love, good thoughts, and reverence." To Cassius, all
that is mere rose-water humbug, and he knows it is so to
Antony too. He hastens to put in such motives as he knows will
have weight with Antony, as they also have with himself. And
it is remarkable that several of these patriots, especially
Cassius, the two Brutuses, and Trebonius, afterwards accepted
the governorship of fat provinces for which they had been
prospectively named by Caesar.]
[Page 93]
BRUTUS. Only be patient till we have appeas'd 180
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.
ANTONY. I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand: 185
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;
Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus;
Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours;
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius. 190
Gentlemen all,--alas, what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true: 195
If, then, thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse? 200
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart; 205
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand,
Sign'd in thy spoil and crimson'd in thy lethe.
O world, thou wast the forest to this hart;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.
How like a deer, strucken by many princes, 210
Dost thou here lie!
[Note 183: /struck/ | strooke F1 F2 | strook F3 F4.]
[Note 184: /wisdom/ F3 F4 | Wisedome F1 F2.]
[Note 205: /hart/ F1 | Heart F2 F3 F4.]
[Note 207: /lethe/ | Lethe F2 F3 F4 | Lethee F1 | death Pope.]
[Note 209: /heart/ Theobald | hart Ff.]
[Note 210: /strucken/ Steevens | stroken F1 | stricken F2 F3
F4.]
[Note 181: "When Caesar was slain, the Senate--t
|