What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

Lucius. I hear none, madam.
Portia.

Prithee, listen well;

I heard a bustling rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Lucius. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
Enter the SOOTHSAYER.

Portia. Come hither, fellow. Which way hast thou been?

Soothsayer. At mine own house, good lady.

Portia.

What is 't o'clock?

Soothsayer. About the ninth hour, lady.
Portia. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol?
Soothsayer. 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?

Soothsayer. 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?

Soothsayer. 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.-Ay 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.
(Exeunt.

The Capitol; the Senate sitting.

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

Cæsar. 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.

*Cf. Bacon: "Yf yow he at leasure."-Prom. No. 1375 (1594).

"If your lordship were at leisure."-Ham. V., 2. "If your leisure served."-M. Ado. III., 2.

"Had you such leisure."-R. III., I., 2.

Artemidorus. O, Cæsar, read mine first; for

mine's a suit

That touches Cæsar nearer.
Cæsar. What touches us

serv'd.

Read it, great Cæsar. ourself shall be last

Artemidorus. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly. Cæsar. What! is the fellow mad?

Publius.

Sirrah, give place.

Cassius. What! urge you your petitions in the

street?

Come to the Capitol.

CÆSAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All

the Senators rise.

Popilius. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. Cassius. What enterprise, Popilius?

Popilius. Fare you well. (Advances to Cæsar. Brutus. What said Popilius Lena?

Cassius. He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

Brutus. Look, how he makes to Cæsar; mark him. Cassius. Casca, be sudden, for we fear preven

tion.

Brutus, what shall be done?

Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

Brutus.

If this be known,

Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change. Cassius. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

(Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.

the Senators take their seats.

Cæsar and

Decius. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

Brutus. He is address'd; press near and second him.

Cinna. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

Casca. Are we all ready?

Cæsar.

What is now amiss

That Cæsar and his senate must redress?

Metellus. Most high, most mighty, and most puis

sant Cæsar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart.-

(Kneeling.

Cæsar.
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 thaw'd from the true quality

With that which melteth fools,-I mean sweet words,
Low-crooked curtsies, 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 cause
Will he be satisfied.

Metellus. Is there no voice more worthy than my

own,

To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?
Brutus. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar,
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Cæsar. What, Brutus!

Cassius.

Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon; As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Cæsar. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd 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 furnish'd 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,*
Unshak'd of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little show it, even in this,-

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

*Cf. Bacon: "He (Julius Caesar) referred all things to himself, and was the truest center of his own actions."Character of Julius Caesar (circa 1601).

Cinna. O Cæsar!

Cæsar.

Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus? Decius. Great Cæsar,

Cæsar.

Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me.

(Casca stabs Cæsar in the neck. Cæsar catches hold of his arm. He is then stabbed by

several other Conspirators, and at last by Marcus Brutus.

Cæsar. Et tu, Brute!-Then, fall, Cæsar.

(Dies. The Senators and People retire in confusion.

Cinna. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. Cassius. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, 'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'

Brutus. People, and senators! be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still:-ambition's debt is paid. Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Decius. And Cassius too.

Brutus. Where's Publius?

Cinna. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Metellus. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar's

Should chance

Brutus. Talk not of standing.-Publius, good cheer;

There is no harm intended to your person,

Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

Cassius. And leave us, Publius; lest that the people

Rushing on us should do your age some mischief. Brutus. Do so;-and let no man abide this deed But we the doers.

Cassius.

Enter TREBONIUS.
Where is Antony?

Trebonius. Fled to his house amaz'd.
Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run,
As it were doomsday.

Brutus. Fates! we will know your pleasures:
That we shall die, we know; 't is but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.
Casca. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.*

*Cf. Bacon: "Philosophers have increased the fear of death in offering to cure it. For when they would have a