CASSIUS

Caesar and Sulla, Brutus be not Like. Sulla (assaulted by the enemy) Did arm himself (but in his own defence) Against both Cynnas host and Marius. Whom when he had discomfited and chased, And of his safety thoroughly was assured, He laid apart the pour that he had God, And gave up rule, for he desired it not. Where Caesar that in silence might have slept, Nor urged by ought but his ambition, Did break into the heart of Italy. And like rude Brennus brought his men to field, Traversed the seas: And shortly after (backed With wintered soldiers used to conquering,) He aimed at us, bent to exterminate, Who ever sought to intercept his state. Now, having God what he hath gaped for, (Dear Brutus) think you Caesar such a child, Slightly to partly with so great signiory. Believe it not, he bought it deer you know, And traveled too far to leave it so. He with his soldiers hath himself defamed. Yes, where the causes reasonable are. Which with ambition now he ruinates. Brutus I cannot serve nor see Room yoked, No, let me rather die a thousand death's. "The stiftneckt horses champ not on the bit, "Nor meekly bear the rider but by force: "The sturdy Oxen toil not at the Plough, "Nor yield unto the yoke but by constraint. Shall we then that are men, and Romans born, Submit us to unurged slavery? Shall Room that hath so many overthrown, Now make herself a subject to her own? Oh base indignity. A beardless youth, Whom King Nicomides could overreach, Commands the world, and bridleth all the earth, And Like a Prince controls the Romulists. Brave Roman Soldiers, stern-borne sons of Mars, And none, not one, that dares to undertake The intercepting of his tyranny. Oh Brutus speak, Oh say Servilius, Why cry you aim, and see us used thus? But Brutus lives, and sees, and knows, and feels, That there is one that curbs their Countries weal. Yet (as he were the semblance, not the son, Of noble Brutus, his great Grandfather,) As if he wanted hands, sense, sighed, or heart, He does, devises, sees nor dareth ought, That may exstirpe or raze these tyrannies. Nor ought does Brutus that to Brutus belongs, But still increases by his negligence, His own disgrace, and Caesars violence. The wrong is great, and overlong endured; We should have practised, conspierd, conjured, A thousand ways, and weapons to repress, Or kill outright this cause of our distress. If this brave care be nourished in your blood, Or if so franck a will your soul possess, Why hast we not even while these words are uttered, To sheathe our new-ground swords in Caesars throat? Why spend we daylight, and why die he not, That by his death we wretches may revive? We stay too-long, I burn till I be there To see this massacre, and send his ghost To theirs, whom (subtly) he for Monarchy, Made fight to death with show of liberty. But by bloody jars he hath unpeopled most partly of the earth. Both Gaul and Affrique perrisht by his wars. Egypt, Emathia, Italy and Spain, Are full of dead men's bones by Caesar slain. Infectious plague, and Famines bitterness, Or Ocean (whom no pity can assuage,) Though they contain dead bodies numberless, Are yet inferior to Caesars rage. Who (monsterlike) with his ambition, Hath left more Tombs then ground to lay them on. The restful Almains with his cruelty, He rashly styrd against us without cause. And hazarded our City and our selves Against a harmless Nation, kindly given, To whom we should do well (for some amends,) To render him, and reconcile old friends. These Nations did he purposely provoke, To make and Army for his after-aide, Against the Romans, whom in policy He trained in war to steal their signiory. "Like them that (striving at the Olympian sports, "To grace themselves with honour of the game) "Anoint their sinews fit for wrestling, "And (ere they enter) use some exercise. The Gauls were but a foregame fetched about For civil discord, wrought by Caesars sleights, Whom (to be King himself) he so one removed. Teaching a people hating servitude, To fight for that that did their death's conclude. No, but Dictator, in effect as much. He does what pleases him, (a princely thing,) And wherein differ they whose pour is such? No Brutus, never look to see that day, For Caesar holds signiory too deer. But know, while Cassius hath one drop of blood, To feed this worthless body that you see, What reck I death to do so many good, In spite of Caesar, Cassius will be free.