The Complete Works of Shakspeare, Revised from the Best Authorities : with a Memoir, and Essay on His Genius

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
For tincture, 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
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.

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.
"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

Cas. How foolish do your fears seem now, Cal- against Cæsar. If thou beest not immortal, look about

phurnia?

lean.

Cæs. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up: -good-morrow, Antony.

Another part of the

same Street, before the House of BRUTUS.

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

Por. I pr'y thee, boy, run to the senate-house:
Stay not to answer me, but get thee
Why dost thou stay?

Luc.

gone:

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.

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

Sooth. None that I know will be; much that I fear may chance.

in. go

[Exit.

Good-morrow to you. Here the street is narrow:
The throng that follows Cæsar at the heels,
Of senators, 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
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.

Cas. He wished, to-day, our enterprise might For the repealing of my banished brother?

thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery,
Cæsar;

Bru. Look how he makes to Cæsar; mark Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

him.

Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear preven

Cæs. What, Brutus !

Cas.

Pardon Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon !

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cæs. I could be well moved 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-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbered 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: 't is furnished well with men ;

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Yet, in the number, I do know but one

Bru. He is addressed: press near, and second That unassailable holds on his rank,

him.

Unshaked of motion: and that I am he

Cin Casca, you are the first that rears your Let me a little shew it, even in this:

hand.

Cas. Are we all ready? what is now amiss, That Cæsar and his senate must redress?

Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puisant Cæsar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

[Kneeling.

An humble heart :-
Cæs. I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond,

To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood
That will be thawed from the true quality
With that which melteth fools: I mean, sweet
words,

Low-crookéd curt'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.

Cæs. Et tu Brute? Then fall, Cæsar! [Dies. The Senators and People retire in confusion. Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!— Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, "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. And Cassius too. Bru. Where's Publius?

Dec.

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of
Cæsar's

Should chance

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.

Cas. 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.

Cas. Where is Antony?

Tre. Fled to his house amazed:

Enter a Servant.

Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.

Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me
kneel;

Thus did Marc Antony bid me fall down;
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say:
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honor him;
Say, I feared Cæsar, honored him, and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolved

How Cæsar hath deserved to lie in death,

Marc Antony shall not love Cæsar dead

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and So well as Brutus living; but will follow

run,

As it were doomsday.

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures.

That we shall die we know: 't is but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

life,

The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

Bru. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman:
I never thought him worse.

Cas. Why he that cuts off twenty years of Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honor,
Depart untouched.
Serv.

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 abridged
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!'
Cas. Stoop, then, and wash.
hence

How many ages

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,

In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

I'll fetch him presently.

[Exit Servant.

Bru. I know that we shall have him well to

friend.

Cas. I wish we may: but yet have I a mind
That fears him much; and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

Bru. But here comes Antony. - Welcome,
Marc Antony.

Re-eter ANTONY.

Ant. O mighty Cæsar! dost thou lie so low?

Bru. How many times shall Cæsar bleed in Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,

Shrunk to this little measure? - Fare thee well.-
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend;
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:

If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if ye bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,

I shall not find myself so apt to die :
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Bru. O Antony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not: they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity)
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Marc An-
tony:

Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any

man's

In the disposing of new dignities.

Bru. Only be patient till we have appeased The multitude, beside themselves with fear, And then we will deliver you the cause Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him, Have thus proceeded.

Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom. Let each man render me his bloody hand: First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you: Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand: Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus: Yours, Cinna: and, my valiant Casca, yours: Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.

Gentlemen all, -alas! what shall I say?

My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Cæsar, O 't is true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

Swayed from the point by looking down on Cæsar.
Friends am I with you all, and love you all;
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Cæsar was dangerous.

Bru. Or else were this a savage spectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard,
That were you, Antony, the son of Cæsar,
You should be satisfied.

Ant.
That's all I seek :
And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

Bru. You shall, Marc Antony.

Cas. [aside]. Brutus, a word with you.
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral.

Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?
By your pardon:

Bru.

I will myself into the pulpit first,

And shew the reason of our Cæsar's death.
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission:
And that we are contented Cæsar shall
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

Cas. I know not what may fall: I like it not. Bru. Marc Antony, here, take you Cæsar's body. You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,

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The Complete Works of Shakspeare, Revised from the Best ..., Volume 1