Julius Caesar | Page 6

ferret and
such fiery eyes
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd
in conference by some senators.
CASSIUS.
Casca will tell us what the matter is.
CAESAR.
Antonius,--
ANTONY.
Caesar?
CAESAR.
Let me have men about me that are fat;
Sleek-headed
men, and such as sleep o' nights:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry
look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
ANTONY.
Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous;
He is a noble
Roman and well given.
CAESAR.
Would he were fatter! But I fear him not:
Yet, if my
name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So
soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
He is a great observer,
and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As
thou dost, Antony; he hears no music:
Seldom he smiles; and smiles
in such a sort
As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit
That
could be moved to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at
heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
And
therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be
fear'd
Than what I fear, for always I am Caesar.
Come on my right
hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Exeunt Caesar and his Train. Casca stays.]

CASCA.
You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?
BRUTUS.
Ay, Casca, tell us what hath chanced today,
That Caesar
looks so sad.
CASCA.
Why, you were with him, were you not?
BRUTUS.
I should not then ask Casca what had chanced.
CASCA.
Why, there was a crown offer'd him; and being offer'd him,

he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the
people fell
a-shouting.
BRUTUS.
What was the second noise for?
CASCA.
Why, for that too.
CASSIUS.
They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?
CASCA.
Why, for that too.
BRUTUS.
Was the crown offer'd him thrice?
CASCA.
Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler
than other; and at every putting-by mine honest neighbors
shouted.
CASSIUS.
Who offer'd him the crown?
CASCA.
Why, Antony.
BRUTUS.
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 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. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third
time by; and still, as he refused it, the rabblement shouted, and clapp'd
their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered
such a deal of stinking breath because Caesar refused the crown, that it
had almost choked Caesar, for he swooned and fell down at it: and for
mine own part, I durst not laugh for fear of opening my lips and
receiving the bad air.
CASSIUS.
But, soft! I pray you. What, did Caesar swoon?
CASCA.
He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and
was speechless.
BRUTUS.
'Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness.
CASSIUS.
No, Caesar hath it not; but you, and I,
And honest Casca,
we have the falling-sickness.
CASCA.
I know not what you mean by that; but I am sure Caesar fell
down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him and hiss him,
according
as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the
theatre, I am no true man.
BRUTUS.
What said he when he came unto himself?
CASCA.
Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common

herd was glad he refused the crown, he pluck'd me ope his
doublet,
and offered them his throat to cut: an I had been a man of any
occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go
to hell among the rogues:--and so he fell. When he came to himself
again, he said, if he had done or said any thing amiss, he desired their
worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches where I
stood cried, "Alas, good soul!" and forgave him with all their hearts.
But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Caesar had stabb'd their

mothers, they would have done no less.

BRUTUS.
And, after that he came, thus sad away?
CASCA.
Ay.
CASSIUS.
Did Cicero say any thing?
CASCA.
Ay, he spoke Greek.
CASSIUS.
To what effect?
CASCA.
Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face
again:
but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their
heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more
news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off