SCENE III.-The same. A Street near the Capitol.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a Paper.

Art." Cæsar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæsar. If thou beest not immortal, look about you. Security gives way' to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, "ARTEMIDORUS."

Here will I stand till Cæsar pass along,
And as a suitor2 will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth 3 of emulation.

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou mayest live;

If not, the Fates with traitors4 do contrive.

[Exit.

SCENE IV.-The same. Another part of the same Street, before the House of Brutus.

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

Por. I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone": Why dost thou stay?

1 Security gives way.] That is, a spirit void of all care, fear, or apprehension, leaves a way open to conspiracy. Compare Milton's P. L. i. 638, and what is said in Judges xviii. of the easy careless manner of the Sidonians. The wound of peace,' says Hector, in Troilus and Cressida, ii. 2, 'is surety, surety secure.'

2 As a suitor.] See Extr. from Plutarch, 12.

Out of the teeth.] Free from the attacks of envy.

• The Fates with traitors.] The Fates favour the designs of traitors. The Fates of classic fable were the three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.

5 Get thee gone.] See note 1, p. 3.

Luc.

To know my errand, madam.
Por. I would have had thee there, and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.-
O constancy1, be strong upon my side!

Set a huge mountain 2 '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 so return to you, and nothing else?

Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
For he went sickly forth: And take good note
What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy! what noise is that?

Luc. I hear none, madam.

Por.

Prithee, listen well.

I heard a bustling rumour3, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol,
Luc. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.

Enter Soothsayer.

Por. Come hither, fellow: Which way hast thou been? Sooth. At mine own house, good lady.

Por. What is 't o'clock?

Sooth.

About the ninth hour, lady.

1 O constancy.] Portia here expresses anxiety lest in her fear for her husband's safety she should let slip any word tending to reveal the secret.

2 A huge mountain.] That the secret which is in my heart may not get to my tongue.

3 I heard a bustling rumour.] This proceeds from Portia's excited imagination. Rumour means noise as conveyed by the wind to Portia's ear.

Por. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol ?

Sooth. Madam, not yet; I go to take my stand, To see him pass on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou hast some suit to Cæsar, hast thou not? Sooth. That I have, lady: if it will please Cæsar To be so good to Cæsar as to hear me,

I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

Por. Why, knowest thou any harm 's intended towards him?
Sooth. None that I know will be, much that I fear may

chance.

Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow:

The throng that follows Cæsar at the heels,
Of senators, of prætors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:

I'll get me 1 to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Cæsar, as he comes along.

Por. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus !

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise !
Sure, the boy heard me 2:

- Brutus hath a suit

That Cæsar will not grant.-O, I grow faint :
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;
Say I am merry: come to me again,

And bring me word what he doth say to thee.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

1 I'll get me.] See note 1, p. 3. Some commentators think that the part of this soothsayer would more properly have been merged in that of Artemidorus; but probably Shakspeare meant to give prominence to what Plutarch states about the many warnings which Cæsar received.

2 Sure, the boy heard me.] This is a secret ejaculation, referring to the words immediately preceding as having been indiscreetly uttered; for Lucius is still near her: she therefore tries to prevent his suspicion by saying in explanation of her disquietude, ‘Brutus hath a suit,' &c.

SCENE I.- The same.

ACT III.

The Capitol; the Senate sitting.

A crowd of people in the street leading to the Capitol; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others.

At

Cæs. The ides of March are come.1
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cæsar! Read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Art. O, Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer: Read it, great Cæsar.
Cas. What touches us ourself shall be last served.?
Art. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.

Cas. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub.

Sirrah, give place.

Cas. What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol.

'The ides of March are come.] See Extr. from Plutarch, 8.

2 Last served.] Last attended to or promoted. This is designed to represent Cæsar as avoiding all appearance of eagerness to receive those honours which he has been led to expect on this occasion, and as evidently having no suspicion of anything unfavourable. The pronoun what, in relation to served, may be regarded as implying reference to the object or purpose of the paper.

CÆSAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the

Senators rise.1

Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.2

Cas. What enterprise, Popilius?

Pop.

Bru. What said Popilius Lena?

Fare you well.

[Advances to CESAR.

Cas. He wished, to-day our enterprise might thrive. I fear our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: Mark him.3 Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known*, Cassius on Cæsar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

Bru.

Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.5

Cas. Trebonius knows his time6; for, look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. CESAR and the Senators take their seats.

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

1 Senators rise.] See Extracts from Plutarch, 14.

2 I wish your enterprise.] See Extr. from Plutarch, 29.

3 How he makes to.] See how he presses towards Cæsar; watch his procedure.

4

If this be known.] Be is the present indicative. If this purpose of ours is discovered, Cassius shall never be a fugitive from Cæsar's wrath. The old reading is 'Cassius or Cæsar,' which makes turn back signify return home, a sense quite unwarranted, we believe, by any of the other instances of the phrase in Shakspeare.

5 Doth not change.] Is unaltered in his aspect or manner. 6 Trebonius knows his time. See Extr. from Plutarch, 13.