas.h.i.+on, Cleane from the purpose of the things themselues.

Comes Caesar to the Capitoll to morrow?

Cask. He doth: for he did bid Antonio Send word to you, he would be there to morrow

Cic. Good-night then, Caska: This disturbed Skie is not to walke in

Cask. Farewell Cicero.

Exit Cicero.

Enter Ca.s.sius.

Ca.s.si. Who's there?

Cask. A Romane

Ca.s.si. Caska, by your Voyce

Cask. Your Eare is good.

Ca.s.sius, what Night is this?

Ca.s.si. A very pleasing Night to honest men

Cask. Who euer knew the Heauens menace so?

Ca.s.si. Those that haue knowne the Earth so full of faults.

For my part, I haue walk'd about the streets, Submitting me vnto the perillous Night; And thus vnbraced, Caska, as you see, Haue bar'd my Bosome to the Thunder-stone: And when the crosse blew Lightning seem'd to open The Brest of Heauen, I did present my selfe Euen in the ayme, and very flash of it

Cask. But wherefore did you so much tempt the Heauens?

It is the part of men, to feare and tremble, When the most mightie G.o.ds, by tokens send Such dreadfull Heraulds, to astonish vs

Ca.s.si. You are dull, Caska: And those sparkes of Life, that should be in a Roman, You doe want, or else you vse not.

You looke pale, and gaze, and put on feare, And cast your selfe in wonder, To see the strange impatience of the Heauens: But if you would consider the true cause, Why all these Fires, why all these gliding Ghosts, Why Birds and Beasts, from qualitie and kinde, Why Old men, Fooles, and Children calculate, Why all these things change from their Ordinance, Their Natures, and pre-formed Faculties, To monstrous qualitie; why you shall finde, That Heauen hath infus'd them with these Spirits, To make them Instruments of feare, and warning, Vnto some monstrous State.

Now could I (Caska) name to thee a man, Most like this dreadfull Night, That Thunders, Lightens, opens Graues, and roares, As doth the Lyon in the Capitoll: A man no mightier then thy selfe, or me, In personall action; yet prodigious growne, And fearefull, as these strange eruptions are

Cask. 'Tis Caesar that you meane: Is it not, Ca.s.sius?

Ca.s.si. Let it be who it is: for Romans now Haue Thewes, and Limbes, like to their Ancestors; But woe the while, our Fathers mindes are dead, And we are gouern'd with our Mothers spirits, Our yoake, and sufferance, shew vs Womanish

Cask. Indeed, they say, the Senators to morrow Meane to establish Caesar as a King: And he shall weare his Crowne by Sea, and Land, In euery place, saue here in Italy

Ca.s.si. I know where I will weare this Dagger then; Ca.s.sius from Bondage will deliuer Ca.s.sius: Therein, yee G.o.ds, you make the weake most strong; Therein, yee G.o.ds, you Tyrants doe defeat.

Nor Stonie Tower, nor Walls of beaten Bra.s.se, Nor ayre-lesse Dungeon, nor strong Linkes of Iron, Can be retentiue to the strength of spirit: But Life being wearie of these worldly Barres, Neuer lacks power to dismisse it selfe.

If I know this, know all the World besides, That part of Tyrannie that I doe beare, I can shake off at pleasure.

Thunder still.

Cask. So can I: So euery Bond-man in his owne hand beares The power to cancell his Captiuitie

Ca.s.si. And why should Caesar be a Tyrant then?

Poore man, I know he would not be a Wolfe, But that he sees the Romans are but Sheepe: He were no Lyon, were not Romans Hindes.

Those that with haste will make a mightie fire, Begin it with weake Strawes. What trash is Rome?

What Rubbish, and what Offall? when it serues For the base matter, to illuminate So vile a thing as Caesar. But oh Griefe, Where hast thou led me? I (perhaps) speake this Before a willing Bond-man: then I know My answere must be made. But I am arm'd, And dangers are to me indifferent

Cask. You speake to Caska, and to such a man, That is no flearing Tell-tale. Hold, my Hand: Be factious for redresse of all these Griefes, And I will set this foot of mine as farre, As who goes farthest

Ca.s.si. There's a Bargaine made.

Now know you, Caska, I haue mou'd already Some certaine of the n.o.blest minded Romans To vnder-goe, with me, an Enterprize, Of Honorable dangerous consequence; And I doe know by this, they stay for me In Pompeyes Porch: for now this fearefull Night, There is no stirre, or walking in the streetes; And the Complexion of the Element Is Fauors, like the Worke we haue in hand, Most bloodie, fierie, and most terrible.

Enter Cinna.

Caska. Stand close a while, for heere comes one in haste