HOR. It would have much amaz'd you. HAM. Very like, Staid it long? HOR. While one with moderate hafte might tell a hundred. HAM. His beard was grifl'd?-no. HOR. It was, as I have seen it in his life, A fable filver'd. HAM. I'll watch to-night; perchance 'twill walk again. HAM. If it affume my noble father's perfon, I'll fpeak to it, tho' hell itself should gape, I'll vifit you. SHAKESPEAR. CAS. CHA P. XIV. BRUTUS AND CASSIUS. WILL ILL you go fee the order of the course CAS. I pray you, do. BRU. I am not gamesome; I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony; Let me not hinder, Caffius, your defires; CAS. Brutus, I do observe you now of late; I have not from your eyes that gentleness And fhow of love as I was wont to have; You bear too ftubborn and too strange a hand BRU. Caffius, Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Of late with paffions of fome difference, Which give fome foil perhaps to my behaviour; Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, CAS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your paffion; By means whereof, this breaft of mine hath buried Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Tell me, good Brutus, can you fee your face? And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you have no fuch mirror as will turn That you might fee your fhadow. I have heard, Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes. BRU. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cafus, That That you would have me feek into myself For that which is not in me? CAS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear; So well as by reflection, I, your glass, That of yourself which yet you know not of. To all the rout; then hold me dangerous. BRU. What means this fhouting? I do fear the people Chufe Cæfar for their king. CAS. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it fo. BRU. I would not, Caffius; yet i love him well. But wherefore do you hold me here so long? What is it that you would impart to me? Set Honour in one eye, and Death i' th' other, For let the gods fo fpeed me, as I love The name of Honour more than I fear Death.. CAS. know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, I had as lief not be, as live to be In awe of fuch a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæfar; fo were you; We both have fed as well; and we can both The troubled Tyber chafing with his shores, And bid him follow; fo indeed he did. I, as Æneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchifes bear; fo from the waves of Tyber Did I the tired Cæfar: and this man Is now become a god; and Caffius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, And when ́fit was on him, I did mark How he did thake. 'Tis true, this god did shake; As As a fick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me, A man of fuch a feeble temper should So get the start of the majestic world, BRU. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar. CAS. Why man, he doth beftride the narrow world Walk under his huge legs, and peep about Men at fometimes are mafters of their fates: Brutus-and Cæfar-what fhould be in that Cæfar? Oh! you and I have heard our fathers fay, There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd Th' eternal devil to keep his ftate in Rome As eafily as a king. R 3 BRU. |