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Julius Caesar (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: John D. Cox
Peer Reviewed
110
The Tragedie of Julius Cæsar
The Barren touched in this holy chace,
Shake off their sterrile curse.
Ant. I shall remember,
When Cæsar sayes, Do this; it is perform'd.
100Cæs. Set on, and leaue no Ceremony out.
Sooth. Cæsar.
Cæs. Ha? Who calles?
Cask. Bid euery noyse be still: peace yet againe.
Cæs. Who is it in the presse, that calles on me?
105I heare a Tongue shriller then all the Musicke
Cry, Cæsar: Speake, Cæsar is turn'd to heare.
Sooth. Beware the Ides of March.
Cæs. What man is that?
Br. A Sooth-sayer bids you beware the Ides of March
110Cæs. Set him before me, let me see his face.
Cassi. Fellow, come from the throng, look vpon Cæsar.
Cæs. What sayst thou to me now? Speak once againe:
Sooth. Beware the Ides of March.
Cæs. He is a Dreamer, let vs leaue him: Passe.
115
Sennet. Exeunt. Manet Brut. & Cass.
Cassi. Will you go see the order of the course?
Brut. Not I.
Cassi. I pray you do.
Brut. I am not Gamesom: I do lacke some part
120Of that quicke Spirit that is in Antony:
Let me not hinder Cassius your desires;
Ile leaue you.
Cassi. Brutus, I do obserue you now of late:
I haue not from your eyes, that gentlenesse
125And shew of Loue, as I was wont to haue:
You beare too stubborne, and too strange a hand
Ouer your Friend, that loues you.
Bru. Cassius,
Be not deceiu'd: If I haue veyl'd my looke,
130I turne the trouble of my Countenance
Meerely vpon my selfe. Vexed I am
Of late, with passions of some difference,
Conceptions onely proper to my selfe,
Which giue some soyle (perhaps) to my Behauiours:
135But let not therefore my good Friends be greeu'd
(Among which number Cassius be you one)
Nor construe any further my neglect,
Then that poore Brutus with himselfe at warre,
Forgets the shewes of Loue to other men.
140Cassi. Then Brutus, I haue much mistook your passion,
By meanes whereof, this Brest of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy Cogitations.
Tell me good Brutus, Can you see your face?
Brutus. No Cassius:
145For the eye sees not it selfe but by reflection,
By some other things.
Cassius. 'Tis iust,
And it is very much lamented Brutus,
That you haue no such Mirrors, as will turne
150Your hidden worthinesse into your eye,
That you might see your shadow:
I haue heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortall Cæsar) speaking of Brutus,
155And groaning vnderneath this Ages yoake,
Haue wish'd, that Noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru. Into what dangers, would you
Leade me Cassius?
That you would haue me seeke into my selfe,
160For that which is not in me?
Cas. Therefore good Brutus, be prepar'd to heare:
And since you know, you cannot see your selfe
So well as by Reflection; I your Glasse,
Will modestly discouer to your selfe
165That of your selfe, which you yet know not of.
And be not iealous on me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common Laughter, or did vse
To stale with ordinary Oathes my loue
To euery new Protester: if you know,
170That I do fawne on men, and hugge them hard,
And after scandall them: Or if you know,
That I professe my selfe in Banquetting
To all the Rout, then hold me dangerous.

Flourish, and Shout.

175Bru. What meanes this Showting?
I do feare, the People choose Cæsar
For their King.
Cassi. I, do you feare it?
Then must I thinke you would not haue it so.
180Bru. I would not Cassius, yet I loue him well:
But wherefore do you hold me heere so long?
What is it, that you would impart to me?
If it be ought toward the generall good,
Set Honor in one eye, and Death i'th other,
185And I will looke on both indifferently:
For let the Gods so speed mee, as I loue
The name of Honor, more then I feare death.
Cassi. I know that vertue to be in you Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward fauour.
190Well, Honor is the subiect of my Story:
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Thinke of this life: But for my single selfe,
I had as liefe not be, as liue to be
In awe of such a Thing, as I my selfe.
195I was borne free as Cæsar, so were you,
We both haue fed as well, and we can both
Endure the Winters cold, as well as hee.
For once, vpon a Rawe and Gustie day,
The troubled Tyber, chafing with her Shores,
200Cæsar saide to me, Dar'st thou Cassius now
Leape in with me into this angry Flood,
And swim to yonder Point? Vpon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
And bad him follow: so indeed he did.
205The Torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty Sinewes, throwing it aside,
And stemming it with hearts of Controuersie.
But ere we could arriue the Point propos'd,
Cæsar cride, Helpe me Cassius, or I sinke.
210I (as Æneas, our great Ancestor,
Did from the Flames of Troy, vpon his shoulder
The old Anchyses beare) so, from the waues of Tyber
Did I the tyred Cæsar: And this Man,
Is now become a God, and Cassius is
215A wretched Creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelesly but nod on him.
He had a Feauer when he was in Spaine,
And when the Fit was on him, I did marke
How he did shake: Tis true, this God did shake,
220His Coward lippes did from their colour flye,
And that same Eye, whose bend doth awe the World,
Did loose his Lustre: I did heare him grone:
I, and that Tongue of his, that bad the Romans
Marke him, and write his Speeches in their Bookes,
225Alas, it cried, Giue me some drinke Titinius,
As