University of Virginia Library

SCENE VI.

Cæsar, seated: Antony, Brutus, Cassius, Cimber, Decimus, Casca, Cinna, Marcellus, advancing to their Seats.
CÆSAR.
Health to the Jealous for their Country's Freedom;
Cæsar's Distrusters, welcome!—Cimber! Decimus!
Marcellus! Casca! Cassius! Brutus!—All!
This Day, the Senate sits: quick, therefore, teach me
The previous Purpose of your offer'd Zeal.

BRUTUS.
Rome dreads to lose her Cæsar, in a King.

CÆSAR.
What wou'd you do with this fam'd Sybil's Prophesy?
How check the public Terror?—Must I march
With trembling Legions, unsustain'd at Heart,
And desperate, from Defect of, but a Name?
By Oracles fore-doom'd for Parthia's Fall?
Cassius, you smile.—The Great should judge the Great:
For, never mean Man's Thoughts out-stretch'd his Feeling:
Speak, Brutus—were your Choice your General's Leader,
What wou'd you wish him called?

BRUTUS.
Rome call'd him—Consul.

CÆSAR.
Rome did so—but, when superstitious Dread
Of hostile Arms has damp'd a Nation's Fire,
Changes, which tend to raise dejected Hope,
Are Wisdom.

BRUTUS.
Wisdom has its Fears.—

CÆSAR.
—Speak boldly:
Attentive, even from Foes, to borrow Benefit,
I court Suspicion's Gall, to aid my Judgment,
With all th' instructive Doubts of Men, who hate me.

BRUTUS.
No Foe has Cæsar—but his Crown has many.

ANTONY.
King, was a Title, aweful, anicent, sacred.

CIMBER.
(Rising.)
Plain Truth is a blunt Talker—never, rash Consul.
Never did Sylla, Marius, Pompey,—Never,
In all the Boldness of usurp'd Command,
Dare the shun'd Name—howe'er they grasp'd the Power:
Nor challenge kingly Style, in freeborn Rome.
But Liberty, perhaps, becomes too bold.

CÆSAR.
True Liberty is bold, without Presumption:
And, without Flattery, gentle.—Cassius, be heard.

CASSIUS.
(Raising.)
Cæsar has sworn, to guard our ancient Rights;
Sworn, to uphold one sole Supreme—the Law:
Cæsar unperjur'd, Rome can fear no King.

CÆSAR.
Malice, disguis'd in Counsel,—Keep it, Cassius:
Permitted Slander is a willing Tax,
That patient Power pays, to the Rights of Liberty.

DECIMUS.
(rising.)
Be Cæsar King—but, still, let Rome be free!

CÆSAR.
A plain Man's honest Prayer.—Brutus why dumb?

BRUTUS.
(rising mournfully.)
I must be dumb, if neutral:—but, compell'd
To speak, disdain to speak, unlike a Roman:
What helps it to Rome's Friends, if Rome wears Fetters,
That Foes, in Asia, join, to drag her Chain?
Leave Parthea safely fierce:—Dangers remote
Touch but our Fears—Domestick Ones are felt.

CÆSAR.
Brutus! Thou err'st, undreaming it.—Thou, Cassius,
Art, knowingly, an unmisled Misleader:
Thy Passions fram'd the Pile:—good Decimus,
Marcellus, Cimber, and such live Materials,
Buttress thy factious Building:—'Tis in vain,
To reason with the Partial: Men, who call
Their own corrected Pride, the public Danger;
Else, I wou'd say, to Minds, that could reflect,
Be Freemen among Freemen.—hard Controul
Breaks a wrong'd People's Spirits, into Slaves,
Or, spur's 'em into Rebell's.—'Tis dishonest:
What Right have we to Freedom, not alike
The Property, ev'n of the poorest Roman?

BRUTUS.
When fed the lab'ring Ox, abreast the Lion?

CÆSAR.
How venal is all Rome!—Her every Senator
Sold, to his Passion's Biddings.—Brutus is sold
To Pride,—to avarice, some:—These Envy draw;
Those Fear;—in Others, hopes of promis'd Power
Warp the Dependent Will, to crooked Reasonings;
Loose, as the Bribes, that bought 'em.

CASSIUS.
—Voices, Cæsar!
Are, sometimes, sold—where Hands retain their Liberty.

CÆSAR.
True—Angry Cassius!—But, the Head, misguiding,
Hands will mistake the Mark, and wound Themselves.
How soon have you forgot Pharsalia's Field?

CASSIUS.
Fortune decided, there:—At Rome, 'tis Law,

CÆSAR.
Fortune decided strangely Caius Cassius!
If I, by having conquer'd, must obey,
And you, from being beaten, claim Command!

ANTONY.
(rising with Emotion.)
After such fierce, unveil'd, presumtuous Menace,
Rome must forget, forever, to obey,
Or Cæsar, once, to pardon.

CÆSAR.
(to Cassius.)
—Cassius, it grieves me,
That Thou compell'st a Sentence, too severe,
(rises)
Since Mercy serves but to excite Offence,
And Bounty spurs Ingratitude—be—safe:—
Sunk, to the Shelter of a wrong'd Man's Pity,
Too feeble to provoke.—Escape Revenge.

(comes forward)
BRUTUS
(holding him.)
Call it no Crime, to apprehend Distress!
If Liberty offends, and Truth grows Treason,
Thank Heaven, the most dejected Slave, on Earth,
Holds Priviledge to die.—But Cæsar frowns!
Note it, attentive Gods! and wake, for Freedom!
Imperial Cæsar frowns!—Rome's Master frowns—
That Opposition speaks uncourtly Truth.

(turning to go.)
CÆSAR.
No more.—The Rest, when in full Senate, met:—
Till then, farewell.—
[Exeunt Senators.
—Stay Consul,—Brutus—stay.