No, Cæsar shall not: Danger knows full well
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he:

We are A
And I the elder and more terrible ;-
And Cæsar shall go forth.

two lions litter'd in one day,

CAL. Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence. Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear That keeps you in the house, and not your own. We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house; And he shall say you are not well to-day : Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

CES. Mark Antony shall say I am not well; And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.

That is enough to satisfy the senate.
But, for your private satisfaction,
Because I love you, I will let you know,-
Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt, to-night she saw my statua,
Which, like a fountain with an 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 warnings, and
portents,

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,

a We are two lions, &c.] The old reading is, "We heare," &c., for which Theobald printed "We were," &c., and this until recently has been the ordinary text; at the present time, however, Upton's emendation, " We are," &c., is very justly preferred.

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.

CES. 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.
you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a

If

your best friends shall wish I had been further.

CES. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me ;

And we, like friends, will straightway go together. BRU. [Aside.] 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. Caesar, 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.

* Security gives way to, &c.] The meaning is, over-confidence affords a passage, &c.

Thy lover, It need hardly be repeated that "lover" was

If thou beest 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,
And as a suitor will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O, Cæsar, thou mayst live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive. [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?

formerly equivalent to friend.

c contrive.] See note (a), p. 429, Vol. II.

BRU. He is address'd: press near and second him.

CIN. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
CASCA. Are we all ready?°
CAS.

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
An humble heart,—

[Kneeling.

CES.
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 thaw'd from the true quality
With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked court'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.(1)

MET. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,

To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear,
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

BRU. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

(*) Old text, lane.

abe constant.] Be firm, steady, self-possessed. baddress'd:] Prepared, ready.

C CASCA. Are we all ready?] In the old copy these words begin Cæsar's speech; there can be little doubt that Mr. Collier's

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 mov'd, 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-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumber'd 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,-'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshak'd of motion: and that I am he
Let me a little show it, even in this,—
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

CIN. O, Cæsar—

CAS. Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?
DEC. Great Cæsar,-

CES.
Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
CASCA. Speak, hands, for me!