CASSIUS.
Who's there?

CASCA.
A Roman.

CASSIUS.
Casca, by your Voice.

CASCA.
Your Ear is good. The Air is strangely chang'd!

CASSIUS.
A very harmless Air to honest Men.

CASCA.
Who ever knew the Heavens threaten so?

CASSIUS.
Who ever knew the Earth so full of Faults?
For my part, I'll walk still about the Streets,
Submitting to the Dangers of the Storm;
Unbutton'd thus, and careless, as you see,
Will bare my Bosom to the Thunderbolt,
Just as the fiery Flash begins to dart.

CASCA.
But wherefore would you so much tempt the Gods?
Sure, 'tis our part rather to fear, and tremble,
When they, for Causes to poor Men unknown,
Send dreadful Heraulds to denounce a War.

CASSIUS.
You are dull, Casca, and those Sparks of Fire
That should inflame a Roman Breast, you want,
Or else dissemble: You look pale, and gaze,
And put on Fear, and lose your self in Wonder,

To see this strange Disorder in the Heavens:
Think on the Earth, good Casca; think on Rome;
If fiery Meteors, and Fool-frighting Ghosts,
If monstrous Births, and strange portentous things,
As you believe, break Nature's settled Course;
'Tis to accompany this monstrous State.
I could now, Casca, name to thee a Man
Most like this dreadful Night, which Thunders, Lightens,
Tears open Graves, and keeps us all in Terror:
A Man no mightier than thy self, or me,
In real Might, in Worth; yet grown a Giant;
And every Roman else seems but a Pigmy.

CASCA.
It is not hard to guess the Man you mean.

CASSIUS.
No matter for his Name; for Romans now
Have Limbs, and Sinews, like their Ancestors;
But where the Minds of all our famous Fathers?

Dead, dead with them! we have our Mother's Spirits;
'Tis Womanish to see, and suffer this.

CASCA.
Indeed, they say, the Senators to morrow
Mean to establish Cæsar for their King;
And he shall wear his Crown by Sea, and Land,
In every Place, but here in Italy.

CASSIUS.
I know where I shall wear this Dagger then.
Cassius from Bondage will deliver Cassius.
Herein the poor are rich, the weak most strong;
By this, the wretched mock at base Oppression;
The meanest are victorious o'er the mighty.
Not Tow'rs of Stone, nor Walls of harden'd Brass,
Nor airless Dungeons, the poor Strength of Tyrants,
Not all their strongest Guards, nor heaviest Chains,
Can in the least controul the mighty Spirit.
For, noble Life, when weary of it self,
Has always Power to shake it off, at pleasure.

Since I know this, know all the World besides,
That part of Tyranny prepar'd for me,
I can and will defy.

CASCA.
And so can I.
Thus ev'ry Bondman in his own Hand bears
The Pow'r to cancel his Captivity.

CASSIUS.
And why should Cæsar be a Tyrant then?
Poor Man! I know he would not be a Wolf,
But that he sees the Romans are but Sheep:
He were no Lion, if we were not Lambs.
But oh, disorder'd Grief, where hast thou led me!
I speak, perhaps, before a willing Bondman,
One whom tame Fools miscall a mod'rate Man;
That is, a mean Complyer with the Times.
But I am arm'd within against all Danger.

CASCA.
Cassius, you speak to Casca, to a Man

Whose Thoughts have all this while out-gone your Words;
Here take my Hand, and make what use of it
The Times and our Necessities require;
I am resolv'd.

CASSIUS.
Then, there's a Bargain made.
Now know, good Casca, I have mov'd already
Some of the boldest noblest-minded Romans
To undertake with me an Enterprize
Of honourable, dang'rous Consequence.
They now all stay for me in Pompey's Porch,
(And such a Night as this requires a Shelter)
A Night, that's like the noble Work in hand,
All black, and terrible! but soft; stand close. Enter Trebonius.

CASCA.
Trebonius, now I know him by his Gait.

CASSIUS.
He is a Friend; pray hold, whither so fast?

TREBONIUS.
To look out you. Who's that, Metellus Cimber?

CASSIUS.
No, 'tis our Casca, one as bold, and honest;
Am I not stay'd for?

TREBONIUS.
What a Night is this!
There's two or three of us have seen strange Sights!

CASSIUS.
Well, let 'em see them. Tell me, am I staid for?

TREBONIUS.
You are.
O Cassius, if you could prevail with Brutus;
He, as a Band, would tye our Party strong.

CASCA.
Why is not Brutus one? I thought him sure.

CASSIUS.
Be you content. Trebonius, take this Scrole,
And look you lay it in the ready way,
Where Brutus needs must find it; then, throw this
In at his Window; set this up with Wax
Upon old Brutus's Statue: all this done,
Repair to Pompey's Porch, where you shall find us.
Is Decius Brutus, and Marullus there?

TREBONIUS.
All, all are there, except Metellus Cimber;
And he is gone to seek you at your House.

CASSIUS.
Away then; lose no time: Come, my good Casca,
We will go visit Brutus yet e're Day:
Three Parts of that good Man are ours already,
And, on the next Assault, he yields entire.

CASCA.
Oh, he sits high in all the People's Hearts.

CASSIUS.
So, that which would appear Offence in us,

His Countenance, like the great Art of Chymists,
Will change to Virtue, and to noble Deeds.

CASCA.
Him and his Worth, and our great need of him,
You have consider'd well. Come let's make haste.

CASSIUS.
The Sun that sees him next, shall find him ours. Exeunt.

Instead of the Musick usually play'd between the Acts, the following Verses are, after this Act, to be sung by a Chorus representing the Roman People. First CHORUS.

I.
  Whither is Roman Honour gone?
    Where is our ancient Virtue now?
  That Valour, which so bright has shone,
  And with the Wings of Conquest flown,
    Must to a haughty Master bow:
Who, with our Toil, our Blood, and all we have beside,
Gorges his ill-got Pow'r, his Humour, and his Pride.

II.
  Fearless he will his Life expose;
    So does a Lion, or a Bear;
  His very Virtues threaten those,
    Who more his bold Ambition fear.
    How stupid Wretches we appear,
Who round the World for Wealth and Empire roam;
Yet never, never think what Slaves we are at home!

III.
  Did Men, for this, together join;
    Quitting the free wild Life of Nature?
  What other Beast did e're design
    The setting up his Fellow Creature?
    And of two Mischiefs chuse the greater?
Oh, rather than be Slaves to bold imperious Men,
Give us our Wildness, and our Woods, our Hutts, and Caves agen.

IV.
  There secure from lawless Sway,
  Out of Pride, or Envy's way;
  Living up to Nature's Rules,
  Not deprav'd by Knaves and Fools;
Happily we all should live, and harmless as our Sheep,
And at last as calmly die, as Infants fall asleep.

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