Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

ACT III SCENE I	Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.
	A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others
CAESAR	[To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come
Soothsayer	Ay, Caesar; but not gone.
ARTEMIDORUS	Hail, Caesar! read this schedule.
DECIUS BRUTUS	Trebonius doth desire you to o'erread,
	At your best leisure, this his humble suit.	5
ARTEMIDORUS	O Caesar, read mine first; for mine's a suit
	That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar.
CAESAR	What touches us ourself shall be last served.
ARTEMIDORUS	Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.
CAESAR	What, is the fellow mad?	10
PUBLIUS	Sirrah, give place.
CASSIUS	What, urge you your petitions in the street?
	Come to the Capitol.
	CAESAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following
POPILIUS	I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
CASSIUS	What enterprise, Popilius?	15
POPILIUS	Fare you well.
	Advances to CAESAR
BRUTUS	What said Popilius Lena?
CASSIUS	He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.
	I fear our purpose is discovered.
BRUTUS	Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him.	20
CASSIUS	Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
	Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
	Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
	For I will slay myself.
BRUTUS	Cassius, be constant:	25
	Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
	For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.
CASSIUS	Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus.
	He draws Mark Antony out of the way.
	Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS
DECIUS BRUTUS	Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,	30
	And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.
BRUTUS	He is address'd: press near and second him.
CINNA	Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
CAESAR	Are we all ready? What is now amiss
	That Caesar and his senate must redress?	35
METELLUS CIMBER	Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
	Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
	An humble heart,--
	Kneeling
CAESAR	I must prevent thee, Cimber.
	These couchings and these lowly courtesies	40
	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 Caesar bears such rebel blood
	That will be thaw'd from the true quality	45
	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.	50
	Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
	Will he be satisfied.
METELLUS CIMBER	Is there no voice more worthy than my own
	To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear
	For the repealing of my banish'd brother?	55
BRUTUS	I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar;
	Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
	Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
CAESAR	What, Brutus!
CASSIUS	Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:	60
	As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
	To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
CASSIUS	I could be well moved, if I were as you:
	If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
	But I am constant as the northern star,	65
	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:	70
	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,
	Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,	75
	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.
CINNA	O Caesar,--
CAESAR	Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?	80
DECIUS BRUTUS	Great Caesar,--
CAESAR	Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
CASCA	Speak, hands for me!
	CASCA first, then the other Conspirators andBRUTUS stab CAESAR
CAESAR	Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.
	Dies
CINNA	Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!	85
	Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
CASSIUS	Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
	'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'
BRUTUS	People and senators, be not affrighted;
	Fly not; stand stiff: ambition's debt is paid.	90
CASCA	Go to the pulpit, Brutus.
DECIUS BRUTUS	And Cassius too.
BRUTUS	Where's Publius?
CINNA	Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
METELLUS CIMBER	Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's	95
	Should chance--
BRUTUS	Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;
	There is no harm intended to your person,
	Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.
CASSIUS	And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,	100
	Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
BRUTUS	Do so: and let no man abide this deed,
	But we the doers.
	Re-enter TREBONIUS
CASSIUS	Where is Antony?
TREBONIUS	Fled to his house amazed:	105
	Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run
	As it were doomsday.
BRUTUS	Fates, we will know your pleasures:
	That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time
	And drawing days out, that men stand upon.	110
CASSIUS	Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
	Cuts off so many years of fearing death.
BRUTUS	Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
	So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged
	His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,	115
	And let us bathe our hands in Caesar'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!'	120
CASSIUS	Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence
	Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
	In states unborn and accents yet unknown!
BRUTUS	How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,
	That now on Pompey's basis lies along	125
	No worthier than the dust!
CASSIUS	So oft as that shall be,
	So often shall the knot of us be call'd
	The men that gave their country liberty.
DECIUS BRUTUS	What, shall we forth?	130
CASSIUS	Ay, every man away:
	Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels
	With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.
	Enter a Servant
BRUTUS	Soft! who comes here? A friend of Antony's.
Servant	Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel:	135
	Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down;
	And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say:
	Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
	Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:
	Say I love Brutus, and I honour him;	140
	Say I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him and loved him.
	If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
	May safely come to him, and be resolved
	How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death,
	Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead	145
	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.
BRUTUS	Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;	150
	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.
Servant	I'll fetch him presently.	155
	Exit
BRUTUS	I know that we shall have him well to friend.
CASSIUS	I wish we may: but yet have I a mind
	That fears him much; and my misgiving still
	Falls shrewdly to the purpose.
BRUTUS	But here comes Antony.	160
	Re-enter ANTONY
	Welcome, Mark Antony.
ANTONY	O mighty Caesar! 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,	165
	Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:
	If I myself, there is no hour so fit
	As Caesar's death hour, nor no instrument
	Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
	With the most noble blood of all this world.	170
	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,	175
	As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
	The choice and master spirits of this age.
BRUTUS	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,	180
	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--	185
	Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,
	To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
	Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts
	Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
	With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.	190
CASSIUS	Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
	In the disposing of new dignities.
BRUTUS	Only be patient till we have appeased
	The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
	And then we will deliver you the cause,	195
	Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,
	Have thus proceeded.
ANTONY	I doubt not of your wisdom.
	Let each man render me his bloody hand:
	First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;	200
	Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;
	Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus;
	Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours;
	Though last, not last in love, yours, good Trebonius.
	Gentlemen all,--alas, what shall I say?	205
	My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
	That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
	Either a coward or a flatterer.
	That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true:
	If then thy spirit look upon us now,	210
	Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
	To see thy thy Anthony making his peace,
	Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
	Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
	Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,	215
	Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
	It would become me better than to close
	In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
	Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart;
	Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,	220
	Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe.
	O world, thou wast the forest to this hart;
	And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.
	How like a deer, strucken by many princes,
	Dost thou here lie!	225
CASSIUS	Mark Antony,--
ANTONY	Pardon me, Caius Cassius:
	The enemies of Caesar shall say this;
	Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.
CASSIUS	I blame you not for praising Caesar so;	230
	But what compact mean you to have with us?
	Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
	Or shall we on, and not depend on you?
ANTONY	Therefore I took your hands, but was, indeed,
	Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Caesar.	235
	Friends am I with you all and love you all,
	Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
	Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.
BRUTUS	Or else were this a savage spectacle:
	Our reasons are so full of good regard	240
	That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,
	You should be satisfied.
ANTONY	That's all I seek:
	And am moreover suitor that I may
	Produce his body to the market-place;	245
	And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
	Speak in the order of his funeral.
BRUTUS	You shall, Mark Antony.
CASSIUS	Brutus, a word with you.
	Aside to BRUTUS
	You know not what you do: do not consent	250
	That Antony speak in his funeral:
	Know you how much the people may be moved
	By that which he will utter?
BRUTUS	By your pardon;
	I will myself into the pulpit first,	255
	And show the reason of our Caesar's death:
	What Antony shall speak, I will protest
	He speaks by leave and by permission,
	And that we are contented Caesar shall
	Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.	260
	It shall advantage more than do us wrong.
CASSIUS	I know not what may fall; I like it not.
BRUTUS	Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body.
	You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
	But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,	265
	And say you do't by our permission;
	Else shall you not have any hand at all
	About his funeral: and you shall speak
	In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
	After my speech is ended.	270
ANTONY	Be it so.
	I do desire no more.
BRUTUS	Prepare the body then, and follow us.
	Exeunt all but ANTONY
ANTONY	O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
	That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!	275
	Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
	That ever lived in the tide of times.
	Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
	Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,--
	Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,	280
	To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue--
	A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
	Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
	Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
	Blood and destruction shall be so in use	285
	And dreadful objects so familiar
	That mothers shall but smile when they behold
	Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;
	All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
	And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,	290
	With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
	Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
	Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
	That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
	With carrion men, groaning for burial.	295
	Enter a Servant
	You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?
Servant	I do, Mark Antony.
ANTONY	Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.
Servant	He did receive his letters, and is coming;
	And bid me say to you by word of mouth--	300
	O Caesar!--
	Seeing the body
ANTONY	Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep.
	Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes,
	Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine,
	Began to water. Is thy master coming?	305
Servant	He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome.
ANTONY	Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced:
	Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
	No Rome of safety for Octavius yet;
	Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile;	310
	Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse
	Into the market-place: there shall I try
	In my oration, how the people take
	The cruel issue of these bloody men;
	According to the which, thou shalt discourse	315
	To young Octavius of the state of things.
	Lend me your hand.
	Exeunt with CAESAR's body