montagnarde1793 | 29 Germinal CCXVII already! (Reply)

I've finally finished my paper on the legal emancipation of the Jews in France and the German states. For a paper in which I got to discuss the Revolution, it was surprisingly dull. But it's done now. And my birthday is next Thursday! :D

Also, though, I've been sick since Spring Break and I still can't sing. I'm definitely going to Student Health tomorrow to try to get antibiotics, because this is not cool. I'm auditioning for the opera in a week for crying out loud!

Er, but anyway, have the next scene of "Brutus et Cassius." Because I know how fascinating you all find it. -_-;

SCENE III.

BRUTUS, CASSIUS.

CASSIUS.

What now! Is he still plunged in sleep?

No; he seems besieged by somber vapors.

Brutus!

BRUTUS.

Ah! It’s not a dream, a vain sign.

Just now, Cassius, o marvel! O prodigy!

CASSIUS.

Is there?

BRUTUS.

You see me yet all amazed.

Abandoned to troubles, to dark presentiments.

I was sitting up, dear friend: Caesar, this very instant,

In this place, just now, as on his final day,

Bloody, covered in wounds, Caesar appeared to me.

I saw him.

CASSIUS.

No, Brutus, no, you did not see him:

No; life is but a day, death is eternal;

And when he left his mortal body,

No, the man, gathering scattered relics,

Does not come to frighten the sight of the living.

For he who is not credulous there is no miracle.

BRUTUS.

Can I, along with my eyes, refute my ear?

He spoke to me.

CASSIUS.

Our senses and our impressions, Brutus,

Are slaves to our opinions;

And the spirit, abused by an invincible charm,

Soon believes that what he believed possible exists.

From there these visions, these shadowy specters,

Dreadful shams in the shadow of night,

These accents of death and these unwelcome voices

Which predict, it is said, great misfortunes;

These signs, heralds of our calamities,

All these deceiving objects invented by ourselves,

These dreams with which fear and ignorance once

Rocked us, in the time of our childhood.

Let’s leave that aside. Do you know that you have offended me?

BRUTUS.

CASSIUS.

Yourself, Brutus, and my heart is wounded.

Your inflexible voice has, despite my prayers,

Weighed Lucius with over-severe penalties.

We must come late to these vigorous blows,

And the excess of rigor must be condemned.

BRUTUS.

Yet my soul is the enemy of cruelties.

He is the one who first marked himself with infamy.

Did the gifts he received secretly from the Sardians

Not sign the order for his chastisement before me?

Have I, in punishing him, offended justice?

In leaving him unpunished, I would have been his accomplice.

I know only one path: that of duty;

And, if I must say all, I cannot conceive

How a crime, which called for the vengeance of the laws,

Could find so much indulgence in Cassius.

Ah! For a base Roman what does my rigor matter?

The crime and not the punishment made for his dishonor.

CASSIUS.

To punish has its dangers.

BRUTUS.

To pardon is weakness.

CASSIUS.

In stormy times flexibility is needed.

BRUTUS.

In stormy times virtue is needed.

CASSIUS.

In being less rigorous, say, would you be lacking it?

Rome needs arms careful of her defense;

And you could refuse the laws their vengeance.

What does it matter if in secret the gifts of the Sardians

Go to increase the properties of a courageous warrior?

It is not in days when everything is legitimate

That a prudent leader applies himself to seeking out crime:

He wants to win hearts, and not alienate them.

BRUTUS.

Go, the hearts he wants to win are virtuous ones.

Rome has no need of a base and guilty arm;

And, whatever the times, her indomitable genius

Sees only the hands of equity, the sword of her hate

And of her liberty with pleasure.

CASSIUS.

Yes, you want to abuse yourself; but my experience

Has given me some knowledge of the human heart:

I could enlighten that imprudent courage.

BRUTUS.

Certainly, for Lucius your zeal is rather ardent;

And you would afflict me, I, your friend, who loves you,

If, wishing to excuse him, you were excusing yourself.

CASSIUS.

Spare me, Brutus.

BRUTUS.

Hear the truth.

CASSIUS.

Gods!

BRUTUS.

I’ll let your irritated pride shudder.

You could enlighten me, and your experience

Has given you some knowledge of the human heart:

I consent, I believe it; and has it taught…

This has long weighed on my indignant heart;

But I no longer claim to be able to calm its violence,

Since you have forced me to break the silence.

Heir to heroes, noble supporter of the laws,

Tell me, has it taught you to sell positions?

Would it, in effect, corrupting justice,

Have taught avarice to Cassius’s hands?

We have conspired, we have fought:

Is it for treasure, and not for virtue?

If it is so, let us run beg for slavery;

Let us shred the inheritance of our good ancestors;

Let us leave to warriors who have not wavered

The inestimable honor of avenging their country.

Caesar, in his palace, gathered up the power

Of the people and the senate, who groveled in silence;

All the gold of the nations was gathered there:

He is no more; now it is we who are to be punished;

We, whom Rome esteemed, whom the Universe contemplates,

And who have followed the example of the dead tyrant.

CASSIUS.

What cruel reproaches! What do I hear? Are you Brutus?

Am I then Cassius?

BRUTUS.

No, no, you are no longer.

No longer bear a name honored by the Tiber;

I am still Brutus, I am still your brother;

But I see your faults; I see with horror

That virtue strays a moment from your heart.

You remain silent, and do not dare to defend yourself?

CASSIUS.

You would blush, Brutus, if you could hear me.

Think of those triumvirs. Their properties, at each step,

Would have bought our soldiers from around us.

Know now therefore the friend that you despise:

Our great undertakings had to be supported;

I sold, I admit, to generous hearts

The honor of distinguishing themselves in our unhappy days;

And, without this conduct, unjustly blamed,

We would have a few leaders, but not an army.

Is it a crime to use the only means the times permitted?

It is true, your brother committed it.

My soul is incapable of interested wishes;

But your heart, which persists in wanting me to be guilty,

Welcomes odious suspicions and the slanderous cries

Of a few villains with pleasure.

BRUTUS.

I would like to be wrong.

Also, for your delectation, if you want to see this dialogue performed by action figures in inappropriate clothes who only speak in a monotone, I've made this scene into an xtranormal video (in several parts, I'm afraid):

Finally, a few items concerning my "Rome" exco:
1. The same actor who played Robespierre in the 1998 Scarlet Pimpernel plays Lepidus in Rome. Color me disturbed.
2. I can't express how fully awesome I think it is that Octavius is being potrayed as a psychopath. Ruthless and creepy: it's a winning combination for the portrayal of someone who founds an empire on the ruins of a republic, imho. That loveable fellow in "I, Claudius" didn't fool me for a second.
3. It's not as bad as I thought it would be watching the series with all the republicans being dead. In fact, it's much less anxiety producing, since I hate all the remaining characters and don't care when bad things happen to them, because they all deserve them. Well, except the children, but I would say that's a standard disclaimer. :/