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.

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.

Shall Cæsar send a lie?

Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far,

To be afeard to tell gray-beards the truth?
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.

Cæs. 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 dreamed to-night she saw my statua,'
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 doth she apply for warnings and 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
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press

1 "The old copy reads statue; but it has been shown by Mr. Reed, beyond controversy, that statua was pronounced as a trisyllable by our ancestors, and hence generally written statua"

For tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.1
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,

When Casar'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.2

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

1 At the execution of several of the ancient nobility, martyrs, &c., handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as memorials. 2 "And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love."

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.

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; 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.1

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou mayst live;
If not, the fates with traitors do contrive.2

[Exit.

SCENE IV. The same.

Another Part of the same

Street, before the House of Brutus.

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

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 shouldst 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 rumor, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.

Por.

Enter Soothsayer.3

Come hither, fellow:

Which way hast thou been?

1 Emulation is here used in its old sense of envious or factious rivalry.

2 "The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction."

3 Mr. Tyrwhitt says,

VOL. VI.

6

"The introduction of the soothsayer here is

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 see him pass on to the Capitol.

to take my stand,

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, 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.

unnecessary and improper. All that he is made to say should be given to Artemidorus; who is seen and accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand to one more convenient."

1 These words Portia addresses to Lucius, to deceive him, by assigning a false cause for her present perturbation.