SCENE. V.

Enter CAESAR again, drefs'd.

CAESAR.

Welcome, my friends.

DECIUS BRUTUS.

The fenate does attend great CAESAR's prefence;

And we are come to wait upon you thither.

CAESAR.

Let 'em attend a while; 'tis early yet.

SCENE VI,

Enter ANTONY.

What, ANTONY, who revels all the night!
Is he up too? Nay, then 'tis time to go.

ANTONY.

Rather to stay I came not here in courtship.
But 'tis the facred college of the priests

Which brought me hither; and they wait without.
Hear 'em, great CAESAR; it concerns you nearly,
And what does fo, is for the good of Rome.

CAESAR.

The fenate stays; another time will ferve.

[As he is going out, enter the Priests, who stop him.

PRIEST.

Great CAESAR, hail! forgive our zealous haste,
Urg'd by divine portent, which fent us here,
To warn the mighty ruler of the world.

CAESAR.

Speak: I attend the meffage of the Gods.

PRIEST.

As on mount Aventine I lately fat,

Attir'd with facred robes, and fouthward turn'd;
The Heav'ns all clear, and free from black prefage;
With my bent wand I the due rites perform'd,
And parted all the regions of the air.
When lo, ill-boding birds appear'd from far,
Bearing misfortunes on their ominous wings:
I gaz'd upon them with prophetick skill,
Till a fierce flash of lightning check'd my fight.
Then, in one instant, all the Heav'ns were chang'd;
Clouds, fwell'd with thunder, roll'd themfelves along,
With noise too horrible for human ear.

CAESAR.

It thunder'd, and it lighten'd: well, go on.
SECOND PRIEST.

Omens of ill in feveral kinds agree:
Having now chofe for folemn facrifice

A large grown-bull, the goodlieft of the herd;
With unwonted rage
an

he breaks his chains,
Making fierce way thro' all the frighten'd crowd,
Which gaz'd, and trembled; fo divided flood.
Betwixt their curiofity and fear:

At last, he at the altar laid him down,

And feem'd to beg the blow, which none durft give;
Then on a fudden shook the air like thunder;
And with unhear❜d of bellowing breath'd his last.
When open'd, we beheld, with eyes amaz'd,

This boift'rous beast, that rag'd with so much clamour,
Yet had no heart.

CAESAR.

And I should feem like him,

Did I give way to ev'ry idle fear.

PRIEST.

Is it an idle thing to fear the Gods?

Thou'rt in their power, as the world in thine;
And each may own a fear without a blush.
ANTONY.

Good CAESAR, be advis'd: in this one thing
Yield to your friends, and fend the fenate word
You are not well.

CAESAR.

What, fend 'em an excufe!
Have I in conquest stretch'd my arm so far,
And fear at last to tell grey-beards the truth?
No, ANTONY, truth will bear out itself.
I would do much to give my friends content;
So, let them know I fhall not come to-day;
Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falfer.
I will not come: go, tell it to the fenate.

[TO DECIUS Brutus.

DECIUS BRUTUS.

But shall not I pretend fome caufe for this?

CAESAR.

The caufe is in my will. I will not go.
That is enough to fatisfy the fenate.
DECIUS BRUTUS.

Sir, I obey; but pardon my affection,
If it offends you with untimely care:
The fenate is refolv'd to give a crown
This day to mighty CAESAR: who can tell,
But by to-morrow their loofe minds may change?

Affemblies are uncertain as the sea,

Which ebbs and flows, now rifes and now falls,
Just as the hum'rous wind inclines to move.
No woman changes more than crowds of men.
CAESAR.

How weak your fears feem now, good ANTONY!
I must not let the fair occafion fall.

Prepare the ceremony; I am stay'd for.

BRUTUS.

Prudence in vain defends unhappy men:

When Heav'n ordains, the wisest haste to ruin.

[Exeunt omnes.

To be fung after the Third Act, by two aerial Spirits.

THIRD CHORUS.

I.

TELL, oh! tell me, whence arise

Thefe diforders in our skies?

Rome's great Genius wildly gaz'd;
And the Gods feem all amaz’d.

II.

Know, in fight of this day's fun,
Such a deed is to be done,
Black enough to shroud the light
Of all this world in dismal night.

I.

What is this deed?

II.

To kill a man,

The greatest fince mankind began:

Ꮓ

Learned, eloquent, and wife,

Gen'rous, merciful, and brave!

But will not goodness claim regard;
And does not worth deserve reward?

I.

Does not their country lie at stake?
Can they do too much for her fake?

BOTH TOGETHER.

Tho' dreadful be this doom of fate,
Juft is that pow'r which governs all:
Better this wond'rous man should fall,
Than a moft glorious, virtuous state.