See, what a rent the envious Casca made-
Through this, the well beloved Brutus stabbed;
And, as he plucked his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it!-
This was the most unkindest* cut of all!
For, when the noble Casar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him! Then burst his mighty heart:
And, in his n.antle n.ifling up his face,

Even at the basc of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
Oha: a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I and you, and all of us, fell down ;
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.
O, now you weep; and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity-these are gracious drops.
Kind souls! What, weep you when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look ye here!-
Here is himself-marred, as you see, by traitors.

Good friends! sweet friends! Let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny!

They that have done this deed are honorable!

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,

That made them do it! They are wise and honorable,
And will, no doubt, with reason answer you.

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts!

I am no orator, as Brutus is;

But, as you know me all, a plain, blunt man,

Tha love my friend-and that they know full well,
That gave me public leave to speak of him!
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood:-I only speak right on:
I tell you that which you yourselves do know—

Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor, dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me. But, were

Brutus,

And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar, that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

*This double superlative, like "the most shailest sect of our religion,” (Acts xxvi. 5.) was tolerated by the best English writers, two or three centuries ago.

+ Statua, for statue, is common among the old writers.

LESSON CCI.

The Tent-scene between BRUTUS and CASSIUS.-Ibid.

you

Cassius. THAT have wronged me, doth appear in this:
You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;

Wherein, my letters (praying on his side,
Because I knew the man) were slighted off.

Brutus. You wronged yourself, to write in such a case.
Cas. At such a time as this, is it not meet

That every nice offence should bear its comment ?
Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

Are much condemned to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your oflices for gold,
To undeservers.

Cas. I an itching palm?

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius honors this corruption,
And chas'tisement doth therefore hide its head.

Cas. Chas'tisement !

Bru. Reinember 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 of 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 grasped 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,
To hedge me in: I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself

To make conditions.

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 further.

Bru. Away, slight man!

Cas. Is't possible!

Bru. Hear me, for I will speak.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

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?

Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humor!

You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth; yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

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
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

sorry

For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:-
I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants, their vile trash, .
By any indirection. I did send

To you for gold to pay my legions;

Which you denied me.

for.

Was that done like Cassius ?

Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,

To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him in pieces.

Cas. I denied you not.

Bru. You did.

Cas. I did not: he was but a fool

That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived

A friend should bear a friend's infirmities;

But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.
Cas. You love me not.

Bru. I do not like your

faults.

Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults.
Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come Antony! and young Octavius, come!
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius:

For Cassius is a-weary of the world

Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learned and conned, by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from my eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast-within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold;
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth:
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart.
Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

Bru. Sheath your dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope:
Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor.
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger, as the flint bears fire;
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

Cas. Hath Cassius lived

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,

When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.
Bru. And my heart too.

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 henceforth,

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

LESSON CCII.

Description of the Castle* of Indolence, and its inhabitants.—
THOMSON.†

YE gods of quiet, and of sleep profound!
Whose soft dominion o'er this castle sways,
And all the widely-silent places round,

Forgive me, if my trembling pen displays
What never yet was sung in mortal lays.
But how shall I attempt such arduous string,

I, who have spent my nights and nightly days
In this soul-deadening place, loose-loitering?
Ah! how shall I for this uprear my moulted wing?
The doors, that knew no shrill alarming bell,

Net cursed knocker plied by villain's hand,
Self-opened into halls, where, who can tell
What elegance and grandeur wide expănd,
The pride of Turkey and of Persia lănd-?
Soft quilts on quilts, on carpets carpets spread,
And couches stretched around in seemly band,
And endless pillows rise to prop the head;

So that each spacious room was one full-swelling bed.
And every where huge covered tables stood,

With wines high flavored and rich viands crowned;
Whatever sprightly juice or tasteful food

On the green bosom of this Earth are found,
And all old Ocean genders in his round:
Some hand unseen these silently displayed,
Even undemânded by a sign or sound;
You need but wish, and, instantly obeyed,

Fair ranged the dishes rose, and thick the glasses played.

* Pron. kǎs'sl.

+ This poem being writ in the manner of Spenser, the obsolete words, and a simplicity of diction in some of the lines, which borders on the ludicrous, were necessary to make the imitation more perfect.-Author. + Ne, nor.