Cæs.
Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace tonight;
Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
Help, ho! They murder Cæsar!—Who's within? Enter Flavius

Fla.
My lord?

Cæs.
Go bid the priests do present sacrifice,
And bring me their opinions of success. [Exit Flavius.

Enter Calpurnia.

Cal.
What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Cæs.
Cæsar shall forth: The things that threaten'd me,
Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.

Cal.
Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Recounts most horrid visions seen to-night:
Fierce firy warriors fought upon the clouds,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
And ghosts did shriek, and gibber in the streets.
O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Cæs.
What can be avoided,
Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods?—
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come, when it will come.— Enter Flavius.
What say the augurers?

Fla.
They would not have you to stir forth to-day:
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.

Cæs.
The gods do this in shame of cowardice. [Exit Flavius.
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear:
No; Cæsar shall go forth.

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: he shall go and tell them so.

Dec.
Cæsar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Cæsar:
I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

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 grey-beards 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.

Cæs.
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,
Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home.
She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,
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.
These she applies for 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,
Signifies, that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press
To you for tinctures, stains and cognizance:
This by Calpurnia'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 Cæsar'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.

Cæs.
How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!—
I am asham'd that I did yield to them.—
And look, where other friends are come to fetch me. [Exit Calpurnia. Enter Casca and Brutus.

Casca.
Good morrow, Cæsar.

Cæs.
Welcome, Publius Casca.—
What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
I thank you for your pains and courtesy.— Enter Antony.
See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,
Is notwithstanding up:—
Good morrow, Antony.

Ant.
So to most noble Cæsar.

Cæs.
Bid them prepare within:
I am to blame to be thus waited for.— Enter Cinna, Metellus, and Trebonius.
Now, Cinna:—Now, Metellus:—What, Trebonius?
I have an hour's talk in store for you:
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Tre.
Cæsar, I will:—[Aside] And so near will I be,
That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

Cæs.
Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together. [Exeunt all but Brutus.

Bru.
That every like is not the same, O Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon! [Exit. END OF ACT II.

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