Cas. O ye Gods! ye Gods! Must I endure all

this?

Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud` heart break;

Go, show your slaves how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must Ibudge? Must I observe you? Must I staud and crouch Under your testy humour? By the Gods,

-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, 1 shall be glad to learn of noble men.

Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me,
bed rowe Brulus;

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
Did I say, better?? in and

Bru. If you did, 1, cave not...

Cas. When Caesar liv'd, he durst not thus have

mov'd me..

Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not, so have tempt

ed him.

434

not tempt him?

Cas. What? durst

Bru. For your life yon 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 sorry

for.

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,

That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you deny'd me; ----
For I can raise no money by vile means:\
By heaven, I had father 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 legious,

Which you deny'd me: Was that done like Cas

sius ?

Should have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, ? red
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, Gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!
"Cus. I deny d you not. 947
Bru. You did.

Cas. I did not he was but a fool, That brought my answer back. Brutus hath for Driv'd my heart: A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me. Cus. You love me not.

Bru. I do not like your faults, and ma

Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Brit. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear 6

As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassins,

For Cassius is aweary of the world

Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd, Set in a note-hook, learn'd, and conu'd by rote,

To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine 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 deny'd thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov❜dst him
better

Than ever thon lov'dst Cassius.

Bru. Sheath your dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour,
O Cassins, 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 liv'd

To be, but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him.
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your

4

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 humour, which my mother gave

Makes me forgetful?

me,

Bru. Yet, Cassins; and, henceforth,

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

Poet. [within.] Let me go in to see the generals; There is some grudge between them, 'tis not meet

They be alone.

Luc. [within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.

Enter Poet.

Cas. How now? What's the matter?

Poet. For shame, you Generals; What do you mean?

Love, and be friends, as two such men should be; For I have seen more years, I am sure, than ye. Cas. Ha, ha; how vilely doth this cynick rhime! Bru. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence. Cas. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion. Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows lis time :

What should the wars do with such jigging fools? Companion, hence.

Cas. Away, away, be gone.

[Exit Poet.

Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the cominanders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you

Immediately to us.

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Bru, Lucius, a bowl of wine.

Cas. I did not think, you could have been so

angry.

Bru, O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.
Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use,

If you give place to accidental evils.
Bru. No man bears sorrow better:

dead.

Portia is

Cas, Ha! Portia ?

Bru. She is dead.

Cas. How scap'd I killing, when I cross'd you

O insupportable and touching loss!

Upon what sickness?

Bru. Impatient of my absence;

And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong;

That tidings came;

death

for with her

With this she fell distract,

And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire,

Cas. And died so?

Bru, Even so.

Cas. O ye immortal Gods!

Enter Lucius, with wine and tapers.

Bru. Speak no more of her.

Give me a bowl

of wine:

In this I bury all unkinduess, Cassius. [Drinks.
Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge:
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'er-swell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love..

[Drinks.

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Bru, Come in, Titinius: Welcome, good

Messala.

Now sit we close about this taper here,

And call in question our necessities.
Cas. Portia! art thou gone?
Bru. No more, I pray you.

Messala, I have here received letters,
That young Octavius, and Mark Antony,
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi.