CASSIUS. That you have wronged me, doth appear in

this:

You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letter, praying on his side,2
Because I knew the man, was slighted off.3
BRUTUS. You wronged yourself, to write in such a case.
CASSIUS. In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offense should bear his comment.
BRUTUS. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm,
To sell and mart your offices for gold

To undeservers.8

CASSIUS.

I an itching palm?

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
BRUTUS. The name of Cassius honors this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
CASSIUS. Chastisement!

BRUTUS. Remember March, the Ides of March re

member!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touched his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What! shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world,

But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honors
For so much trash as may be graspéd thus??
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,3
Than such a Roman!

CASSIUS.

Brutus, bay not me!4

I'll not endure it. You forget yourself,
To hedge me in;5 I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.6

BRUTUS.

CASSIUS. I am.

Go to; you are not, Cassius.

BRUTUS. I say you are not.

CASSIUS. Urge me no more: I shall forget myself. Have mind upon your health; tempt me no farther! BRUTUS. Away, slight man!3

CASSIUS. Is't possible?

BRUTUS.

Hear me, for I will speak.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler??
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

CASSIUS. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this?

moon.

7

your health, your safety, your Cassius retorts well-being.

4 bay not me. upon Brutus by using the same word he had used, but in a differ"Do not try to hold me at bay, as the dogs do a stag."

ent sense:

8 slight man. Explain the use of the adjective.

9 choler.

see Glossary.

Give a synonym, and

BRUTUS. All this? ay, more! Fret till your proud heart break;

Go, show your slaves how choleric you are,

And make your bondmen tremble! Must I budge? Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch Under your testy 2 humor? By the gods,

You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth,—yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish!

CASSIUS.

Is it come to this?
BRUTUS. You say, you are a better soldier:

Let it appear so; make your vaunting 3 true,

And it shall please me well. For mine own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

CASSIUS. YOU wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus.

I said, an elder soldier, not a better.

Did I say, better?

BRUTUS.

If you did, I care not.

CASSIUS. When Cæsar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.

BRUTUS. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted

him!

I

CASSIUS. Do not presume too much upon my love: may do that I shall be sorry for.

BRUTUS. You have done that you should be sorry

for.

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;

For I am armed so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you

For certain sums of gold, which you denied me; -
For I can raise no money by vile means:
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash 3
By any indirection. I did send

Το you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius? Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,

To lock such rascal 5 counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!

CASSIUS.

BRUTUS. You did.

CASSIUS.

I denied you not.

That brought my answer back. my heart;

1 I respect not; I do not heed, do not care for.

2 hard hands. Why "hard"? 3 vile trash, "filthy lucre." indirection, crooked means.

- he was but a fool

- Brutus hath rived

5 rascal, worthless, base.

6 counters, round pieces of metal of no value, used only in reckoning.

7 rived, rent, lacerated.

A friend should bear a friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
BRUTUS. I do not, till you practice them on me.
CASSIUS. You love me not.

BRUTUS.

I do not like your faults. CASSIUS. A friendly eye could never see such faults. BRUTUS. A flatterer's would not, though they do

appear

As huge as high Olympus.1

CASSIUS. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is aweary2 of the world;

Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learned, and conned by rote,
To cast into my teeth: Oh, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine,4 — richer than gold;
If that thou be'st5 a Roman, take it forth;
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:6
Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better

Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius!