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Julius Caesar (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: John D. Cox
Peer Reviewed
Thunder & Lightning.
Enter Iulius Cæsar in his Night-gowne.
985Cæsar. Nor Heauen, nor Earth,
Haue beene at peace to night:
Thrice hath Calphurnia, in her sleepe cryed out,
Helpe, ho: They murther Cæsar. Who's within?
Enter a Seruant.
990Ser. My Lord.
Cæs. Go bid the Priests do present Sacrifice,
And bring me their opinions of Successe.
Ser. I will my Lord.
Exit
Enter Calphurnia.
995Cal. What mean you Cæsar? Think you to walk forth?
You shall not stirre out of your house to day.
Cæs. Caesar shall forth; the things that threaten'd me,
Ne're look'd but on my backe: When they shall see
The face of Cæsar, they are vanished.
1000Calp. Cæsar, I neuer stood on Ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me: There is one within,
Besides the things that we haue heard and seene,
Recounts most horrid sights seene by the Watch.
A Lionnesse hath whelped in the streets,
1005And Graues haue yawn'd, and yeelded vp their dead;
Fierce fiery Warriours fight vpon the Clouds
In Rankes and Squadrons, and right forme of Warre
Which drizel'd blood vpon the Capitoll:
The noise of Battell hurtled in the Ayre:
1010Horsses do neigh, and dying men did grone,
And Ghosts did shrieke and squeale about the streets.
O Cæsar, these things are beyond all vse,
And I do feare them.
Cæs. What can be auoyded
1015Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty Gods?
Yet Cæsar shall go forth: for these Predictions
Are to the world in generall, as to Cæsar.
Calp. When Beggers dye, there are no Comets seen,
The Heauens themselues blaze forth the death of Princes
1020Cæs. Cowards dye many times before their deaths,
The valiant neuer taste of death but once:
Of all the Wonders that I yet haue heard,
It seemes to me most strange that men should feare,
Seeing that death, a necessary end
1025Will come, when it will come.
Enter a Seruant.
What say the Augurers?
Ser. They would not haue you to stirre forth to day.
Plucking the intrailes of an Offering forth,
1030They could not finde 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 feare:
No Cæsar shall not; Danger knowes full well
1035That Cæsar is more dangerous then he.
We heare two Lyons litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible,
And Cæsar shall go foorth.
Calp. Alas my Lord,
1040Your wisedome is consum'd in confidence:
Do not go forth to day: Call it my feare,
That keepes you in the house, and not your owne.
Wee'l send Mark Antony to the Senate house,
And he shall say, you are not well to day:
1045Let me vpon my knee, preuaile in this.
Cæs. Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And for thy humor, I will stay at home.
Enter Decius.
Heere's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.
1050Deci. Caesar, all haile: Good morrow worthy Cæsar,
I come to fetch you to the Senate house.
Cæs. And you are come in very happy time,
To beare my greeting to the Senators,
And tell them that I will not come to day:
1055Cannot, is false: and that I dare not, falser:
I will not come to day, tell them so Decius.
Calp. Say he is sicke.
Cæs. Shall Caesar send a Lye?
Haue I in Conquest stretcht mine Arme so farre,
1060To be afear'd to tell Gray-beards the truth:
Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come.
Deci. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laught at when I tell them so.
Cæs. The cause is in my Will, I will not come,
1065That is enough to satisfie the Senate.
But for your priuate satisfaction,
Because I loue you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia heere my wife, stayes me at home:
She dreampt to night, she saw my Statue,
1070Which like a Fountaine, with an hundred spouts
Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, & did bathe their hands in it:
And these does she apply, for warnings and portents,
And euils imminent; and on her knee
1075Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to day.
Deci. This Dreame is all amisse interpreted,
It was a vision, faire and fortunate:
Your Statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bath'd,
1080Signifies, that from you great Rome shall sucke
Reuiuing blood, and that great men shall presse
For Tinctures, Staines, Reliques, and Cognisance.
This by Calphurnia's Dreame is signified.
Cæs. And this way haue you well expounded it.
1085Deci. I haue, when you haue heard what I can say:
And know it now, the Senate haue concluded
To giue this day, a Crowne to mighty Cæsar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their mindes may change. Besides, it were a mocke
1090Apt to be render'd, for some one to say,
Breake vp the Senate, till another time:
When Cæsars wife shall meete with better Dreames.
If Cæsar hide himselfe, shall they not whisper
Loe Cæsar is affraid?
1095Pardon me Cæsar, for my deere deere loue
To your proceeding, bids me tell you this:
And reason to my loue is liable.
Cæs. How foolish do your fears seeme now Calphurnia?
I am ashamed I did yeeld to them.
1100Giue me my Robe, for I will go.
Enter Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Caska, Trebo-
nius, Cynna, and Publius.
And looke where Publius is come to fetch me.
Pub. Good morrow Cæsar.
1105Cæs. Welcome Publius.
What Brutus, are you stirr'd so earely too?
Good morrow Caska: Caius Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne're so much your enemy,
As that same Ague which hath made you leane.
1110What is't a Clocke?
Bru. Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight.
Cæs. I thanke you for your paines and curtesie.
Enter Antony.
See, Antony that Reuels long a-nights
1115Is notwithstanding vp. Good morrow Antony.
Ant. So to most Noble Cæsar.
Cæs. Bid them prepare within:
I am too blame to be thus waited for.
Now Cynna, now Metellus: what Trebonius,
1120I haue an houres talke in store for you:
Remember that you call on me to day:
Be neere me, that I may remember you.
Treb. Cæsar I will: and so neere will I be,
That your best Friends shall wish I had beene further.
1125Cæs. Good Friends go in, and taste some wine with me.
And we (like Friends) will straight way go together.
Bru. That euery like is not the same, O Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus earnes to thinke vpon.
Exeunt