THE TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CÆSAR ACT I SCENE I. Rome. A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain Commoners over the Stage. FLAV. Hence! home, you idle Creatures, get you home : Is this a holiday? what! know you not, Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou ? FIRST COM. Why, Sir, a carpenter. MAR. Where is thy leather apron and thy rule ? What dost thou with thy best apparel on ? You, Sir, what trade are you? SEC. COM. Truly, Sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as who would say, a cobbler. II MAR. But what trade art thou? answer me directly. SEC. COM. A trade, Sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, Sir, a mender of bad soles. MAR. What trade, thou Knave? thou naughty Knave, what trade? SEC. COM. Nay; I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, Sir, I can mend you. MAR. What mean'st thou by that? mend me, thou saucy Fellow! SEC. COM. Why, Sir, cobble you. FLAV. Thou art a cobbler, art thou ? 20 SEC. COM. Truly, Sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, Sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I re-cover ACT I Sc. I them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's-leather have gone upon my handiwork. FLAV. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets ? SEC. COM. Truly, Sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, Sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph. MAR. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome, 29 To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels ? You Blocks, you Stones, you Worse than senseless O you hard Hearts, you cruel Men of Rome, And do you now put on your best attire? And do you now strew flowers in his way Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, That needs must light on this ingratitude. Into the channel, till the lowest stream Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. 40 50 60 [Exeunt all the Commoners. See, whether their basest metal be not mov'd! They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. 1 i.e. Cneius Pompeius, who died at Munda, the occasion of Cæsar's triumph. * class. Go you down that way towards the Capitol; If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.1 You know it is the Feast of Lupercal. Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about, Will make him fly an ordinary pitch; 2 Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. 70 [exeunt. ACT I SCENE II. The Same. A Public Place. Flourish. Enter CÆSAR; ANTONY, for the Course; CAL- CAL. Here, my Lord. CES. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, When he doth run his Course. Antonius! CES. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, Shake off their sterile curse.4 Calpurnia! CASCA. Bid every noise be still. Peace yet again! 1 festal garlands; ceremonial adornments. 2 (falconers')=a middling height. • The God Lupercus stood for fertility in women. His priests, then, the Luperci, 'coursed' the City; and their touch, as they went, gave increase to the barren womb on which 'twas laid. 4 i.e. curse of barrenness. ACT I CES. Who is it in the press that calls on me? What man is that? BRU. A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March. 20 CASS. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Cæsar. SooTH. Beware the Ides of March. CES. He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass. [Sennet. Exeunt all but BRUTUS and CASSIUS. CASS. Will you go see the order of the Course ? Cass. I pray you, do. BRU. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; Cass. Brutus, I do observe you now of late : Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, CASS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; 30 40 50 1 i.c. the fifteenth of the month. 2 = blemish. BRU. No, Cassius; for the eye sees not himself And it is very much lamented, Brutus, Where many of the best respect in Rome That you would have me seek into myself Cass. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. 60 70 [Flourish, and shout. Ay; do you fear it? 80 Then must I think you would not have it so. Set Honour in one eye, and Death i' the other, And I will look on Death indifferently; For, let the Gods so speed me as I love The name of Honour more than I fear Death. 1 image. 2 suspicious of. 3 abuse. 4 i.e. in terms of friendship. ACT I |