Alphabet of History, An

<p><SPAN name="BRUTUS" id="BRUTUS"></SPAN></p> <ins class="caption">BRUTUS</ins> <div class="figright"><ANTIMG src="images/i_006.jpg" height-obs="640" width-obs="226" alt="Brutus with a bloody dagger." /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Back in the time of Rome sublime,<br/></span> <span class="i2">There lived great Julius C�sar<br/></span> <span class="i0">Who wore the crown with haughty frown<br/></span> <span class="i2">And was a frosty geezer.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Three times, they say, upon the way<br/></span> <span class="i2">Called Lupercal, they fetched it<br/></span> <span class="i0">For him to wear, but then and there<br/></span> <span class="i2">He said they should have stretched it.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">And we are told that Jule was cold<br/></span> <span class="i2">And frigid as Alaska,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Ambitious, too,&mdash;that would not do<br/></span> <span class="i2">For Cassius and Casca.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">They told their friends: "It all depends<br/></span> <span class="i2">On having things to suit us.<br/></span> <span class="i0">We think that Jule is much too cool;<br/></span> <span class="i2">Let us conspire with Brutus."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">They furthermore let out this roar:<br/></span> <span class="i2">"Shall C�sar further scoff us?<br/></span> <span class="i0">Next week, they say, he'll have his way<br/></span> <span class="i2">About the Rome postoffice."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">With dirk and sword in togas stored&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i2">You know those times they wore 'em&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">They made a muss of Ju-li-us<br/></span> <span class="i2">One morning in the Forum.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">With "Et tu, Brute?" J. C. grew mute.<br/></span> <span class="i2">(Some claim it's "Et tu, Bru-te";<br/></span> <span class="i0">We mention it both whole and split<br/></span> <span class="i2">As is our bounden duty.)<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Mark Antony arose, and he<br/></span> <span class="i2">Talked some,&mdash;we shall not quote it;<br/></span> <span class="i0">We've understood 'twas not as good<br/></span> <span class="i2">As when Bill Shakespeare wrote it.<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Then Brutus skipped lest he be nipped&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i2">And since his dissolution<br/></span> <span class="i0">He's been accused and much abused<br/></span> <span class="i2">In schools of elocution.<br/></span> <br/></div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />