Luc. Here is a sick man that would speak with you.
Bru. [Aside.] Caius Ligarius, that Trebonius spoke of.-

Portia, go in a while:

All my engagement I will construe to thee-

And by and by thy bosom shall partake

The secrets of my heart.-Leave me with haste.

I come to him.

[Exit Portia, R. S. E.

[Thunder and Lightning. -Exeunt L.

SCENE III.-Rome. - An Apartment in Cæsar's Palace.

Enter CÆSAR.

Cæs. (c.) Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace to

night;

Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out,
"Help, ho! They murder Cæsar!"-Who's within ?

Fla. My lord?

Enter FLAVIUS, R.

Cas. Go bid the priests do present sacrifice,

And bring me their opinions of success. [Exit Flavius, L.

Enter CALPHURNIA, R.

Cal. (c.) What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to walk

forth?

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 vanish'd.

Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Recounts most horrid visions seen to-night:
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
Which drizzled blood upon the capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air.

And ghosts did shriek, and gibber in the streets.
O, Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Cas. (c.) What can be avoided,
Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods ?-
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonder that I yet have heard,

It seems to me most strange that men should fear;

Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come, when it will come.-

Enter FLAVIUS, R.

What say the augurers ?

Fla. 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. (R.C.) The gods do this in shame of cowardice.
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart, [Exit Flavius, R.
If he should stay at home to-day for fear:
No; Cæsar shall go forth.

Cal. (L. c.) Alas, my lord!
Your wisdom is consumed 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.

Cas. Mark Antony shall say I am not well:
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.
Enter DECIUS, R.

Here's Decius; he shall go and 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.

Cas. Shall Cæsar send a lie?

Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?
Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come.

Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so.

Cas. (c.) 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.
These she applies for 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 bathed.
Signifies, that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press
To you for tinctures, stains, 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.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be rendered, for some one to say,
"Break up the senate till another time,
When Cæsar's wife shall meet with better dreams.
If Cæsar hide himself, shall they not whisper,
"Lo, Cæsar is afraid!"

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

Cas. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia!I am ashamed that I did yield to them

And look, where other friends are come to fetch me.

[Exit Calvhurnia, L.

Enter CASCA and BRUTUS, R.

Casca. Good morrow, Cæsar.

Cas. Welcome, Publius Casca.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?

I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter ANTONY, L.

See! Antony, that revels long o'nights,
Is notwithstanding up:
Good morrow, Antony.

Ant. So to most noble Cæsar.

Cæs. Bid them prepare within :

I am to blame to be thus waited for.

Enter CINNA, METELLUS, and TREBONIUS, R. Now, Cinna:-Now, Metellus: -What, Trebonius!

I have an hour's talk in store for you :
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Tre. Cæsar, I will :-[Aside] And so near will I be,

That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

Cas. (L.) Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with

me;

And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

[Exeunt all but Brutus, L. Bru. (c.) That every like is not the same, O Cæsar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon !

АСТ III.

[Exit L.

SCENE I.-Rome. -A Street near the Capitol.

Sooth.

Enter the SOOTHSAYER, R. reading a Scroll.

"

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 loves thee not; thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæsar. It thou be'st not immortal, look about thee!"

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou may'st live;

If not, the fates with traitors do contrive.

[He retires a little, L.

Enter Lucius and PORTIA, R.

Por. (R. c.) I pr'y thee boy, run to the senate-house ;

Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone :
Why dost thou stay ?

Luc. (R. C.) 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 !-
Art thou here yet?

Luc. (c.) Madam, what should I do

Run to the capitol, 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.

Por. [Seeing the Soothsayer.]

Which way hast thou been?

Come hither fellow :

Sooth. At mine own house, good 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. (c.) Why, know'st thou any harm's intended

tow'rds him? Sooth. None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance. [Exit Soothsayer, L.

Por. I must go in.-Ah me, how weak a thing The heart of woman is! [Lucius stands back.] O, Brutus,

Brutus,

The heaven speed thee in thine enterprise!

Sure, the boy heard me.-Brutus hath a suit
That Cæsar 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.

[Exit Lucius, L, Portia, R.

SCENE II.-Rome. - The Capitol. A Flourish of Instruments. The Senate sitting.

CÆSAR, [Seated c.] ANTONY, LEPIDUS, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, SENATORS, and others, discovered, R. and L.

Enter the SOOTHSAYER, L.

Sooth. (c.) Hail, Cæsar!

Cas. The ides of March are come.

Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.-Hail! Read this

schedule.

Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,

At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Sooth. O, Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit

That touches Cæsar nearer: Read it, great Cæsar.