For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar:

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar ;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
O, that we then could come by Cæsar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make
Our purpose necessary and not envious:
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm
When Cæsar's head is off.

Cas.
Yet I fear him;
For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar

Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him:

If he love Cæsar, all that he can do

Is to himself, take thought and die for Cæsar:
And that were much he should; for he is given
To sports, to wildness and much company.

170

180

Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die; 190 For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Bru. Peace! count the clock.
Cas.

[Clock strikes.

The clock hath stricken three.

183. [Here, as often in Shakespeare, the full measure of the line is made up by a pause which precedes Cassius's speech.] 192. The clock hath stricken. A curious but unimportant anachronism.

Treb. 'Tis time to part.

Cas.

But it is doubtful yet, Whether Cæsar will come forth to-day, or no; For he is superstitious grown of late, Quite from the main opinion he held once Of fantasy, of dreams and ceremonies: It may be, these apparent prodigies, The unaccustom'd terror of this night, And the persuasion of his augurers, May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

Dec. Never fear that: if he be so resolv'd,

I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils and men with flatterers;
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Let me work;

For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

200

210

Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. Bru. By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost? Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then. Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard, Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey: I wonder none of you have thought of him.

Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along by him:

197. ceremonies= religious ceremonies.

204. That unicorns, etc. It was believed that unicorns were captured by leading them to chase a man, who sprang behind a tree when the monster was in full career, leaving the unicorn to thrust his horn so far into the tree that he could neither escape nor defend himself; also that bears would stand still and be shot while they looked at themselves in mirrors. Elephants are taken in pitfalls.

218. [go along by him call at his house in going home. A

He loves me well, and I have given him reasons;
Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

220

Cas. The morning comes upon 's: we'll leave you, Brutus.

And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember What you have said, and show yourselves true Ro

mans.

Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;
Let not our looks put on our purposes,
But bear it as our Roman actors do,
With untir'd spirits and formal constancy:
And so good morrow to you every one.

[Exeunt all but Brutus.

Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep? It is no matter;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber :
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,

Which busy care draws in the brains of men:
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

Por.

Enter PORTIA.

230

Brutus, my lord!

Bru. Portia, what mean you? wherefore rise you now?

It is not for your health thus to commit

Your weak condition in the raw cold morning.

Por. Nor for yours neither. You've ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed: and yesternight, at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing and sighing, with your arms across,

240

somewhat similar expression may be heard in the southwest, in the expression, "come by "; that is, "come in as you go by."] 219. [I have given him reasons. Our phrase would be, “I have given him reason to love me.' e."]

226. [bear it. We come near to the use when we say "he bears himself well."]

And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks;

I urg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot;
Yet I insisted; yet yor answer'd not,

But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
Which seem'd too much enkindled, and withal
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,
And could it work so much upon your shape
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Bru. I am not well in health, and that is all. Por. Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health, He would embrace the means to come by it.

250

Bru. Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed. 260 Por. Is Brutus sick? and is it physical To walk unbraced and suck up the humours Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick, And will he steal out of his wholesome bed, To dare the vile contagion of the night And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus; You have some sick offence within your mind,

262. [humours moisture. The old medical use of the word, which regarded the body as containing four humors, whose excess or diminution affected both the body and the temperament, passed over into common speech and gave this word wide usage and considerable range.]

Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of: and, upon my knees,
I charm you, by my once-commended beauty,
By all your vows of love and that great vow
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,
Why you are heavy, and what men to-night
Have had resort to you: for here have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

Bru.

270

280

Kneel not, gentle Portia. Por. I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus. Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus, Is it excepted I should know no secrets That appertain to you? Am I yourself But, as it were, in sort or limitation,

To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed, And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs

Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Bru. You are my true and honourable wife, As dear to me as are the ruddy drops

That visit my sad heart.

290

Por. If this were true, then should I know this secret.

I grant

I

am a woman; but withal

A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife:

I grant I am a woman; but withal

271. charm you, etc. = conjure you in the name of, etc. 280. [Within = in. Is there any clause in the bond of marriage which makes an exception ?]

285. [suburbs. Something more is hinted at than mere distance from the city or centre, for the term was synonymous with resorts for disorderly people.]