Cas. The Quarrel of BRUTUS and CASSIUS. THAT For taking bribes here of the Sardins; Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case. Cas. I an itching palm! You know that you are Brutus that speak this, Bru. The name of Caffius honors this corruption, Cas. Chaftifement ! in t Bru. Remember March; the ides of March remember; Did not great Julius bleed for juftice' fake? What villain touch'd his body that did stab, And not for juftice? What, fhall one of us, That ftruck the foremost man of all this world, But for fupporting robbers? fhall we now Contaminate our fingers with these bribes ? And fell the mighty meed of our large honors For fo much trafh as may be grafped thus? I would rather be a dog and bay the moon, Than fuch a Roman. Gas. Brutus bay not me, I'll not endure it; you forget yourself Bru. Go to; you are not, Caffius. Bru. I fay you are not. Cas. Urge me no more: I fhall forget myselfHave mind upon your health-tempt me no farther. Bru. Away, flight man! Cas. Is it poffible? Bru. Hear me, for I will speak, Muft I give way and room to your rash choler? Cas. Muft I endure all this? Bru. All this? aye more. Fret till your proud heart breaks. Go tell your fervants how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Mat I budge? Muft I obferve you? Muft I ftand and crouch You fhall digeft the venom of your fpleen, Cas, Is it come to this!. Bru. You fay you are a better foldier ; Cas. You wrong me every way-you wrong me, Brutus, I said an elder foldier, not a better; Did 1 fay a better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæfar liv'd he durft not thus have moved me. Bru, No. Cas. What durft not tempt him ? Bru. For your life you durft not. Cas. Do not prefume too much upon my love ; may. do what I fhall be forry for. Bru. You have done what you shall be forry for There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats? For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honefty, That they pafs by me as the idle wind, To you for gold to pay my legions Which you denied me; was that done like Caffius ? Q.a When Marcus Brutus grows fo covetous, Cas. I deny'd you not. Bru. You did. Cas. I did not he was but a fool That bro't my answer back. Brutus hath rived Bru. I do not like your faults. Gas. A friendly eye could never fee fuch faults. Bru. A flatterer's would not though they do Appear as huge as high Olympus. my Cas. Come, Antony and young Octavius come ! Revenge yourselves alone on Caffius, For Caffius is a-weary of the world; Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; heart When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovd'st him better Than ever thou lovd'ft Caffius. Bru. Sheath your dagger; Be angry when you will, it fhall have fcope; Cas. Hath Caffius lived To be bat mirth and laughter to his Brutus, Bru. And my heart too. Cas. O Brutus ! Bru. What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rath humor which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful? Bru. Yes, Caffius, and from henceforth When you are over earnest with your Brutus, A DIALOGUE, written in the year 1776, by Mr. ANDRUS, of Blithe. H controverly with Baxter ? OW now, Mr. Hunks? have you fettled the Hunks. Yes, to a fraction, upon condition that he would pay me fix per cent. upon all his notes and bonds, from the date until they were discharged. Blithe. Then it feems you have brought him to your own terms? Hunks. Indeed I have; I would fettle with him upon no other. Men now-a-days think it a dreadful hardship to pay. a little interest; and will quibble a thousand ways to fool a body out of his juft property: But I've grown too old to be cheated in that manner. I take care to fecure the intereft as well as the principal. And to prevent any difficulty, I take new notes every year, and carefully exact intereft upon interest, and add it to the principal. Blithe. You don't exact interek upon intereft! this looks a little like extortion; Hunks. Extortion! I have already loft more than five hun dred pounds, by a number of rafcally bankrupts. I won't truft a farthing of my money without intereft upon interest. Blithe. I fee I mult humor his foible, there's no other way to deal with him. Lafide.1 Hunks. There's no fecurity in men's obligations, in thefe times. And if I've a fum of money in the hands of those we call good chaps, I'm more plagu'd to get it than 'tis all worth. They would be glad to turn me off with mere rubbish, if they could. I'd rather keep my money in my own cheft, than let it out for fuch fmall intereft as I have for it. Blithe. There's fomething, I confefs, in your obfervations. We never know when we are fecure, unless we have our pro perty in our chefte or in lands. Hunks. That's true. I'd rather have my property in lands at three per cent. than in the hands of the beft man in this town at fix-it is a fact. Lands will grow higher when the wars are over. Blithe. You're entirely right. I believe if I'd as much money as you, I fhould be of the fame mind. Hunks. That's a good difpofition. We muft all learn to take care of ourselves, thefe hard times. But I wonder how it happens, that your difpofition is fo different from your fon's -he's extremely wild and profufe-I should think it was not poffible for you, with all your prudence and dexterity, to get money as faft as he would spend it. Blithe. Oh, he's young and airy; we must make allowances for fuch things; we used to do fo ourfelves when we were young men. Hunks. No, you're mistaken; I never wore a neckloth nor a pair of fhoe.buckles, on a week day in my life. But that is now become cuftomary among the loweft ranks of people. Blithe. You have been very fingular; there are few men in our age that have been fo frugal and faving as you have. But we must always endeavor to conform ourfelves a little to the cuftom of the times. My fon is not more extravagant than other young people of his age. He loves to drink a glass of wine fometimes, with his companions, and to appear pretty gaily dreft; but this is only what is natural and cuftomary for every one. I understand he has formed fome connexions with your eldest daughter, and I should be fond of the alliance, if I could gain your approbation in the matter. Hunks. The cuftom of the times will undo us all-There's no living in this prodigal age, The young people must have their bottles, their tavern dinners and dice, while the old ones are made perfect drudges to fupport their luxury. Blithe. Our families, Sir, without doubt, would be very happy in fuch a connexion, if you would grant your confent. Hunks. I lofe all patience when I fee the young beaux and fops, ftrutting about the ftreets in their laced coats and rufed fhirts, and a thousand other extravagant articles of expence. Blithe. Sir, I fhould be very glad if you would turn your at、 tention to the queftion I propofed. Hunks. There's one half of thefe coxcomical fpendthrifts that can't pay their taxes, and yet they are conftantly running into debt, and the prodigality must be fupported by poorg honest, laboring men. |