Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? 225
Casca. Why, for that too.[2924]
Bru. Was the crown offered him thrice?[2925]
Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every
time gentler than other; and at every putting by mine
honest neighbours shouted. 230
Cas. Who offered him the crown?
Casca. Why, Antony.
Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.
Casca. I can as well be hang'd as tell the manner of it:
it was mere foolery; I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony[2926] 235
offer him a crown: yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one
of these coronets: and, as I told you, he put it by once:
but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it.
Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again:
but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. 240
And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third
time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted[2927]
and clapped their chopped hands and threw up their sweaty[2928]
night-caps and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because
Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked 245
Cæsar; for he swounded and fell down at it: and for mine[2929]
own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips and
receiving the bad air.
Cas. But, soft, I pray you: what, did Cæsar swound?[2930]
Casca. He fell down in the market-place and foamed at 250
mouth and was speechless.