MARCUS BRUTUS

I thought to see that man (as others are) Walk reapparrel'd with a private gown, As one that had unwillingly made war T'hold up himself, not to cast others down. So Silla, though more inhumane then he, While having all to what his heart aspired, The sovereignty resigned, and set Room free When all such expectation was expire. By Caesars worth we must think that he too, Will liberty restore t'our troubled state: When first the world hath viewed what he might do, His thoughts are generous as his mind is great. And though some insolences escape him while, His dying fury sparkles but a space: Nought th'inspirations quite of Mars exiles, Till one be used with th'innocencie of peace. Those that by violence did t'all things tend, Scarce can themselves t'a quiet course conform: Their stately carriage and frank words offend, While peace cannot comport with wars rude form. I hope that Caesar settling civil broils, When disaccustomde is intestine rage: Will strive to mitigate his countries toils, Bent all those flames that burned his breast assuage. I'll not be there. Then isle resist that violent decree; None of Rome's crown shall long securely boast, For ere that I live thralled, isle first die free: What can be kept when liberty is lost? I weigh thy words, with and afflicted heart, That for compassion of my country bleeds, And would to God that I might only smart, So that all others scaped evil that succeeds. Then never man himself from death did free With a more quiet and contented mind, Then I would perish, if I both could be To Caesar thankful, and t'our country kind. But though that great men grace towards me en largde May challenge right in my affections store: Yet must the greatest debt be first discharge, I owe him much, but to my country more. This in my breast hath great dissension bred; I Caesar love, but yet Rome's enemy hate: And as Jove lives, I could be moved to shed My blood for Caesar, Caesars for the state. I for my father's death loathde Pompey long, While joust disdain did boil within my breast, Yet when he warred to venge the common wrong, I joined with him because his cause was best. A mind usurp if Caesar now reveal. I will in time precipitate his end Thus being still bent advance the Commonweal, I helped a foe, and now must hurt a friend. Though Caesar (now) I must conspire thy fallen, My heart towards thee, yet never harboured hate: But (pardon me) who ever make it thrall, From bondage Brutus must redeem the state, Of this my course what ever others judge, Here I protest it is for good designed; My thoughts are guilty of no private grudge, For reason, and not fury moves my mind. Nor is't ambition that inflames my breast, With a prodigious appetite to reign, That when I have made Caesar Pluto's guest, I in his room a monarch may remain. No, if that glory did my fancies charm, To which blindfolded tyrants do aspire; I needed not to do, nor suffer harm, But with less pain might compass my desire. For if I would but temporize a space, Till Time, or Death diminish Caesars might. He thinks that I deserve enjoy his place, And I could make my day succeed his night. Yet do I not endear my self so much, That I'll seek honour by my countries shame, But Oh, I would (my zeal to it is such) To save it from reproach seem worthy of blame. Yea so, that I may free with honoured wounds, My soil than is my soul more deer to me: I care not strait to be barred from the bounds, That at so deer a rate I would set free. In all this course I only one thing blame, That we should steal, what we may justly take, By clothing honour with a cloak of shame, Which may our cause (though good) more odious make. Oh, I could wish, with honourable wounds T'affront Rome's enemy in the battles dust; No sweeter music than the Trumpets sounds, When Right and Valour keep a consort joust. Then free if quick, else dead for nought being feared, I always once contented might remain; What tomb t'a man more glorious can be reared, Than mountains made of them that he hath slain? But how are my transported thoughts grown such, That they disdain a measure now t'admit? As bent not what to do, but to do much, I on the throne of Glory strived to fit. No, to the state me from my self I give, Free from particular respects, t'expose My life and all for it, and while I live, So that it gain, I care not what I loose. I'll never rest till he for ever rest, That gives my country such a cause of grief; And that t'effect no form I will detest, Nor for my fame endanger Rome's relief. But (worthy Cassius ) ere we further do, Let us the minds of our familiars feel, Of which I hope to have assistance too, Who will not hazard for his countries weal. I wonder that thou dost thy frailty show, All women are by nature curious still; And yet till now thou never craved to know, More then I pleased t'impart of my free will. Nought save the wife a man within the walls, Nor nought save him without fits her embrace: And it's unseemly though it sometime falls, When any sex usurps another's place. Dear, their wonted course thy cares inure; I may have matters that import the state, Whose opning up might my disgrace procure, Whose weight would for thy weakness be too great. Thou must (deer love) that which thou sought receive, Thy heart so high a sail t'a tempest bears, That thy great courage does deserve to have Our enterprise entrusted to thine ears. Thy magnanimity prevails so far, That it my resolution must control: And of my bosom does the depths unbar, To lodge thee in the centre of my soul. Thou seest in what a state the state now stands, Of whose strong pillars Caesar spoiled the best: While by his own preventing others hands, Our famous father fell amongst the rest. That insolent usurper does presume To re-erect detested Tarquins throne, Thus the world's mistress all-commanding Room, Must entertain no minion now but one. Th'old blood of Mars that marks to what he tends, Swells with disdain, their countries scorn to see, And I'm one of the number that intends By his death, or mine own, to be made free. Thou askest what thou shouldst give, forgive deer mate, This venturous course of mine, which must have place, Though it make fortune tyrant of our state, Whose fickle footsteps virtue grieves to trace. And wonder not, though this towards thee I prove, Since private passion now all pour have left; For I regard not glory, profit, love, Nor no respect that does import me most: So to the land of which I hold my life, I may perform the work that I intend, Let me be called unkind unto my wife: Yea worst of all, ingrate unto my friend: But as th'instinct of nature makes us know, There are degrees of duty to be passed: Of which the first we to immortals owe, The next t'our Country, and t'our friends the last. Proud tyrants from his native bounds to driven, Did author of my raze with ardent zeal, Make those to die whom he had made to live, And spoiled himself to advance the commonweal? To raise the state which Caesar now overthrows, That bred so many brave men while it stood, He with the Tyrant interchanging blows, Most gloriously did offer up his blood. And did that man oppress the common foe, Then damn his sons to death? and with dry eyes? And is his successor degenerd so, That he in abject bondage basely lies? No, his posterity his name not stains, That imitate his steps does yet draw near; Yet of his spirit in us some spark remains, That more then life our liberty hold deer. Thou for my cause abandoned others else, But now forsakst thy self adhere to me, That of thy passion thus the pour repels, And with thy mind discords with mine agree. I'll since by thee approved securely go, And vilipend the dangers of this life, Heavens make my enterprise to prosper so, That I prove worthy of so worthy a wife. But ah! of all thy words those grieve me most, That boast me with th'abridgement of thy days; What? though I in so good a cause were lost, None flies appointed fate that for him stays. Do not defraud the world of thy rare worth, But of thy Brutus the remembrance love, And from so fair a prison break not forth, Till first the fates have forced thee to remove. My treasure, strive to pacisie thy breast, Lest sorrows but sinistrously presage, That which thou would not wish, and hope the best, Though virtue now must act on Fortune's stage. This countenance with my custom but accords, That as you know yet never from my birth, Light gestures used joined with lascivious words, Nor yet ridiculous fashions that move mirth. My melancholious nature feeds on cares, While smothered sorrow by a habit smokes, A thoughtful breast thats burdened with affairs, Does make a silent mouth, and speaking looks. As for my paleness it imports but good, Th'abasing of the body mounts the mind: Where fatness comed from food, but serves for food, In fattest bodies leanest sprites we find. Ah, since I saw abhorred Thessalian bounds All drenched with blood of Senators and kings: (As if my soul yet smarted in their wounds,) A secret sorrow oftentimes me stings. But since thy famous father with strange blows, In the most hideous from affronted death, To him my mind a sad remembrance owes, Which sorrow shall exact still while I breath. Yet am I grieved to-have given thee cause of grief, That thought some new mishap did me dismay; To such old soars it's worst to give relief, But time in end may wear my woes away. As Cassius told thee pitying Rome's distress, That t'our disgrace in bondage does remain, We straight intend what ever we profess, With Caesars blood to wash away this stain. Though for this end a few sufficient are, To whom their virtue courage does impart, Yet were we loath to wrong thy worth so far, As of such glory to give thee no partly. Since both this cause, and that thy name thee bind, In this adventurous band to be comprised, There needs no rhetoric to raise thy mind, That execute which thou should have devised. While that our faction might be strangthned thus I labord much to purchase all their powers, Whom hate towards Caesar, love to Room, or us, Might move imbark in those great Hope's of ours. By sickness being imprisoned in his bed, While I Ligarius spied whom pains did prick, When I had said with words that anguish bred, In what a time Ligarius art thou sick. He answered straight as I had physic brought, Or that he had imagined my design, If worthy of thy self thou wouldst do ought, Then Brutus I am whole, and wholly thine. Since Caesar caused him be accused of late, For taking Pompey's pat, yet at this hour, He (though absolved) does still the tyrant hate, For being endangerd by his lawless pour. While it exasprates thus such great sprites spites, Heaven of our course the progress does direct, One inspiration all our souls incites, That have aduisdly sworn this fact t'effect. That man whose love still towards his country shined, Would willingly the commonwealth restore, Then he I know, though he conceals his mind, None Caesar more dislikes, nor likes us more. Yet to his custody I'll not commit, The secrets of our enterprise so soon, Men may themselves be oftentimes not fit, To do the things that they would wish were done, He still being timorous, and by age grown worse, Might chance to lay our honour in the dust, All cowards must inconstant be of force, With bold designs none fearful breasts can trust. Then some of ours would hold their hands still pure, That ere they be suspected, for a space Amid the tumult may remain secure, And with the people mediate our peace. But who than Tullius fitter for that turn, Whose eloquence is used t'enchant their ears? His banishment they in balcke gowns did mourn, Whose age and merits each one reverence bears. As for the time, none could be wished more fit, Than this thats present to perform our vow, Since all the people must allow of it, Moved by a recent miscontentment now. When represented in his triumph passed, Great Cato's mangled entrails made them weep, And desperate Scipio while he leaped at last, To seek a Sanctuary amid the depth. Then all those great men that in several parts, Bent for Rome's freedom Caesar did overthrow, Did by their pictures pierce the peoples hearts, And made a piteous (though a pompous) show. So that they did conceive a joust disdain, To be upbraided in so strange a sort, While he that only by their lose did gain Of their calamity but made a sport. But yet his purpose grieves them most of all, Since that he strives to be proclaimed a King, And not contents himself to make us thrall, But to perpetual bondage would us bring. Thus while the people are with him displeased, We best may do that which t'our partly belongs; For after this they may be best appeased, If while their wrath does last we venge their wrongs. And since we nought intend but what is right, While from our country we remove disgrace: Let all be acted in the Senates sighed, A common cause, and in a common place. Let those whose guilty thoughts do damn their deeds In corners Like Minvera's birds abide: That which t'our country good, us glory breeds, May by the lights of heaven and earth be tried. The Senators by our ensample moved, Pleased with this Actium that imports them too, To have the yoke of tyranny removed, May at the least authorise what we do. So all the Senators were said of old, To have king Romulus amongst them torn: That than to tyrranize was grown to bold, And from his first humanity had worn. None needs in states that are from tyrants free, Loathde execrations to confirm his will, Where willingly men would with good agree, And without danger might despise all ill. All odious oaths by those are only craved, Whose suit from reason does a warrant want, While all deceivers feared to be deceived, Seek of men thralled what none being free would grant When Caesar had preuailde in Libya and Spain, His fortune building on his countries wrack, Of liberty a shadow to retain, We gave him all that he was bent to take. The Senate had reserved nought but a show, Whose course to it by Caesar was imposed, That lifted up by bringing others low, Of offices and provinces disposed. Then that our withered Hope's might never spring, When bent abide the Parthians wooden shower, He for five years disposed of every thing, Even in his absence leaving us no pour. Oh how some aggravate our deed with hate, That durst by violence his body strain, Though consecrated by constraint of late, Yea but reputed holy, yet profane, And do forget how he (a wondrous case) Did violate the tribune ship t'our scorn, Which our forefathers (free) in time of peace, Aduisdly had inviolable sworn. Did he not once appropriate (swollen with wrath) The public treasure to his private use, And to the sacred Tribune threatened death, That did resist, grieved at so great a'abuse? Tween Roman and a tyrant what avails A covenant while right rests troad on thus? Who can built further when the ground first fails? Could we save him that sought to ruin us? I cannot Cassius condescend to kill (Thus from the path of Justice to decline) One faultless yet, lest after he prove ill, So to prevent his guiltiness by mine. No, no, that neither honest were, nor joust, Which rigorous form would but the world affright: Men by this mean our meaning might mistrust, And for a little wrong damn all that's right; If we but only kill the common foe, Our zeal t'our country must acquire endue praise: But if Like Tyrants tyrannizing so, We will be thought that which we raze to raise. And where we but intend advance the state, Though by endangering what we hold most deer; If slaying him as armed e by private hate, We to the world still partial will appear. Ah, ah, we must but too much murder see, That without doing evil cannot do good: And would the gods that Room could be made free, Without th'effusion of one drope of blood. Then their is hope that Anthony in end, When first our virtue does direct the way: Will leagued with us the liberty defend, And being brought back will blush for going astray. Their words but from uncertainties burst forth, For while considering of their bondage thus: Of Caesars tyranny, and of our worth, They think this should be done, and done by us: Such conjurations to confirm of old, Some drinking others bloods; swore on their swords, And cursing those that did their course unfold, Used imprecations, execrable words. And yet then this though voluntarily vowed, Free from all bonds, save that which virtue binds, More constantly no course was still allowed. Till now that th'end must manifest our minds. And since so many frankly keep their faith, Still what they first designed accomplish bent: No doubt in spite of fickle Fortune's wrath, But the success shall yield our souls content. Might some few Thebans from the Spartans pride, By diverse tyrants death's redeem their town? And one Athenian that his virtue tried, By thirty Tyrants ruins win renown? And to the Greeks are we inferior grown, That where they have so many tyrants spoiled, There cannot one be by us all orethrowne, Whose state yet brangling may be soon imbroyld? Oh I'm resolved, and with my thoughts decree, What ever fortune either sweet or sour, I shall my soil from tyranny set free, Or then my self free from the tyrants pour.