Lig. I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

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

Lig. By all the gods that Romans bow before, $20 I here discard my sickness! Soul of Rome! Brave son, deriv'd from honourable loins! Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjur'd up My mortified spirit. Now bid me run, And I will strive with things impossible; Yea, get the better of them. What's to do?

Bru. A piece of work that will make sick men whole.

Lig. But are not some whole that we must make sick?

Bru. That must we also. What it is, my Caius, I shall unfold to thee, as we are going

To whom it must be done.

Set on your foot,

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

330

Bru.

Follow me, then.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

CÆSAR's house.

Thunder and lightning. Enter CÆSAR, in his night-gown.

Cæs. Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace

to-night:

Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,

321. [On the stage Ligarius would at this snatch off his ban dage.]

331. [Set on your foot go forward.]

66

Help! ho! they murther Cæsar!" Who's with

Cæs. Go bid the priests do present sacrifice And bring me their opinions of success.

Serv. I will, my lord.

Enter CALPURNIA.

[Exit.

Cal. What mean you, Cæsar? think you to walk forth?

You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Cæs. Cæsar shall forth: the things that threaten'd

me

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,

In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol ;

The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.

10

20

3. [Murther. No doubt the exchange of "th" for "d" is in part due to defective vocal organisms in many, and worked both ways, as when one hears “furder ” for “further.”]

13. [Stood

=

insisted. Compare the Shakespearean phrase to stand on ceremony, where "ceremony "civil etiquette."] ceremonies = religious observances; here loosely used for auguries, omens.

O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,

And I do fear them.

Cœs.

What can be avoided

Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Cæsar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Cæsar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets

seen;

30

The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of

princes.

Cæs. Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,

It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,

Will come when it will come.

Re-enter Servant.

What say the augurers!

Serv. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast.

Cæs. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart,

If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Cæsar shall not: danger knows full well
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he :
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible :
And Cæsar shall go forth.

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.

25. beyond all use: very unusual, unnatural, abnormal.

40

50

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.

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

Enter DECIUS.

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

Dec. Cæsar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Cæsar: I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

Cæs. And you are come in very happy time,

To bear my greetings to the senators

And tell them that I will not come to-day:
Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:
I will not come to-day: tell them So, Decius.
Cal. Say he is sick.

Cæs.

Shall Cæsar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far, To be afeard to tell graybeards the truth? Decius, go tell them Cæsar will not come.

Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,

Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

Caes. The cause is in my will: I will not come;
That is enough to satisfy the senate.

But for your private satisfaction,
Because I love you, I will let you know:
Calpurnia 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.

80. [portents. The rhythm shows the accent.]

70

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,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

90

Cæs. 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.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be render'd, for some one to say
Break up the senate till another time,

When Cæsar's wife shall meet with better dreams.
If Cæsar hide himself, shall they not whisper

Lo, Cæsar is afraid?

Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear dear love

To your proceeding bids me tell you this;
And reason to my love is liable.

100

Cæs. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpur

nia!

I am ashamed I did yield to them.
Give me my robe, for I will go.

Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS,

and CINNA.

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

Pub. Good morrow, Cæsar.

Cæs.

Welcome, Publius.

89. [By dipping their handkerchiefs in the blood, as they erowd about, will get remedial dyes. cognizance = souvenirs.] 97. [mock apt to be render'd = sneer fit to be told.]