The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/33/04_03

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 15KB | 521 lines

Cassius    That you have wronged me doth appear in this:
    You have condemned 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.

Brutus    You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

Cassius    In such a time as this it is not meet
    That every nice offence should bear his comment.

Brutus    Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
    Are much condemned to have an itching palm,
    To sell and mart your offices for gold
    To undeservers.

Cassius                            I an itching palm!
    You know that you are Brutus that speaks this,
    Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Brutus    The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
    And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cassius    Chastisement!

Brutus    Remember March, the ides of March remember.
    Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
    What villain touched 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 graspd thus?
    I had rather be a dog and bay the moon,
    Than such a Roman.

Cassius                            Brutus, bait 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.

Brutus                                Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Cassius    I am.

Brutus    I say you are not.

Cassius    Urge me no more, I shall forget myself.
    Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

Brutus    Away, slight man!

Cassius    Is't possible?

Brutus                        Hear me, for I will speak.
    Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
    Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Cassius    O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?

Brutus    All this? Ay, more: fret till your proud heart break.
    Go show your slaves how choleric 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.

Cassius                                    Is it come to this?

Brutus    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.

Cassius    You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus.
    I said an elder soldier, not a better.
    Did I say "better"?

Brutus                                    If you did, I care not.

Cassius    When Caesar lived he durst not thus have moved me.

Brutus    Peace, peace! You durst not so have tempted him.

Cassius    I durst not?

Brutus    No.

Cassius    What, durst not tempt him?

Brutus                                For your life you durst not.

Cassius    Do not presume too much upon my love;
    I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Brutus    You have done that you should be sorry for.
    There is no terror, Cassius, in you threats;
    For I am armed 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 denied me-
    For I can raise no money by vile means.
    By heaven, I had rather 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 legions,
    Which you denied me: - was that done like Cassius?
    Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?
    When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous
    To lock some rascal counters from his friends,
    Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
    Dash him to pieces!

Cassius                                I denied you not.

Brutus    You did.

Cassius                    I did not. He was but a fool
    That brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart.
    A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
    But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Brutus    I do not, till you practise them on me.

Cassius    You love me not.

Brutus                            I do not like your faults.

Cassius    A friendly eye could never see such faults.

Brutus    A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
    As huge as high Olympus.

Cassius    Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
    Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
    For Cassius is aweary of the world;
    Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
    Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed,
    Set in a notebook, learned and conned 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 that Pluto's mine, richer than gold;
    If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth.
    I that denied thee gold will give my heart.
    Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know
    When thou didst hate him worst, thou loved'st him better
    Than ever thou loved'st Cassius.

Brutus                                        Sheathe your dagger.
    Be angry when you will, it shall have scope.
    Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
    O Cassius, you are yokd with a lamb
    That carries anger as the flint bears fire,
    Who, much enforcd, shows a hasty spark
    And straight is cold again.

Cassius                                    Hath Cassius lived
    To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
    When grief and blood ill-tempered vexeth him?

Brutus    When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.

Cassius    Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

Brutus    And my heart too.

Cassius                            O Brutus-

Brutus                                    What's the matter?

Cassius    Have you not love enough to bear with me
    When that rash humour which my mother gave me
    Makes me forgetful?

Brutus    Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth,
    When you are overearnest with your Brutus,
    He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

        Enter a POET, followed by LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, and LUCIUS.

Poet    Let me go in to see the generals.
    There is some grudge between 'em; 'tis not meet
    They be alone.

Lucilius                        You shall not come to them.

Poet    Nothing but death shall stay me.

Cassius    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'm sure, than ye.

Cassius    Ha, ha! How vilely doth this cynic rhyme!

Brutus    Get you hence, sirrah! Saucy fellow, hence!

Cassius    Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

Brutus    I'll know his humour when he knows his time.
    What should the wars do with these jigging fools?
    Companion, hence!

Cassius                            Away, away, be gone!
                                                    [Exit POET.
Brutus    Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
    Prepare to lodge their companies tonight.

Cassius    And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
    Immediately to us.
                                                [Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Brutus                                    Lucius, a bowl of wine.
                                                    [Exit LUCIUS.
Cassius    I did not think you could have been so angry.

Brutus    O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

Cassius    Of your philosophy you make no use,
    If you give place to accidental evils.

Brutus    No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.

Cassius    Ha! Portia?

Brutus    She is dead.

Cassius    How 'scaped I killing when I crossed you so?
    O insupportable and touching loss!
    Upon what sickness?

Brutus                                Impatient of my absence,
    And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
    Have made themselves so strong; for with her death
    That tidings came. With this she fell distract,
    And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire.

Cassius    And died so?

Brutus                        Even so.

Cassius                                    O ye immortal gods!

                  Re-enter LUCIUS, with wine and tapers.

Brutus    Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
    In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
                                                    [He drinks.
Cassius    My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
    Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
    I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
                                                    [He drinks.
                                                    [Exit LUCIUS.
Brutus    Come in, Titinius!

                     Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

                                Welcome, good Messala.
    Now sit we close about this taper here,
    And call in question our necessities.

Cassius    Portia, art thou gone?

Brutus                                No more, I pray you.
    Messala, I have here receivd letters
    That young Octavius and Mark Antony
    Come down upon us with a mighty power,
    Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Messala    Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.

Brutus    With what addition?

Messala    That by proscription and bills of outlawry
    Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus
    Have put to death a hundred senators.

Brutus    Therein our letters do not well agree;
    Mine speak of seventy senators that died
    By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cassius    Cicero one?

Messala                        Cicero is dead,
    And by that order of proscription.
    Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?

Brutus    No, Messala.

Messala    Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

Brutus    Nothing, Messala.

Messala                                That, methinks, is strange.

Brutus    Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?

Messala    No, my lord.

Brutus    Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.

Messala    Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell.
    For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

Brutus    Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala.
    With meditating that she must die once,
    I have the patience to endure it now.

Messala    Even so great men great losses should endure.

Cassius    I have as much of this in art as you,
    But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Brutus    Well, to our work alive. What do you think
    Of marching to Philippi presently?

Cassius    I do not think it good.

Brutus                                Your reason?

Cassius                                            This it is:
    'Tis better that the enemy seek us;
    So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
    Doing himself offence, whilst we, lying still,
    Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Brutus    Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
    The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
    Do stand in but a forced affection;
    For they have grudged us contribution.
    The enemy, marching along by them,
    By them shall make a fuller number up,
    Come on refreshed, new-added, and encouraged;
    From which advantage shall we cut him off,
    If at Philippi we do not face him there,
    These people at our back.

Cassius                                Hear me, good brother.

Brutus    Under your pardon. You must note beside
    That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
    Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe.
    The enemy increaseth every day;
    We, at the height, are ready to decline.
    There is a tide in the affairs of men
    Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;
    Omitted, all the voyage of their life
    Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
    On such a full sea are we now afloat,
    And we must take the current when it serves,
    Or lose our ventures.

Cassius                                No more. Good night.
    Early tomorrow will we rise and hence.

Brutus    Lucius!

                             Re-enter LUCIUS.

                    My gown.
                                                    [Exit LUCIUS.
                                    Farewell, good Messala.
    Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
    Good night, and good repose.

Cassius                                    O my dear brother,
    This was an ill beginning of the night;
    Never come such division 'tween our souls.
    Let it not, Brutus.

Brutus                            Everything is well.

Cassius    Good night, my lord.

Brutus                                Good night, good brother.

Titinius &
Messala    Good night, Lord Brutus.

Brutus                            Farewell, every one.
                                [Exeunt CASSIUS, TITINIUS, and MESSALA.

                     Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown.

    Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?

Lucius    Here in the tent.

Brutus                            What, thou speak'st drowsily?
    Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatched.
    Call Claudius and some other of my men;
    I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

Lucius    Varro and Claudius!

                        Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS.

Varro    Calls my lord?

Brutus    I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep.
    It may be I shall raise you by and by
    On business to my brother Cassius.

Varro    So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.

Brutus    I will not have it so. Lie down, good sirs;
    It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
                                                    [VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down.

    Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
    I put it in the pocket of my gown.

Lucius    I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

Brutus    Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
    Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile
    And touch the instrument a strain or two?

Lucius    Ay, my lord, an't please you.

Brutus                                            It does, my boy.
    I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

Lucius    It is my duty, sir.

Brutus    I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
    I know young bloods look for a time of rest.

Lucius    I have slept, my lord, already.

Brutus    It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
    I will not hold thee long. If I do live,
    I will be good to thee.
                                                    [LUCIUS plays and sings,
                                                    falling asleep as he does so.

    This is a sleepy tune. O murd'rous slumber,
    Layest thou thy leaden mace upon my boy
    That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
    I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee.
    If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
    I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
    Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down
    Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.

                        Enter the GHOST OF CAESAR.

    How ill this taper burns! Ha! Who comes here?
    I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
    That shapes this monstrous apparition.
    It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?
    Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
    That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare?
    Speak to me what thou art.

Ghost    Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Brutus                                    Why com'st thou?

Ghost    To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

Brutus    Well, then I shall see thee again?

Ghost    Ay, at Philippi.

Brutus    Why, I will see thee at Philippi then.
                                                    [Exit GHOST.
    Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:
    Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
    Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!
    Claudius!

Lucius    The strings, my lord, are false.

Brutus    He thinks he is still at his instrument.
    Lucius, awake!

Lucius    My lord?

Brutus    Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Lucius    My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

Brutus    Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see anything?

Lucius    Nothing, my lord.

Brutus    Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!
    [To VARRO ] Fellow thou, awake!

Varro    My lord?

Claudius    My lord?

Brutus    Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

Varro &
Claudius    Did we, my lord?

Brutus                            Ay; saw you anything?

Varro    No, my lord, I saw nothing.

Claudius                                        Nor I, my lord.

Brutus    Go and commend me to my brother Cassius.
    Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
    And we will follow.

Varro &
Claudius                            It shall be done, my lord.
                                                    [Exeunt.