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; 1 [Exit SCENE IV. The same. 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; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone. Why dost thou stay? 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! 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 Come hither, fellow : Which way hast thou been? 1 Emulation is here used in its old sense of envious or factious rivalry. "The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction." Mr. Tyrwhitt says, "The introduction of the soothsayer here 18 VOL. VI. 6 Sooth. At mine own house, good lady Por. What is't o'clock? Sooth. About the ninth hour, lady. Por. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol? 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. Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow; [Exit. Por. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a thing And bring me word what he doth say to thee. [Exeunt. unnecessary and improper. All that he is made to say should be given to Artemidorus; who is seen and accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand to one more convenient." 1 These words Portia addresses to Lucius, to deceive him, by assigning a false cause for her present perturbation. ACT III. SCENE I. The same. The Capitol; the Senate sitting. A crowd of people in the street leading to the Capitol; Cæs. The ides of March are come. At your best leisure, this his humble suit. Art. O Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit That touches Cæsar nearer. Read it, great Cæsar. Cæs. What touches us ourself, shall be last served. Art. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly. Cæs. What, is the fellow mad? Pub. Sirrah, give place Cæs. What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol. CESAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. Pop. Fare you well. [Advances to CESAR Bru. What said Popilius Lena? Cas. He wished to-day our enterprise might thrive I fear our purpose is discovered. Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar. Mark him. Cas. 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 purposes; For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change. He draws Mark Antony out of the way. [Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. CESAR and the Senators take their seats. Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar. 1 Bru. He is addressed: press near, and second him. Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. Cæs. Are we all ready? What is now amiss, That Cæsar and his senate must redress? Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar, Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat [Kneeling. 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-crooked 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 1 i. e. he is ready. 2 According to the rules of modern grammar, Shakspeare should have written his hand. Ritson thinks the words "Are we all ready?" should be given to Cinna, and not to Cæsar. 3 Pre-ordinance for ordinance already established. 4 The old copy erroneously reads "the lane of children." Lawe as anciently written, was easily confounded with lane. 5 Ben Jonson has shown the ridicule of this passage in the Induction to The Staple of News. He has been accused of quoting the passage |