We were two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible;

And Cæsar shall go forth 9.

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.
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.

8 The old reads, 'We heare,' &c. The emendation was made by Theobald. Upton proposed to read, We are,' &c.

9 Steevens observes, that any speech of Cæsar, throughout this scene, will appear to disadvantage, if compared with the following, put into his mouth by May in the seventh book of his Supplement to Lucan:

Plus me Calphurnia luctus,

Et lachrymæ movere tuæ, quam tristia vatum
Responsa, infaustæ volucres, aut ulla dierum
Vana superstitio poterant. Ostenta timere
Si nunc inciperem, quæ non mihi tempora posthac
Anxia transirent? quæ lux jucunda maneret?
Aut quæ libertas? frustra servire timori
(Dum nec luce frui, nec mortem arcere licebit)
Cogar, et huic capiti quod Roma veretur, aruspex
Jus dabit, et vanus semper dominabitur augur.'

'There cannot (says Mr. Boswell) be a stronger proof of Shakspeare's want of classical knowledge than the boastful language he has put into the mouth of the most accomplished man of all antiquity, who was not more admirable for his achievements, than for the dignified simplicity with which he has recorded them.'

Cæs. And you are come in very happy time,
To bear my greeting 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 gray-breads 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.
Cas. 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;
Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night she saw my statua 10,
Which, like a fountain, with a hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
And these doth she apply for warnings and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to-day.
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,

10 The old copy reads statue; but it has been shown by Mr. Reed beyond controversy that statua was pronounced as a trisyllable by our ancestors, and hence generally written statua. Thus in Lord Bacon's Advancement of Learning, ed. 1633, p. 88: It is not possible to have the true pictures or statuaes of Cyrus, Alexander, Cæsar, no, nor of the kings or great personages of much later years.' Again: ". without which the history of the world seems to be as the statua of Polyphemus, with his eye out.'

Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood: and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cognizance 11.
This by Calphurnia's dream is signified.

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 Casar'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 1o.

Cæs. How foolish do your fears seem now,

phurnia?

I am ashamed I did yield to them.—

Give me my robe, for I will go :

Cal

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.-
What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?—
Good morrow, Casca.-Caius Ligarius,

Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy,

11 At the execution of several of our ancient nobility, martyrs, &c. we are told that handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as affectionate or salutary memorials of the deceased.

12 And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love.'

1

As that same ague which hath made you lean.-
What is't o'clock?

Bru.

Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight.

Cæs. I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o'nights,

Is notwithstanding up:

Good morrow, Antony.

Ant.

Cæs. Bid them

So to most noble Cæsar.

within: prepare

I am to blame to be thus waited for.

Now, Cinna:-Mow, Metellus:-What, Trebonius! I have an hour's talk in store for

you;

Remember that call on me to-day:

you

Be near me, that I

may remember you.

Treb. Cæsar, I will:-and so near will I be,

[Aside. That your best friends shall wish I had been further. Cas. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;

And we, like friends, will straightway go together. Bru. That every like is not the same, O Cæsar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The same. A Street near the Capitol.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a Paper.

Art. 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

VOL. VIII.

F F

be'st not immortal, look about you: Security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, ARTEMIDOrus. 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 emulation1.

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou may'st live;
If not, the fates with traitors do contrive 2.

The same.

SCENE IV.

[Exit.

Another Part of the same Street, before the House of Brutus.

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

Por. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate-house; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone: Why dost thou stay1?

Luc.

To know my errand, madam. Por. 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?

Luc.

Madam, what should I do?

1 Emulation is here used in its old sense, of envious, or factious rivalry. See Troilus and Cressida, Act ii. Sc. 3, note 37.

2 The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction.' 1 Shakspeare has expressed the perturbation of King Richard the Third's mind by the same incident:

Dull unmindful villain!

Why stayest thou here, and go'st not to the duke? Cat. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, What from your grace I shall deliver to him.'