JULIUS CESAR.

JULIUS CESAR.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR,

M. ANTONIUS,

M. EMIL. LEPIDUS,

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Triumvirs after the Death

of Julius Cæsar.

CICERO, PUBLIUS, POPILIUS LENA, Senators.

FLAVIUS, and Marullus, Tribunes.
ARTEMIDORUS, a Sophist of Cnidos.
A Soothsayer.

CINNA, a Poet: Another Poet.

LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, Young CATO,
and VOLUMNIUS; Friends to Brutus and Cassius.
VARRO, CLITUS, CLAUDIUS, STRATO, LUCIUS,
DARDANIUS; Servants to Brutus.

Conspirators againt Julius PINDARUS, Servant to Cassius.

Cæsar.

METELLUS CIMBER,

CINNA,

CALPHURNIA, Wife to Cæsar.
PORTIA, Wife to Brutus.

Plebeians, Senators, Guards, Attendants, &c.

SCENE, for the three first Acts, at Rome: afterwards at an Island near Mutina; at Sardis ; and near

Is this a holiday? What! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk,
Upon a labouring day, without the sign
Of your profession?-Speak, what trade art thou?
Car. Why, sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?—
You, sir; what trade are you?

Flac. Thou art a cobler, art thou?

Cob. Truly, sir, all that I live by is, with the awl: I meddle with no trade,-man's matters, nor woman's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, 5 sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neats-leather, have gone upon my handy-work.

10

Cob. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, 15 I am but, as you would say, a cobler.

Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.

Cob. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender 20 of bad soals.

Flav. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty

knave, what trade?

Cob. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: Yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow ? Cob. Why, sir, cobble you,

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? Cob. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph.

Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings
he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless
things!

O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
25 Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have

3 B3

To hear the replication of your sounds,
Made in his concave shores?

And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way,
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone;

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude. [fault,
Flar. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this
Assemble all the poor men of your sort;

Cas. Set him before me, let m Cas. Fellow, come from the 5 upon Cæsar.

10

Cas. What say'st thou to me n
Sooth. Beware the ides of Mar
Cas. He is a dreamer; let us le
[Sennet. Exeunt
Cas. Will you go see the order
Bru. Not I.

Cas. I pray you, do.

Bru. I am not gamesome; I d Of that quick spirit that is in Ant I'll leave you.

Draw them to Tyber banks, and weep your tears 15 Let me not hinder, Cassius, you
Into the channel, 'till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all.

[Exeunt Commoners.
See, whe'r their basest metal be not mov'd?
They vanish tongue-ty'd in their guiltiness.
Go you down that way towards the Capitol;
This way will I: Disrobe the images,
If you do find them deck'd with ceremonics'.
Mar. May we do so?

You know, it is the feast of Lupercal.

Cas. Brutus, I do observe you I have not from your eyes that 9 And shew of love, as I was wont 20 You bear too stubborn and too s Over your friend that loves you. Bru. Cassius,

Flav. It is no matter; let no images
Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing, 30
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch;

Who else would soar above the view of men,
And keep us all in servile fearfulness., [Exeunt.
SCENE II.
The same.

Enter Casar; Antony, for the course; Calphurnia,
Portia,Decius', Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, a
Soothsayer, &c.
Cas. Calphurnia,-

Casca. Peace, ho! Cæsar speaks.
Ces. Calphurnia,-

Calph. Here, my lord.

Cas. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, When he doth run his course.--Antonius. Ant. Cæsar, my lord.

Cæs. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia: for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile course.

Ant. I shall remember :

When Cæsar says, Do this, it is perform'd.
Cas. Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
Sooth. Cæsar.

Cas. Ha! Who calls?

[again.

Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'
I turn the trouble of my counten
25 Merely upon myself. Vexed I
Of late, with passions of some di
Conceptions only proper to mys
Which give some soil, perhaps, to
But let not therefore my good fri
(Among which number, Cassius,
Nor construe any further my ne
Than that poor Brutus, with him
Forgets the shews of love to othe
Cas. Then, Brutus, I have mu
passion;

135

By means whereof, this breast of n
Thoughts of great value, worthy
Tell me, good Brutus, can you

Bru. No, Cassius: for the eye 40 But by reflection, by some other Cas. "Tis just:

And it is very much lamented, That you have no such mirrors, Your hidden worthiness into you 4 That you might see your shadow Where many of the best respect Except immortal Cæsar) speaki And groaning underneath this ag Have wish'd that noble Brutus hi 50 Bru.Intowhatdangerswouldyou That you would have me seek in For that which is not in me?

Cusca. Bid every noise be still:-Peace yet 55
Cas. Who is it in the press, that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the musick,
Cry, Caesar Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March.

Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, bo And, since you know you canno So well as by reflection, I, your Will modestly discover to yours That of yourself, which yet you And be not jealous of me, gentle Were I a common laugher, or di

Ceremonies for religious ornaments. This person was not Decius, but Decimus. have before observed, that Sennet appears to be a particular tune or mode of martial mu is alien, unfamiliar. i.e. with a fluctuation of discordant opinions and desires.

To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester1; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
[Flourish and shout.

Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the
Choose Cæsar for their king.
[people]

50

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man
Is now become a god; and Cassius is
A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And, when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake:
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world,
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans 55|
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cry'd, Give me some drink, Titinius,
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone.

Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleev And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.

Bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius, The angry spot doth glow on Casar's brow, And all the rest look like a chidden train: Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes, 60 As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being cross'd in conference by some senators.

Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is.
Cæs. Antonius.

Ant. Cæsar.

Cas. Let me have men about me, that are fat;
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights:
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar, he's not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman, and well given.

5

Cas. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him 10 not:

Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no musick:
Seldom he siniles; and smiles in such a sort,
As, if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear; for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou thinkʼst of him.

15

Jand still as he refus'd it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and utter'd such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refus'd the crown, that it had almost choak'd Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Cæsar

swoon?

Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling-sick

ness.

Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he 20 pleas'd, and displeas'd them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Bru.What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd 25 the crown, he pluck'd me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut.—An I had been a man of any occupation', if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues :--and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done, or said, any thing amiss, he desir'd their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cry'd, Alas, good soul !—and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them: if Cæsar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

[Exeunt Cæsar, and his train. Manent Brutus and Cassius: Casca to them. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would 30 you speak with me? Bru.Ay,Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad.

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had 35 chanc'd.

Casca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him :) and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a shouting.

Bru. What was the second noise for?
Casca. Why, for that too.

Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the last cry for ?

Casca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted.

Cas. Who offer'd him the crown?
Casca. Why, Antony.

1401

Bru. And after that, he came, thus sad, away?
Casca. Ay.

Cas. Did Cicero say any thing?
Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek.
Cus. To what effect?

Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: But those, that understood him, smil'd at one another, and shook their heads: 45 but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

50 Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? Casca. No, I am promis'd forth.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown;-yet|55| 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets; and, as I told you, he put it by once: but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offer'd it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very 60 loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by:

i.e. Had I been a mechanick, one of the

Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow?
Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold,
and your dinner worth the eating.
Cas. Good; I will expect you.
Casca. Do so: Farewell both.

[Exit.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!
He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
Cas. So is he now, in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,

Plebeians, to whom he offered his throat.