And reason to my love is liable 2.

Caf. How foolish do your fears feem 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, Cæfar.

Caf. Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you ftirr'd fo early too?
Good-morrow, Cafca.-Caius Ligarius,
Cæfar was ne'er so much your enemy,

As that fame ague which hath made you lean.-
What is't o'clock ?

Bru. Cæfar, 'tis ftricken eight.

Caf. 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 Cæfar.

Caf. 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 ftore for you;

Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember

you.

Treb. Cæfar, I will:-and fo near will I be, [Afide: That your best friends fhall wish I had been further. Caf. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me; And we, like friends, will ftraightway go together. Bru. That every like is not the fame, O Cæfar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

SCENE III.

The fame. Aftreet near the Capitol.
Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a paper.

[Exeunt.

Art. Cæfar, beware of Brutus ; take beed of Caffius; comt

not

And reafon, or propriety of conduct and language, is fubordi. nate to my love.

not near Cafca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thon baft wrong'd Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæfar. If thou beft not immortal, look about you: Security gives way to confpiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover,

Here will I ftand, till Cæfar pass along,
And as a fuitor will I give him this.
My heart laments, that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Cæfar, thou may'st live ;
If not, the fates with traitors do contrive 3.

Artemidorus.

[Exit.

The fame. Another part of the fame fireet, before the house

of Brutus.

Enter PORTIA, and LUCIUS.

Por. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the fenate-house ;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:
Why doft 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 should't do there.
O conftancy, be ftrong upon my fide!

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 counfel!-
Art thou here yet?

Luc. Madam, what fhould I do?

Run to the Capitol, and nothing elfe?

And fo return to you, and nothing else?

Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,

For he went fickly forth: And take good note,

What Cæfar doth, what fuitors prefs to him..

Hark, boy! what noife is that?

Luc. I hear none, madam.

Por. Pr'ythee, listen welt:

The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction.

I heard

I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.

Enter Soothsayer.

Por. Come hither, fellow: Which way haft thou been? Sooth. At mine own house, good lady.

Por. What is't o'clock ?

Sooth. About the ninth hour, lady.

Por. Is Cæfar yet gone to the Capitol ?

Sooth. Madam, not yet; I go to take my stand,

To see him pafs on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou haft fome fuit to Cæfar, haft thou not?
Sooth. That I have, lady: if it will please Cæfar

To be fo good to Cæfar, as to hear me,

I fhall befeech 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 Cæfar at the heels,
Of fenators, of prætors, common fuitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:
I'll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæfar as he comes along.

Por. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus!
The heavens speed thee in thine enterprize!
Sure, the boy heard me :-Brutus hath a fuit,
That Cæfar will not grant.-0, 1 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 fay to thee.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

4 Thefe words Portia addreffes to Lucius, to deceive him, by affign

ing a falfe caufe for her prefent perturbation.

ACT III. SCENE I.

The fame. The Capitol; the Senate fitting.

A crowd of people in the street leading to the Capitol;
among them ARTEMIDORUS, and the Soothfayer.
Flourish. Enter CESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA,
DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTO-
NY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and Others.
Caf. The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæfar; but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cæfar! Read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth defire you to o'er-read,
At your best leifure, this his humble fuit.

Art. O, Cæsar, read mine first ; for mine's a fuit
That touches Cæfar nearer: Read it, great Cæfar.
Caf. What touches us ourself, shall be last serv'd.
Art. Delay not, Cæfar; read it inftantly.
Caf. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirrah, give place.

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

Cæfar enters the Capitol, the reft following.
All the Senators rife.

Pop. I wish, your enterprize to-day may thrive.

Caf. What enterprize, Popilius?

Pop. Fare you well.

Bru. What faid Popilius Lena?

[advances to Cæfar.

Caf. He wish'd, to-day our enterprize might thrive.

I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæfar: Mark him. Caf. Cafca, be fudden, for we fear prevention.Brutus, what fhall be done? If this be known, Caffius or Cæfar never shall turn back,

For I will flay myself.

Bru. Caffius, be conftant:

Popilius Lena fpeaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he fmiles, and Cæfar doth not change.

Caf. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

4

[Exeunt.

[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. CESAR and the Senators take their feats.

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his fuit to Cæfar.

Bru. He is addreft: prefs near, and second him.
Cin. Cafca, you are the firft that rears your hand".
Caf. Are we all ready? what is now amifs,
That Cæfar, and his fenate, must redress?

Met. Moft high, moft mighty, and moft puiffant Cæfar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy feat
An humble heart :-

Caf. I muft prevent thee, Cimber.
Thefe couchings, and thefe lowly courtefies,
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 Cæfar bears fuch rebel blood,
That will be thaw'd from the true quality

[Kneeling,

With that which melteth fools; I mean, fweet words,
Low-crooked curt'fies, and bafe fpaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou doft bend, and pray, and fawn, for him,
I fpurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cæfar doth not wrong; nor without cause
Will he be fatisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To found more fweetly in great Cæfar's ear,
For the repealing of my banifh'd brother?

Bru. I kifs thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæfar;
Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus!

Caf. Pardon, Cæfar; Cæfar, pardon:

As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:

But

5 To reduce the paffage to the rules of grammar, we should read

You are the firft that rears his band.

• Pre-ordinance, for ordinance already established.