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The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins

Remorse from power: And, to speak truth of Cæsar, I have not known when his affections sway'd

More than his reason.

But 't is a common proof,
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face:
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend: So Cæsar may;

Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no colour for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these, and these extremities:
And therefore think him as a serpent's egg,

Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous;
And kill him in the shell.

BRUTUS OBJECTS TO ANTONY'S BEING PUT TO DEATH WITH CESAR.

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? Cas. Decius, well urged :—I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well beloved of Cæsar,

Should outlive Cæsar: We shall find of him
A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means,
If he improves them, may well stretch so far,
As to annoy us all which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cæsar fall together.

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs ;
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards:

For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar.

Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
O that we then could come by Cæsar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully ;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,

In his own charge, 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.

Pin. I do not doubt,

But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted.-A word, Lucilius:
How he received you, let me be resolv'd.

Luc. 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.

Bru. Thou hast describ'd

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.

BRUTUS'S REASONS FOR AN IMMEDIATE MARCH TO
PHILIPPI.

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

Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru. Your reason?

Cas. 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.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.

The people, 'twixt Philippi and this ground,

Do stand but in a forc'd affection;

For they have grudg'd us contribution :
The enemy, marching along by them,
By them shall make a fuller number up,
Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encourag'd;
From which advantage shall we cut him off,

ANTONY, INTRODUCED TO THE CONSPIRATORS, SEES THE
DEAD BODY OF CESAR.

Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeased
The multitude, beside themselves with fear;
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand :
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.
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, Cæsar, O, 't is true:
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?
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 heart;
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, stricken by many princes,
Dost thou here lie!

BRUTUS DESCRIBES DECAYING FRIENDSHIP.

Bru. What now, Lucilius? is Cassius near? Luc. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come To do you salutation from his master.

[Pindarus gives a letter to Brutus. Bru. He greets me well.-Your master, Pindarus,

In his own charge, 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.

Pin. I do not doubt,

But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.
Bru. He is not doubted.-A word, Lucilius :
How he received you, let me be resolv❜d.

Luc. 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.

Bru. Thou hast describ'd

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.

BRUTUS'S REASONS FOR AN IMMEDIATE MARCH TO
PHILIPPI.

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

Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru. Your reason?

Cas. 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.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.

The people, 'twixt Philippi and this ground,
Do stand but in a forc'd affection;

For they have grudg'd us contribution:
The enemy, marching along by them,
By them shall make a fuller number up,
Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encourag'd;
From which advantage shall we cut him off,

If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.

Cas. Hear me, good brother.

Bru. 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.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

CLEOPATRA EXPRESSES TO CHARMIAN HER PASSION FOR

Cleo. O Charmian,

ANTONY.

Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?

O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!

Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou mov'st? The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm

And burgonet of men.-He's speaking now,

Or murmuring, "Where's my serpent of old Nile?"
For so he calls me; Now I feed myself

With most delicious poison :-Think on me,
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Cæsar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
Would stand, and make his eyes grow in my brow;
There would he anchor his aspect, and die
With his looking on his life.

ALARUM AFAR OFF, AS AT A SEA-FIGHT.

Antony. All is lost;

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me:

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