Por. Why, know'st thou any harm 's intended towards him?
Sooth. 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. [Exit.
Por. 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.-O, I grow faint!—
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord:
Say I am merry. Come to me again,
And bring me word what he doth say to thee.
CÆSAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the Senators rise.
Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. Cas. What enterprise, Popilius?
Pop. Fare you well. [Advances to CÆSAR. Bru. What said Popilius Lena?
Cas. He wished, to-day, our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.
Bru. Look how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.
Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear preven-
tion.-
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.
Bru. He is addressed: press near, and second him.
Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
Cæs. Are we all ready? what is now amiss,
That Cæsar and his senate must redress?
Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puis-
sant Cæsar.
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart :-
[Kneeling. I must prevent thee, Cimber. These couchings and these lowly courtesies Might fire the blood of ordinary men, And turn pre-ordinance and first decree Into the law of children. Be not fond, To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood That will be thawed from the true quality With that which melteth fools: I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked curt'sies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Cæsar doth not wrong: nor without
Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear, For the repealing of my banished brother?
Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar; Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may Have an immediate freedom of repeal. Cæs. What, Brutus! Cas.
Pardon Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon!
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cæs. I could be well moved if I were as you :
If I could pray to move, prayers would move
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks;
They are all fire, and every one doth shine:
But there's but one in all doth hold his place.
So in the world: 't is furnished well with men ;
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion: and that I am he
Let me a little shew it, even in this:
That I was constant Cimber should be banished,
And constant do remain to keep him so.
Cin. O Cæsar!-
Cæs. Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Dec. Great Cæsar!-
Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? Casca. Speak, hands, for me.
[CASCA stabs CESAR in the neck. CESAR catches hold of his arm. He is then stabbed by several other Conspirators, and at last by MARCUS BRUTUS. Cæs. Et tu, Brute ?-Then fall, Cæsar! [Dies. [The Senators and People retire in confusion. Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Cas. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!"
Bru. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.
Serv. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel;
Thus did Marc Antony bid me fall down;
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say :-
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Cæsar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
Say, I love Brutus, and I honour him;
Say, I feared Cæsar, honoured him, and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him, and be resolved
How Cæsar hath deserved to lie in death,
Marc Antony shall not love Cæsar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith.-So says my master Antony.
Bru. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman:
I never thought him worse.
Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,
Depart untouched.
I'll fetch him presently.
Bru. I know that we shall have him well to friend.
Cas. I wish we may: but yet have I a mind That fears him much; and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose.
Bru. But here comes Antony.-Welcome, Marc Antony.
Ant. O mighty Cæsar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?-Fare thee well.I know not, gentlemen, what you intend; Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if ye bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.
Bru. O Antony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done :
Our hearts you see not: they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity)
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Marc
Antony:
Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts,
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Cas. Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In the disposing of new dignities.
Bru. Only be patient till we have appeased
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Cæsar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.
Ant. I doubt not of your wisdom. Let each man render me his bloody hand :First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you: Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand: Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus: Yours, Cinna: and, my valiant Casca, yours: Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,-alas! what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.—
That I did love thee, Cæsar, O 't is true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius !-Here wast thou bayed,
Here didst thou fall: and here thy hunters stand,
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