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CESAR.

Bid them prepare within:

Now, Metellus:

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What,

I am to blame to be thus waited for.
Now, Cinna:
I have an hour's talk in store for you.
Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember you.

TREBONIUS.

and so near will I be,

Trebonius!

[Aside.

Cæsar, I will:
That your best friends shall wish I had been farther.

CÆSAR.

Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me,
And we, like friends, wil straightway go together.

BRUTUS.

That every like is not the same 1), O Cæsar!
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

A street near the Capitol.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a paper.

ARTEMIDORUS.

>> Cæsar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæsar. If thou beest not immortal, look about you 2): security gives 1) Brutus wil zeggen: we gaan wel like friends, maar we zijn daarom geen friends.

2) In dezen overgang van thou op you, of omgekeerd, is bij Shake

way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy >> ARTEMIDORUS."

lover,

Here will I stand till Cæsar pass along,

And as a suitor will I give him this.

My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Cæsar! thou mayst live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive 1).

[Exit.

.SCENE IV.

Another part of the same street, before the house of BRUTUS. Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

PORTIA.

I pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate-house:
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.
Why dost thou stay?

LUCIUS.

To know my errand, Madam.

PORTIA.

I would have had thee there, and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there.
O constancy, be strong upon my side!
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 counsel!
Art thou here yet?

LUCIUS.

Madam, what should I do?

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speare niets vreemds. Het is dus onnoodig, you met Rowe in thee te veranderen.

1) d. i. dan spannen de godinnen van het lot met de verraders samen, heulen met het verraad.

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And so return to you, and nothing else?

PORTIA.

Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
For he went sickly forth: and take good note,
What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

LUCIUS.

I hear none,

Madam.

PORTIA.

Pr'ythee, listen well:

I heard a bustling rumour 1), like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

LUCIUS.

Sooth, Madam, I hear nothing.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS.

PORTIA.

Come hither, fellow: which way hast thou been?

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1) De beteekenis van bustling moet hier ontleend worden, niet aan het werkwoord to bustle: bedrijvig zijn, zich roeren, maar aan het naamwoord a bustle: een geraas, een tumult. En a rumour beteekent hier een gerucht, maar een rumoer; a bustling rumour is dus: een owest rumoer.

niet:

PORTIA.

Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol ?

ARTEMIDORUS.

Madam, not yet: I go to take my stand,
To see him pass on to the Capitol.

PORTIA.

Thou hast some suit to Cæsar, hast thou not?

ARTEMIDORUS.

That I have, lady: if it will please Cæsar
To be so good to Cæsar, as to hear me,
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

PORTIA.

Why, know'st thou any harm's intended towards him?

ARTEMIDORUS.

None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.
Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow:

The throng that follows Cæsar at the heels,
Of senators, of prætors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:
I'll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæsar as he comes along.

PORTIA.

I must go in. Ah me! how weak a thing
The heart of woman is. O Brutus!

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!
Sure, the boy heard me: - Brutus hath a suit,
That Cæsar will not grant 1).

- O! I grow faint.

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Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;

[Exit.

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1) Ze spreekt deze woorden tot Lucius, daar zij vreest dat hij haar wensch heeft gehoord.

Say I am merry: come to me again,

And bring me word what he doth say to thee.

[Exeunt.

ACT. III. SCENE I.

Rome. The Capitol 1); the Senate sitting.

A crowd of people in the street leading to the Capitol; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CÆSAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others.

CESAR.

The ides of March are come.

SOOTHSAYER.

Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS.

Hail, Cæsar! Read this schedule.

DECIUS.

Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

ARTEMIDORUS.

O, Cæsar! read mine first; for mine 's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer. Read it, great Cæsar.

CESAR.

What touches us ourself shall be last serv'd.

1) Het opschrift ziet op den hoofdinhoud. Dat de eerste verzen, tot Come to the Capitol, niet in het Kapitool, maar dicht er voor gesproken worden, zal ieder terstond inzien. Niet minder, dat Shakespeare geen onderscheid maakt tusschen de Curia van Pompejus, het ware tooneel van den moord, en het Kapitool.

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