| GRECIANS AND ROMANS | |
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| Romane is he alive that will suffer thee to dye for the | MARCUS |
| libertie? What, knowest thou not that thou art Brutus? | BRUTUS |
| Thinkest thou that they be cobblers, tapsters, or suche like | |
| base mechanicall people, that wryte these billes and scrowles | |
| which are founde dayly in thy Praetor's chaire, and not the | |
| noblest men and best citizens that doe it? No, be thou | |
| well assured, that of other Praetors they looke for giftes, | |
| common distribucions amongest the people, and for common | |
| playes, and to see fensers fight at the sharpe, to shew the | |
| people pastime: but at thy handes, they specially require | |
| (as a due det unto them) the taking away of the tyranny, | |
| being fully bent to suffer any extremity for thy sake, so | |
| that thou wilt shew thy selfe to be the man thou art taken | |
| for, and that they hope thou art. Thereuppon he kissed | |
| Brutus, and imbraced him: and so each taking leave of | |
| other, they went both to speake with their frendes about | |
| it. Nowe amongest Pompeys frendes, there was one called | |
| Caius Ligarius,* who had bene accused unto Caesar for | *In an other |
| taking parte with Pompey, and Caesar discharged him. | place they cal |
| But Ligarius thanked not Caesar so muche for his dis- | him Quintus. |
| charge, as he was offended with him for that he was | |
| brought in daunger by his tyrannicall power. And there- | Brutus |
| fore in his hearte he was alway his mortall enemie, and was | maketh |
| besides verie familiar with Brutus, who went to see him | Ligarius |
| beinge sicke in his bedde, and sayed unto him: O Ligarius, | one of the |
| in what a time art thou sicke! Ligarius risinge uppe in his | conspiracie. |
| bedde, and taking him by the right hande, sayed unto him: | |
| Brutus, sayed he, if thou hast any great enterprise in hande | |
| worthie of thy selfe, I am whole. After that time they | |
| beganne to feele all their acquaintaunce whome they trusted, | |
| and layed their heades together consultinge uppon it, and | |
| did not onelie picke out their frendes, but all those also | |
| whome they thought stowt enough to attempt any de- | |
| sperate matter, and that were not affrayed to loase their | |
| lives. For this cause they durst not acquaint Cicero with | They do hide |
| their conspiracie, although he was a man whome they | the conspir- |
| loved dearelie, and trusted best: for they were affrayed that | acy against |
| he being a coward by nature, and age also having increased | Caesar, from |
| feare, he woulde quite turne and alter all their purpose, | Cicero. |
| 191 | |