JULIUS CÆSAR.

A 2

SCENE, for the three firft Acts, at Rome: afterwar des at an Ifle near Mutina ; at Sardis; and Philippi.

JULIUS CESAR.

A C T I.

SCENE, a Street in ROME.

Enter Flavius, (1) Marullus, and certain Commoners.

FLAVIUS.

ENCE; home, you idle creatures, get you

home;

Is this a holiday? what! know you not, Being mechanical, you ought not walk Upon a labouring day, without the fign Of your profeffion? Speak, what trade art thou ? Car. Why, Sir, à carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? What doft thou with thy beft apparel on ? You, Sir,-what trade are you?

Cob. Truly, Sir, in refpect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would fay, a cobler.

Mar. But what trade art thou? answer me directly. Cob. A trade, Sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe confcience; which is, indeed, Sir, a mender of bad foals. (1) Murellus.] I have, upon the authority of Plutarch, &c. given to this Tribune, kis right name, Marullas.

A 3

Flas.

Flav. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade?

Cob. Nay, I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me: yet if you be out, Sir, I can mend you.

(2) Flav. What mean'ft thou by that? mend me, thou faucy fellow ?

Cob. Why, Sir, cobble you.

Flav. Thou art a cobler, art thou?

Cob. Truly, Sir, all that I live by, is the awl: I meddle with no tradefman's matters, nor woman's matters; but with-all, I am, indeed, Sir, a furgeon to old fhoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod on neats-leather, have gone upon my handy-work.

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why doft thou lead these men about the streets?

Cob. Truly, Sir, to wear out their fhoes, to get myfelf into more work. But, indeed, Sir, we make holiday to fee Cafar, and to rejoice in his triumph.

Mar. Wherefore rejoice!what conqueft brings

he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,

To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you ftones, you worse than fenfeless things!
you hard hearts! you cruel men of Rome!
Knew you not Pompey? many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms; and there have fate
The live-long day with patient expectation,
To fee great Pompey pafs the streets of Rome:
And when you faw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an univerfal fhout,
That Tyber trembled underneath his banks
To hear the replication of your founds,
Made in his concave fhores?

And do you now put on your best attire ?

(2) Mar. What mean'st thou by that?] As the Cobler, in the preceding speech, replies to Flavius, not to Marullus; 'tis plain, I think, this fpeech must be given to Flavius,

And

And do you now cull out an holiday?
And do you now ftrew flowers in his way,
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone

Run to your houfes, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the Gods, to intermit the plague,
That needs muft light on this ingratitude.

Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and for this fault
Affemble all the poor men of your Sort;
Draw them to Tyber bank, and weep your tears
Into the channel, 'till the lowest ftream
Do kifs the most exalted fhores of all.

[Exeunt Commoners.
See, where their baseft mettle be not mov'd;
They vanish tongue-ty'd in their guiltinefs.
Go you down that way tow'rds the Capitol,
This way will I; difrobe the images,

If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.
Mar. May we do fo?

You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

Flav. It is no matter, let no images
Be hung with Cafar's trophies; I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
Thefe growing feathers, pluckt from Cafar's wing,
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch;

Who else would foar above the view of men,

And keep us all in fervile fearfulness.

[Exeunt feverally.

Enter Cæfar, Antony for the Course, Calphurnia, Porcia, Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Caffius, Cafca, a Soothsayer. Caf. Calphurnia,

Cafe. Peace, ho! Cæfar speaks.

Caf. Calpburnia,

Calp. Here, my Lord.

Caf. Stand you directly in Antonius' way,

When he doth run his course

Ant. Cæfar, my Lord.

Antonius,

Caf. Forget not in your fpeed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia; for our Elders fay,

A 4

The