Tempt me no farther, Sir, you may repent it.
Tempt not you me with all your furious Looks:
I am above your Threats, and can look down
Both on your felf and them.
Were it not for the Cause we have in hand,
I would not bear this heap of Injurics.
I injure where is that unlucky Man
Who can with reafon make Complaint of me?
If any, I'll acknowledge it with Shame.
The Man who wrongs his meaneft Adversary,
Exalts his Enemy above himself.
And can you think that I could injure CASSIUS,
My Brother, and my Friend?
With greedy Ears, and foon believing them;
If misinterpreting whate'er I do,
And representing things in fouleft Colours,
Can be call'd wronging, who was c'er fo wrong'd!
If I have faid one Word that founds unkindly,
My Tongue has flipp'd, and quite deceiv'd my Heart,
That melts like Wax before your hottest Anger.
Behold my Tears for having fo much vex'd you.
What fays my BRUTUS? fpeak that Word again,
Am I not then fo full, fo full of Faults?
It was my Frailty to prefume fo much.
And mine to be fufpicious of my BRUTUS,
Too fharp Expreffions, tho' with kind intent?
So kind intent, I own the Obligation.
No Man but BRUTUS durft have spoke so boldly; No Man but BRUTUS would have spoke so kindly,
Oh CASSIUS, nothing but the tend'reft Friendship,
And when I thought it for the Publick Good,
Could have embolden'd me to cenfure you.
Embrace me close, and witness how my Heart
Leaps up transported with this fudden Change.
BRUTUS.
It was an eager Argument indeed,
But ends as it should do between fuch Friends,
Resenting nothing but their Country's Wrongs.
Methinks good Spirits hov'ring all around us,
Should to the World proclaim our happy Union,
Now, while our Enemies combine in Mischief.
Thus firmly join'd, we'll first be Conquerors,
Then make all Rome contented as ourselves.
SCENE IV.
Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.
Come in LUCILIUS, welcome good TITINIUS.
Let us confult of our Neceflities,
And manage well this last important Stake.
The State is thus at Rome: My Letter mentions
Full fifty Senators, with thousands more,
Newly profcrib'd; and CICERO is one.
CICERO One? that talking Friend of CESAR ?
OCTAVIUS has well paid him for his pains;
May ill Men ever ufe cach other fo.
Oh gently cenfure ev'n a Foe when dead.
See, CASSIUS, here the Curfe of Over-caution.
The wary Walker who miftrufts too much,
Treads not fo firm, but faintly, and fo ftumbles:
Thus TULLY fell, by too much fear of falling.
But ANTONY and young OCTAVIUS
'Are marching hither with a mighty Force: The useless LEPIDUS is left at Rome.
The question is, whether we had not best
Hafte on, with Anger bent against our Foes,
Rather than tamely wait their bold Affault.
I am for staying here: my Reason this.
So long a March muft weary out our Strength,
Which Reft will give us here. Let them come on,
And tir'd with Toil expose their bending Bodies
Under our lufty Arms, vig'rous and fresh :
Befides, in this we take the ftoutest part;
For, refolute expecting certain Danger
Shews the most fettled Courage; while the Coward Runs often fiercely on to fhun his Fear,
And swallow down in hafte the bitter Draught.
Some Reasons have a strange fallacious Force ;
Juft as the pleafing Colours us'd by Artists
Delude the very Sight. But in my Judgment,
It tires our Army more to tarry here.
Opinion is the Soul of every Action;
Keep but that up, that keeps up all the reft:
And 'tis maintain'd by marks of Refolution,
By rushing on the Foe, forcing to fight,
Not lingring here behind with slacken'd Vigour.
We must depend upon our Zeal and Cause,
And therefore in hot Blood shall do it beft.
If once we cool, their furer Discipline
Will foon prevail against our new-rais'd Force.
The Hearts of all our Soldiers now are set
On fierce encountring, all their Rage inflam'd;
There's nothing wanting but to draw their Swords,
And down goes Tyranny, to rife no more.
Can we fit ftill, and paufe with fuch a Thought?
|