Of any promise that hath pass'd from him.

Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?

I think he will stand very strong with us.
Casca. Let us not leave him out.

Cin.

140

No, by no means.
Met. O let us have him; for his silver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:
It shall be said his judgment rul'd our hands;
Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear,
But all be buried in his gravity.

Bru. O name him not: let us not break with him; For he will never follow anything

That other men begin.

Cas.

145

149

Casca. Indeed he is not fit.

156

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? Cas. Decius, well urg'd. I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar, Should outlive Cæsar: we shall find of him A shrewd contriver; and you know,

his means,

If he improve them, may well stretch so far
As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cæsar fall together.

160

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,
Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;
For Antony is but a limb of Cæsar.

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;

150 break with: broach our plan to

158 shrewd contriver: malevolent plotter

159 improve: make the most of

160 annoy: seriously injure

164 envy: vindictiveness

164

157 of: in

And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
O then that we could come by Cæsar's spirit,
And not dismember Cæsar! But, alas,
Cæsar must bleed for it. And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:

168

172

And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,

176

And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make
Our purpose necessary and not envious;

Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And, for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæsar's arm
When Cæsar's head is off.

Cas.
Yet I fear him;
For in the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar-
Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him.
If he love Cæsar, all that he can do

Is to himself: take thought, and die for Cæsar.
And that were much he should, for he is given
To sports, to wildness, and much company.
Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die:
For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Bru. Peace! count the clock.
Cas.

180

184

189

Clock strikes.

The clock hath stricken three. 192

But it is doubtful yet

Treb. 'Tis time to part.

Cas.

Whether Cæsar will come forth to-day or no;

184 ingrafted: deeply rooted

187 Is to: concerns, affects, only

take thought: despond

188 that... should: even that would be more than might be ex

pected

190 fear: cause for fear

For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.
It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

Dec. Never fear that: if he be so resolv'd,

I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers;
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Let me work;

For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

196

200

204

208

Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.

Bru. By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost.
Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.
Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard,
Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey:
I wonder none of you have thought of him.

Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along by him:

He loves me well, and I have given him reasons;
Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

212

216

220

Cas. The morning comes upon 's: we'll leave you, Brutus.

And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember

196 from. . . main: changed from the general

198 apparent: manifest

204 trees: by luring them to drive their horns too firmly into trees
205 glasses: mirrors, to distract their attention
206 toils: nets, snares

213 uttermost: latest

218 by him: by his house

holes: pitfalls

210 humour: disposition; cf. n. on line 250 216 rated: berated, reprimanded 220 fashion: like modern 'whip into shape'

What you have said, and show yourselves true

Romans.

Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;
Let not our looks put on our purposes,
But bear it as our Roman actors do,
With untir'd spirits and formal constancy:
And so good morrow to you every one.

224

228

Exeunt. Manet Brutus.

Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep? It is no matter;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber:
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies
Which busy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

233

Enter Portia.

Por.

Brutus, my lord!

Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now?

It is not for your health thus to commit

Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.

236

Por. Nor for yours neither. You've ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed; and yesternight at supper
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,

Musing and sighing, with your arms across,

240

And when I ask'd you what the matter was,

You star'd upon me with ungentle looks.

I urg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,

And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot;

244

Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not,

But with an angry wafture of your hand
Gave sign for me to leave you. So I did,
Fearing to strengthen that impatience

227 formal constancy: dignified self-possession
231 figures: pictures created by imagination

248

Which seem'd too much enkindled, and withal
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,
And could it work so much upon your shape
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Bru. I am not well in health, and that is all.
Por. Brutus is wise, and were he not in health,
He would embrace the means to come by it.

Bru. Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed.
Por. Is Brutus sick, and is it physical
To walk unbraced and suck up the humours
Of the dank morning? What! is Brutus sick,
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed
To dare the vile contagion of the night,
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air
To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus ;
You have some sick offence within your mind,
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of; and, upon my knees,
I charm you, by my once-commended beauty,
By all your vows of love, and that great vow
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, your self, your half,
Why you are heavy, and what men to-night
Have had resort to you; for here have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

Bru.

250 humour; cf. n.

261 physical: healthful

Kneel not, gentle Portia.

252

256

260

264

268

272

276

253,254 (outward) shape, (inward) condition

266 rheumy: causing rheumatic diseases

the sun

271 charm: conjure, entreat

unpurged: unpurified by

268 sick offence: unhealthy trouble