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 Cæfar doth, what fuitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

Luc. I hear none, Madam.

Por. Pr'ythee, liften 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.

Per. 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 Cafar yet gone to the Capitol ?

Art. Madam, not yet; I go to take my stand, To fee him pafs on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou haft fome fuit to Cefar, haft thou not? Art. That I have, Lady, if it will please Cafar To be fo good to Cafar, 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 street is narrow:
The throng, that follows Cæfar at the heels,
Of Senators, of Prætors, common Suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almoft to death:
I'll
get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæfar as he comes along.

Por. I must go in-aye me! how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus! Brutus !
The heavens speed thee in thy enrerprize!
Sure, the Boy heard me:-. Brutus hath a Suit,
That Cæfar will not grant. ·O, I grow faint:
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my Lord;

[Exit.

Say,

Say, I am merry; come to me again,
And bring me word what he doth fay to thee.

A C T III.

[Exeunt feverally.

SCENE, the Street before the Capitol ; and the Capitol open.

Flourish. Enter Cæfar, Brutus, Caffius, Casca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Artemidorus, Popilius, Publius, and the Sooth-fayer.

CESAR.

HE Ides of March are come.

TH

Sooth. Ay, Cafar, but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cafar: read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth defire you to o'er-read,
At your beft leifure, this his humble fuit.

Art. O Cafar, read mine firft; for mine's a fuit,
That touches Cafar nearer. Read it, great Cafar.
Caf. What touches us our felf, fhall be laft ferv'd,
Art. Delay not, Cefar, read it instantly.
Caf. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirrah, give place.

Caf. What urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the capitol.

Pap. I wish, your enterprize to day may thrive.
Caf. What enterprize, Popilius?

Pop. Fare you well.

Bra. What faid Popilius Lena?

Caf. He wifh'd, to day our enterprize might thrive: I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cafar; mark him. Caf. Cafea, be fudden, for we fear prevention. Brutus, what fhall be done, if this be known?

Caffius,

Caffius, or Cefar, never fhall turn back;
For I will flay myself.

Bru. Caffius, be conftant:

Popilius Lena fpeaks not of our purpose ;

For, look, he fmiles, and Cæfar doth not change.
Caf. Trebonius knows his time; for look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? let him go,

And presently prefer his fuit to Cafar.

Bru. He is addreft; prefs near, and fecond him.
Cin. Cafea, you are the firft that rears your hand.
Caf. Are we all ready? what is now amifs,
That Cafar and his Senate must redress ?

Met. Moft high, most mighty, and moft puiffant
Cafar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy feat
An humble heart.

Caf. I must prevent thee, Cimber;
Thefe couchings and thefe lowly courtefies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and firft decree
Into the lane of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæfar bears fuch rebel blood,
That will be thaw'd from the true quality

[Kneeling.

With That which melteth fools; I mean, fweet words
Low-crooked curtfies, and bafe spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou doft bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I fpurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cæfar doth not wrong; nor without cause
Will he be fatisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To found more fweetly in great Cæfar's ear,

For the repealing of my banish'd brother?
Bru. I kifs thy hand, but not in flattery, Cafar
Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus !

Caf. Pardon, Cæfar; Cæfar, pardon;
As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,

ΤΟ

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you:
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am conftant as the northern star,

Of whofe true, fixt, and resting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament;
The skies are painted with unnumbred sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place.
So, in the world, 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehenfive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one-
That unaffailable holds on his rank,
Unfhak'd of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little fhew it, even in this;

That I was conftant, Cimber should be banish'd;
And conftant do remain to keep him fo.

Cim. O Cafar

7

Cefar. Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus ? ~
Dec. Great Cafar-

Cefar. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel ?
Cafe. Speak hands for me.

[They ftab Cæfar,

[Dies.

Caf. Et tu, Brute?- -then fall Cafar!
Cin. Liberty! freedom! Tyranny is dead
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets
Caf. Some to the common Pulpits, and cry out,
Liberty, freedom, and enfranchifement.

Bru. People, and Senators! be not affrighted;
Fly not, ftand ftill. Ambition's debt is paid.
Cafe. Go to the Pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Caffius too.

Bru. Where's Publius?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. Met. Stand faft together, left fome friends of Cafar's Should chance

Bru. Talk not of ftanding. Publius, good cheer; There is no harm intended to your perfon, Nor to no Roman elfe; fo tell them, Publius.

Caf. And leave us, Publius, left that the people, Rufhing on us, fhould do your age fome mifchief.

Bru.

Bru. Do fo; and let no man abide this deed, But we the Doers.

Enter Trebonius,

Caf. Where is Antony?

Tre. Fled to his Houfe amaz'd.

Men, wives, and children, ftare, cry out, and run,
As it were Dooms-day.

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures;
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men ftand upon.
Caf. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life,
Cuts off fo many years of fearing death.

Bru. Grant That, and then is death a benefit;
So are we Cafar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death. (11) Stoop, Romans, ftoop;
And let us bathe our hands in Cafar's blood
Up to the elbows, and befmear our fwords;
Then walk we forth even to the Market-place,

(11) Stoop, Romans, foop,] Mr. Pope, in both his Editions, bas, from these Words, arbitrarily taken away the Remainder of this Speech from Brutus, and placed it to Cafca: because, he thinks, nothing is more inconfiftent with Brutus's mild and philofophical Character. And as he often finds Speeches in the Jater Editions, he fays, put into wrong Mouths; he thinks, this Liberty is not unreasonable. 'Tis true, a diligent Editor may find many fuch Errors committed even in the first printed Copies; but it has not often been Mr. Pope's good Fortune to hit upon them. I dare warrant, the Printers made no Blunder in this Inftance; and therefore I have made bold to restore the Speech to its right Owner. Brutus esteem'd the Death of Cæfar a Sacrifice to Liberty: and, as fuch, gloried in his heading the Enterprize. Besides, our Poet is strictly copying a Fact in Hiftory. Plutarch, in the life of Cæfar, fays, “ Brutus and his "Followers, being yet bot with the Murder, march'd in a Body "from the Senate-houfe to the Capitol, with their drawn Swords, "with an Air of Confidence and Affurance." And, in the Life of Brutus, "Brutus and his Party betook themfelves to "the Capitol, and in their way fhewing their Hands all bloody, "and their naked Swords, proclaim'd Liberty to the People."

And,