To wear a kerchief? 'would, you were not fick !
Cai. I am not fick, if Brutus have in hand
Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

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

Cai. By all the Gods the Romans bow before,
I here difcard my fickness. Soul of Rome!
Brave fon, deriv'd from honourable loins!
Thou, like an Exorcift, haft conjur'd up
My mortified fpirit. Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impoffible;
Yea, get the better of them. What's to do?

Bru. A piece of work, that will make fick men whole.

Cai. But are not fome whole, that we must make fick?

Bru. That we muft alfo. What it is, my Caius, I fhall unfold to thee, as we are going,

To whom it must be done.

Cai. Set on your foot,

And with a heart new-fir'd I follow you,
To do I know not what: but it fufficeth,
That Brutus leads me on.

Bru. Follow me then.

[Exeunt:

SCENE changes to Cæfar's Palace.

Thunder and Lightning. Enter Julius Cæfar.
'OR heav'n, nor earth, have been at peace
to night;

CafNOR

Thrice hath Calpurnia in her fleep cry'd out,

66

Help, ho! they murder Cafar." Who's within? Enter a Servant.

Ser. My lord?

Caf. Go bid the priests do present facrifice,

And bring me their opinions of fuccefs.

Ser. I will, my lord.

Enter Calphurnia.

[Exit.

Cal. What mean you, Cafar? think you to walk

forth?

You

You shall not ftir out of your houfe to day.

Caf. Cafar fhall forth; the things, that threatned

me,

Ne'er lookt but on my back: when they shall fee
The face of Cæfar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæfar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me: there is one within,
(Befides the things that we have heard and feen)
Recounts moft horrid fights feen by the Watch.
A lionefs 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 fquadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol :
The noife of battle hurtled in the air;
Horfes did neigh, and dying men did groan;
And Ghosts did fhriek, and fqueal about the streets.
O Cafar! these things are beyond all ufe,
And I do fear them.

Caf. What can be avoided,

Whofe end is purpos'd by the mighty Gods?
Yet Cæfar fhall go forth: for these predictions
Are to the world in general, as to Cæfar.

Cal. When Beggars die, there are no comets feen;
The heav'ns themselves blaze forth the death of Princes,
Caf. Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never tafte of death but once :

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,

It seems to me moft ftrange, that men fhould fear:
Seeing that death, a necesary end,

Will come, when it will come.

Enter a Servant.

What fay the Augurs?

Ser. They would not have you to ftir forth to day. Plucking the entrails of an Offering forth,

They could not find a heart within the beast.

[Exit Servant.

Caf. The Gods do this in fhame of cowardife: Cafar fhould be a beast without a heart,

If he should stay at home to day for fear.
No, Cæfar fhall not; Danger knows full well,
That Cæfar is more dangerous than he.
(9) We were two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible;
And Cæfar fhall go forth.

Cal. Alas, my lord,

Your wisdom is confum'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 fend Mark Antony to the Senate-house,
And he will fay, you are not well to day :
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

Caf. Mark Antony fhall fay, I am not well;
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.
Enter Decius.

Here's Decius Brutus, he fhall tell them fo.

Dec. Cæfar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Cafar; I come to fetch you to the Senate-house.

Caf. And you are come in very happy time,

To bear my Greeting to the Senators,
And tell them that I will not come to day:
Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falfer;
I will not come to day; tell them fo, Decius.
Cal. Say, he is fick.

Caf. Shall Cafar fend a lye?

Have I in conqueft ftretcht mine arm fo far,
To be afraid to tell Grey-beards the truth?
Decius, go tell them, Cæfar will not come.

Dec. Moft mighty Cafar, let me know fome caufe,

Left I be laugh'd at, when I tell them fo.

Caf. The cause is in my will, I will not come ;

-We beare

(9) We heard two Lions-] The first FolioThe Copies have been all corrupt, and the Paffage, of course, unintelligible. But the flight Alteration, I have made, reftores Senfe to the whole; and the Sentiment will neither be unworthy of Shakespeare, nor the boast too extravagant for Cafar in a Vein of Vanity to utter: that He and Danger were two Twinwhelps of a Lyon, and He the Elder, and more terrible of the 'Two.

That

That is enough to fatisfie the Senate.

But for your private fatisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia here, my wife, ftays me at home:
She dreamt last night, fhe faw my Statue,
Which, like a fountain, with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood: and many lufty Romans
Came fmiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
Thefe fhe applies for warnings and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd, that I will ftay at home to day.
Dec. This Dream is all amifs interpreted;
It was a Vifion fair and fortunate:

Your Statue, fpouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many fmiling Romans bath'd,
Signifies, that from You great Rome shall fuck
Reviving blood; and that Great Men shall prefs
For tinctures, ftains, relicks, and cognisance.
This by Calphurnia's Dream is fignify'd.

Caf. And this way have you well expounded it. Dec. I have, when you have heard what I can fay; And know it now, the Senate have concluded To give this day a Crown to mighty Cæfar. If you fhall fend them word you will not come, Their minds may change. Befides, it were a mock Apt to be render'd, for fome one to say,

"Break up the Senate 'till another time, "When Cæfar's Wife shall meet with better Dreams: If Cafar hide himself, fhall they not whisper,

"Lo, Cafar is afraid!

Pardon me, Cafar; for my dear, dear, love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this:

And reafon to my love is liable.

Caf. How foolish do your Fears feem now, Calphurnia?

I am afhamed, I did yield to them.

Give me my Robe, for I will go:

Enter Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Cafca, Trebonius,

Cinna and Publius.

And, look, where Publius is come to fetch me.

Pub.

Pub. Good morrow, Cafar.

Caf. Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
Good morrow, Cafca: Caius Ligarius,
Cafar was ne'er fo much your enemy,

As that fame Ague which hath made you lean.
What is't o'clock ?

Bru. Cafar, 'tis ftrucken eight.

Caf. I thank you for your pains and courtefie.
Enter Antony.

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,
Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.
Ant. So to moft noble Cafar.

Caf. 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 ftore for you,
Remember, that you call on me to day;
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Treb. Cafar, I will-and fo near will I be,

[Afide. That your beft Friends fhall wish I had been fur

ther.

Caf. Good Friends, go in, and tafte fome wine with

me.

And we, like Friends, will straightway go together.
Bru. That every like is not the fame, O Cafar,
[Afide.
The heart of Brutus yerns to think upon! [Exeunt.
SCENE changes to a Street near the Capitol.

C

(10) Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.

ESAR, beware of Brutus; take heed of Caffius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; tru

not

(10) Enter Artemidorus,] In the Dramatis Perfona, thro' all the Editions, Artemidorus is call'da Soothsayer. But, 'tis cer