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?

ACT II

Sc. IV

ΤΟ

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 ARTEMIDORUS.

POR. Come hither, Fellow: which way hast thou been?
ARTEM. At mine own house, good Lady.

POR. What is 't o'clock ?

ARTEM.

About the ninth hour, Lady.

POR. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol?

ARTEM. 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?
ARTEM. 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.

20

30

POR. Why, know'st thou any harm's intended towards

him?

ARTEM. 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.
POR. I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus, Brutus,
The Heavens speed thee in thine enterprise !

[exit.

40

VIII: E

33

ACT II
Sc. IV

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 severally.

ACT III

SCENE I. Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate
sitting above.

A crowd of People; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the
Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CESAR, BRUTUS,
CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS,
CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and
others.

CES. [to the Soothsayer.] The Ides of March are come.
SOOTH. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

ARTEM. Hail, Cæsar! read this schedule.

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

At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

ARTEM. O Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer: read it, great Cæsar.
CES. What touches us ourself shall be last serv'd.
ARTEM. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.
CES. What, is the fellow mad?

PUB.

Sirrah, give place.

ΤΟ

CASS. What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

CÆSAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following.

Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.

CASS. What enterprise, Popilius?

Pop.

BRU. What said Popilius Lena?

Fare you well.

[advances to CÆSAR.

CASS. He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

BRU. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.
CASS. 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 purpose;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.
Cass.
CASS. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

20

[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS.

go,

DEC. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him
And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.
BRU. He is address'd: press near and second him.
CIN. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
CES. Are we all ready? What is now amiss

That Cæsar and his Senate must redress?

30

MET. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart

[kneeling.

CES.
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These crouchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree1
Into the play of children. Be not fond,2

To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood

That will be thaw'd from the true quality

With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel-fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished:

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him,

I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cæsar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

MET. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear
For the repealing3 of my banish'd brother?
BRU. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

40

50

1 i.e. already decreed once for all.

2 =foolish.

* recall.

ACT III

Sc. I

ACT III CES. What, Brutus !

Sc. I

CASS.

Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
CAS. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the Northern Star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting1 quality
There is no fellow in the Firmament.

The Skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the World; 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;2
Yet in the number I do know but one

That unassailable holds on his rank,"
Unshak'd of motion; and that I am he,

Let me a little shew it, even in this:

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

60

70

[CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and

MARCUS BRUTUS stab CÆSAR.

CES. Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Cæsar!
CIN. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!

[dies.

Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
CASS. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out

4

Liberty, Freedom, and Enfranchisement!
BRU. People, and Senators, be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still: Ambition's debt is paid.
CASCA. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

DEC.

BRU. Where's Publius?

And Cassius too..

CIN. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

MET. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's

Should chance

1 perdurable. 2 understanding.

keeps his pace and place. ⚫ platforms.

80

BRU. Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.
CASS. And leave us, Publius; lest that the People,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
BRU. Do so: and let no man abide this deed,
But we the doers.

Re-enter TREBONIUS.

Fled to his house amaz'd.

CASS. Where's Antony?

TREB.

Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run
As it were Doomsday.

BRU.
Fates, we will know your pleasures:
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.1
CASS. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

BRU. Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:
Then walk we forth, even to the Market-Place,
And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry Peace, Freedom, and Liberty!
CASS. Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over

In States unborn and accents yet unknown!

BRU. How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport,

That now on Pompey's basis lies along

No worthier than the dust!

110

Ay; every man away:

120

Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome. BRU. Soft! who comes here?

1 are concerned withal.