Bru.
What, Lucius, ho!
I cannot, by the progress of the stars,
Give guess how near to day. Lucius, I say!
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.
When, Lucius, when? ^note awake, I say! what, Lucius! Enter Lucius.

Luc.
Call'd you, my lord?

Bru.
Get me a taper in my study, Lucius:
When it is lighted, come and call me here.

Luc.
I will, my lord. [Exit.

Bru.
It must be by his death: and, for my part,
I know no personal cause to spurn at him,
But for the general. He would be crown'd:
How that might change his nature, there's the question:
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;
And that craves wary walking. Crown him?—that;— ^note
And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,
That at his will he may do danger with.
The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse from power: and, to speak truth of Cæsar,
I have not known when his affections sway'd
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof,
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward ^note turns his face;

But when he once attains the upmost ^note round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend: so Cæsar may;
Then, lest ^note he may ^note, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no colour for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these and these extremities:
And therefore think him as a serpent's egg
Which hatch'd would as his kind grow mischievous,
And kill him in the shell. Re-enter ^note Lucius.

Luc.
The taper burneth in your closet, sir.
Searching the window for a flint I found
This paper thus seal'd up, and I am sure
It did not lie there when I went to bed. [Gives ^note him the letter.

Bru.
Get you to bed again; it is not day.
Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides ^note of March?

Luc.
I know not, sir.

Bru.
Look in the calendar and bring me word.

Luc.
I will, sir. [Exit.

Bru.
The exhalations whizzing in the air
Give so much light that I may read by them. [Opens the letter and reads.
‘Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake and see thyself.
Shall Rome, &c. ^note Speak, strike, redress.
Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake.’
Such instigations have been often dropp'd
Where I have took ^note them up.
‘Shall Rome, &c. ^note’ Thus must I piece it out:
Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome? ^note

My ancestors ^note did from the streets of Rome
The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king.
‘Speak, strike, redress.’ Am I entreated ^{note note}
To speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee ^note promise,
If the redress will follow, thou receivest ^note
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus! Re-enter Lucius.

Luc.
Sir, March is wasted fifteen ^note days. [Knocking within. ^note

Bru.
'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. [Exit Lucius. ^note
Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar
I have not slept.
Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion all the interim is
Like a phantasma or a hideous dream:
The Genius and the mortal instruments ^note
Are then in council, and the state of man ^note
Like to a little kingdom suffers then
The nature of an insurrection. Re-enter ^note Lucius.

Luc.
Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door,
Who doth desire to see you.

Bru.
Is he alone?

Luc.
No, sir, there are moe ^note with him.

Bru.
Do you know them? ^note

Luc.
No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears,
And half their faces buried in their cloaks ^note,
That by no means I may discover them
By any mark of favour.

Bru.
Let 'em ^note enter. [Exit Lucius.
They are the faction. O conspiracy,
Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,
When evils are most free? O, then, by day
Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough
To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek ^note none, conspiracy;
Hide it in ^note smiles and affability:
For if thou path, thy native semblance on, ^note
Not Erebus itself were dim enough
To hide thee from prevention. Enter the conspirators ^note, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber, and Trebonius. ^note

Cas.
I think we are too bold upon your rest:
Good morrow, Brutus; do we trouble you?

Bru.
I have been up this hour, awake all night. ^note
Know I these men that come along with you?

Cas.
Yes, every man of them; and no man here
But honours you; and every one doth wish
You had but that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

Bru.
He is welcome hither.

Cas.
This, Decius Brutus.

Bru.
He is welcome too.

Cas.
This, Casca; this, Cinna ^{note note}; and this, Metellus Cimber. ^note

Bru.
They are all welcome ^note.
What watchful cares do interpose themselves ^note
Betwixt your eyes and night?

Cas.
Shall I entreat a word? [They whisper. ^note

Dec.
Here lies the east: doth not the day break here?

Casca.
No.

Cin.
O, pardon, sir, it doth, and yon grey lines
That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

Casca.
You shall confess that you are both deceived.
Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises;
Which is a great way growing on the south,
Weighing the youthful season of the year.
Some two months hence up higher toward the north
He first presents his fire, and the high east
Stands as the Capitol, directly here.

Bru.
Give me your hands all over, one by one.

Cas.
And let us swear our resolution.

Bru.
No, not an oath: if not the face ^note of men,
The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,— ^note
If these be motives weak, break off betimes,
And every man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-sighted ^note 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 ^note, countrymen,

What need we any spur but our own cause
To prick us to redress? what other bond
Than secret Romans ^note that have spoke the word,
And will not palter ^note? and what other oath
Than honesty to honesty engaged
That this shall be or we will fall for it? ^note
Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls
That ^note welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain ^note
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think that or our cause or our performance
Did ^note need an oath; when ^note every drop of blood
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy
If he do ^note break the smallest particle
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.
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 ruled 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 any thing
That other men begin.

Cas.
Then leave him out.

Casca.
Indeed he is not fit.

Dec.
Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? ^note

Cas.
Decius, well urged: I think it is not meet
Mark Antony, so well beloved 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.

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. ^note
We all stand up against the spirit of Cæsar,
And in the spirit of men ^note there is no blood:
O, that we then could come by Cæsar's spirit ^note,
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:
And ^note let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage
And after seem to chide 'em ^note. This shall make ^note
Our purpose necessary and not envious:
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers ^{note note}, 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 ^note him,

For in ^note the ingrafted love he bears to Cæsar— ^note

Bru.
Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him:
If he love Cæsar, all that he can do
Is to himself, take ^note thought and die for Cæsar:
And that were much he should, for he is given
To sports, to wildness ^note and much company.

Treb.
There is no fear in him; let him not die;
For he will live and laugh at this ^note hereafter. [Clock strikes.

Bru.
Peace! count the clock.

Cas.
The clock hath stricken ^note three.

Treb.
'Tis time to part.

Cas.
But it is doubtful yet
Whether ^note Cæsar will come forth to-day or no;
For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main ^note opinion he held once
Of fantasy ^note, 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 resolved,
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 ^note,
Lions with toils and men with flatterers: ^note
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Let me work ^note;
For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

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

Bru.
By the eighth ^note hour: is that the uttermost?

Cin.
Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.

Met.
Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard ^note,
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 ^note:
He loves me well, and I have given him reasons ^note;
Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

Cas.
The morning comes upon 's ^note: we'll leave you, Brutus: ^note
And, friends, disperse yourselves: but all remember
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 untired spirits and formal constancy:
And so, good morrow to you every one. [Exeunt ^note all but Brutus.
Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep! It is no matter;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew ^note of slumber:
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound. ^noteEnter 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 ^note morning.

Por.
Nor for yours neither. You've ^note ungently, Brutus,
Stole ^note 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 stared upon me with ungentle looks:
I urged you further ^note; 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 ^note 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 ^note. 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 ^note 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 ^note sickness? No, my Brutus;
You have some sick offence within your mind,

Which by the right and virtue of my place ^note
I ought to know of: and, upon my knees,
I charm ^note 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, yourself, 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 ^note
Even from darkness.

Bru.
Kneel not, gentle Portia.

Por.
I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.
Within the ^note 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,
To keep with you at meals, comfort ^note your bed,
And talk to you sometimes ^note? Dwell I but in the suburbs
Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,
Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Bru.
You are my true and honourable wife,
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart.

Por.
If this were true, then should I know this secret.
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 ^note daughter.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so father'd and so husbanded?
Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose 'em ^note:
I have made strong proof of my constancy,
Giving myself a voluntary wound

Here in the thigh: can I bear that with patience
And not my husband's secrets ^note?

Bru.
O ye gods,
Render me worthy of this noble wife! [Knocking within. ^note
Hark, hark! one knocks: Portia, go in awhile;
And by and by thy bosom shall partake
The secrets of my heart:
All my engagements I will construe to thee,
All the charactery of my sad brows.
Leave me with haste. [Exit Portia.] Lucius, who's that ^note knocks? Re-enter ^note Lucius with Ligarius.

Luc.
Here is a sick man that would speak with you.

Bru.
Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of. ^note
Boy, stand aside. Caius Ligarius! how?

Lig.
Vouchsafe 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 sick!

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, Ligarius,
Had you a ^note healthful ear to hear of it.

Lig.
By all the gods that Romans ^note bow before,
I here discard my sickness! Soul of Rome!
Brave son, derived from honourable loins!
Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up
My mortified spirit. Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impossible,
Yea ^note, get the better of them. What's to do?

Bru.
A piece of work that will make sick men whole. ^note

Lig.
But are not some whole that we must make sick?

Bru.
That must we ^note also. What it is, my Caius,
I shall unfold to thee, as we are going
To ^note whom it must be done.

Lig.
Set on your foot,
And with a heart new-fired I follow you,
To do I know not what: but it sufficeth
That Brutus leads me on.

Bru.
Follow me then. [Exeunt. ^{note note} Scene II. [Footnote: Cæsar's house. ^note Thunder and lightning. Enter Cæsar ^note, in his night-gown ^note.

Cæs.
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night ^note:
Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
‘Help, ho! they murder Cæsar!’ Who's within? Enter a Servant.

Serv.
My lord?

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

Serv.
I will, my lord. [Exit. 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 ^note 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,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fight ^note upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled ^note in the air,
Horses did neigh ^note and dying men did groan,
And ghosts ^note did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Cæs.
What can be avoided
Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Cæsar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Cæsar.

Cal.
When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Cæs.
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. Re-enter ^note Servant.
What say the augurers ^note?

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

Cæs.
The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Cæsar should be a beast without a heart
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Cæsar shall not: danger knows full well
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he:
We are ^note two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible:
And Cæsar shall go forth. ^note

Cal.
Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consumed 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 ^note 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. ^note Enter Decius.
Here's Decius Brutus, he shall 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 ^note to tell graybeards 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 ^note she saw my statua,
Which like ^note a fountain with an ^note hundred spouts
Did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans
Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it:
And these does she apply ^note for warnings and portents ^note
And ^note 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 bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome ^note shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press ^note
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance ^note.
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 ^note, 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, ^note 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 ashamed ^note I did yield to them. ^note
Give me my robe, for I will go. Enter Publius, Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius, and Cinna. ^{note note}
And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

Pub.
Good morrow, Cæsar.

Cæs.
Welcome, Publius.
What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
Good morrow, Casca. Caius ^note Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy
As that same ague which hath made you lean.
What is't o' ^noteclock?

Bru.
Cæsar, 'tis strucken ^note eight.

Cæs.
I thank you for your pains and courtesy. Enter Antony.
See! ^note Antony, that revels long o' nights ^note,
Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.

^note

Ant.
So to most noble Cæsar.

Cæs.
Bid them prepare within ^note:
I am to blame ^note to be thus waited for.
Now, Cinna: now, Metellus: what, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in store for you;
Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Treb.
Cæsar, I will. [Aside ^note] 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.

Bru. [Aside ^note]
That every like is not the same, O Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus yearns ^note to think upon! [Exeunt. ^note Scene III. [Footnote: A street ^note near the Capitol. Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper ^note.

Art.

‘Cæsar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber: Decius Brutus loves thee not: thou hast ^note wronged Caius Ligarius. There is ^note but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against ^note Cæsar. If thou beest not immortal, look about you ^note: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! ^note

Thy lover, Artemidorus.’

Here will I stand till Cæsar pass along,
And as a suitor will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth ^note of emulation.
If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou mayst ^note live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive. [Exit. ^{note note} Scene IV. [Footnote: Another ^note part of the same street, before the house of Brutus. Enter Portia and Lucius.

Por.
I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.
Why dost thou stay?

Luc.
To know my errand, madam.

Por.
I would have had thee there, and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.
O constancy, be strong upon my side!
Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue!
I have a man's mind, but a woman's might ^note.
How hard it is for women to keep counsel! ^note
Art thou here yet?

Luc.
Madam, what should I do?
Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And so return to you, and nothing else?

Por.
Yes, bring me word, boy ^note, if thy lord look well,
For he went sickly forth: and take good note
What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

Luc.
I hear none, madam.

Por.
Prithee, listen well:
I heard ^note a bustling ^note rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

Luc.
Sooth, madam, I hear nothing. Enter the Soothsayer. ^note

Por.
Come hither, fellow:
Which way hast thou been? ^note

Sooth. ^note
At mine own house, good lady.

Por.
What is't o' ^noteclock?

Sooth.
About the ninth hour, lady.

Por.
Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol?

Sooth.
Madam, not yet: I go to take my stand,
To see him pass on to the Capitol.

Por.
Thou hast some suit to Cæsar, hast thou not?

Sooth.
That I have, lady: if it will please Cæsar
To be so good to Cæsar as to hear me, ^note
I shall beseech him to befriend ^note himself.

Por.
Why, know'st thou any harm's ^note intended towards him? ^note

Sooth.
None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance ^{note note}.
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. [Exit.

Por.
I must go in. Ay ^note me, how weak a thing ^note
The heart of woman is! O Brutus, ^note
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 severally. ^note

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