For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter. [Clock strikes. Bru. Peace, count the clock. Cas. But it is doubtful yet, Whe'r Cesar will come forth to-day, or no: Dec. Never fear that: If he be so resolv'd, For I can give this humour the true bent; Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. Bru. By the eighth hour: Is that the utter most? Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then. Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cesar hard, Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey; I wonder, none of you have thought of him. Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along by him: He loves me well, and I have given him rea sons; Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him. Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; Enter PORTIA. Por. Brutus, my lord! Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now? It is not for your health, thus to commit And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot: Whether. Omens at sacrifices. Prognosticators. Which seem'd too much enkindled; and. withal, Hoping it was but an effect of humour, lord, Make me acquainted with your cause of grief. Bru, I am not well in health, and that is all. Por. Brutus is wise, and were he not in health, He would embrace the means to come by it. Bru. Kneel not, gentle Portia. Por. I should not need, if you were gentle Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus, Of your good pleasure? If it be no more, Bru. You are my true and honourable wife; Por. If this were true, then should I know I grant, I am a woman; but, withal, Render me worthy of this noble wife! [Knocking within. All my engagements I will construe to thee, [Exit PORTIA. Enter LUCIUS and LIGARIUS. Lucius, who is that, knocks? * Temper. 698 Luc. Here is a sick man, that would speak | O Cesar! these things are beyond all use, And I do fear them. with you. Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of. Boy, stand aside.-Caius Ligarius! how? Lig. Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue. Bru. O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius, [sick! To wear a kerchief? 'Would you were not Lig. I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand Any exploit worthy the name of honour. Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius, Had you a healthful ear to hear of it. Lig. By all the gods that Romans bow before, I here discard my sickness. Soul of Rome! men whole. Lig. But are not some whole, that we must make sick? Bru. That must we also. What it is, my I shall unfold to thee, as we are going, Lig. Set on your foot; And, with a heart new-fir'd, I follow you, Bru. Follow me then. [Exeunt. Ces. What can be avoided, Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets What say the augurers? Serv. They will not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast. Ces. The gods do this in shame of cowardice: Cesar should be a beast without a heart, If he should stay at home to-day for fear. No, Cesar shall not: Danger knows full well, That Cesar is more dangerous than he. We were two lions litter'd in one day, And I the elder and more terrible; And Cesar shall go forth. Cal. Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence. own. We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house; Ces. Mark Antony shall say, I am not well; And, for thy humour, I will stay at home. Enter DECIUS. Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so. Dec. Cesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Cesar: I come to fetch you to the senate-house. Ces. And you are come in very happy time, To bear my greeting to the senators, And tell them, that I will not come to-day: Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falser; I will not come to-day: Tell them so, Decius. Cal. Say, he is sick. Ces. Shall Cesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far, cause, Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so. Ces. The cause is in my will, I will not come; That is enough to satisfy the senate. But, for your private satisfaction, Because I love you, I will let you know. Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home: She dreamt to-night she saw my statue, Which like a fountain, with a hundred spouts, Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it. And these does she apply for warnings, por tents, And evils imminent; and on her knee In which so many smiling Romans bath'd, Dec. I have, when you have heard what I can say: And know it now; The senate have concluded Apt to be render'd, for some one to say, Pardon me, Cesar; for my dear, dear love Ces. How foolish do your fears seem now, I am ashamed I did yield to them.- Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, And look where Publius is come to fetch me. What is't o'clock? Bru. Cesar, 'tis strucken eight. Ces. I thank you for your pains and courtesy. Enter ANTONY. See! Antony, that revels long o'nights, Good morrow, Antony. -Ant. So to most noble Cesar. Ces. Bid them prepare within :I am to blame to be thus waited for.Now, Cinna:-Now, Metellus:-What, TreboI have an hour's talk in store for you; [nius! Remember that you call on me to-day: Be near me, that I may remember you. Treb. Cesar, I will:-and so near will I be, That your best friends shall wish I had been farther. [Aside. Ces. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me; And we, like friends, will straightway go together. Bru. That every like is not the same, O Cesar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon! [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same.-A Street near the Capitol. sar. If thou be'st not immortal, look about you: Here will I stand, till Cesar pass along, Por. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate- Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone: again, Luc. To know my errand, madam. Por. I would have had thee there, and here [there.Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do O constancy, be strong upon my side! Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue! I have a man's mind, but a woman's might. Luc. Madam, what should I do? Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well, For he went sickly forth: And take good note, What Cesar doth, what suitors press to him. Hark, boy! what noise is that? Luc. I hear none, madam. Por. Pr'ythee, listen well; heard a bustling rumour, like a fray, Por. Come hither, fellow : Sooth. About the ninth hour, lady. [stand, Por. Thou hast some suit to Cesar, hast thou not? Sooth. That I have, lady: if it will please To be so good to Cesar, as to hear me, Cesar I shall beseech him to befriend himself. Por. Why, knowest thou any harm's intended towards him? Sooth. None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance. [row: Good-morrow to you. Here the street is narThe throng that follows Cesar at the heels, Of senators, of prætors, common suitors, Will croud a feeble man almost to death: I'll get me to a place more void, and there Speak to great Cesar as he comes along. [Exit. Por. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a The heart of women is! O Brutus! [thing The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise! Sure, the boy heard me :-Brutus hath a suit, That Cesar will not grant.-O, I grow faint:Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord; Say, I am merry: come to me again, And bring me word what he doth say to thee. [Exeunt. ACT III. I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. SCENE I.—The same.-The Capitol; the Sen- Know, Cesar doth not wrong; nor without [cause, Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my ate sitting. A Crowd of People in the Street leading to the Capitol; among them ARTEMIDORUS, and the SOOTHSAYER. Flourish. Enter CESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others. Ces. The ides of March are come. Sooth. Ay, Cesar; but not gone, Art. Hail, Cesar! Read this schedule. Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read, At your best leisure, this his humble suit. Art. O, Cesar, read mine first; for mine's a suit [Cesar, That touches Cesar nearer: Read it, great Ces. What touches us ourself, shall be last serv'd. Art. Delay not, Cesar; read it instantly. Puh. Sirrah, give place. Cas. What, urge you your petitions in the Come to the Capitol. [street? CESAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the SENATORS rise. Will he be satisfied. me: Cas. Pardon, Cesar; Cesar pardon: As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall, To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber. Ces. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you; If I could pray to move, prayers would move But I am constant as the northern star, Of whose true-fix'd, and resting quality, There is no fellow in the firmament. The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks, They are all fire, and every one doth shine; But there's but one in all doth hold his place: So, in the world; 'Tis furnish'd well with [sive; And men are flesh and blood, and apprehenYet, in the number, I do know but one men, Pop. I wish, your enterprise to-day may That unassailable holds on his rank, thrive. Cas. What enterprise, Popilius? [Advances to CESAR. Bru. Look, how he makes to Cesar: Mark him. Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear preven- Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Bru. Cassius, be constant: Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; For, look, he smiles, and Cesar doth not change. Cas. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way. [Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. CESAR and the SENATORS take their Seats. Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him And presently prefer his suit to Cesar. [go, Bru. He is address'd:* press near, and second him. Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. Ces. Are we all ready? what is now amiss, Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat [Kneeling. Ces. I must prevent thee, Cimber. These couchings, and these lowly courtesies, Might fire the blood of ordinary men; And turn pre-ordinance, and first decree, Into the law of children. Be not fond, To think that Cesar bears such rebel blood, That will be thaw'd from the true quality With that which melteth fools; mean. sweet words, [ing. Low-crook'd curt'sies, and base spaniel fawnThy brother by decree is banished; If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him, * Ready. Unshak'd of motion: and, that I am he, Ces. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus? Ces. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? [CASCA stabs CESAR in the Neck. CESAR catches hold of his Arm. He is then stabbed by several other Conspirators, and at last by MARCUS BRUTUS. Ces. Et tu, Brute?-Then, fall, Cesar. [Dies. The Senators and People retire in confusion. Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement! [out, Bru. People, and senators! be not af frighted; Fly not; stand still :-ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus. Dec. And Cassius too. Bru. Where's Publius? Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cesar's Should chance Bru. Talk not of standing;-Publius, good cheer; There is no harm intended to your person, Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius. Cas. And leave us, Publius; lest that the people, [chief. Rushing on us, should do your age some misBru. Do so;-and let no man abide this But we the doers. [deed, ↑ Solicitation. And thou, Brutus? Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and | Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:❤ As it were doomsday. [run, If I myself, there is no hour so fit Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures:That, we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon. Cas. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life, Cuts off so many years of fearing death. Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit: So are we Cesar's friends, that have abridg'd His time of fearing death.-Stoop, Romans, stoop, And let us bathe our hands in Cesar's blood Shall this our lofty scene be acted over, That now on Pompey's basis lies along, Cas. So oft as that shall be, So often shall the knot of us be call'd Enter a SERVANT. Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's. Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel; Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down: Bru. Thy master is a wise and valiant Ro- Serv. I'll fetch him presently. [Exit SERV. Bru. I know, that we shall have him well to friend. Cas. I wish, we may: but yet have I a mind, That fears him much; and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose. Re-enter ANTONY. Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Mark Antony. Ant. O mighty Cesar! Dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?-Fare thee well. I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, * In Cesar's blood. As Cesar's death hour; nor no instrument With the most noble blood of all this world. Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years, Bru. O Antony! beg not your death of us. Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts, rence. Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any In the disposing of new dignities. [man's, Bru. Only be patient, till we have appeas'd The multitude, beside themselves with fear, And then we will deliver you the cause, Why I, that did love Cesar when I struck him, Have thus proceeded. Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom. First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you:Let each man render me his bloody hand: Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;Now, Decius Brutus, yours;-now yours, Metellus ; Yours, Cinna;-and, my valiant Casca, yours;[Trebonius. Though last, not least in love, yours, good My credit now stands on such slippery ground, Gentlemen all,-alas! what shall I say? That one of two bad ways you must conceit Either a coward or a flatterer. [me, That I did love thee, Cesar, O, 'tis true: Cas. Mark Antony, Ant. Pardon me, Caius Cassius: The enemies of Cesar shall say this; Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty. Cas. I blame you not for praising Cesar so; But what compact mean you to have with us? Will you be prick'd in number of our friends; Or shall we on, and not depend on you? * Grown too high for the public safety. |