Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music°:
Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
As if he mocked himself, and scorned his spirit
That could be moved to smile at anything..
Such men as he be never at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be feared
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Sennet. Exeunt CÆSAR and all his Train but Casca.
Casca. You pulled me by the cloak; would you
speak with me?

210

Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad.

220

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had chanced. Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him: and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell ashouting.

Bru. What was the second noise for?

Casca. Why, for that too.

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 230 every putting by mine honest neighbors 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 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas 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 240 he 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 chopped 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 opening my lips and receiving the bad air.

250

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-sick

Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness.

260

Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but I am sure Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rago people did not clap him and hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru. What said he when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope° his doublet and offered them his throat to cut. An° I had been a man of any occupation,° if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the 270 rogues. And so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done or said anything amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his

infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, "Alas, good soul!" and forgave him with all their hearts: but there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away?
Casca. Ay.

Cas. Did Cicero say anything?

Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek."

Cas. To what effect?

280

Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca?
Casca. No, I am promised forth.

Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

290

Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and

your dinner worth the eating.

Cas. Good; I will expect you.

Casca. Do so: farewell, both.

C

[Exit.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be! He was quick° metal" when he went to school. Cas. So is he now in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprise,

However he puts on this tardy form.°
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.

300

Bru. And so it is. For this time I will leave you: To-morrow, if you please to speak with me,

I will come home to you; or, if you will,

Come home to me, and I will wait for you.

Cas. I will do so; till then, think of the world."

310

[Exit BRUTUS.

Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see
Thy honorable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes:
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
Cæsar doth bear me hard°: but he loves Brutus:
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humor° me. I will this night,
In several hands,° in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings all tending to the great opinion

320