University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE FIRST.

Cæsar, Anthony.
An.
Cæsar, yes, soon will Brutus come to thee
Within this very temple, where erewhile
Thou didst consent to hear and tolerate
His arrogant harangues. Ere long shalt thou
Hear him, since thus thou wilt, as man to man.

Cæ.
I hold myself for this to thee indebted;
'Twas not an easy undertaking now
To persuade Brutus to confer with me;
Nor had I dared to trust to any one
Except thyself an embassy like this.

An.
How much it grieves me, that to my entreaties
Inexorably deaf, thou dost persist
This Brutus to support! This is the first
Of all thy wishes, with which Anthony
Reluctantly complied. Yet in the guise
Of amity, and in thy name, I stoop'd
To supplicate him whom I know to be,
By certain proof, thy mortal enemy,
And whom as such I utterly abhor.

Cæ.
Many hate Cæsar; yet, one man alone
I deem a foe that's worthy of myself:
And he is Brutus.

An.
Thence, not Brutus only,
But Brutus first, the Cassii, and the Cimbri,
The Tullii, and so many more should die.

Cæ.
The more embitter'd, lofty, strong my foe,
So much more pleasure do I always take
In overcoming him; and oftentimes
More, than with arms, with pardon have I done this
To have recourse to reconciling words,
When I have power to arbitrate by force;
Persuade, convince, and captivate a heart
That swells with hate; to make that man my friend,
Whose very being I could crush to nought;
Ah, this against a worthy enemy,
This is the most illustrious revenge;
And it is mine.

An.
Let Cæsar learn to be
Great from himself alone; nature for this
Intended him: but how at once to make
Rome and himself secure, let him be taught
To-day by him who loves them both alike:
And above every man, that man am I.
I ne'er shall cease reminding thee, that if
Thou slay'st not Brutus, thou art herein check'd
More by thy vain and individual glory,
Than by thy real fondness for thy country;
And that thou manifestest little heed
For the security of both.

Cæ.
Would'st thou
Cæsar intimidate with base suspicion?

An.
If Cæsar will not for himself, for Rome
He might, and ought to tremble.

Cæ.
Cæsar ought
To die for glory, and for Rome; but never
To tremble for himself, never for her.
I in the camp the foes of Rome have conquer'd;
These were the only enemies of Cæsar.
'Mong those, who against her the sword unsheathed,
Was Brutus; I already, arms in hand,
Have, as a foe, o'ercome him, and e'en then
With the just sword of war I slew him not;
Now in the walls of Rome, oh heaven! unarm'd,
Shall I now cause him to be murder'd, I
With the insidious and guilty dagger,
Or with the unjust axe?—There is no cause,
That ever could to such an outrage goad me:
And even if I wish'd it; ... Ah! perhaps ...
I could not ... do it.—But yet finally,
To my so many triumphs, that o'er Brutus,
That also o'er the Parthians, are wanting:
The one shall be the instrument to the other.
I will make Brutus, at all risks, my friend.
At present more than every other object
The meditated vengeance for the death
Of murder'd Crassus, weighs upon my thoughts;
And in the enterprise, in which at once
The fame of Rome and Cæsar are involved,
Brutus may much assist me.

An.
Thy renown
Canst thou increase?

Cæ.
While there remains aught more
For me to do, I deem what I have done
A nothing: such my nature is.—'Gainst Parthia
An impulse irresistible impels me.
Shall Rome, while Cæsar lives, be ever conquer'd!
Ah! let him perish first a thousand times.
But while I fight in Asia, I ought not
To leave the city full of factious spirits,
And humours rankling and unreconciled;
Nor would I leave her full of blood and terror;
Though this may be the most effectual means
To render her submissive.—Brutus only
Can level all for me ...

An.
Then Anthony
Thou deem'st a thing of nought?

Cæ.
—Part of myself
Art thou in all my military projects:
Hence at my side still I wish thee to be
The terror of the Parthians. I propose
In other ways to avail myself of Brutus.

An.
I am prepared by every means to serve thee;
And this thou knowest. But thou art too blind
As respects Brutus.

Cæ.
He is far more blind
As respects me, perchance. But this, I hope,
Will be the day when I may undeceive him:
I'm forced to-day at least to make th'attempt.

An.
Behold him here.

Cæ.
Now leave me with him; soon
Hence will I come to thee.

An,
Ah, mayest thou
Completely extricate thyself from error;
And him in time, too, thoroughly detect.