And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,20
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,24
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.
Oct. You may do your will;
But he's a tried and valiant soldier.28
Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that
I do appoint him store of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,32
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;
He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;
A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds36
On objects, arts, and imitations
Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,40
Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make head;
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,
Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out;44
26 empty: unladen, worthless
27 commons: public pasture
30 appoint: assign
32 wind: turn
34 taste: measure, degree
36 barren-spirited: lacking initiative
37 objects: objects of interest, in general; cf. n.
arts: works of art; cf. n.
imitations: conventional forms, empty counterfeits
38 stal'd: outworn, made stale
39 Begin his fashion: are to him the height of fashion
40 property: instrument, tool
41 Listen: hear
42 powers: armed forces
make head: raise an army
43 combin'd: confirmed
44 made: made sure
stretch'd out: strained to the utmost
