Rome, speak no more of either Scipio, Nor of the Fabii, or Fabricians; Here let the Decii and their glory die. Cæsar hath tam'd more nations, ta'en more towns, And fought more battles than the best of them. Cæsar doth triumph over all the world, And all they scarcely conquered a nook. The Gauls, that came to Tiber to carouse, Did live to see my soldiers drink at Loire; And those brave Germans, true-born martialists, Beheld the swift Rhine under-run mine ensigns. The Britons (lock'd within a wat'ry realm, And wall'd by Neptune) stoop'd to me at last. The faithless Moor, the fierce Numidian, Th' earth that the Euxine sea makes sometimes marsh, The stony-hearted people that inhabit, Where sevenfold Nilus doth disgorge itself, Have all been urg'd to yield to my command; Yea, even this city, that hath almost made An universal conquest of the world; And that brave warrior, my brother-in-law, That (ill-advis'd) repined at my glory: Pompey, that second Mars, whose haught'[367] renown And noble deeds were greater than his fortunes, Prov'd to his loss, but even in one assault My hand, my hap, my heart exceeded his, When the Thessalian fields were purpled o'er With either army's murder'd soldiers' gore; When he, to conquering accustomed, Did conquered fly, his troops discomfited. Now Scipio, that long'd to show himself Descent of African (so fam'd for arms), He durst affront me and my warlike bands Upon the coasts of Libya, till he lost His scatter'd army, and to shun the scorn Of being taken captive, kill'd himself. Now therefore let us triumph, Antony; And, rend'ring thanks to Heaven as we go, For bridling those that did malign our glory, Let's to the Capitol. ANTONY. Come on, brave Cæsar, And crown thy head and mount thy chariot. Th' impatient people run along the streets, And in a rout against thy gates they rush, To see their Cæsar after danger's past, Made conqueror and emperor at last. CÆSAR. I call to witness heaven's great Thunderer, That 'gainst my will I have maintain'd this war. Nor thirsted I for conquests bought with blood. I joy not in the death of citizens; But, through my self-will'd enemies' despite And Romans' wrong, was I constrain'd to fight. ANTONY. They sought t' eclipse thy fame; but destiny Revers'd th' effect of their ambition; And Cæsar's praise increas'd by their disgrace, That reck'd not of his virtuous deeds. But thus We see it fareth with the envious. CÆSAR. I never had the thought to injure them. Howbeit I never meant my greatness should By any other's greatness be o'errul'd. For as I am inferior to none, So can I suffer no superiors.