Cas. Those that have known the earth so full of faults. 45
For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,
Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone;
And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open 50
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
Casca. But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble
When the most mighty gods by tokens send 55
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
Cas. You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life[2969]
That should be in a Roman you do want,[2969][2970]
Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze[2969]
And put on fear and cast yourself in wonder,[2969][2971] 60
To see the strange impatience of the heavens:
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,[2972]
Why old men fool and children calculate,[2973] 65
Why all these things change, from their ordinance,
Their natures and preformed faculties,
To monstrous quality, why, you shall find
That heaven hath infused them with these spirits[2974]
To make them instruments of fear and warning 70
Unto some monstrous state.[2975]
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man[2975][2976]
Most like this dreadful night,[2975]
That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars[2977]
As doth the lion in the Capitol,[2978] 75
A man no mightier than thyself or me
In personal action, yet prodigious grown
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.[2979]
Casca. 'Tis Cæsar that you mean; is it not, Cassius?[2980]
Cas. Let it be who it is: for Romans now 80
Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors;[2981]
But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead
And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;
Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.
Casca. Indeed they say the senators to-morrow[2982] 85
Mean to establish Cæsar as a king;
And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,
In every place save here in Italy.
Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger then:[2983]
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius. 90
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit; 95
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny that I do bear
I can shake off at pleasure. [Thunder still.
Casca. So can I:[2984] 100
So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.
Cas. 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: 105
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws: what trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate 110
So vile a thing as Cæsar! But, O grief,
Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this
Before a willing bondman; then I know
My answer must be made. But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent. 115
Casca. You speak to Casca, and to such a man
That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand:[2985]
Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
And I will set this foot of mine as far
As who goes farthest.