There is no fellow in the firmament. The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks, That I was constant, Cimber should be banish'd, Cin. O Cæsar, Cæs. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus? Dec. Great Cæsar, Cæs. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? Casca. Speak, hands, for me. [CASCA stabs CAESAR in the Neck. CESAR catches hold of his Arm. He is then stabbed by several other Conspirators, and at last by MARCUS BRUTUS. CAS. Et tu, Brute ?-Then fall, Cæsar. [Dies. The Senators and People retire in confusion. Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement! Bru. People, and senators! be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still :-ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus." 7 apprehensive ;] i. e. intelligent, capable of apprehending. Unshak'd of motion :] i. e. Unshak'd by suit or solicitation. 9 Go to the pulpit, Brutus.] We have now taken leave of Casca. Shakspeare for once knew that he had a sufficient number of heroes on his hands, and was glad to lose an individual in the croud. It may be added, that the singularity of Casca's manners would have Dec. Bru. Where's Publius? And Cassius too. Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's Should chance Bru. Talk not of standing;-Publius, good cheer; There is no harm intended to your person, Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius. Cas. And leave us, Publius; lest that the people, Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief. Bru. Do so;-and let no man abide this deed, But we the doers. Re-enter TREBONIUS. Cas. Where's Antony? Tre. Fled to his house amaz'd: Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run, As it were doomsday. Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures:That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon. Cas. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death. Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit: So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridg'd His time of fearing death.-Stoop, Romans, stoop, And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: Then walk we forth, even to the market-place; appeared to little advantage amidst the succeeding varieties of tumult and war. STEEVENS. Nor to no Roman else:] This use of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to deny more strongly, is common to Chaucer, Spenser, and other of our ancient writers. Dr. Hickes observes, that in the Saxon, even four negatives are sometimes conjoined, and still preserve a negative signification. And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, Shall this our lofty scene be acted over, No worthier than the dust? Cas. So oft as that shall be, So often shall the knot of us be call'd Cas. Enter a Servant. Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's. Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel; Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down: And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say. Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest; Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving: Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him; Say, I fear'd Cæsar, honour'd him, and lov'd him. If Brutus will vouchsafe, that Antony May safely come to him, and be resolv'd How Cæsar hath deserv'd to lie in death, Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar dead So well as Brutus living; but will follow The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus, Thorough the hazards of this untrod state, 2 Stoop then, and wash.] To wash does not mean here to cleanse, but to wash over, as we say, washed with gold; for Cassius means that they should steep their hands in the blood of Cæsar. With all true faith. So says my master Antony. Tell him, so please him come unto this place, Serv. I'll fetch him presently. [Exit Servant. Bru. I know, that we shall have him well to friend. Cas. I wish, we may: but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose. Re-enter ANTONY. Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark Antony. Ant. O mighty Cæsar! Dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?-Fare thee well.I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank :3 If I myself, there is no hour so fit As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument Of half that worth, as those your swords, made rich With the most noble blood of all this world. I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, No place will please me so, no mean of death, age. Bru. O Antony! beg not your death of us. Though now we must appear bloody and cruel, 3 who else is rank:] Who else may be supposed to have vertopped his equals, and grown too high for the publick safety. As, by our hands, and this our present act, Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part, With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence. Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeas'd Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him, wisdom. Ant. Now, Decius Brutus, yours;-now yours, Metellus; Gentlemen all,-alas! what shall I say? My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That I did love thee, Cæsar, O, 'tis true: If then thy spirit look upon us now, Shall it not grieve thee, dearer than thy death, 4 Our arms, in strength of malice,] i.e. To you (says Brutus) our swords have leaden points: our arms, strong in the deed of malice they have just performed, and our hearts united like those of brothers in the action, are yet open to receive you with all possible regard. |