And he shall say, you are not well to-day :
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

Cas. Mark Antony shall say, I am not well;
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.
Enter DECIUS.

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

Dec. Cæsar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Cæsar : I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

Cas. And you are come in very happy time,

To bear my greeting to the senators,
And tell them, that I will not come to-day:
Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falser;
I will not come to-day: Tell them so, Decius.
Cal. Say, he is sick.

Cas.

Shall Cæsar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?
Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come.

Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so.

Ces. The cause is in my will, I will not come ;
That is enough to satisfy the senate.

But, for your private satisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,
Which like a fountain, with a hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
And these does she apply for warnings, portents,7
And evils imminent ; and on her knee
Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to-day.
Dec. This dream is all amiss interpreted;

my portrait

6

n. 2.

my statua,] See Vol. II, p. 226, n. 4; and Vol. XI, p. 113. Steevens.

7 warnings, portents,] Old copy, unmetrically-warnings and portents. Steevens.

8 And evils imminent;] The late Mr. Edwards was of opinion that we should read:

Of evils imminent. Steevens.

The alteration proposed by Mr. Edwards is needless, and tends to weaken the force of the expressions, which form, as they now stand, a regular climax. Henley.

It was a vision, fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bath'd,
Signifies, that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood; and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cognizance.9
This by Calphurnia's dream is signified.

Cas. And this way have you well expounded it.
Dec. I have, when you have heard what I can say:
And know it now: The senate have concluded
To give, this day, a crown to mighty Cæsar.
If you shall send them word, you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be rendered, for some one to say,
Break up the senate till another time,

When Casar's wife shall meet with better dreams.1
If Cæsar hide himself, shall they not whisper,
Lo, Cesar is afraid?

Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear, dear love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this;
And reason2 to my love is liable.

9 and that great men shall press

For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cognizance.] This speech which is intentionally pompous, is somewhat confused. There are two allusions; one to coats armorial, to which princes make additions, or give new tinctures, and new marks of cognizance; the other to martyrs, whose reliques are preserved with veneration. The Romans, says Decius, all come to you as to a saint, for reliques, as to a prince, for honours. Johnson.

I believe tinctures has no relation to heraldry, but means merely handkerchiefs, or other linen, tinged with blood. Bullokar, in his Expositor, 1616, defines it "a dipping, colouring or staining of a thing." So, in Act III, sc. ii:

"And dip their napkins," &c.

Malone.

I concur in opinion with Mr. Malone At the execution of several of our ancient nobility, martyrs, &c. we are told that handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as affectionate or salutary memorials of the deceased. Steevens.

1 When Cesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.] So, in Lord Sterline s Julius Cæsar, 1607:

"How can we satisfy the world's conceit,

"Whose tongues still in all ears your praise proclaims? "Or shall we bid them leave to deal in state,

"Till that Calphurnia first have better dreams?" Malone.

2 And reason &c.] And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love. Johnson

Cas. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia? I am ashamed I did yield to them.

Give me my robe, for I will go :

Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS, and CINNA.

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

Pub. Good morrow, Casar.

Cas.

Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?—
Good-morrow, Casca.-Caius Ligarius,
Cæsar was ne'er so much your enemy,

As that same ague which hath made you lean.一
What is 't o'clock ?

Bru.

Ces. I thank . you

Casar, 'tis strucken eight.
for your pains and courtesy.
Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o'nights,
Is notwithstanding up:

Good morrow, Antony.

Ant.
Cas. Bid them prepare within :-

So to most noble Cæsar.

-

I am to blame to be thus waited for.-
Now, Cinna :-Now, Metellus :-) What, Trebonius!
I have an hour's talk in store for you;
Remember that you call on me to-day:
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Treb. Cæsar, I will:—and so near will I be, [Aside.
That your best friends shall wish I had been further.
Cas. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.
Bru. That every like is not the same, O Cæsar,
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

SCENE III.

The same. A Street near the Capitol.

[Exeunt.

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 Cæ

sar. If thou beʼst not immortal, look about you: Security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover,3 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.4

If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou may'st live;
If not, the fates with traitors do contrive.5

SCENE IV.

[Exit.

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?6

To know my errand, madam.

Luc.
Por. I would have had thee there, and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there.-
O constancy, be strong upon my side!

Set a huge mountain '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,

3 Thy lover,] See Vol. IV, p. 384, n. 5. Malone.

4

emulation,] Here, as on many other occasions, this word is used in an unfavourable sense, somewhat like-factious, envious, or malicious rivalry. So, in Troilus and Cressida:

3

"Whilst emulation in the army crept." Steevens.

the fates with traitors do contrive.] The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction. Johnson.

6 Why dost thou stay? &c.] Shakspeare has expressed the pertur bation of King Richard the Third's mind by the same incident:

66

Dull, unmindful villain!

"Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke?--"Cat. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, "What from your grace I shall deliver to him."

Steevens.

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.

Pr'ythee, listen well:

I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
Enter Soothsayer.7

Por.

Which way hast thou been?

Sooth.

Come hither, fellow :

At mine own house, good lady.

About the ninth hour, lady.

Por. What is 't o'clock?
Sooth.

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, know'st thou any harm 's intended towards

him?

Sooth. None that I know will be, much that I fear may

chance 8

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 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!

[Exit.

7 Enter Soothsayer.] The introduction of the Soothsayer here is unnecessary, and, I think, improper. All that he is made to say, should be given to Artemidorus; who is seen and accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand, p. 55, to one more convenient, p. 57. Tyrwhitt.

8 None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.] Sir T. Hanmer very judiciously in my opinion, omits-may chance, which I regard as interpolated words; for they render the line too long by a foot, and the sense is complete without them. Steevens.