Julius Caesar (Modern)

 431[1.3]
 Thunder and lightning. Enter Casca 432and Cicero.
3.1433Cicero
 Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar home?
3.2434Why are you breathless, and why stare you so?
3.3435Casca
 Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth
3.4436Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
3.5437I have seen tempests when the scolding winds
3.6438Have rived the knotty oaks, and I have seen
3.7439Th'ambitious ocean swell, and rage, and foam,
3.8440To be exalted with the threatening clouds,
3.9441But never till tonight, never till now,
3.10442Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
3.11443Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
3.12444Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
3.13445Incenses them to send destruction.
3.14446Cicero
 Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?
3.15447Casca
 A common slave, you know him well by sight,
3.16448Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
3.17449Like twenty torches joined; and yet his hand,
3.18450Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched.
3.19451Besides--I ha'not since put up my sword--
3.20452Against the Capitol I met a lion,
3.21453Who glazed upon me and went surly by,
3.22454Without annoying me. And there were drawn
3.23455Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
3.24456Transformèd with their fear, who swore they saw
3.25457Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
3.26458And yesterday, the bird of night did sit
3.27459Even at noonday upon the marketplace,
3.28460Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
3.29461Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
3.30462"These are their reasons, they are natural,"
3.31463For I believe they are portentous things
3.32464Unto the climate that they point upon.
3.33465Cicero
 Indeed, it is a strange disposèd time.
3.34466But men may construe things after their fashion
3.35467Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
3.36468Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?
3.37469Casca
 He doth, for he did bid Antonio
3.38470Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.
3.39471Cicero
 Good night then, Casca. 472This disturbèd sky
3.40Is not to walk in.
 473Casca
 Is not to walk in.  Farewell Cicero.
 Exit Cicero. 
3.40.1474Enter Cassius.
3.41475Cassius
 Who's there?
 476Casca
 Who's there?  A Roman.
 477Cassius
 Who's there? A Roman.  Casca, by your voice.
3.42478Casca
 Your ear is good. 479Cassius, what night is this?
3.43480Cassius
 A very pleasing night to honest men.
3.44481Casca
 Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
3.45482Cassius
 Those that have known the earth so full of 483faults.
3.46484For my part, I have walked about the streets,
3.47485Submitting me unto the perilous night,
3.48486And thus unbracèd, Casca, as you see,
3.49487Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone,
3.50488And when the cross blue lightning seemed to open
3.51489The breast of heaven, I did present myself
3.52490Even in the aim and very flash of it.
3.53491Casca
 But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
3.54492It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
3.55493When the most mighty gods by tokens send
3.56494Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
3.57495Cassius
 You are dull, Casca, 496And those sparks of life
3.58That should be in a Roman 497you do want,
3.59Or else you use not. 498You look pale, and gaze,
3.60And put on fear, 499and cast yourself in wonder,
3.61500To see the strange impatience of the heavens.
3.62501But if you would consider the true cause
3.63502Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
3.64503Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,
3.65504Why old men, fools, and children calculate,
3.66505Why all these things change from their ordinance,
3.67506Their natures and preformèd faculties
3.68507To monstrous quality--why, you shall find
3.69508That heaven hath infused them with these spirits
3.70509To make them instruments of fear and warning
3.71510Unto some monstrous state.
3.72511Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man,
3.73512Most like this dreadful night,
3.74513That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars,
3.75514As doth the lion in the Capitol,
3.76515A man no mightier than thyself or me
3.77516In personal action, yet prodigious grown
3.78517And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.
3.79518Casca
 'Tis Caesar that you mean. 519Is it not, Cassius?
3.80520Cassius
 Let it be who it is, for Romans now
3.81521Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors.
3.82522But woe the while, our fathers' minds are dead,
3.83523And we are governed with our mothers' spirits.
3.84524Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.
3.85525Casca
 Indeed, they say, the senators tomorrow
3.86526Mean to establish Caesar as a king,
3.87527And he shall wear his crown by sea and land
3.88528In every place, save here in Italy.
3.89529Cassius
 I know where I will wear this dagger then:
3.90530Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.
3.91531Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong,
3.92532Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.
3.93533Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
3.94534Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron
3.95535Can be retentive to the strength of spirit,
3.96536But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
3.97537Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
3.98538If I know this, know all the world besides,
3.99539That part of tyranny that I do bear
3.100540I can shake off at pleasure.
3.100.1Thunder still. 
 541Casca
 I can shake off at pleasure.  So can I:
3.101542So every bondman in his own hand bears
3.102543The power to cancel his captivity.
3.103544Cassius
 And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
3.104545Poor man, I know he would not be a wolf,
3.105546But that he sees the Romans are but sheep;
3.106547He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
3.107548Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
3.108549Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome,
3.109550What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
3.110551For the base matter to illuminate
3.111552So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,
3.112553Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this
3.113554Before a willing bondman; then I know
3.114555My answer must be made. But I am armed,
3.115556And dangers are to me indifferent.
3.116557Casca
 You speak to Casca, and to such a man
3.117558That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand.
3.118559Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
3.119560And I will set this foot of mine as far
3.120561As who goes farthest.
 562Cassius
 As who goes farthest.  There's a bargain made.
3.121563Now know you, Casca, I have moved already
3.122564Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
3.123565To undergo with me an enterprise
3.124566Of honorable dangerous consequence,
3.125567And I do know by this, they stay for me
3.126568In Pompey's porch. For now, this fearful night,
3.127569There is no stir or walking in the streets,
3.128570And the complexion of the element
3.129571In favor's like the work we have in hand:
3.130572Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
3.130.1573Enter Cinna.
3.131574Casca
 Stand close awhile, for here comes one in 575haste.
3.132576Cassius
 'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait;
3.133577He is a friend. Cinna, where haste you so?
3.134578Cinna
 To find out you. Who's that, Metellus 579Cimber?
3.135580Cassius
 No, it is Casca, one incorporate
3.136581To our attempts. Am I not stayed for, Cinna?
3.137582Cinna
 I am glad on't. 583What a fearful night is this?
3.138584There's two or three of us have seen strange sights.
3.139585Cassius
 Am I not stayed for? Tell me.
3.140586Cinna
 Yes, you are. O Cassius, 587if you could
3.141But win the noble Brutus 588to our party--
3.142589Cassius
 Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper,
3.143590And look you lay it in the praetor's chair,
3.144591Where Brutus may but find it. And throw this
3.145592In at his window. Set this up with wax
3.146593Upon old Brutus' statue. All this done,
3.147594Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find us.
3.148595Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?
3.149596Cinna
 All but Metellus Cimber, and he's gone
3.150597To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie,
3.151598And so bestow these papers as you bade me.
3.152599Cassius
 That done, repair to Pompey's theater.
3.152.1600Exit Cinna. 
3.153601Come, Casca, you and I will yet, ere day,
3.154602See Brutus at his house. Three parts of him
3.155603Is ours already, and the man entire
3.156604Upon the next encounter yields him ours.
3.157605Casca
 Oh, he sits high in all the people's hearts,
3.158606And that which would appear offense in us,
3.159607His countenance, like richest alchemy,
3.160608Will change to virtue and to worthiness.
3.161609Cassius
 Him and his worth and our great need of him
3.162610You have right well conceited. Let us go,
3.163611For it is after midnight, and ere day,
3.164612We will awake him and be sure of him.
3.164.1613Exeunt. 
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Julius Caesar (Modern)
