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knows his time; for, look you, Brutus.

      He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

      Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS

      DECIUS BRUTUS

      Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,

      And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

      BRUTUS

      He is address’d: press near and second him.

      CINNA

      Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

      CAESAR

      Are we all ready? What is now amiss

      That Caesar and his senate must redress?

      METELLUS CIMBER

      Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,

      Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

      An humble heart, —

      Kneeling

      CAESAR

      I must prevent thee, Cimber.

      These couchings and these lowly courtesies

      Might fire the blood of ordinary men,

      And turn pre-ordinance and first decree

      Into the law of children. Be not fond,

      To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood

      That will be thaw’d from the true quality

      With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,

      Low-crooked court’sies and base spaniel-fawning.

      Thy brother by decree is banished:

      If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,

      I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

      Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause

      Will he be satisfied.

      METELLUS CIMBER

      Is there no voice more worthy than my own

      To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear

      For the repealing of my banish’d brother?

      BRUTUS

      I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar;

      Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

      Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

      CAESAR

      What, Brutus!

      CASSIUS

      Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:

      As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

      To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

      CASSIUS

      I could be well moved, if I were as you:

      If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:

      But I am constant as the northern star,

      Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality

      There is no fellow in the firmament.

      The skies are painted with unnumber’d sparks,

      They are all fire and every one doth shine,

      But there’s but one in all doth hold his place:

      So in the world; ’tis furnish’d well with men,

      And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;

      Yet in the number I do know but one

      That unassailable holds on his rank,

      Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,

      Let me a little show it, even in this;

      That I was constant Cimber should be banish’d,

      And constant do remain to keep him so.

      CINNA

      O Caesar, —

      CAESAR

      Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

      DECIUS BRUTUS

      Great Caesar, —

      CAESAR

      Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

      CASCA

      Speak, hands for me!

      CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and BRUTUS stab CAESAR

      CAESAR

      Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.

      Dies

      CINNA

      Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!

      Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

      CASSIUS

      Some to the common pulpits, and cry out

      ’Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!’

      BRUTUS

      People and senators, be not affrighted;

      Fly not; stand stiff: ambition’s debt is paid.

      CASCA

      Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

      DECIUS BRUTUS

      And Cassius too.

      BRUTUS

      Where’s Publius?

      CINNA

      Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

      METELLUS CIMBER

      Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar’s

      Should chance-

      BRUTUS

      Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;

      There is no harm intended to your person,

      Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

      CASSIUS

      And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,

      Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

      BRUTUS

      Do so: and let no man abide this deed,

      But we the doers.

      Re-enter TREBONIUS

      CASSIUS

      Where is Antony?

      TREBONIUS

      Fled to his house amazed:

      Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run

      As it were doomsday.

      BRUTUS

      Fates, we will know your pleasures:

      That we shall die, we know; ’tis but the time

      And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

      CASSIUS

      Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life

      Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

      BRUTUS

      Grant that, and then is death a benefit:

      So are we Caesar’s friends, that have abridged

      His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,

      And let us bathe our hands in Caesar’s

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