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once, upon a raw and gusty day,

      The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,

      Caesar said to me ’Darest thou, Cassius, now

      Leap in with me into this angry flood,

      And swim to yonder point?’ Upon the word,

      Accoutred as I was, I plunged in

      And bade him follow; so indeed he did.

      The torrent roar’d, and we did buffet it

      With lusty sinews, throwing it aside

      And stemming it with hearts of controversy;

      But ere we could arrive the point proposed,

      Caesar cried ’Help me, Cassius, or I sink!’

      I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,

      Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

      The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber

      Did I the tired Caesar. And this man

      Is now become a god, and Cassius is

      A wretched creature and must bend his body,

      If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.

      He had a fever when he was in Spain,

      And when the fit was on him, I did mark

      How he did shake: ’tis true, this god did shake;

      His coward lips did from their colour fly,

      And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world

      Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:

      Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans

      Mark him and write his speeches in their books,

      Alas, it cried ’Give me some drink, Titinius,’

      As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me

      A man of such a feeble temper should

      So get the start of the majestic world

      And bear the palm alone.

      Shout. Flourish

      BRUTUS

      Another general shout!

      I do believe that these applauses are

      For some new honours that are heap’d on Caesar.

      CASSIUS

      Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

      Like a Colossus, and we petty men

      Walk under his huge legs and peep about

      To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

      Men at some time are masters of their fates:

      The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,

      But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

      Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ’Caesar’?

      Why should that name be sounded more than yours?

      Write them together, yours is as fair a name;

      Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;

      Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with ’em,

      Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.

      Now, in the names of all the gods at once,

      Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,

      That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!

      Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!

      When went there by an age, since the great flood,

      But it was famed with more than with one man?

      When could they say till now, that talk’d of Rome,

      That her wide walls encompass’d but one man?

      Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,

      When there is in it but one only man.

      O, you and I have heard our fathers say,

      There was a Brutus once that would have brook’d

      The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome

      As easily as a king.

      BRUTUS

      That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;

      What you would work me to, I have some aim:

      How I have thought of this and of these times,

      I shall recount hereafter; for this present,

      I would not, so with love I might entreat you,

      Be any further moved. What you have said

      I will consider; what you have to say

      I will with patience hear, and find a time

      Both meet to hear and answer such high things.

      Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:

      Brutus had rather be a villager

      Than to repute himself a son of Rome

      Under these hard conditions as this time

      Is like to lay upon us.

      CASSIUS

      I am glad that my weak words

      Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

      BRUTUS

      The games are done and Caesar is returning.

      CASSIUS

      As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;

      And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you

      What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

      Re-enter CAESAR and his Train

      BRUTUS

      I will do so. But, look you, Cassius,

      The angry spot doth glow on Caesar’s brow,

      And all the rest look like a chidden train:

      Calpurnia’s cheek is pale; and Cicero

      Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes

      As we have seen him in the Capitol,

      Being cross’d in conference by some senators.

      CASSIUS

      Casca will tell us what the matter is.

      CAESAR

      Antonius!

      ANTONY

      Caesar?

      CAESAR

      Let me have men about me that are fat;

      Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o’ nights:

      Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;

      He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

      ANTONY

      Fear him not, Caesar; he’s not dangerous;

      He is a noble Roman and well given.

      CAESAR

      Would he were fatter! But I fear him not:

      Yet if my name were liable to fear,

      I do not know the man I should avoid

      So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;

      He is a great observer and he looks

      Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,

      As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;

      Seldom

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