*

Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber:
Thou hast no figures, nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

Por. Brutus, my lord!

Enter PORTIA.

Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now? It is not for your health, thus to commit

Your weak condition to the raw-cold morning.

Por. Nor for yours neither. You have ungently, Brutus, Stole from my bed: And yesternight, at supper,

You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing, and sighing, with your arms across :
And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You stared upon me with ungentle looks:

I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not;

But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: So I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience,
Which seem'd too much enkindled; and, withal,
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep;
And, could it work so much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,t
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

all.

Bru. I am not well in health, and that
Por. Brutus is wise, and were he not in health,
He would embrace the means to come by it.

Bru. Why, so I do:-Good Portia, go to bed.
Por. Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced, and suck up the humours
Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick;
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,
To dare the vile contagion of the night?
And tempt the rheumy‡ and unpurged air
To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;
You have some sick offence within your mind,
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of: And, upon my knees,
I charm you, by my once commended beauty,
By all your vows of love, and that great vow,
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,
Why you are heavy; and what men to-night
Have had resort to you: for there have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

Bru. Kneel not, gentle Portia,quidi adku sverk, libw 3 bd / Por. I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus. Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,

Is it expected, I should know no secrets

That appertain to you? Am I yourself,
But, as it were, in sort, or limitation;

To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,

And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs
Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Bru. You are my true and honourable wife;

As dear to me, as are the ruddy drops

That visit my sad heart.

Por. If this were true, then should I know this secret.

I grant, I am a woman; but, withal,

A woman that lord Brutus took to wife:

I grant, I am a woman; but, withal,

A woman well-reputed; Cato's daughter.
Think you, I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so father'd, and so husbanded?

Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose them:
I have made strong proof of my constancy,

Giving myself a voluntary wound

Here, in the thigh: Can I bear that with patience,
And not my husband's secrets ?

Bru. O ye gods,

Render me worthy of this noble wife!

[Knocking within.

Hark, hark! one knocks: Portia, go in a while;
And by and by thy bosom shall partake

The secrets of my heart.

All my engagements I will construe to thee,
All the charactery of my sad brows:-
Leave me with haste.

Enter LUCIUS and LIGARIUS.

Lucius, who is that, knocks?

[Exit PORTIA.

Luc. Here is a sick man, that would speak with you.
Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of.-

Boy, stand aside.-Caius Ligarius! how?

Lig. Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue.

Bru. O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius,
To wear a kerchief? 'Would you were not sick!
Lig. I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand
Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius,
Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

Lig. By all the gods that Romans bow before
1 here discard my sickness. Soul of Rome!
Brave son, derived from honourable loins!
Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up
My mortified spirit. Now bid me run

* Meaning.

And I will strive with things impossible;ustom door? verti Yea, get the better of them. What's to do Por bluoda L bot Bru. A piece of work that will make sick men whole, au? Lig. But are not some whole, that we must make sick Pat Bru. That must we also. What it is, my Caius,

I shall unfold to thee, as we are going,

To whom it must be done.

Lig. Set on your foot;

And, with a heart new-fired, I follow you,

な

To do I know not what: but it sufficeth,not exist at aro
That Brutus leads me on.

Bru. Follow me then. 20

SCENE II-The same. A Room in CASAR'S Palace. Thunder and lightning. Enter CESAR, in his night-gown, Cas. Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace to-night: Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out, allow darowak Help, ho! they murder Casar!-Who's within ?

Serv. My lord?

Enter a SERVANT.

Cas. Go bid the priests do present sacrifice, And bring me their opinions of success.

Serv. I will, my lord.

Enter CALPHURNIA.

Cal. What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to walk forth ?H You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Cæs. Cesar shall forth: The things that threatened me,

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see

The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,*
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead:
Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons, and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol:

The noise of battle hurtled† in the air,

Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan;

And ghosts did shriek, and squeal about the streets,
O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,

And I do fear them.

Cæs. What can be avoided,

Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?

Yet Cæsar shall go forth: for these predictions

Are to the world in general, as to Cæsar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
Cas. Cowards die many times before their deaths;

Never paid regard to omens.

Clashed

The valiant never taste of death but once. bib kise pallore shr
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, Figs eda och saodd ba
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;od ale bud
Seeing that death, a necessary end,ta geta link I body b'ezod dogH
Will come, when it will comeasti saham Ils el excub cliff ss0
amond bua Tist, noriy & aw dl
Re-enter a SERVANT.

What say the augurers Paired enanoll vaidine vrem os doidwar
Serv. They will not have you to stir forth to-day. this wollighie
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,us behoold gnivívolí
They could not find a heart within the beast.amista paridould noʻl
Cas. The gods do this in shame of cowardice miglet yd aid?
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart, ad you adr hrA (290
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.or jada (9749 l sea
No, Cæsar shall not: Danger knows full well, woli af word bn A
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he won a yab eift evry of
We were two lions litter'd in one day,row merit bites Hada xrov 11
And I the elder and more terrible; eyredo vem aboim siod T
And Cæsar shall go forth.ys of one emos 101 b'robust od of dA
Cal. Alas, my lord, smat yside.eu fit sinaas odd gan doerfl
Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.si su grozno od
Do not go forth to-day: Call it my fear,ale foeinid shid we30 11
That keeps you in the house, and not your own.io di smsno,ol
We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house; 33230 om dobre¶
And he shall say, you are not well to-day biduubossong troy o'l
Let me upon my knee, prevail in this.fei

Cas. Mark Antony shall say, I am not well;allod woll 250 And, for thy humour, I will stay at home. bib I boredag me I yar edər yar em evd

Enter DECIUS.

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

Dec. Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Cæsar:

I come to fetch you to the senate-house. 0

Cas. And you are come in very happy timem bool) di

To bear my greeting to the senators,

And tell them, that I will not come to-day:

ox #und and if Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falser;02 Wortonf-ben) I will not come to day: Tell them so, Decius. To en ERW ISKCO Cal. Say, he is sick. ed deniv GPRS Forge Jadi RA

Cas. Shall Cæsar send a lie ?

$ Abotolo d'ab and 77 Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so farle el a

To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth ?roi noy dasht I wo Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come.

Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,natih Fook

Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so.

Cas. 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.
Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night saw my statua,
Which like a fountain, with a hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans

Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
And these does she apply for warningsortents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd, 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 bath'd,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press
For tinctures, 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 a mock or bi Apt to be render'd, for some one to say, whe

Break up the senate till another time,

When Casar's wife shall meet with better dreams. sobatur jud If Cesar hide himself, shall they not whisper,

Lo, Casar is afraid? Note

Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear, dear love me

To your proceeding bids me tell you this;

And reason to my love is liable.*

Caes. How foolish do your fears seem 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, Cæsar.

Cæs. Welcome, Publius.-

What Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too ?—
Good-morrow, Casca.-Caius Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy,...

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

Bru. Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight.

Cæs. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o'nights,

Is, notwithstanding, up :

Good morrow, Antony.com

Ant. So most noble Cæsar.

Cas. 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;