Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

a Security gives way to, &c.] The meaning is, over-confidence affords a passage, &c.

b Thy lover,-] It need hardly be repeated that "lover" was

If thou beest not immortal, look about you: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, b

ARTEMIDORUS.

Here will I stand till Cæsar pass along,
And as a suitor will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.
If thou read this, O, Cæsar, thou mayst live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive. [Exit.

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

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

POR. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate-house; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone: Why dost thou stay?

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

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.

[blocks in formation]

To be so good to Cæsar as to hear me,
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

POR. Why, know'st 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:

Pr'ythee, listen well. I'll get me to a place more void, and there

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

Enter Soothsayer.

Speak to great Cæsar as he comes along. [Exit.
POR. I must go in.-Ay me! how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus!
The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!
Sure, the boy heard me:-Brutus hath a suit
That Cæsar will not grant. -O, I grow faint.-
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;

POR. Come hither, fellow: which way hast Say I am merry: come to me again,

thou been?

SOOTH. At mine own house, good lady.
POR. What is 't o'clock?

And bring me word what he doth say to thee.

[Exeunt severally.

THE

[graphic]

The Capitol; the Senate sitting.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-The same.

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

CES. The ides of March are come.
SOOTH. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.
ART. Hail, Cæsar! read this schedule.
DEC. Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At 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.

a What touches us ourself shall be last serv'd.] Here Mr. Craik, to our surprise, adopts the specious sophistication of Mr. Collier's annotator,

"That touches us? Ourself shall be last served,"with the remark,-" To serve, or attend to, a person is a familiar VOL. III. 433

CES. What touches us ourself shall be last serv'd.a

ART. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly. CES. What, is the fellow mad? PUB. Sirrah, give place. CAS. What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol.

CESAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the Senators rise.

Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. CAS. What enterprise, Popilius?

form of expression; to speak of a thing as served, in the sense of attended to, would, it is apprehended, be unexampled." But there is nothing uncommon or improper in speaking of a dinner or of a dish as served, and it is in this sense, we believe, the verb is used in the present case.

FF

[blocks in formation]

What is now amiss That Cæsar and his senate must redress?

MET. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart,-
CES.

[Kneeling.
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchingsd and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood
That will be thaw'd from the true quality
With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low-crooked court'sies, and base spaniel-fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Cæsar doth not wrong; nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.(1)

MET. Is there no voice more worthy than my

own,

To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear,
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

BRU. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;

Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

(*) Old text, lane.

a be constant.] Be firm, steady, self-possessed.

b

address'd:] Prepared, ready.

• CASCA. Are we all ready?] In the old copy these words begin Cæsar's speech; there can be little doubt that Mr. Collier's

CES. What, Brutus! CAS.

Pardon, Cæsar: Cæsar, pardon :

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

CES. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd 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 apprehensive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,

Unshak'd of motion and that I am he
Let me a little show it, even in this,-
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

CIN. O, Cæsar

CES. Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?
DEC. Great Cæsar, -
CES.

Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

CASCA. Speak, hands, for me!

[CASCA stabs CÆSAR in the neck. CÆSAR catches hold of his arm; and is then stabbed by several other Conspirators, and at last by MARCUS

BRUTUS.

CES. Et tu, Brute? (2)-Then fall, Cæsar! [Dies. The Senators and people retire in confusion.

CIN. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. CAS. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!

BRU. People, and senators, be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still:-ambition's debt is paid. CASCA. Go to the pulpit, Brutus. DEC.

BRU. Where's Publius?

And Cassius too.

[blocks in formation]

BRU. Do so;-and let no man abide this deed, | If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony But we the doers.

[blocks in formation]

TRE. Fled to his house amaz'd: Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run As it were doomsday.

BRU. Fates! we will know your pleasures :That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time, And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

CAS. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life Cuts off so inany years of fearing death.

BRU. Grant that, and then is death a benefit : So are we Cæsar's friends, that have abridg'd His time of fearing death. - Stoop, Romans, stoop, And let us bathe our hands in Cæsar's blood Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: Then walk we forth, even to the market-place, And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, Let's all cry, Peace, Freedom, and Liberty!

CAS. Stoop, then, and wash.-How many ages hence

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

BRU. How many times shall Cæsar bleed in sport,

That now on Pompey's basis lies † along,

No worthier than the dust!

[blocks in formation]

May safely come to him, and be resolu'd
How Cæsar hath deserv'd to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Cæsar dead
So well as Brutus living; but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus,
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state,
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

BRU. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman; I never thought him worse.

'Tell him, so please him come unto this place, He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour, Depart untouch'd.

SERV.

I'll fetch him presently. [Exit. BRU. I know that we shall have him well to friend.d

CAS. I wish we may: but yet have I a mind That fears him much; and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

BRU. But here comes Antony.

Re-enter ANTONY.

Welcome, Mark Antony.

ANT. O, mighty Cæsar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? - Fare thee well.I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank : If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Cæsar's death's hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die;
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Cæsar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

BRU. O, Antony! beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands and this our present act,
You see we do; yet see you but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done :
Our hearts you see not, they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity)
Hath done this deed on Cæsar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark

Antony:

C CAS.] The folio has the prefix Cask.

d-to friend.] Equivalent to, for friend.

e

and my misgiving still

Falls shrewdly to the purpose.]

My misgiving always, or ever, falls, &c.

f

who else is rank:) Who else is too high-topped; of too

(*) First folio, State.

(+) First folio, lye.

a- let no man abide this deed,-] Let no man pay the penalty for, or stand the consequences of this deed.

b Fates! we will know your pleasures: -) We should perhaps read, "We well know," &c. Compare, "King Lear," Act III. Sc. 1,

then let fall

Your horrible pleasure."

luxuriant growth.

- if you bear me hard,-] Vide note (b), p. 418.

« AnteriorContinuar »