The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare (book suggestions TXT) 📖

conspirator.

CINNA. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

FOURTH CITIZEN. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

CINNA. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

FOURTH CITIZEN. It is no matter, his name’s Cinna. Pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

THIRD CITIZEN. Tear him, tear him! Come, brands, ho, firebrands. To Brutus’, to Cassius’; burn all. Some to Decius’ house, and some to Casca’s, some to Ligarius’. Away, go! Exeunt.

 

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ACT IV. SCENE I.

A house in Rome. Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table.

 

ANTONY. These many then shall die, their names are prick’d.

OCTAVIUS. Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus?

LEPIDUS. I do consent—

OCTAVIUS. Prick him down, Antony.

LEPIDUS. Upon condition Publius shall not live, Who is your sister’s son, Mark Antony.

ANTONY. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar’s house, Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine How to cut off some charge in legacies.

LEPIDUS. What, shall I find you here?

OCTAVIUS. Or here, or at the Capitol. Exit Lepidus.

ANTONY. This is a slight unmeritable man, Meet to be sent on errands. Is it fit, The threefold world divided, he should stand One of the three to share it?

OCTAVIUS. So you thought him,

And took his voice who should be prick’d to die In our black sentence and proscription.

ANTONY. Octavius, I have seen more days than you, And though we lay these honors on this man To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads, He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold, To groan and sweat under the business, Either led or driven, as we point the way; And having brought our treasure where we will, Then take we down his load and turn him off, Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears And graze in commons.

OCTAVIUS. You may do your will,

But he’s a tried and valiant soldier.

ANTONY. So is my horse, Octavius, and for that I do appoint him store of provender.

It is a creature that I teach to fight, To wind, to stop, to run directly on, His corporal motion govern’d by my spirit.

And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so: He must be taught, and train’d, and bid go forth; A barren-spirited fellow, one that feeds On objects, arts, and imitations,

Which, out of use and staled by other men, Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him But as a property. And now, Octavius, Listen great things. Brutus and Cassius Are levying powers; we must straight make head; Therefore let our alliance be combined, Our best friends made, our means stretch’d; And let us presently go sit in council, How covert matters may be best disclosed, And open perils surest answered.

OCTAVIUS. 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 mischiefs. Exeunt.

 

SCENE II.

Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus’ tent. Drum.

 

Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Lucius, and Soldiers; Titinius and Pindarus meet them.

 

BRUTUS. Stand, ho!

LUCILIUS. Give the word, ho, and stand.

BRUTUS. What now, Lucilius, is Cassius near?

LUCILIUS. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come To do you salutation from his master.

BRUTUS. 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.

PINDARUS. I do not doubt

But that my noble master will appear

Such as he is, full of regard and honor.

BRUTUS. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius, How he received you. Let me be resolved.

LUCILIUS. 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.

BRUTUS. Thou hast described

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?

LUCILIUS. They meant his night in Sard is to be quarter’d; The greater part, the horse in general, Are come with Cassius. Low march within.

BRUTUS. Hark, he is arrived.

March gently on to meet him.

 

Enter Cassius and his Powers.

 

CASSIUS. Stand, ho!

BRUTUS. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

FIRST SOLDIER. Stand!

SECOND SOLDIER. Stand!

THIRD SOLDIER. Stand!

CASSIUS. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

BRUTUS. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies?

And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

CASSIUS. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs, And when you do them-BRUTUS. 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; Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs, And I will give you audience.

CASSIUS. Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off A little from this ground.

BRUTUS. Lucilius, do you 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.

Brutus’ tent.

 

Enter Brutus and Cassius.

 

CASSIUS. 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.

BRUTUS. You wrong’d yourself to write in such a case.

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

BRUTUS. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself Are much condemn’d 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 honors 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 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 honors For so much trash as may be grasped 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 farther.

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 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 bouge?

Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humor? 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 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 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 answer’d Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous

To lock such 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; Check’d like a bondman; all his faults observed, Set in a notebook, learn’d and conn’d 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 than Pluto’s mine, richer than gold.

If that thou best 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 lovedst him better Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

BRUTUS. Sheathe your dagger.

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor.

O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb, That carries anger as the flint bears fire, Who, much enforced, 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-temper’d vexeth him?

BRUTUS. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper’d too.

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

BRUTUS. And my heart too.

CASSIUS. O Brutus!