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Scene 1.

ACT II.

SCENE 1-The same.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

Brutus's orchard. En

ter Brutus.

Bru. What, Lucius! ho!

I cannot, by the progress of the stars,
Give guess how near to day.-Lucius I say!-
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.
When, Lucius, when?' Awake, I say: What,
Lucius!

Enter Lucius.

Luc. Call'd you, my lord?

Bru. Get me a taper in my study, Lucius: When it is lighted, come and call me here. Luc. I will, my lord.

-

Speak, strike, redress !--Am I entreated then
To speak, and strike? O Rome! I make thee

promise,

If the redress will follow, thou receivest
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus.
Re-enter Lucius.

Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days.

[Knocks within.
Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; Somebody
[Exit Lucius.
knocks.

Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar,
I have not slept.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
[Exit. Like a phantasma," or a hideous dream:
part,The genius, and the mortal instruments,
Are then in council; and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.

Bru. It must be by his death: and, for my
I know no personal cause to spurn at him,
But for the general. He would be crown'd:-
How that might change his nature, there's the
question.

It is the bright day, that brings forth the adder;
And that craves wary walking. Crown him?-

That;

And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,
That at his will he may do danger with.
The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins
Remorse from power: And, to speak truth of
Cæsar,

I have not known when his affections sway'd
But 'tis a common proof,3
More than his reason.
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face:
But when he once attains the utmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees*
By which he did ascend: So Cæsar may;
Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no colour for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these, and these extremities:
And therefore think him as a serpent's egg,

Re-enter Lucius.

Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door,
Who doth desire to see you.

Bru.

Is he alone?

Luc. No, sir, there are more with him.
Bru.

Do you know them?
Luc. No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their
ears,

And half their faces buried in their cloaks,
That by no means I may discover them
By any mark of favour."

Bru.

Let them enter.

[Exit Lucius.

They are the faction. O conspiracy!
Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,
When evils are most free? O, then, by day,
Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough

To mark thy monstrous visage? Seek none, con-
spiracy;

Hide it in smiles, and affability:

For if thou path thy native semblance on,

Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mis- Not Erebus itself were dim enough

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Luc. The taper burneth in your closet, sir. Searching the window for a flint, I found This paper' thus seal'd up; and, I am sure, It did not lie there, when I went to-bed.

Bru. Get you to-bed again, it is not day.
Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March?
Lue. I know not, sir.

Bru. Look in the calendar, and bring me word.
Luc. I will, sir.

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To hide thee from prevention.

8

Enter Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metullus
Cimber, and Trebonius.

Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest:
Good-morrow, Brutus; Do we trouble you?
Bru. I have been up this hour: awake, all night.
Know I these men, that come along with you?
Cas. Yes, every man of them: and no man here,
But honours you: and every one doth wish,
You had but that opinion of yourself,
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

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Casca. You shall confess, that you are both de- And in the spirit of men there is no blood:

ceiv'd.

Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises; Which is a great way growing on the south, Weighing the youthful season of the year.

O, that we then could come by Cæsar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

Some two months hence, up higher toward the Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,

north

He first presents his fire; and the high east
Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

Bru. Give me your hands all ever, one by one.
Cas. And let us swear our resolution.

2

Not hew him as a carcase fit for hounds:
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide them. This shall make
Our purpose necessary, and not envious:
men,Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm,
When Cæsar's head is off.

Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face' of
The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,—
If these be motives weak, break off betimes,
And every man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-sighted tyranny range on,
Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,
As I am sure they do, bear fire enough
To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour
The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any spur, but our own cause,
To prick us to redress ? what other bond,
Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word,
And will not palter ? and what other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engag'd,
That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous,4
Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls
That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,

Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath; when every drop of blood,
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy,

If he do break the smallest particle
Of any promise that hath pass'd from him.

Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?
I think, he will stand very strong with us.
Casca. Let us not leave him out.
Cin.
No, by no means.
Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion,

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:
It shall be said, his judgment rul'd our hands;
Our youths, and wildness, shall no whit appear,
But all be buried in his gravity.

Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him;

For he will never follow any thing
That other men begin.

Cas.

Then leave him out.

Casca. Indeed, he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd, but only Cæsar ?

Cas. Decius, well urg'd:-I think is not meet, Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar. Should outlive Cæsar: We shall find of him A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means, If he improves them, may well stretch so far, As to annoy us all: which to prevent, Let Antony, and Cæsar, fall together.

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius
Cassius,

To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs;
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards:
For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar.

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Cas. Yet I do fear him : For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar,Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him: If he love Caesar, all that he can do

Is to himself; take thought, and die for Cæsar: And that were much he should; for he is given To sports, to wildness, and much company.

Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die; For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Bru. Peace, count the clock.
Cas.

[Clock strikes.

The clock hath stricken three. Treb. 'Tis time to part. Cas. But it is doubtful yet, Whe'r Cæsar will come forth to-day, or no: For he is superstitious grown of late; Quite from the main opinion he held once Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies: It may be, these apparent prodigies, The unaccustom'd terror of this night, And the persuasion of his augurers,' May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

10

Dec. Never fear that: If he be so resolv'd,
I can o'ersway him: for he loves to hear,
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees.
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers;
But, when I tell him, he hates flatterers,
He says, he does; being then most flattered.
Let me work:

For I can give this humour the true bent;
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.
Bru. By the eighth hour; Is that the uttermost?
Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.
Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar 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 :"1 He loves me well, and I have given him reasons; Send him hither, and I'll fashion him.

Cas. The morning comes upon us: We'll leave you, Brutus:

And, friends, disperse yourselves: but all remember What you have said, and show yourselves true

Romans.

Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; Let not our looks put on 12 our purposes; But bear it as our Roman actors do, With untir'd spirits, and formal constancy: And so, good-morrow to you every one.

[Exeunt all but Brutus. Boy! Lucius!-Fast asleep? It is no matter; Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber:

Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius. We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;

(1) Perhaps Shakspeare wrote faith. (3) Prevaricate. (4) Cautious. (5) Character. (6) Let us not break the matter to him.

(2) Lot.

(7) Malice.

(8) Whether.

(9) Omens at sacrifices. (10) Prognosticators. (11) By his house. (12) Show our designs.

Thou hast no figures,' nor no fantasies, Which busy care draws in the brains of men ; Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

Por.

Enter Portia.

Brutus, my lord! Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now?

It is not for your health, thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw-cold morning.

Por. Nor for yours neither. You have ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed: And yesternight, at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing, and sighing, with your arms across :
And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks:

I urg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not;
But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: So I did;"
Fearing to strengthen that impatience,
Which seem'd too much enkindled; and, withal,
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep;
And, could it work so much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,2
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my 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. Why, so I do :-Good Portia, go to bed.
Por. Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced, and suck up the humours
Of the dank' morning? What, is Brutus sick;
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,
To dare the vile contagion of the night?
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air
To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;
You have some sick offence within your mind,
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of: And, upon my knees,
I charm you, by my once-commended beauty,
By all your vows of love, and that great vow
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,
Why you are heavy; and what men to-night
Have had resort to you: for here have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

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Caius,

To wear a kerchief? 'Would you were not sick!
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!
Brave son, derived from honourable loins!
Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjur'd up
My mortified spirit. Now b'd me run,
And I will strive with things impossible;
Yea, get the better of them. What's to do?
Bru. A piece of work, that will make sick men
whole.

Lig. But are not some whole, that we must make

sick?

Bru. That must we also. What it is, my Caius,
I shall unfold to thee, as we are going
To whom it must be done.

Lig.
Set on your foot;
And, with a heart new-fir'd, I follow you,
To do I know not what: but it sufficeth,
That Brutus leads me on.
Bru.

Follow me then.

SCENE II.-The same. [Exeunt. A room in Cæsar's palace. Thunder and lightning. Enter Cæsar, in his night-gown.

Caes. Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace to-night:

Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out,
Help, ho! they murder Casar! Who's within?
Enter a Servant.

Serv. My lord?

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You shall not stir out of your house to-day. Cas. Cæsar shall forth: The things that threaten'd me,

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,' Yet now they fright me. There is one within, Besides the things that we have heard and seen, Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelped in the streets; And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead; Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds, In ranks, and squadrons, and right form of war, Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol: The noise of battle hurtled2 in the air, Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan; And ghosts did shriek, and squeal' about the streets. O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use, And I do fear them.

Cæs.

What can be avoided, Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods? Yet Cæsar shall go forth: for these predictions Are to the world in general, as to Cæsar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of

princes.

Cas. Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,

Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come.
Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some

cause;

Lest I be laughed at, when I tell them so.

Cas. 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, potents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.

Dec. This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision, fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bath'd,'
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.'
This by Calphurnia's dream is signified.

Cas. And this way have you well expounded it.
Dec. I have, when you have heard what I can

say:

And know it now; The senate have concluded To give, this day, a crown to mighty Cæsar.

It seems to me most strange that men should fear; If you shall send them word, you will not come,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come, when it will come.

Re-enter a Servant.

What say the augurers? Serv. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast.

Cas. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No; Cæsar shall not: Danger knows full well,
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he.
We were two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible;
And Cæsar shall go forth.

Cal.
Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence.
Do not go forth to-day: Call it my fear,
That keeps you in the house, and not your own.
We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house;
And he shall say, you are not well to-day:
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

Cæs. 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. Cæsar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Cæsar:

I come to fetch you to the senate-house. ́

Cas. 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.

Shall Cæsar send a lie?

Cæs.
Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?

(1) Never paid a regard to prodigies or omens. (2) Encountered. (3) Cry with pain.

As to a saint, for relics.

Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be render'd, for some one to say,
Break up the senate till another time,

When Casar's wife shall meet with better dreams.
If Cæsar hide himself, shall they not whisper,
Lo, Cæsar is afraid?

Pardon me, Casar: for my dear, dear love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this;
And reason to my love is liable.

Cæs. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia?

I am ashamed I did yield to them.-
Give me my robe, for I will go :-

Enter Publius, Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca,
Trebonius, and Cinna.

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.
Pub. Good morrow, Cæsar.

Cæs.

Welcome, Publius.
What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
Good-morrow, Casca,-Caius Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy,
As that same ague which hath made you lean.---
What is't o'clock?

Bru.

Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight. Cas. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

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Cas. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;

Of senators, of prætors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:
I'll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæsar as he comes along.
Por. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a thing

And we, like friends, will straightway go together.
Bru. That every like is not the same, O Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus yearns' to think upon! [Exe.
SCENE III.-The same. A street near the Capi-The heart of woman is! O Brutus !

tol. Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.
Art. Cæsar, beware of Brutus; take heed of
Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to
Cinna; trust not Trebonius, mark well Metellus
Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast
wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind
in all these men, and it is bent against Cæsar.
If thou be'st not immortal, look about you: Secu-
rity gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods
-defend thee! Thy lover,2
Artemidorus.

Here will I stand, till Cæsar pass along,
And as a suitor will I give him this.

My heart laments, that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.3

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Por. I Pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate-house;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:
Why dost thou stay?

Luc.
To know my errand, madam.
Por. I would have had thee there, and here
again,

Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there.-
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.
How hard it is for women to keep counsel!-
Art thou here yet?

Luc.

Madam, what should I do?
Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And so return to you, and nothing else?
Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look
well,

For he went sickly forth: And take good note,
What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?'

Luc. I hear none, madam.
Por.

Pr'ythee, listen well;

I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
Enter Soothsayer.

Por.
Come hither, fellow:
Which way hast thou been?
Sooth.
At mine own house, good lady.
Por. What is't o'clock ?
Sooth.
About the ninth hour, lady.
Por. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol?
Sooth. Madam, not yet; I go to take my stand,
To see him pass on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou hast some suit to Cæsar, hast thou not?
Sooth. That I have, lady: if it will please Cæsar
To be so good to Cæsar, as to hear me,

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.

Good-morrow to you. Here the street is narrow:
The throng that follows Cæsar at the heels,

[Exit.

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!
Sure, the boy heard me :-Brutus hath a suit,
That Cæsar will not grant.-0, 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.

SCENE I.-The same. The Capitol; the senate
sitting. A crowd of people in the street leading
to the Capitol; among them Artemidorus, and
the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter Cæsar, Bru-
tus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius,
Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius, Publius, and
others.

Cas. The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.
Art. Hail, Cæsar! Read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure this his humble suit.

Art. O, Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer: Read it, great Cæsar.
Cas. What touches us ourself, shall be last serv'd.
Art. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.
Cas. What, is the fellow mad?
Pub.
Sirrah, give place.
Cas. What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

Cæsar enters the Capitol, the rest following. All
the Senators rise.

Pop. I wish, your enterprise to-day may thrive.
Cas. What enterprise, Popilius ?
Pop.

Fare you well [Advances to Cæsar.

Bru. What said Popilius Lena?
Cas. He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive

I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.
Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.-
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.

Bru.

Cassius, be constant:
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes:
For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.
Cas. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you,
Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius. Cæsar and the Senators take their seats, Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar. Bru. He is address'd: press near, and second

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(1) Grieves.

(2) Friend.

(3) Envy.

(4) Really.

(5) Ready.

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