Enter Lucius and Ligarius. Lucius, who's there that knocks? that would speak with you. Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of. Boy, ftand afide. Caius Ligarius! how? Cai. Vouchfafe good morrow from a feeble tongue. Bru. O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius, To wear a kerchief? would, you were not fick! Cai. I am not fick, if Brutus have in hand. Any exploit worthy the name of honour. Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius, Cai. By all the Gods the Romans bow before, Bru. A piece of work, that will make fick men whole. To whom it must be done. Cai. Set on your foot, And with a heart new-fir'd I follow you, To do I know not what: but it fufficeth, Bru. Follow me then. SCENE changes to Cæfar's Palace. [Exeunt. Thunder and Lightning. Enter Julius Cæfar. Caf. N 'OR heav'n, nor earth, have been at peace. to-night; Thrice hath Calpurnia in her fleep cry'd out, "Help, ho! they murder Cafar." Who's within? And talk to you sometimes? dwell I but in the fuburbs. Of your good pleasure? If it be no more, Porcia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife. Bru. You are my true and honourable wife; As dear to me, as are the ruddy drops That vifit my fad heart. Por. If this were true, then should I know this feeret. I grant, I am a woman; but withal, A woman that lord Brutus took to wife: I grant, I am a woman; but withal, A woman well reputed; Cato's daughter. Tell me your counfels, I will not disclose them: Here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience, Bru. O ye Gods! Render me worthy of this noble wife. Hark, hark, one knocks: Porcia, go in a while; The fecrets of my heart. All my engagements I will conftrue to thee, All the charactery of my fad brows. Leave me with hafte. [Knock. [Exit Porcia. This is but an odd phrafe, and gives as odd an idea. The word,. I have fubftituted, feems much more proper; and is one of our Poet's own ufage; which makes me fufpect, he employ'd it here. So in his Comedy of Errors; And, afterwards, confort you till bed-time. And fo in his Poem, call'd Venus and Adonis ; Who bids them ftill confort with ugly Night; And fo afterwards, again, in the fifth Act of this Play; And, in Midsummer Night's Dream; And muft for aye confort with black-brow'd Night. Enter Enter Lucius and Ligarius. Lucius, who's there that knocks ? Luc. Here is a fick man, that would speak with you. Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of. Boy, ftand afide. Caius Ligarius! how? Cai. Vouchfafe good morrow from a feeble tongue. Bru. O, what a time have you chofe out, brave Caius, To wear a kerchief? would, you were not fick! Cai. I am not fick, if Brutus have in hand. Any exploit worthy the name of honour. Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius, Had you an healthful ear to hear of it. C.i. By all the Gods the Romans bow before, I here difcard my fickness. Soul of Rome! Brave fon, deriv'd from honourable loins! Thou, like an Exorcift, haft conjur'd up My mortified spirit. Now bid me run, And I will strive with things impoffible; Yea, get the better of them. What's to do? Bru. A piece of work, that will make fick men whole. Cai. But are not fome whole, that we must make fick ? Bru. That must we alfo.. What it is, my Caius, . I shall unfold to thee, as we are going, To whom it must be done. Cai. Set on your foot, And with a heart new-fir'd I follow you, Bru. Follow me then. Caf. SCENE changes to Cæfar's Palace. [Exeunt. Thunder and Lightning. Enter Julius Cæfar. N OR heav'n, nor earth, have been at peace Thrice hath Calphurnia in her fleep cry'd out, Enter a Servant. Ser. My lord P B. 5 Cafo Caf. Go bid the priests do prefent facrifice, And bring me their opinions of fuccefs. Ser. I will, my lord. Enter Calphurnia.. [Exit.. Cal. What mean you, Cafar? think you to walk forth? You shall not stir out of your houfe to-day.. Caf. Cefar fhall forth; the things, that threatned me, Cal: Cafar, I never ftood on ceremonies, And Graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead'; Caf. What can be avoided, Whofe end is purpos'd by the mighty Gods? Cal. When Beggars die, there are no comets feen; Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me moft strange, that men fhould fear: Will come, when it will come. Enter a Servant. What fay the Augurs? Ser. Ser. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. [Exit Servant Caf. The Gods do this in fhame of cowardise : Cæfar fhould be a beast without a heart, If he should stay at home to-day for fear. No, Cefar fhall not; Danger knows full well, That Cafar is more dangerous than he. (15) We were two lions litter'd in one day, And I the elder and more terrible; And Cefar fhall go forth. Cal. Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is confum'd in confidence: That keeps you in the house, and not your own. Cal. Mark Antony fhall fay, I am not well; Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them fo. Dec. Cæfar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Cafar; I come to fetch you to the Senate-house. Caf. And you are come in very happy time, -The (15) We heard two lions-] The first folio-We bearecopies have been all corrupt, and the paffage, of course, unintelligible. But the flight alteration, I have made, reftores fenfe to the whole, and the fentiment will neither be unworthy of Shakespeare, nor the boast too extravagant for Cæfar in a vein of vanity to utter: that He and Danger were twin-whelps of a lion, and he the elder, and more terrible of the two. A fimilar thought again occurs in Antony and Cleopatra, about victory for a while standing fufpended betwixt two armies. When vantage like a pair of twins appear'd, Both as the fame, or rather ours the elder. I made this emendation formerly in my SHAKESPEARE Reftor'd; and the ingenious Dr. Thirlby, without having feen it, ftruck out the fame conjecture, |