Sooth. About the ninth houre Lady.

Por. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitoll?
Sooth. Madam not yet, I go to take my stand,
To see him passe on to the Capitoll.

30

Por. Thou hast some suite to Cæsar, hast thou not? Sooth. That I have Lady, if it will please Casar To be so good to Cæsar, as to heare me:

I shall beseech him to befriend himselfe.

Por. Why know'st thou any harme's intended towards him?

Sooth. None that I know will be,

Much that I feare may chance:

Good morrow to you: heere the street is narrow:
The throng that followes Cæsar at the heeles,
Of Senators, of Prætors, common Sutors,
Will crowd a feeble man (almost) to death:
Ile get me to a place more voyd, and there
Speake to great Cæsar as he comes along.

Por. I must go in:

Aye me! How weake a thing

The heart of woman is? O Brutus,
The Heavens speede thee in thine enterprize.
Sure the Boy heard me: Brutus hath a suite
That Cæsar will not grant. O, I grow faint:
Run Lucius, and commend me to my Lord,
Say I am merry; Come to me againe,

40

Exit

50

And bring me word what he doth say to thee. Exeunt

37-8. verse-POPE.

39-40. I 1.-POPE. 47-8. 1 1.-RowE.

Actus Tertius.

[Scene i. Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.]

Flourish.

Enter [a crowd of people,] Cæsar, Brutus, Cassius, Caska, Decius, Metellus, Tre- | bonius, Cynna, Antony, Lepidus, [Popilius] Artimedorus, Pub-| lius, and the Soothsayer.

Cas. [To the Soothsayer] The Ides of March are

come.

Sooth. I Casar, but not gone.

Art. Haile Cæsar: Read this Scedule. Deci. Trebonius doth desire you to ore-read (At your best leysure) this his humble suite.

ΙΟ

Art. O Cæsar, reade mine first: for mine's a suite That touches Casar neerer. Read it great Cæsar. Cas. What touches us our selfe, shall be last serv'd. Art. Delay not Cæsar, read it instantly. Cas. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirra, give place.

Cassi. What, urge you your Petitions in the street? Come to the Capitoll.

[Caesar goes to the Senate-House, the rest following.] Popil. I wish your enterprize to day may thrive. Cassi. What enterprize Popillius?

Popil. Fare you well.

20

[Advances to Cæsar.]

Bru. What said Popillius Lena?

Cassi. He wisht to day our enterprize might thrive:

I feare our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Looke how he makes to Casar: marke him. Artimedorus: misprint IF.

Cassi. Caska be sodaine, for we feare prevention. Brutus what shall be done? If this be knowne, Cassius or Cæsar never shall turne backe,

For I will slay my selfe.

Bru. Cassius be constant:

Popillius Lena speakes not of our purposes,

For looke he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.

30

Cassi. Trebonius knowes his time: for look you Brutus

He drawes Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.]

Deci. Where is Metellus Cimber, let him go, And presently preferre his suite to Cæsar.

Bru. He is addrest: presse neere, and second him. Cin. Caska, you are the first that reares your hand. Cæs. Are we all ready? What is now amisse,

That Caesar and his Senate must redresse?

40

Metel. Most high, most mighty, and most puisant Cæsar Metellus Cymber throwes before thy Seate

An humble heart. [Kneeling.]

Cæs. I must prevent thee Cymber:

1 crouchings

These couchings,1 and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turne pre-Ordinance, and first Decree
Into the lane of Children. Be not fond,

To thinke that Caesar beares such Rebell blood
That will be thaw'd from the true quality

50

With that which melteth Fooles, I meane sweet words,

Low-crooked-curtsies, and base Spaniell fawning:
Thy Brother by decree is banished:

If thou doest bend, and pray, and fawne for him,

I

spurne

thee like a Curre out of my way: Know, Cæsar doth not wrong, nor without cause Will he be satisfied.

48. lane: law-MALONE.

Metel. Is there no voyce more worthy then my owne, To sound more sweetly in great Cæsars eare, For the repealing of my banish'd Brother?

Bru. I kisse thy hand, but not in flattery Cæsar:
Desiring thee, that Publius Cymber may
Have an immediate freedome of repeale.
Cæs. What Brutus?

Cassi. Pardon Cæsar: Cæsar pardon:
As lowe as to thy foote doth Cassius fall,
To begge infranchisement for Publius Cymber.

Cas. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you,
If I could pray to moove, Prayers would moove me:
But I am constant as the Northerne Starre,
Of whose true fixt, and resting quality,

There is no fellow in the Firmament.

The Skies are painted with unnumbred sparkes,
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 unassayleable holds on his Ranke,
Unshak'd of Motion: and that I am he,

Let me a little shew it, even in this:

That I was constant Cymber should be banish'd,
And constant do remaine to keepe him so.
Cinna. O Cæsar.

Cas. Hence: Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Decius. Great Cæsar.

Cas. Doth not Brutus bootlesse kneele?

Cask. Speake hands for me.

60

70

80

They [Casca first, then the other Conspirators and Marcus Brutus] stab Cæsar. | -Then fall Cæsar. Dyes

Cas. Et Tu Brutè?

Cin. Liberty, Freedome; Tyranny is dead, Run hence, proclaime, cry it about the Streets.

Cassi. Some to the common Pulpits, and cry out Liberty, Freedome, and Enfranchisement.

Bru. People and Senators, be not affrighted: Fly not, stand still: Ambitions debt is paid. Cask. Go to the Pulpit Brutus.

Dec. And Cassius too.

Bru. Where's Publius?

91

Cin. Heere, quite confounded with this mutiny. 100 Met. Stand fast together, least some Friend of Cæsars Should chance

Bru. Talke not of standing. Publius good cheere, There is no harme intended to your person,

Nor to no Roman else: so tell them Publius.

Cassi. And leave us Publius, least that the people Rushing on us, should do your Age some mischiefe. Bru. Do so, and let no man abide this deede, But we the Doers.

Enter Trebonius.

Cassi. Where is Antony?

Treb. Fled to his House amaz'd:

Men, Wives, and Children, stare, cry out, and run, As it were Doomesday.

Bru. Fates, we will know your pleasures:

That we shall dye we know, 'tis but the time
And drawing dayes out, that men stand upon.

Cask. Why he that cuts off twenty yeares of life, Cuts off so many yeares of fearing death.

Bru. Grant that, and then is Death a Benefit: 120 So are we Casars Friends, that have abridg'd His time of fearing death. Stoope Romans, stoope, And let us bathe our hands in Casars blood