Nor what this soothsayer but even now foretold,
Being things impossible to human reason,
Shall in a dream disturb me: Bring my couch,
[there;

A sudden but a secure drowsiness

Invites me to repose myself. [A couch brought in.]
Let music,

With some choice ditty, second it :-[Exit PAR-
THENIUS.]-The mean time,
Rest there, dear book, which open'd, when I wake,
[Lays the book under his pillow.

Shall make some sleep for ever.

[Music and a song. CESAR sleeps.

Re-enter PARTHENIUS and DOMITIA.

Dom. Write my name

In his bloody scroll, Parthenius! the fear's idle : He durst not, could not.

Parth. I can assure nothing;

But I observed, when you departed from him,
After some little passion, but much fury,

[not;

What he hath

He drew it out: whose death he sign'd, I know
But in his looks appear'd a resolution
Of what before he stagger'd at.
Determined of is uncertain, but too soon
Will fall on you, or me, or both, or any,
His pleasure known to the tribunes and centurions,
Who never use to enquire his will, but serve it.
Now, if out of the confidence of your power,
The bloody catalogue being still about him,
As he sleeps you dare peruse it, or remove it,
You may instruct yourself, or what to suffer,
Or how to cross it.

Dom. I would not be caught
With too much confidence.
No motion !-you lie uneasy, sir,
Let me mend your pillow.

Parth. Have you it?

Dom. 'Tis here.

Cas. Oh!

By your leave, sir. [Ha! [Takes away the book.

Parth. You have waked him: softly, gracious madam,

While we are unknown; and then consult at leisure. [Exeunt.

Dreadful music. The apparitions of JUNIUS RUSTICUS and PALPHURIUS SURA rise, with bloody swords in their hands; they wave them over the head of CESAR, who seems troubled in his sleep, and as if praying to the image of Minerva, which they scornfully seize, and then disappear with it.

Cæs. [starting.] Defend me, goddess, or this horrid dream

Will force me to distraction! whither have
These Furies born thee? Let me rise and follow.
I am bath'd o'er with the cold sweat of death,
And am deprived of organs to pursue
These sacrilegious spirits. Am I at once
Robb'd of my hopes and being? No, I live-
[Rises distractedly.
Yes, live, and have discourse, to know myself
Of gods and men forsaken. What accuser
Within me cries aloud, I have deserved it,
In being just to neither? Who dares speak this?
Am I not Cæsar?-How! again repeat it?
Presumptuous traitor, thou shalt die !-What

traitor?

He that hath been a traitor to himself,
And stands convicted here. Yet who can sit
A competent judge o'er Cæsar? Cæsar. Yes,
Cæsar by Cæsar's sentenced, and must suffer;
Minerva cannot save him. Ha! where is she?

Where is my goddess? vanish'd! I am lost then.
No; 'twas no dream, but a most real truth,
That Junius Rusticus and Palphurius Sura,
Although their ashes were cast in the sea,
Were by their innocence made up again,
And in corporeal forms but now appear'd,
Waving their bloody swords above my head,
As at their deaths they threaten'd. And me-
thought,

Minerva, ravish'd hence, whisper'd that she
Was, for my blasphemies, disarm'd by Jove,
And could no more protect me. Yes, 'twas so,

[Thunder and lightning. His thunder does confirm it, against which, Howe'er it spare the laurel, this proud wreath

1 Trib. For, his throat cut, his legs bound, and
his arms

Pinion'd behind his back, the breathless trunk
Was with all scorn dragg'd to the field of Mars,
And there, a pile being raised of old dry wood,
Smear'd o'er with oil and brimstone, or what else
Could help to feed or to increase the fire,
The carcass was thrown on it; but no sooner
The stuff, that was most apt, began to flame,
But suddenly, to the amazement of
The fearless soldier, a sudden flash

Of lightning, breaking through the scatter'd clouds,
With such a horrid violence forced its passage,
And, as disdaining all heat but itself,

In a moment quench'd the artificial fire:
And before we could kindle it again,
A clap of thunder follow'd with such noise,
As if then Jove, incensed against mankind,
Had in his secret purposes determined
An universal ruin to the world.

This horror past, not at Deucalion's flood
Such a stormy shower of rain (and yet that word is
Too narrow to express it) was e'er seen:
Imagine rather, sir, that with less fury,
The waves rush down the cataracts of Nile ;
Or that the sea, spouted into the air
By the angry Orc, endangering tall ships
But sailing near it, so falls down again.-
Yet here the wonder ends not, but begins :
For, as in vain we labour'd to consume
The wizard's body, all the dogs of Rome,

Howling and yelling like to famish'd wolves, Brake in upon us; and though thousands were Kill'd in th' attempt, some did ascend the pile, And with their eager fangs seized on the carcass. Cæs. But have they torn it?

1 Trib. Torn it, and devour'd it.

Cæs. I then am a dead man, since all predictions

Assure me I am lost. O, my loved soldiers,
Your emperor must leave you! yet, however
I cannot grant myself a short reprieve,
I freely pardon you. The fatal hour

Steals fast upon me: I must die this morning
By five, my soldiers; that's the latest hour
You e'er must see me living.

1 Trib. Jove avert it!

In our swords lies your fate, and we will guard it.
Cas. O no, it cannot be; it is decreed

Above, and by no strength here to be alter'd.
Let proud mortality but look on Cæsar,
Compass'd of late with armies, in his eyes
Carrying both life and death, and in his arms
Fathoming the earth; that would be styled a God,
And is, for that presumption, cast beneath
The low condition of a common man,
Sinking with mine own weight.

1 Trib. Do not forsake Yourself, we'll never leave you.

2 Trib. We'll draw up

The glory of a deed that will endure
To all posterity.

Ent. I will put in
For a part, myself.

Parth. Be resolv'd, and stand close.

I have conceived a way, and with the hazard Of my life I'll practise it, to fetch him hither. But then no trifling.

Steph. We'll dispatch him, fear not : A dead dog never bites.

Parth. Thus then at all.

[Exit; the rest conceal themselves.

Enter CESAR and the Tribunes.

Cas. How slow-paced are these minutes! in How miserable is the least delay!

[extremes,

Could I imp feathers to the wings of time,

Or with as little ease command the sun

To scourge his coursers up heaven's eastern hill, Making the hour to tremble at, past recalling,

As I can move this dial's tongue to six ;

My veins and arteries, emptied with fear,
Would fill and swell again. How do I look?
Do you yet see Death about me?

1 Trib. Think not of him;

There is no danger : all these prodigies

That do affright you, rise from natural causes; And though you do ascribe them to yourself, Had you ne'er been, had happened.

Domitil. This for thy abuse Of Domitilla.

2 Trib. How strangely hopes delude men! as I live,

The hour is not yet come.

1 Trib. Howe'er, we are

To pay our duties, and observe the sequel.

[Exeunt Tribunes. DOMITIA and the rest come forward. Dom. I hear him coming. Be constant.

Re-enter CESAR and PARTHENIUS.

Cas. Where, Parthenius,

Is this glad messenger?

Steph. Make the door fast.-Here;

A messenger of horror.

Cæs. How! betray'd?

Dom. No; taken, tyrant.

Cas. My Domitia

In the conspiracy!

Parth. Behold this book.

Cas. Nay, then I am lost. Yet, though I am

I'll not fall poorly.

Steph. Help me.

Ent. Thus, and thus !

[unarm'd,

[Overthrows STEPHANOS.

Sej. Are you so long a falling? Cas. 'Tis done basely.

Parth. This for my father's death.

Dom. This for my Paris.

Jul. This for thy incest.

[They severally stab him. Tribunes. [Within.] Force the doors!

ground

Of all these mischiefs, shall go hence unpunish'd.
Lay hands on her, and drag her to her sentence.—
We will refer the hearing to the senate,
Who may at their best leisure censure you.
Take up his body: he in death hath paid
For all his cruelties. Here's the difference;
Good kings are mourn'd for after life; but ill,
And such as govern'd only by their will,
And not their reason, unlamented fall;
No good man's tear shed at their funeral.

[Exeunt; the Tribunes bearing the body of CASAR.

Upon the barren sands, but fruitful glebe,
Which yields a large increase: my noble charge,
By his sharp wit, and pregnant apprehension,
Instructing those that teach him; making use,
Not in a vulgar and pedantic form,

Of what's read to him, but 'tis straight digested,
And truly made his own. His grave discourse,
In one no more indebted unto years,
Amazes such as hear him : horsemanship,
And skill to use his weapon, are by practice
Familiar to him: as for knowledge in

Music, he needs it not, it being born with him;
All that he speaks being with such grace deliver'd,
That it makes perfect harmony.

Cont. You describe

A wonder to me.

Car. Sir, he is no less;

And that there may be nothing wanting that
May render him complete, the sweetness of
His disposition so wins on all

Appointed to attend him, that they are
Rivals, even in the coarsest office, who
Shall get precedency to do him service;
Which they esteem a greater happiness,
Than if they had been fashion'd and built up
To hold command o'er others.

Cont. And what place

Does he now bless with his presence?

Char. He is now

Running at the ring, at which he's excellent.
He does allot for every exercise

A several hour; for sloth, the nurse of vices,
And rust of action, is a stranger to him.
But I fear I am tedious, let us pass,

If you please, to some other subject, though I can-
Deliver him as he deserves.

Cont. You have given him

A noble character.

Char. And how, I pray you,

(For we, that never look beyond our villas, Must be inquisitive,) are state affairs Carried in court?

Cont. There's little alteration :

Some rise, and others fall, as it stands with
The pleasure of the duke, their great disposer.
Char. Does Lodovico Sanazarro hold
Weight, and grace with him?

Cont. Every day new honours

Are shower'd upon him, and without the envy
Of such as are good men; since all confess
The service done our master in his wars
'Gainst Pisa and Sienna may with justice
Claim what's conferr'd upon him.

Char. 'Tis said nobly;

[not

For princes never more make known their wisdom,
Than when they cherish goodness where they find
They being men, and not gods, Contarino, [it:
They can give wealth and titles, but no virtues ;
That is without their power. When they advance,
Not out of judgment, but deceiving fancy,
An undeserving man, howe'er set off
With all the trim of greatness, state, and power,
And of a creature even grown terrible

To him from whom he took his giant form,
This thing is still a comet, no true star;
And when the bounties feeding his false fire
Begin to fail, will of itself go out,
And what was dreadful, proves ridiculous.
But in our Sanazarro 'tis not so,

He being pure and tried gold; and any stamp

Char. Your excellence

Must give me liberty to observe the distance And duty that I owe you.

Giov. Owe me duty!

I do profess (and when I do deny it,

Good fortune leave me!) you have been to me
A second father, and may justly challenge,
For training up my youth in arts and arms,
As much respect and service, as was due

To him that gave me life. And did you know, sir,

Or will believe from me, how many sleeps
Good Charomonte hath broken, in his care
To build me up a man, you must confess
Chiron, the tutor to the great Achilles,
Compared with him, deserves not to be named.
And if my gracious uncle, the great duke,
Still holds me worthy his consideration,
Or finds in me aught worthy to be loved,
That little rivulet flow'd from this spring;
And so from me report him.

Cont. Fame already

Hath fill'd his highness' ears with the true story
Of what you are, and how much better'd by him.
And 'tis his purpose to reward the travail
Of this grave sir, with a magnificent hand.
For, though his tenderness hardly could consent
To have you one hour absent from his sight,
For full three years he did deny himself
The pleasure he took in you, that you, here,
From this great master, might arrive unto
The theory of those high mysteries
Which you, by action, must make plain in court.
'Tis, therefore, his request, (and that, from him,
Your excellence must grant a strict command,)
That instantly (it being not five hours riding)