Enter a Servant.

What fay the Augurs?

Ser. They would not have you to ftir forth to day. Plucking the entrails of an Offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beaft. [Exit Servant. Caf. The Gods do this in fhame of cowardife: Cafar fhould be a beaft without a heart, If he should stay at home to day for fear. No, Cæfar fhall not; Danger knows full well, That Cæfar is more dangerous than he. (15) We were two lions litter'd in one day, And I the elder and more terrible; And Cæfar fhall go forth.

Cal. Alas, my lord,

Your wisdom is confum'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-houfe,
And he will fay, you are not well to day:
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.
Caf. Mark Antony fhall fay, I am not well;
And for thy humour, I will stay at home.

Enter Decius.

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.

We heare

t

The

(15) We heard two Lions-] The first Folio Copies have been all corrupt, and the Paffage, of courfe, unintelligible. But the flight Alteration, I have made, reftores Sense to the whole, and the Sentiment will neither be unworthy of Shakespeare, nor the Boaft too extravagant for Cafar in a Vein of Vanity to utter: that He and Danger were Twin whelps of a Lyon, and He the Elder, and more terrible of the Two. A fimilar Thought again occurs in Antony and Cleopatra, about Victory for a while ftanding 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.

Caf.

Caf. 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 fo, Decius.
Cal. Say, he is fick.

Caf. Shall Cæfar fend a lie?

Have I in conqueft ftretcht mine arm fo far,
To be afraid to tell Grey-beards the truth?
Decius, go tell them, Cæfar will not come.
Dec. Moft mighty Cefar, let me know fome caufe,
Left I be laught at, when I tell them fo.

Caf. The caufe is in my will, I will not come;
That is enough to fatisfie the Senate.

But for your private fatisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia here, my wife, ftays me at home:
She dreamt last night, fhe faw my Statue,
Which, like a fountain, with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lufty Romans
Came fmiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
These the applies for warnings and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee.
Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to day..
Dec. This Dream is all amifs interpreted;
It was a Vision fair and fortunate :

Your Statue, spouting blood in many pipes,
In which fo many fmiling Romans bath'd,
Signifies, that from You great Rome fhall fuck
Reviving blood; and that Great Men fhall prefs
For tinctures, ftains, relicks, and cognisance.
This by Calphurnia's Dream is fignify'd.

Caf. And this way have you well expounded it.
Dec. I have, when you have heard what I can fay;
And know it now, the Senate have concluded
To give this day a Crown to mighty Cæfar.
If you fhall fend them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Befides, it were a mock
Apt to be render'd, for some one to say,

Break up the Senate 'till another time,

" When

"When Cæfar's Wife fhall meet with better Dreams; If Cæfar hide himself, fhall they not whisper,

"Lo, Cæfar is afraid!

Pardon me, Cafar; for my dear, dear, love
To your proceeding bids me tell

And reason to my love is liable.

you this:

Caf. How foolish do your Fears feem now, Calphurnia?

I am ashamed, I did yield to them.
Give me my Robe, for I will go :

Enter Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Cafca, Trebonius,
Cinna and Publius.

And, look, where Publius is come to fetch me.
Pub. Good morrow, Cafar.

Caf. Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd fo early too?
Good morrow, Cafca: Caius Ligarius,
Cafar was ne'er fo much your enemy,

2

As that fame Ague which hath made you lean.
What is't o'clock?

Bru. Cafar, 'tis ftrucken eight.

Caf. I thank you for your pains and courtefie.

Enter Antony.c

See, Antony, that revels long o' nights,
Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.
Ant. So to moft noble Cafar.

Caf. Bid them prepare within:

I am to blame to be thus waited for.

Now, Cinna; now, Metellus; what, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in ftore for you,
Remember, that you call on me to day;
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Treb. Cafar, I will;-and fo near will I be, [Afide. That your best Friends fhall wish I had been further. Caf. Good Friends, go in, and tafte fome wine with me,

And we, like Friends, will straightway go together.

Bru.

Bru. That every like is not the fame, O Cafar,

The heart of Brutus yerns to think upon!

[Afide. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Street near the Capitol.

C

(16) Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.

ESAR, beware of Brutus; take heed of Caffius, come not near Calca; have an eye to Cinna; truft not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou haft wrong'd Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæfar. If thou beeft not immortal, look about thee: fecurity gives way to confpiracy. The mighty Gods defend

thee!

Thy Lover Artemidorus.

Here will I ftand, 'till Cæfar pass along,
And as a fuitor will I give him this:
My heart laments, that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Cefar, thou may'st live;
If not, the fates with Traitors do contrive.

Enter Porcia and Lucius.

[Exit.

Por. I pr'ythee, Boy, run to the Senate-houfe;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:
Why dost thou stay?

(16) Enter Artemidorus,] In the Dramatis Perfonæ, thro' all the Editions, Artemidorus is call'd a Sooth layer. But, 'tis certain, the Poet defign'd two distinct Characters. Artemidorus was neither Augur, nor Soothsayer. 'Tis true, there was an Artemidorus, whofe Critic on Dreams we still have: but He did not live 'till the Time of Antoninus. He likewife wrote, according to Suidas, of Augury and Palmistry. But this Artemidorus, who had been Cafar's Hoft at Cnidos, as we learn from Plutarch, Appian, &c. did not pretend to know any thing of the Confpiracy against Cafar by Prefcience, or Prognoftication. He was a Sophift, who taught that Science in Greek at Rome; by which Means being intimate with Brutus, and thofe about him, he got into their Secret; and, out of his old Affection for Cæfar, was defirous of acquainting him with his Danger.

Luc.

Luc. To know my errand, Madam.

Por. I would have had thee there, and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there
O Conftancy, be strong upon my fide,

Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue;
I have a man's mind, but a woman's might:
How hard it is for women to keep counsel!
Art thou here yet?

Luc. Madam, what should I do?

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And fo return to you, and nothing else?

Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy Lord look well,

For he went fickly forth and take good note,
What Cafar doth, what fuitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

Luc. I hear none, Madam.

Por. Pr'ythee, listen well:

I heard a bustling rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, Madam, I hear nothing.

Enter Artemidorus.

Por. Come hither, fellow, which way haft thou been? Art. At mine own houfe, good Lady.

Por. What is't o' clock?

Art. About the ninth hour, Lady.

Por. Is Cæfar yet gone to the Capitol?

Art. Madam, not yet; I go to take my Stand,

To see him pafs on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou haft fome fuit to Cæfar, haft thou not? Art. That I have, Lady, if it will please Cafar

To be fo good to Cæfar, as to hear me :

I fhall befeech him to befriend himself.

Por. Why, know'st thou any harm intended tow'rds him?

Art. None that I know will be, much that I fear; Good morrow to you. Here the ftreet is narrow: The throng, that follows Cafar at the heels, Of Senators, of Prætors, common Suitors,