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.

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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 Cæsar at the heels,
Of senators, of prætors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death :
I'll get me to a place more void and there
Speak to great Cæsar as he comes along.
Por. I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus,

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise !
Sure, the boy heard me: Brutus hath a suit
That Cæsar will not grant. O, I grow faint.
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;
Say I am merry: come to me again,

[Exit.

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And bring me word what he doth say to thee.
[Exeunt severally.

ACT THIRD.

Scene I.

Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.

A crowd of people; among them Artemidorus and the Soothsayer.
Flourish. Enter Casar, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius,
Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius,
Publius, and others.

Cas. The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cæsar! read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,

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.
Cas. What touches us ourself shall be last served.
Art. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.

Cas. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub.

Sirrah, give place.

ΙΟ

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

Casar goes up to the Senate-house, the rest following.

Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
Cas. What enterprise, Popilius?

Pop.

Bru. What said Popilius Lena?

Fare you well.

[Advances to Casar.

Cas. He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered,

Casca,

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.

Cas.

Bru.

Be sudden, for we fear prevention.

Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, 20
Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change. Cus. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.

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

Bru. He is address'd: press near and second him.
Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
Cas. 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

Cas.

An humble heart :

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[Kneeling.

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

40

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.

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.
Cas. What, Brutus!

Cas.

Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Cas. I could be well moved, if I v re 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.

Read

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,

Unshaked 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,

50

60

70

Cas.

Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me!

[Casca first, then the other Conspirators
and Marcus Brutus stab Cæsar.

Cas. Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Cæsar!
Cin. Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is dead!

Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out

'Liberty, freedom and enfranchisement!' Bru. People, and senators, be not affrighted;

Fly not; stand still: ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Cassius too.

Bru. Where's Publius?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's
Should chance-

Bru. Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;

[Dies.

There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.
Cas. And leave us, Publius; lest that the people
Rushing on us should do your age some mischief.

Bru. Do so: and let no man abide this deed

But we the doers.

80

90

Re-enter Trebonius.

Cas. Where is Antony?

Tre.

Fled to his house amazed:

Bru.

Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run
As it were doomsday.

Fates, we will know your pleasures:
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,