Cæs. Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Will come, when it will come. Re-enter a Servant. What say the augurers? Serv. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast. Cas. The gods do this in shame of cowardice; If he should stay at home to-day for fear. And Cæsar shall go forth. Cal. Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consumed in confidence. Do not go forth to-day. Call it my fear, That keeps you in the house, and not your own. Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this. Cæs. Mark Antony shall say I am not well; And, for thy humor, I will stay at home. Poison of supposed Prophecies, 1583, says, "Next to the shadows and pretences of experience (which have been met with all at large), they seem to brag most of the strange events which follow (for the most part) after blazing starres; as if they were the summonses of God to call princes to the seat of judgment. The surest way to shake their painted bulwarkes of experience is, by making plaine that neither princes always dye when comets blaze, nor comets ever (i. e. always) when princes dye." In this work is a curious anecdote of queen Elizabeth," then lying at Richmond, being dissuaded from looking on a comet; with a courage equal to the greatness of her state, she caused the windowe to be sette open, and said, Jacta est alea-the dice are thrown." 1 The old copy reads, "We heare," &c. The emendation was made by Theobald. Upton proposed to read, "We are," &c. Enter DECIUS. Here's Decius Brutus; he shall tell them so. Cæsar; Good morrow, worthy I come to fetch you to the senate-house. Cæs. And you are come in very happy time, I will not come to-day. Tell them so, Decius. Cæs. Shall Cæsar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far, To be afeard to tell gray-beards the truth? 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. It was a vision, fair and fortunate. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, 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.' 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. Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear, dear love Cæs. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia ! I am ashamed I did yield to them.— 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?— As that same ague which hath made you lean.- 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, 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, Out of the teeth of emulation.1 If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou mayst live; SCENE IV. The same. [Exit. 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; Luc. To know my errand, madam. Por. I would have had thee there, and here again, Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue! How hard it is for women to keep counsel!— 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, Por. Enter Soothsayer.3 Which way hast thou been? Come hither, fellow : 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, "The introduction of the soothsayer here is VOL. VI. 6 |