5

Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
These are their reasons,-They are natural;
For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time:
But men may construe things after their fash
Clean from the purpose of the things themsel
Comes Cæsar to the Capitol to-morrow?

Casca. He doth: for he did bid Antonius 10 Send word to you, he would be there to-mor Cic. Good-night then, Casca: this disturbed Is not to walk in.

15

That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely 20 Casca. Who ever knew the heavens nienace

For my part, I have walk'd about the streets Submitting me unto the perilous night; 25 And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,

30

35

1i.e. The best metal or temper may be worked into qualities contrary to its original constitu The meaning is, Casar loves Brutus; but if Brutus and I were to change places. his love should not hur

And he shall wear his crown by sea, and land,
In every place, save here in Italy.

Cas. I know where I will wear this dagger then;
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny, that I do bear,
I can shake off at pleasure.

Casca. So can I:

So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.

Cas. And why should Cæsar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know, he would not be a wolf,
But that he sees, the Romans are but sheep;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire,
Begin it with weak straws: What trash is Rome,
What rubbish, and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate

So vile a thing as Cæsar? But, O, grief!

It favours like the work we ha 5 Most bloody, fiery, and most t Enter Cinna. Casca. Stand close awhile, fo

in haste.

Cas. 'Tis Cinna, I do know h 10 He is a friend.-Cinna, where Cin. To find out you: Who' Cimber?

15

Cas. No, it is Casca; one inc
To our attempts. Am I not sta
Cin. I am glad on't. What a fe
There's two or three of us have se
Cas. Am I not staid for? Tell
Cin. Yes,
You are. O, Cassius, if you co
20 The noble Brutus to our party-

Cas. Be you content: Good Ci
And look you lay it in the præto
Where Brutus may but find it; a
In at his window; set this up wit
25 Upon old Brutus' statue; all this
Repair to Pompey's porch, where
Is Decius Brutus, and Trebonius
Cin. All but Metellus Cimber;
To seek you at your house. W

Where hast thou led me? I, perhaps, speak this 30 And so bestow these papers as yo

Before a willing bondman: then I know

My answer must be made: But I am arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.

Casca. You speak to Casca; and to such a man
That is no flearing tell-tale. Hold my hand':
Be factious for redress of all these griefs;
And I will set this foot of mine as far,
As who goes farthest.

Cas. There's a bargain made.

Now know you, Casca, I have mov'd already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans,
To undergo, with me, an enterprize
Of honourable-dangerous consequence;
And I do know, by this, they stay for me

Cas. That done, repair to Poin

Come, Casca, you and I will, yet See Brutus at his house: three p 35 s ours already; and the man ent Upon the next encounter, yields

Casca. O, he sits high in all the p And that, which would appear of His countenance, like richest aich 40 Will change to virtue, and to wort

Cas. Him, and his worth, and ou You have right well conceited. For it is after midnight; and, ere We will awake him, and be sure of

"Shall Rome" Thus must I piece it out;
Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What!
My ancestors did from the streets of Rome [Rome: 40
The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king.
Speak, strike, redress!"-Am I entreated

[Exit Lucius. 50

i. e. pity. i. e. common observation, or experience. 3 i. e. low steps. Shakspeare here describes what passes in a single bosom, the insurrection which a conspirator feels agitating the little kingdom of his own mind; when the genius, or power that watches for his protection, and the mortal instruments, the passions which excite him to a deed of honour and danger, are in council and debate; when the desire of action, and the care of safety, keep the mind in continual fluctuation and disturbance. * Cassius married Junia, Brutus' sister. i. e. if thou walk in thy true form.

And every man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-sighted tyranny range on,
"Till each man drop by lottery'. But if these,
As I am sure they do, bear fire enough
To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour
The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any spur, but our own cause,
To prick us to redress? What other bond,
Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word,
And will not palter? and what other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engag'd,
That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous2,
Old feeble carrions, and such suffering souls
That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes, swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprize,

Nor th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think, that, or our cause, or our performance,
Did need an oath; when every drop of blood,
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy,

If he do break the smallest particle
Of any promise that hath past 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. 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 judgement rul'd our hands ;
Our youths, and wildness, shall no whit appear,
But all be bury'd in his gravity.

[him;

Bru. O, naine him not: let us not break with
For he will never follow any thing
That other men begin.

Cas. Then leave him out.
Casca. Indeed, he is not fit.

[Cæsar

Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd, but only
Cas. Decius, well urg'd:-I think, it is not meet,
Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar,
Should out-live 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.

[Cassius,

Treb. There is no fear in him;
For he will live, and laugh at this

Bru. Peace, count the clock.
Cas. The clock hath strucken
Treb. 'Tis time to part.

Cas. But it is doubtful yet,
30Whe'r Cæsar will come forth to-
For he is superstitious grown of
Quite from the main opinion he
Of fantasy, of dreams, and cerem
It may be, these apparent prodig
The unaccustom'd terror of this
And the persuasion of his augurer
May hold him from the Capitol

35

Dec. Never fear that: If he be
I can o'ersway him: for he loves
40 That unicorns may be betray'd w
And bears with glasses, elephants
Lions with toils, and men with flat
But, when I tell him, he hates flat
He says, he does; being then mo
45 Let me work:

For I can give his humour the tru
And I will bring him to the Capit
Cas. Nay, we will all of us be ther
Bru. By the eighth hour: Is that
Cin. Be that the uttermost, and
Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear
Who rated him for speaking well
I wonder, none of you have thoug
Bru. Now, good Metellus, go a
55 He loves me well, and I have given h
Send him but hither, and I'll fashio

Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius 50
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 bucthers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:

Perhaps the poet here alludes to the custom of decimation, i.e. the selection by lot, soldier, in a general mutiny, for punishment. 2 i. e. cautious. That is, tur

Unicorns are said to have been taken by one who, running behind a tree, eluded the vi animal was making at him, so that his horn spent its force on the trunk, and stuck fast, beast till he was dispatched by the hunter.-Bears are reported to have been surprised mirror, which they would gaze on, affording their pursuers an opportunity of taking -Elephants were seduced into pitfalls lightly covered with hurdles and turf, on which a tempt them was exposed. i. e. hates Cæsar.

Cas. The morning comes upon us: We'll leave
you, Brutus:-

And, friends, disperse yourselves: but all remember
What you have said, and shew yourselves true Ro-

mans.

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:

5

I charm you, by my once-commended beaut
By all your vows of love, and that great vov
Which did incorporate and make us one,
That you unfold to me, your self, your half,
Why you are heavy: and what men to-nigh
Have had resort to you: for here have been
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
Even from darkness.

Bru. Kneel not, gentle Portia.

And so, good-morrow to you every one. [Exeunt. 10 Por. I should not need, if you were gentle Br

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.

Enter Portia.

Por. Brutus, my lord!

[now?

Bru.Portia,what mean you? Wherefore rise you
It is not for your health, thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
Por. Nor for yours neither. You have ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed: And yesternight, at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Musing, and sighing, with your arms across :
And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks:
Jurg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
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,
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,

Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus
Is it excepted, I should know no secrets
That appertain to you? Am I yourself,
But, as it were, in sort or limitation;
15 To keep with you at meals, comfort your be
And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in

145

50

[Exit Po Enter Lucius and Ligarius. Lucius, who is that knocks?

[ Luc. Here is a sick man that would speak Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake a Boy, stand aside.-Caius Ligarius! how? Lig. Vouchsafe good morrow from a fe

tongue,

[C= Bru. O, what a time have you chose out, b To wear a kerchief? Would you were not si Lig. I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand Any exploit worthy the name of honour. Bru, Such an exploit have I in hand, Liga 55 Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

Lig. By all the gods, that Romans bow be:

1 Comfort your bed, "is but an odd phrase, and gives as odd an idea," says Mr. Theobald. therefore substitutes, consort. But this good old word, however disused through modern refinem was not so discarded by Shakspeare. Henry VIII, as we read in Cavendish's Life of Wolsey, in c mendation of queen Katharine, in public said, "She hath beene to me a true obedient wife, an "comfortable as I could wish.' In our marriage ceremony, also, the husband promises to comfor