--I will this night,

In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,

As if they came from feveral citizens,

Writings, all tending to the great opinion

That Rome holds of his name; wherein, obfcurely, Cæfar's ambition fhall be glanced at.

And, after this, let Cæfar feat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worfe days endure. [Exit.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Casca, his fword drawn ; and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Casca; brought you Cæfar home? Why are you breathlefs, and why ftare you fo?

Cafca. Are not you mov'd, when all the fway of earth Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero!

I have feen tempefts, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds :
But never till to night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heav'n;
Or else the world, too faucy with the gods,
Incenfes them to fend destruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Gafca. A common flave, you knew him well by fight,
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unfcorch'd.
Befides, (I ha' not fince put up my (word),
Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn

Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,

Transformed with their fear; who fwore they faw
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.

And yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Ev'n at noon-day, upon the market-place,

To humour fignifics here to turn and wind him, by inflaming bis paffions.

Houting and fhrieking. When these prodigies
Do fe conjointly meet, let not men say,
"These are their reasons, they are natural :"
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed it is a strange difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpofe of the things themselves.
Comes Cæfar to the Capitol to-morrow?
Cafta. He doth: for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Cafca; this disturbed fky
Is not to walk in.

Cafca. Farewel, Cicero.

SCENE VIL.

Caf. Who's there?

Cafca. A Roman:

Caf. Cafea, by your voice.

[Exit Cicero.

Enter Caffius.

Cafea. Your ear is good. Caffius, what night is this?
Caf. A very pleafant night to honeft men.

Cafca. Who ever knew the heaven's menace fo? Caf. Thofe that have known the earth fo full of faults, Fot my part, I have walk'd about the streets, Submitting me unto the perillous night;

And thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee,

Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-ftone:

And when the crofs blue lightning feem'd to open
The breast of heaven, I did prefent myself

Ev'n in the aim and very flash of it.

Cafca. But wherefore did you fo much tempt the It is the part of men to fear and tremble, [heanv's ? When the most mighty gods, by tokens, fend Such dreadful heralds to altonifh us.

Caf. You are dull, Cafca; and thofe fparks of life That fhould be in a Roman you do want,

Or else you use not. You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and caft yourself in wonder,
To fee the strange impatience of the heav'ns :
But if you would confider the true caufe,
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghofts,
Why birds and beafts, from quality and kind,
VOL, VII.

B

;

Why old men, fools, and children calculate *
Why all these things change, from their ordinance,
Their natures and pre-formed faculties

To monftrous quality; why, you fhall find,
That heav'n has infus'd them with these spirits,
To make them inftruments of fear and warning
Unto fome monstrous state.

Now could I, Cafca, name to thee a man

Moft like this dreadful night;

that thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the lion in the Capitol;

.

A man no mightier than thyself, or me,

In personal action; yet prodigious grown,
And fearful, as thefe ftrange eruptions are.

Cafca. 'Tis Cæfar that you mean; is it not, Caffius ?
Caf. Let it be who it is: for Romans now
Have thewes and limbs like to their ancestors;
But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits:
Our yoke and fuff'rance fhew us womanish.

Cafca. Indeed they say the senators to-morrow
Mean to establish Cæfar as a King:

And he fhall wear his crown by sea and land,
In every place, fave here in Italy.

Caf. I know where I will wear this dagger then. • Caffius from bondage will deliver Caffius.

Therein, ye gods, you make the weak moft ftrong; Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat; Nor ftony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, Nor airless dungeon, nor ftrong links of iron, • Can be retentive to the ftrength of spirit: But life, being weary of these worldly bars, • Never lacks power to difmifs itself.

If I know this; know all the world befides, • That part of tyranny that I do bear, I can fhake off at pleasure..

Casca, So can I:

So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.

Caf. And why should Cæfar be a tyrant then?

Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,

* Calculate here fignifies to foretel or prophest.

But that he fees the Romans are but sheep;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with hafte will make a mighty fire,
Begin it with weak straws. What trafh is Rome?
What rubbish, and what offal? when it ferves
For the base matter to illuminate

So vile a thing as Cæfar? But, oh, grief!
Where haft thou led me? I perhaps fpeak this
Before a willing bondman: then I know
My answer must be made. But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.

Cafca. You fpeak to Cafca, and to fuch a man,
That is no flearing tell-tale. Hold my hand :
Be factious for redrefs of all these griefs,

And I will fet this foot of mine as far,
As who goes fartheft.

Caf. There's a bargain made.

Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans,
To undergo, with me, an enterprise

Of honourable dang'rous confequence;
And I do know by this they stay for me

In Pompey's porch. For now, this fearful night,
There is no ftir, or walking in the streets;

And the complexion of the elements

Is fev'rous, like the work we have in hand;
Moft bloody, fiery, and most terrible.

Enter Cinna.

Cafea. Stand clofe a white, for here comes one in hafte. Caf. 'Tis Cinna, I do know him by his gate; He is a friend. Cinna, where hafte you fo?

Cin. To find out you: who's that, Metellus Cimber? Caf. No, it is Cafca, one incorporate

To our attempts.

Am I not ftaid for, Cinna? Cin. I'm glad on't. What a fearful night is this? There's two or three of us have feen ftrange fights. Caf. Am I not ftaid for? tell me.

Gin. Yes, you are.

O Caffius! could you win the Noble Brutus

To our party

Caf. Be you content.

Good Cinna, take this paper;

And look you lay it in the Prætor's chair,
Where Brutus may but find it; and throw this
In at his window; fet this up with wax
Upon old Bratus' itatue: all this done,

Repair to Pompey's porch, where you fhall find us.
Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?

Gin. All but Metellus Cimber, and he's gone
To feek you at your houfe. Well, I will hie,
And fo beftow thefe papers as you bad me.
Caf. That done, repair to Pompey's theatre.

[Exit Cinna.

Come, Cafca, you and I will yet, ere day,
See Brutus at his houfe; three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire

Upon the next encounter yields him ours.

Cafca. O, he fits high in all the people's hearts :
And that which would appear offence in us,
His countenance, like richest alchymy,

Will change to virtue and to worthiness.

Caf. Him, and his worth, and our great need of him, You have right well conceited; let us go, For it is after midnight; and ere day We will awake him, and be fure of him.

[Exeunt.

A CT

H. SCENE I.

Bru.

Brutus's garden.

Enter Brutus,

Hat, Lucius! ho!

I cannot by the progrefs of the ftars.
Lucius, I fay!

Give guess how near to day

I would it were my fault to fleep fo foundly.

When, Lucius, when? awake, I fay! what, Lucius?

Enter Lucius.

Luc. Cali'd you, my Lord?

Bru. Get me a taper in my ftudy, Lucius :

When it is lighted, come and call me here.

Luc. I will, my Lord.

[Exit.'

Bru. It must be by his death: and, for my part,

I know no perfonal caufe to fpurn at him ;