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

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

Bru. No, not an oath. If not the face of men,
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 engaged
That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests and cowards, and men cautelous,
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 passed 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.

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.

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar,
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
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;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
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:
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be called purgers, not murderers.
And for Marc Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm,
When Cæsar's head is off.

Yet I fear him:

Cus. For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar,Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him: If he love Cæsar, 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 and wildness, and much company.

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

Bru. Peace: count the clock.

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 unaccustomed terror of this night.
And the persuasion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

Dec. Never fear that. If he be so resolved,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betrayed 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 his 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. He loves me well, and I have given him reasons: Send him but 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 shew yourselves true Romans.

Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily: Let not our looks put on our purposes:

But bear it, as our Roman actors do,
With untired 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.
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men:
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

You stared upon me with ungentle looks:
I urged you further; then you scratched your
head,

And too impatiently stamped with your foot:
Yet I insisted, yet you answered 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 seemed 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 prevailed on your condition,
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 unbracéd, 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 unpurgéd 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.
Bru.

Kneel not, gentle Portia.
Por. I should not need, if you were gentle

Brutus.

Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,
Is it excepted I should know no secrets
That appertain to you? Am I yourself
But, as it were, in sort or limitation :
To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,
And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the
suburbs

Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,
Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Bru. You are my true and honourable wife:
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart.

Por. If this were true, then should I know this

secret.

I grant I am a woman; but withal
A woman that lord Brutus took to wife:
I grant 1 am a woman; but withal
A woman well-reputed,-Cato's daughter.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so fathered and so husbanded?

Tell me your counsels; I will not disclose them:
I have made strong proof of my constancy,
Giving myself a voluntary wound

Here in the thigh. Can I bear that with patience,
And not my husband's secrets?
O ye gods,

Bru.

Cal. What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to walk forth?

You shall not stir out of your house to-day. Cæs. Cæsar shall forth. The things that threatened me

Ne'er looked 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 whelpéd in the streets; And graves have yawned 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 hurtled in the air;
Horses do 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 purposed 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.

Cæs. Cowards die many times before their deaths:

The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders 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.

Re-enter Servant.

[Exeunt.

What say the augurers?

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-honse.

Cæs. 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. Cæs. Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far, To be afeard to tell greybeards the truth? Decius, go tell them Cæsar will not come. Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some

Shall Cæsar send a lie?

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, portents, And evils imminent; and on her knee Hath begged 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

For tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.
This by Calphurnia's dream is signified.

Cæs. 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
WhenCæsar'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.

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 :-
And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS, and CINNA.

Pub. Good-morrow, Cæsar. Cæs. Welcome, Publius.What, Brutus, are you stirred 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, 't is strucken eight.
Cæs. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.
Enter ANTONY.

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.-
Now, Cinna: now, Metellus: what, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in store for you:
Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember you.
Treb. Cæsar, I will :—and so near will I be,

[Aside. That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

Cæs. 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 Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The same. A Street near the

Capitol.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a paper.

Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metullus 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 beest not immortal, look about you: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, "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.

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou mayst live:
If not, the fates with traitors do contrive. [Exit.

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, know st 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,
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. [Exit.

Por. I must go in.-Ah me, how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus,
The heavens 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.
[Exeunt.