not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou haft wrong'd Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent againft Cæfar. If thou beeft not immortal, look about thee: fecurity gives way to confpiracy. The mighty Gods defend thee!

Thy Lover, Artemidorus.

Here will I ftand, 'till Cæfar pass along,
And as a fuitor will I give him this:
My heart laments, that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Gafar, thou may'st live;
If not, the fates with Traitors do contrive.

Enter Porcia and Lucius.

Por. I pr'ythee, Boy, run to the Senate-house;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:
Why doft thou ftay?

Luc. To know my errand, Madam.

[Exit.

Por. I would have had thee there, and here again, Ere I can tell thee what thou fhould't do there

O Conftancy, be ftrong upon my fide,

Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue;
I have a man's mind, but a woman's might:

How hard it is for women to keep counfel!

Art thou here yet?

Luc. Madam, what fhould I do?

tain, the Poet design'd two diftin& Characters. Artemidorus was neither Augur, nor Soothfayer. 'Tis true, there was an Artemidorus, whofe Critic on Dreams we still have: but He did not live 'till the Time of Antoninus. He likewife wrote, according to Suidas, of Augury and Palmistry. But this Artemidorus, who had been Cafar's Hoft at Cnidos, as we learn from Plutarch, Appian, &c. did not pretend to know any thing of the Confpiracy against Cafar by Prescience, or Prognoftication. He was a Sophift, who taught that Science in Greek at Rome; by which Means being intimate with Brutus, and thofe about him, he got into their Secret; and, out of his old Affection for Cafar, was defirous of acquainting him with his Danger.

Run

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?

And fo return to you, and nothing else?

Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy Lord look / well,

For he went fickly forth: and take good note,
What Cæfar doth, what fuitors prefs to him.
Hark, boy! what neise is that?
Luc. I hear none, Madam.
Por. Pr'ythee, liften well:

I heard a bustling rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, Madam, I hear nothing.

Enter Artemidorus.

Por. Come hither, fellow, which way haft thou been? Art. At mine own houfe, good lady.

Por. What is't o' clock?

Art. About the ninth hour, Lady.

Por. Is Cafar yet gone to the Capitol ?

Art. Madam, not yet; I

go

to take my ftand,

To fee him pafs on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou haft fome fuit to Cæfar, haft thou not?
Art. That I have, Lady, if it will please Cafar

To be fo good to Cæfar, as to hear me:

I fhall befeech him to befriend himself.

Por. Why, know'st thou any harm intended tow'rds
him?

Art. None that I know will be, much that I fear;
Good morrow to you. Here the ftreet is narrow:
The throng, that follows Cafar at the heels,
Of Senators, of Prætors, common Suitors,
Will crowd a feeble Man almoft to death:
I'll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæfar as he comes along.

Por. I must go inaye me! how weak a thing
The heart of Woman is! O Brutus! Brutus!
The heavens fpeed thee in thine enterprize!
Sure, the Boy heard me :-

That Cæfar will not grant.

-Brutus hath a Suit,

Run, Lucius, and commend me to my Lord;

[Exit.

-O, I grow faint:

Say,

Say, I am merry; come to me again,
And bring me word what he doth fay to thee.

ACT

[Exeunt feverally.

III.

SCENE, the Street before the Capitol ; and the Capitol open.

Flourish. Enter Cæfar, Brutus, Caffius, Cafca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Artemidorus, Popilius, Publius, and the Sooth-fayer.

CÆSA R.

THE Ides of March are come.

TH

Sooth. Ay, Cæfar, but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cafar: read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth defire you to o'er-read,
At your best leifure, this his humble fuit.

Art. O Cafar, read mine first; for mine's a fuit,
That touches Cæfar nearer. Read it, great Cafar.
Caf. What touches us our felf, fhall be laft ferv'd.
Art. Delay not, Cafar, read it instantly.
Caf. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirrah, give place.

Caf. What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the capitol.

Pop. I wish, your enterprize to day may thrive.
Caf. What enterprize, Popilius?

Pop. Fare you well.

Bru. What faid Popilius Lena?

Caf. He wifh'd, to day our enterprize might thrive : I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæfar; mark him. Caf. Cafca, be fudden, for we fear prevention. Brutus, what shall be done, if this be known?

Caffius,

Caffius, or Cafar, never fhall turn back;
For I will flay myself.

Bru. Caffius, be constant:

Popilius Lena fpeaks not of our purpose;

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

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? let him go,
And presently prefer his fuit to Cafar.

Bru. He is addreft; prefs near, and second him.
Cin. Cafea, you are the first that rears your hand.
Caf. Are we all ready? what is now amifs,

That Cæfar and his Senate must redress ?

Met. Moft high, most mighty, and moft puiffant
Cafar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy feat
An humble heart.

Caf. I muft prevent thee, Cimber;
Thefe couchings and these lowly curtefies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the lane of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæfar bears fuch rebel blood,
That will be thaw'd from the true quality

[Kneeling.

With That which melteth fools; I mean, fweet words; Low-crooked curtfies, and bafe fpaniel fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou doft bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I fpurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cafar doth not wrong; nor without caufe
Will he be fatisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To found more sweetly in great Cafar's ear,

For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

Bru. I kifs thy hand, but not in flattery, Cafar;
Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus!

Caf. Pardon, Cæfar; Cæfar, pardon;
As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,

To

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you ;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am conftant as the northern star,

Of whofe true, fixt, and refting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament;
The skies are painted with unnumbred fparks,
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 unaffailable holds on his rank,
Unfhak'd of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little fhew it, even in this;

That I was conftant, Cimber should be banish'd;
And constant do remain to keep him fo.

Cim. O Cafar

Caf. Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Dec. Great Cafar

Caf. Doth not Brutus bootlefs kneel?

Cafc. Speak hands for me.

[They fab Cæfar.

Caf. Et tu, Brute ?

-then fall Cafar!

[Dies.

Cin. Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is dead

Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the ftreets

Caf. Some to the common Pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement.

Bru. People, and Senators! be not affrighted; Fly not, ftand ftill. Ambition's debt is paid. Cafe. Go to the Pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Caffius too.

Bru. Where's Publius?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Met. Stand faft together, lest some friends of Cafar's Should chance

Bru. Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer; There is no harm intended to your person, Nor to no Roman elfe; fo tell them, Publius. Caf. And leave us, Publius, left that the people, Rufhing on us, fhould do your age fome mischief.

Bru.