LUCILLIUS

With courtesy and with respect enough,

But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,

As he hath used of old.

BRUTUS Thou hast described

A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucillius:

When love begins to sicken and decay

It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;

But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,

Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;

Low march within

But when they should endure the bloody spur,

They fall their crests and, like deceitful jades,

Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

LUCILLIUS

They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered.

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

Enter Cassius and his powers

BRUTUS Hark, he is arrived.

March gently on to meet him.

The armies march

CASSIUS Stand, ho!

BRUTUS Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

⌈FIRST SOLDIER⌉ Stand!

⌈second SOLDIER⌉ Stand!

⌈THIRD SOLDIER⌉ Standl

CASSIUS

Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

BRUTUS

Judge me, you gods: wrong I mine enemies?

And if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

CASSIUS

Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs,

And when you do them—

BRUTUS Cassius, be content.

Speak your griefs softly. I do know you well.

Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing but love from us,

Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away,

Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,

And I will give you audience.

CASSIUS Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

BRUTUS

Lucillius, do you the like; and let no man

Come to our tent till we have done our conference.

Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.

Exeunt the armies Brutus and Cassius remain, ⌈with Titinius, and Lucius guarding the door⌉

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 letters praying on his side,

Because I knew the man, was slighted off.

BRUTUS

You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

CASSIUS

In such a time as this it is not meet

That every nice offence 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.

CASSIUS I, an itching palm?

You know that you are Brutus that speaks this, 65

Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

BRUTUS

The name of Cassius honours this corruption,

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

CASSIUS Chastisement?

BRUTUS

Remember March, the ides of March, remember.

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 honours

For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

I had rather be a dog and bay the moon

Than such a Roman.

CASSIUS Brutus, bay not me.

I’ll not endure it. You forget yourself

To hedge me in. I am a soldier, I,

Older in practice, abler than yourself

To make conditions.

BRUTUS Go to, you are not, Cassius.

CASSIUS I am.

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.

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?

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 humour? 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 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 Caesar lived he durst not thus have moved me.

BRUTUS

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

CASSIUS I durst not?

BRUTUS No.

CASSIUS What, durst not tempt him?

BRUTUS For your life you durst not.

CASSIUS

Do not presume too much upon my love.

I 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;