University of Virginia Library

SC. 5.

Enter Cassius, Brutus, Trebonius, Cumber Casca.
Tre.
Braue Lords whose forward resolution,
Shewes you descended from true Romaine line,
See how old Rome in winter of her age,
Reioyseth in such Princely budding hopes,
No lesse then once she in Decius vertue did,
Or great Camillus bringing back of spoyles.
On then braue Lords of this attempt begun,
The sacred Senate doth commend the deede:
Your Countries loue incites you to the deed,
Vertue her selfe makes warrant of the deed,
Then Noble Romains as you haue begun:
Neuer desist vntill this deede be done.

Casi.
To thee Reueng doth Cassius kneele him downe.
Thou that brings quiet to perplexed soules,
And borne in Hel, yet harborest heauens ioyes,
Whose sauor slaughter is, and dandling death,
Bloud-thirsty pleasures and misboding blisses
Brought forth of Fury, nurse of cankered Hate,
To drowne in woe the pleasures of the world.
Thou shalt no more in duskish Erebus:
And dark-some hell obscure thy Deity,
Insteede of Ioue thou shalt my Godesse bee,
To thee faire Temples Cassius will erect:
And on thine alter built of Parian stone
Whole Hecatombs will I offer vp.
Laugh gentle Godesse on my bould attempt,
Yet in thy laughter let pale meager death:
Bee wrapt in wrinkels of thy murthering spoyles.

Bru.
An other Tarquin is to bee expeld,
An other Brutus liues to act the deede:
Tis not one nation that this Tarquin wronges,
All Rome is stayn'd with his vnrul'd desires,
Shee whose imperiall scepter was invr'd:
To conquer Kings and to controul the world,
Cannot abate the glory of her state,
To yeeld or bowe to one mans proud desires:
Sweete Country Rome here Brutus vowes to thee,
To loose his life or else to set thee free.

Cas.
Shame bee his share that doth his life so prize,
That to Romes weale it would not sacrifize,
My Poniardes point shall pearce his heart as deepe,
As earst his sworde Romes bleeding side did goare:
And change his garments to the purple die,
With which our bloud had staynd sad Thessaly.

Cam.
Hee doth refuse the title of a King,
But wee do see hee doth vsurp the thing.

Tre.
Our ancient freedome hee empeacheth more,
Then euer King or Tyrant did before.

Cas.
The Senators by him are quite disgrac'd,
Rome, Romans, Citty, Freedome, all defac'd.

Cassi.
We come not Lords, as vnresolued men,
For to shewe causes of the deed decreed,
This shall dispute for mee and tell him why,
This heart, hand, minde, hath mark'd him out to die:
If it be true that furies quench-les thirst,
Is pleas'd with quaffing of ambitious bloud,
Then all you deuills whet my Poniards point,
And I wil broach you a bloud-sucking heart:
Which full of bloud, must bloud store to you yeeld,
Were it a peerce to flint or marble stone:
Why so it is for Cæsars heart's a stone,
Els would bee mooued with my Countries mone.
They say you furies instigate mens mindes,
And push their armes to finnish bloudy deedes:
Prick then mine Elbo: goade my bloudy hand,
That it may goare Cæsars ambitious heart.

Exeunt.