Within I have a weapon which has drunk A traitor's blood ere now;-there will I wait for them. [They go in together.] QUARREL SCENE FROM JULIUS CÆSAR.-SHAKS. [In this dialogue, the manner of Brutus should be dignified, and sarcastic; while that of Cassius should be quick, impetuous, and passionate.] CASSIUS AND BRUTUS. Cas.-That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this: Bru.-You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case. To undeservers. Cas.-I an itching palm !— You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Bru.-Remember March-the ides of March remember! But for supporting robbers-shall we now Cas.-Brutus, bay not me, I'll not endure it: I am a soldier, I, Bru.—Go to; you're not, Cassius. Bru.-I say, you are not. Cas.-Urge me no more: I shall forget myself: Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru.-Away, slight man! Cas.-Is't possible? Bru.-Hear me, for I will speak.— Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted when a madman stares? Cas.-Ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this? Bru.-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 Cas. Is it come to this? Bru.-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. Cas.-You wrong me, every way you wrong me, Brutus ; I said, an elder soldier, not a better! Did I say better? Bru.-If you did I care not. Cas.-When Cæsar lived, he durst not thus have moved me. Bru.-Peace, peace: you durst not so have tempted him. Cas.-I durst not? Bru.-No. Cas.-What? durst not tempt him? Cas.-Do not presume too much upon my love; Bru.-You have done that you should be sorry for. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats; For I am arm'd 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; By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius? Cas.-I denied you not. Bru.-You did. Cas.-I did not :-He was but a fool That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath rived my heart: But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Cas.-You love me not. Bru.-I do not like your faults. Cas.-A friendly eye could never see such faults. Cas.-Come, Antony, and, young Octavius, come, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth; I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart: Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar: for, I know, When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better Bru.-Sheath your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Cas.-Hath Cassius lived To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him? Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. Bru.-And my heart too! Cas.-0, Brutus ! Bru.-What's the matter? [They embrace. I Cas. Have not you love enough to bear with me, When that rash humor which my mother gave me, Bru.-Yes, Cassius; and henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, BOBADIL'S MILITARY TACTICS.-BEN JONSON. [With the bombastic expression of an empty braggart.] I WILL tell you, Sir, by the way of private and under seal, I am a gentleman, and live here obscure and to myself; but, were I known to his majesty and the lords, observe me, I would undertake, upon this poor head and life, for the public benefit of the state, not only to spare the entire lives of his subjects in general, but to save the one half, nay, three parts of his yearly charge in holding war, and against what enemy soever. And how would I do it, think you? Why thus, sir. I would select nineteen more to myself; gentlemen they should be, of a good spirit, strong and able constitution; I would choose them by an instinct, a character that I have: and I would teach these nineteen the special rules, as your Punto, your Reverso, your Stoccato, your Imbrocato, your Passado, your Montanto ;* till they could all play very near, or altogether as well as myself. This done, say the enemy were forty thousand strong, we twenty would come into the field the tenth of March or thereabouts; and we would challenge twenty of the enemy; they could not in their honor refuse us! Well, we would kill them; challenge twenty more, kill them; twenty more, kill them ; twenty more, kill them too: and thus would we kill, every man his twenty a day, that's twenty score; twenty score, that's two hundred; two hundred a day, five days a thousand: forty thousand-forty times five, five times forty-two hundred days kills them all up by computation. And this I will venture my * Terms of the Fencing-School. |