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Are then in council, and the state of man, `
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Like to a little kingdom, suffers then `
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The nature of an insurrection. `
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Re-enter Lucius. `
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LUCIUS. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, `
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Who doth desire to see you. `
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BRUTUS. Is he alone? `
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LUCIUS. No, sir, there are more with him. `
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BRUTUS. Do you know them? `
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LUCIUS. No, sir, their hats are pluck'd about their ears, `
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And half their faces buried in their cloaks, `
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That by no means I may discover them `
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By any mark of favor. `
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BRUTUS. Let 'em enter. Exit Lucius. `
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They are the faction. O Conspiracy, `
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Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, `
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When evils are most free? O, then, by day `
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Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough `
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To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, Conspiracy; `
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Hide it in smiles and affability; `
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For if thou path, thy native semblance on, `
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Not Erebus itself were dim enough `
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To hide thee from prevention. `
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Enter the conspirators, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, `
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Metellus Cimber, and Trebonius. `
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CASSIUS. I think we are too bold upon your rest. `
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Good morrow, Brutus, do we trouble you? `
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BRUTUS. I have been up this hour, awake all night. `
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Know I these men that come along with you? `
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CASSIUS. Yes, every man of them, and no man here `
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But honors you, and every one doth wish `
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You had but that opinion of yourself `
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Which every noble Roman bears of you. `
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This is Trebonius. `
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BRUTUS. He is welcome hither. `
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CASSIUS. This, Decius Brutus. `
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BRUTUS. He is welcome too. `
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CASSIUS. This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber. `
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BRUTUS. They are all welcome. `
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What watchful cares do interpose themselves `
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Betwixt your eyes and night? `
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CASSIUS. Shall I entreat a word? They whisper. `
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DECIUS. Here lies the east. Doth not the day break here? `
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CASCA. No. `
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CINNA. O, pardon, sir, it doth, and yongrey lines `
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That fret the clouds are messengers of day. `
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CASCA. You shall confess that you are both deceived. `
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Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises, `
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Which is a great way growing on the south, `
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Weighing the youthful season of the year. `
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Some two months hence up higher toward the north `
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He first presents his fire, and the high east `
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Stands as the Capitol, directly here. `
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BRUTUS. Give me your hands all over, one by one. `
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CASSIUS. And let us swear our resolution. `
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BRUTUS. No, not an oath. If not the face of men, `
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The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse- `
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If these be motives weak, break off betimes, `
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And every man hence to his idle bed; `
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So let high-sighted tyranny range on `
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Till each man drop by lottery. But if these, `
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As I am sure they do, bear fire enough `
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To kindle cowards and to steel with valor `
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The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen, `
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What need we any spur but our own cause `
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To prick us to redress? What other bond `
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Than secret Romans that have spoke the word `
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And will not palter? And what other oath `
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Than honesty to honesty engaged `
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That this shall be or we will fall for it? `
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Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous, `
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Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls `
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That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear `
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Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain `
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The even virtue of our enterprise, `
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Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits, `
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To think that or our cause or our performance `
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Did need an oath; when every drop of blood `
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That every Roman bears, and nobly bears, `
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Is guilty of a several bastardy `
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If he do break the smallest particle `
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Of any promise that hath pass'd from him. `
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CASSIUS. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him? `
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I think he will stand very strong with us. `
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CASCA. Let us not leave him out. `
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CINNA. No, by no means. `
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METELLUS. O, let us have him, for his silver hairs `
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Will purchase us a good opinion, `
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And buy men's voices to commend our deeds. `
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It shall be said his judgement ruled our hands; `
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Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear, `
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But all be buried in his gravity. `
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BRUTUS. O, name him not; let us not break with him, `
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For he will never follow anything `
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That other men begin. `
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CASSIUS. Then leave him out. `
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CASCA. Indeed he is not fit. `
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DECIUS. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Caesar? `
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CASSIUS. Decius, well urged. I think it is not meet `
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Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar, `
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Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him `
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A shrewd contriver; and you know his means, `
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If he improve them, may well stretch so far `
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As to annoy us all, which to prevent, `
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Let Antony and Caesar fall together. `
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BRUTUS. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, `
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To cut the head off and then hack the limbs `
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Like wrath in death and envy afterwards; `
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For Antony is but a limb of Caesar. `
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Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. `
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We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar, `
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And in the spirit of men there is no blood. `
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O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit, `
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And not dismember Caesar! But, alas, `
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Caesar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends, `
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Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; `
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Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, `
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Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds; `
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And let our hearts, as subtle masters do, `
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Stir up their servants to an act of rage `
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And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make `
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Our purpose necessary and not envious, `
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Which so appearing to the common eyes, `
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We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers. `
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And for Mark Antony, think not of him, `
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For he can do no more than Caesar's arm `
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When Caesar's head is off. `
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CASSIUS. Yet I fear him, `
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For in the ingrated love he bears to Caesar- `
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BRUTUS. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him. `
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If he love Caesar, all that he can do `
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Is to himself, take thought and die for Caesar. `
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And that were much he should, for he is given `
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To sports, to wildness, and much company. `
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TREBONIUS. There is no fear in him-let him not die, `
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For he will live and laugh at this hereafter. `
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Clock strikes. `
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BRUTUS. Peace, count the clock. `
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CASSIUS. The clock hath stricken three. `
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TREBONIUS. 'Tis time to part. `
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CASSIUS. But it is doubtful yet `
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Whether Caesar will come forth today or no, `
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For he is superstitious grown of late, `
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Quite from the main opinion he held once `
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Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies. `
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It may be these apparent prodigies, `
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The unaccustom'd terror of this night, `
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And the persuasion of his augurers `
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May hold him from the Capitol today. `
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DECIUS. Never fear that. If he be so resolved, `
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I can o'ersway him, for he loves to hear `
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That unicorns may be betray'd with trees, `
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And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, `
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Lions with toils, and men with flatterers; `
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But when I tell him he hates flatterers, `
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He says he does, being then most flattered. `
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Let me work; `
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For I can give his humor the true bent, `
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And I will bring him to the Capitol. `
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CASSIUS. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. `
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BRUTUS. By the eighth hour. Is that the utter most? `
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CINNA. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then. `
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METELLUS. Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard, `
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Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey. `
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I wonder none of you have thought of him. `
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BRUTUS. Now, good Metellus, go along by him. `
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He loves me well, and I have given him reasons; `
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Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him. `
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CASSIUS. The morning comes upon 's. We'll leave you, Brutus, `
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And, friends, disperse yourselves, but all remember `
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What you have said and show yourselves true Romans. `
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BRUTUS. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; `
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Let not our looks put on our purposes, `
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But bear it as our Roman actors do, `
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With untired spirits and formal constancy. `
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And so, good morrow to you every one. `
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Exeunt all but Brutus. `
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Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep? It is no matter. `
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Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber; `
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Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies, `
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Which busy care draws in the brains of men; `
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Therefore thou sleep'st so sound. `
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Enter Portia. `
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PORTIA. Brutus, my lord! `
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BRUTUS. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now? `
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It is not for your health thus to commit `
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Your weak condition to the raw cold morning. `
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PORTIA. Nor for yours neither. have ungently, Brutus, `
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Stole from my bed; and yesternight at supper `
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You suddenly arose and walk'd about, `
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Musing and sighing, with your arms across; `
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And when I ask'd you what the matter was, `
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You stared upon me with ungentle looks. `
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I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head, `
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And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot. `
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