Listen great things.-Brutus and Cassius,

Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
Therefore, let our alliance be combin'd,

Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd

out +;

And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclos'd,

And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake',

And bay'd about with many enemies;

And some, that smile, have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischief.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Before Brutus' Tent, in the Camp near Sardis.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers : TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them.

Bru. Stand here.

Luc. Give the word, ho! and stand.

Bru. What now, Lucilius? is Cassius near?
Luc. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come

To do you salutation from his master.

[PINDARUS gives a Letter to BRUTUS.

Bru. He greets me well.-Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

Hath given me some worthy cause to wish

Things done, undone: but, if he be at hand,
I shall be satisfied.

Pin.

I do not doubt,

But that noble master will appear

my

Such as he is, full of regard, and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted.--A word, Lucilius:

How he receiv'd you, let me be resolv'd.

our means stretch'd to the utmost ;"-MALONE.

at the stake,] An allusion to bear-baiting. VOL. VII.

Luc. With courtesy, and with respect enough; But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,

As he hath used of old.

Bru.

Thou hast describ'd

A hot friend cooling: Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith :
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle:
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd ; The greater part, the horse in general,

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

Within. Stand.

Within. Stand.

Within. Stand.

Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies? And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them

Bru.

Cassius, be content,

Speak your griefs softly,-I do know you well:--
Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
Let us not wrangle: Bid them move away;

your griefs-] i. e. your grievances.

Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Cas.

Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucilius, do the like † ; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Within the Tent of Brutus.

Lucius and Titinius at some distance from it.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cas. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear in this: You have condemn'd 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.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself, to write in such a case.
Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet

3

That every nice offence should bear his comment.
Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold,

You know, that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
Cas. Chastisement !

t

3

"do you the like;"-MALONE.

every nice offence - i. e. small, trifling offence.

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remem

ber!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd 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 honours,
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.

Cas. I am.

Go to; you're not, Cassius.

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?

4 What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,

And not for justice?] This question is far from implying that any of those who touch'd Cæsar's body were villains. On the contrary, it is an indirect way of asserting that there was not one man among them who was base enough to stab him for any cause but that of justice. MALONE.

† "bait not me," &c.-MALOne.

To hedge me in ;] That is, to limit my authority by your direction or censure.

6 To make conditions.] That is, to know on what terms it is fit to confer the offices which are at my disposal.

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 I budge?
Must I observe you? Must I stand 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,

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 liv'd, he durst not thus have

mov'd 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 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: