616Brut. What Lucius, hoe?

617I cannot, by the progresse of the Starres,

618Giue guesse how neere to day--- Lucius, I say?

619I would it were my fault to sleepe so soundly.

620When Lucius, when? awake, I say: what Lucius?

622Luc. Call'd you, my Lord?

623Brut. Get me a Tapor in my Study, Lucius:

624When it is lighted, come and call me here.

625Luc. I will, my Lord. Exit.

626Brut. It must be by his death: and for my part,

627I know no personall cause, to spurne at him,

628But for the generall. He would be crown'd:

629How that might change his nature, there's the question?

630It is the bright day, that brings forth the Adder,

631And that craues warie walking: Crowne him that,

632And then I graunt we put a Sting in him,

633That at his will he may doe danger with.

634Th'abuse of Greatnesse, is, when it dis-ioynes

635Remorse from Power: And to speake truth of Caesar,

636I haue not knowne, when his Affections sway'd

637More then his Reason. But 'tis a common proofe,

638That Lowlynesse is young Ambitions Ladder,

639Whereto the Climber vpward turnes his Face:

640But when he once attaines the vpmost Round,

641He then vnto the Ladder turnes his Backe,

642Lookes in the Clouds, scorning the base degrees

643By which he did ascend: so Caesar may;

644Then least he may, preuent. And since the Quarrell

645Will beare no colour, for the thing he is,

646Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,

647Would runne to these, and these extremities:

648And therefore thinke him as a Serpents egge,

649Which hatch'd, would as his kinde grow mischieuous;

650And kill him in the shell.

652Luc. The Taper burneth in your Closet, Sir:

653Searching the Window for a Flint, I found

654This Paper, thus seal'd vp, and I am sure

655It did not lye there when I went to Bed.

657Brut. Get you to Bed againe, it is not day:

658Is not to morrow (Boy) the first of March?

659Luc. I know not, Sir.

660Brut. Looke in the Calender, and bring me word.

661Luc. I will, Sir. Exit.

662Brut. The exhalations, whizzing in the ayre,

663Giue so much light, that I may reade by them.

665Brutus thou sleep'st; awake, and see thy selfe:

666Shall Rome, &c. speake, strike, redresse.

667Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake.

668Such instigations haue beene often dropt,

669Where I haue tooke them vp:

670Shall Rome, &c. Thus must I piece it out:

671Shall Rome stand vnder one mans awe? What Rome?

672My Ancestors did from the streetes of Rome

673The Tarquin driue, when he was call'd a King.

674Speake, strike, redresse. Am I entreated

675To speake, and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise,

676If the redresse will follow, thou receiuest

677Thy full Petition at the hand of Brutus.

679Luc. Sir, March is wasted fifteene dayes.

681Brut. 'Tis good. Go to the Gate, some body knocks:

682Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar,

683I haue not slept.

684Betweene the acting of a dreadfull thing,

685And the first motion, all the Interim is

686Like a Phantasma, or a hideous Dreame:

687The Genius, and the mortall Instruments

688Are then in councell; and the state of a man,

689Like to a little Kingdome, suffers then

690The nature of an Insurrection.

692Luc. Sir, 'tis your Brother Cassius at the Doore,

693Who doth desire to see you.

694Brut. Is he alone?

695Luc. No, Sir, there are moe with him.

696Brut. Doe you know them?

697Luc. No, Sir, their Hats are pluckt about their Eares,

698And halfe their Faces buried in their Cloakes,

699That by no meanes I may discouer them,

700By any marke of fauour.

701Brut. Let 'em enter:

702They are the Faction. O Conspiracie,

703Sham'st thou to shew thy dang'rous Brow by Night,

704When euills are most free? O then, by day

705Where wilt thou finde a Cauerne darke enough,

706To maske thy monstrous Visage? Seek none Conspiracie,

707Hide it in Smiles, and Affabilitie:

708For if thou path thy natiue semblance on,

709Not Erebus it selfe were dimme enough,

710To hide thee from preuention.

713Cass. I thinke we are too bold vpon your Rest:

714Good morrow Brutus, doe we trouble you?

715Brut. I haue beene vp this howre, awake all Night:

716Know I these men, that come along with you?

717Cass. Yes, euery man of them; and no man here

718But honors you: and euery one doth wish,

719You had but that opinion of your selfe,

720Which euery Noble Roman beares of you.

721This is Trebonius.

722Brut. He is welcome hither.

723Cass. This, Decius Brutus.

724Brut. He is welcome too.

725Cass. This, Caska; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus

726Cymber.

727Brut. They are all welcome.

728What watchfull Cares doe interpose themselues

729Betwixt your Eyes, and Night?

730Cass. Shall I entreat a word? They whisper.

731Decius. Here lyes the East: doth not the Day breake

732heere?

733Cask. No.

734Cin. O pardon, Sir, it doth; and yon grey Lines,

735That fret the Clouds, are Messengers of Day.

736Cask. You shall confesse, that you are both deceiu'd:

737Heere, as I point my Sword, the Sunne arises,

738Which is a great way growing on the South,

739Weighing the youthfull Season of the yeare.

740Some two moneths hence, vp higher toward the North

741He first presents his fire, and the high East

742Stands as the Capitoll, directly heere.

743Bru. Giue me your hands all ouer, one by one.

744Cas. And let vs sweare our Resolution.

745Brut. No, not an Oath: if not the Face of men,

746The sufferance of our Soules, the times Abuse;

747If these be Motiues weake, breake off betimes,

748And euery man hence, to his idle bed:

749So let high-sighted-Tyranny range on,

750Till each man drop by Lottery. But if these

751(As I am sure they do) beare fire enough

752To kindle Cowards, and to steele with valour

753The melting Spirits of women. Then Countrymen,

754What neede we any spurre, but our owne cause

755To pricke vs to redresse? What other Bond,

756Then secret Romans, that haue spoke the word,

757And will not palter? And what other Oath,

758Then Honesty to Honesty ingag'd,

759That this shall be, or we will fall for it.

760Sweare Priests and Cowards, and men Cautelous

761Old feeble Carrions, and such suffering Soules

762That welcome wrongs: Vnto bad causes, sweare

763Such Creatures as men doubt; but do not staine

764The euen vertue of our Enterprize,

765Nor th'insuppressiue Mettle of our Spirits,

766To thinke, that or our Cause, or our Performance

767Did neede an Oath. When euery drop of blood

768That euery Roman beares, and Nobly beares

769Is guilty of a seuerall Bastardie,

770If he do breake the smallest Particle

771Of any promise that hath past from him.

772Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?

773I thinke he will stand very strong with vs.

774Cask. Let vs not leaue him out.

775Cyn. No, by no meanes.

776Metel. O let vs haue him, for his Siluer haires

777Will purchase vs a good opinion:

778And buy mens voyces, to commend our deeds:

779It shall be sayd, his iudgement rul'd our hands,

780Our youths, and wildenesse, shall no whit appeare,

781But all be buried in his Grauity.

782Bru. O name him not; let vs not breake with him,

783For he will neuer follow any thing

784That other men begin.

785Cas. Then leaue him out.

786Cask. Indeed, he is not fit.

787Decius. Shall no man else be toucht, but onely Caesar?

788Cas. Decius well vrg'd: I thinke it is not meet,

789Marke Antony, so well belou'd of Caesar,

790Should out-liue Caesar, we shall finde of him

791A shrew'd Contriuer. And you know, his meanes

792If he improue them, may well stretch so farre

793As to annoy vs all: which to preuent,

794Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

795Bru. Our course will seeme too bloody, Caius Cassius,

796To cut the Head off, and then hacke the Limbes:

797Like Wrath in death, and Enuy afterwards:

798For Antony, is but a Limbe of Caesar.

799Let's be Sacrificers, but not Butchers Caius:

800We all stand vp against the spirit of Caesar,

801And in the Spirit of men, there is no blood:

802O that we then could come by Caesars Spirit,

803And not dismember Caesar! But (alas)

804Caesar must bleed for it. And gentle Friends,

805Let's kill him Boldly, but not Wrathfully:

806Let's carue him, as a Dish fit for the Gods,

807Not hew him as a Carkasse fit for Hounds:

808And let our Hearts, as subtle Masters do,

809Stirre vp their Seruants to an acte of Rage,

810And after seeme to chide 'em. This shall make

811Our purpose Necessary, and not Enuious.

812Which so appearing to the common eyes,

813We shall be call'd Purgers, not Murderers.

814And for Marke Antony, thinke not of him:

815For he can do no more then Caesars Arme,

816When Caesars head is off.

817Cas. Yet I feare him,

818For in the ingrafted loue he beares to Caesar.

819Bru. Alas, good Cassius, do not thinke of him:

820If he loue Caesar, all that he can do

821Is to himselfe; take thought, and dye for Caesar,

822And that were much he should: for he is giuen

823To sports, to wildenesse, and much company.

824Treb. There is no feare in him; let him not dye,

825For he will liue, and laugh at this heereafter.

827Bru. Peace, count the Clocke.

828Cas. The Clocke hath stricken three.

829Treb. 'Tis time to part.

830Cass But it is doubtfull yet,

831Whether Caesar will come forth to day, or no:

832For he is Superstitious growne of late,

833Quite from the maine Opinion he held once,

834Of Fantasie, of Dreames, and Ceremonies:

835It may be, these apparant Prodigies,

836The vnaccustom'd Terror of this night,

837And the perswasion of his Augurers,

838May hold him from the Capitoll to day.

839Decius. Neuer feare that: If he be so resolu'd,

840I can ore-sway him: For he loues to heare,

841That Vnicornes may be betray'd with Trees,

842And Beares with Glasses, Elephants with Holes,

843Lyons with Toyles, and men with Flatterers.

844But, when I tell him, he hates Flatterers,

845He sayes, he does; being then most flattered.

846Let me worke:

847For I can giue his humour the true bent;

848And I will bring him to the Capitoll.

849Cas. Nay, we will all of vs, be there to fetch him.

850Bru. By the eight houre, is that the vttermost?

851Cin. Be that the vttermost, and faile not then.

852Met. Caius Ligarius doth beare Caesar hard,

853Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey;

854I wonder none of you haue thought of him.

855Bru. Now good Metellus go along by him:

856He loues me well, and I haue giuen him Reasons,

857Send him but hither, and Ile fashion him.

858Cas. The morning comes vpon's:

859Wee'l leaue you Brutus,

860And Friends disperse your selues; but all remember

861What you haue said, and shew your selues true Romans.

862Bru. Good Gentlemen, looke fresh and merrily,

863Let not our lookes put on our purposes,

864But beare it as our Roman Actors do,

865With vntyr'd Spirits, and formall Constancie,

866And so good morrow to you euery one. Exeunt.

868Boy: Lucius: Fast asleepe? It is no matter,

869Enioy the hony-heauy-Dew of Slumber:

870Thou hast no Figures, nor no Fantasies,

871Which busie care drawes, in the braines of men;

872Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

874Por. Brutus, my Lord.

875Bru.Portia: What meane you? wherfore rise you now?

876It is not for your health, thus to commit

877Your weake condition, to the raw cold morning.

878Por. Nor for yours neither. Y'haue vngently Brutus

879Stole from my bed: and yesternight at Supper

880You sodainly arose, and walk'd about,

881Musing, and sighing, with your armes a-crosse:

882And when I ask'd you what the matter was,

883You star'd vpon me, with vngentle lookes.

884I vrg'd you further, then you scratch'd your head,

885And too impatiently stampt with your foote:

886Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not,

887But with an angry wafter of your hand

888Gaue signe for me to leaue you: So I did,

889Fearing to strengthen that impatience

890Which seem'd too much inkindled; and withall,

891Hoping it was but an effect of Humor,

892Which sometime hath his houre with euery man.

893It will not let you eate, nor talke, nor sleepe;

894And could it worke so much vpon your shape,

895As it hath much preuayl'd on your Condltion,

896I should not know you Brutus. Deare my Lord,

897Make me acquainted with your cause of greefe.

898Bru. I am not well in health, and that is all.

899Por. Brutus is wise, and were he not in health,

900He would embrace the meanes to come by it.

901Bru. Why so I do: good Portia go to bed.

902Por. Is Brutus sicke? And is it Physicall

903To walke vnbraced, and sucke vp the humours

904Of the danke Morning? What, is Brutus sicke?

905And will he steale out of his wholsome bed

906To dare the vile contagion of the Night?

907And tempt the Rhewmy, and vnpurged Ayre,

908To adde vnto hit sicknesse? No my Brutus,

909You haue some sicke Offence within your minde,

910Which by the Right and Vertue of my place

911I ought to know of: And vpon my knees,

912I charme you, by my once commended Beauty,

913By all your vowes of Loue, and that great Vow

914Which did incorporate and make vs one,

915That you vnfold to me, your selfe; your halfe

916Why you are heauy: and what men to night

917Haue had resort to you: for heere haue beene

918Some sixe or seuen, who did hide their faces

919Euen from darknesse.

920Bru. Kneele not gentle Portia.

921Por. I should not neede, if you were gentle Brutus.

922Within the Bond of Marriage, tell me Brutus,

923Is it excepted, I should know no Secrets

924That appertaine to you? Am I your Selfe,

925But as it were in sort, or limitation?

926To keepe with you at Meales, comfort your Bed,

927And talke to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the Suburbs

928Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

929Portia is Brutus Harlot, not his Wife.

930Bru. You are my true and honourable Wife,

931As deere to me, as are the ruddy droppes

932That visit my sad heart.

933Por. If this were true, then should I know this secret.

934I graunt I am a Woman; but withall,

935A Woman that Lord Brutus tooke to Wife:

936I graunt I am a Woman; but withall,

937A Woman well reputed: Cato's Daughter.

938Thinke you, I am no stronger then my Sex

939Being so Father'd, and so Husbanded?

940Tell me your Counsels, I will not disclose 'em:

941I haue made strong proofe of my Constancie,

942Giuing my selfe a voluntary wound

943Heere, in the Thigh: Can I beare that with patience,

944And not my Husbands Secrets?

945Bru. O ye Gods!

946Render me worthy of this Noble Wife. Knocke.

947Harke, harke, one knockes: Portia go in a while,

948And by and by thy bosome shall partake

949The secrets of my Heart.

950All my engagements, I will construe to thee,

951All the Charractery of my sad browes:

952Leaue me with hast. Exit Portia.

954Lucius, who's that knockes.

955Luc. Heere is a sicke man that would speak with you.

956Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of.

957Boy, stand aside. Caius Ligarius, how?

958Cai. Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue.

959Bru. O what a time haue you chose out braue Caius

960To weare a Kerchiefe? Would you were not sicke.

961Cai. I am not sicke, if Brutus haue in hand

962Any exploit worthy the name of Honor.

963Bru. Such an exploit haue I in hand Ligarius,

964Had you a healthfull eare to heare of it.

965Cai. By all the Gods that Romans bow before,

966I heere discard my sicknesse. Soule of Rome,

967Braue Sonne, deriu'd from Honourable Loines,

968Thou like an Exorcist, hast coniur'd vp

969My mortified Spirit. Now bid me runne,

970And I will striue with things impossible,

971Yea get the better of them. What's to do?

972Bru. A peece of worke,

973That will make sicke men whole.

974Cai. But are not some whole, that we must make sicke?

975Bru. That must we also. What it is my Caius,

976I shall vnfold to thee, as we are going,

977To whom it must be done.

978Cai. Set on your foote,

979And with a heart new-fir'd, I follow you,

980To do I know not what: but it sufficeth

981That Brutus leads me on. Thunder

982Bru. Follow me then. Exeunt