Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Caf. The morning comes upon us: We'll leave Brutus:

you,

And, friends, difperfe yourselves: but all remember What you have faid, and fhew yourfelves true Romans. Bru. Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; Let not our looks put on our purposes;

But bear it as our Roman actors do,

With untir'd fpirits, and formal constancy :
And fo, good-morrow to you every one.

Manet BRUTUS.

[Exeunt.

Boy! Lucius!-Faft afleep? It is no matter;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of flumber :
Thou haft no figures, nor no fantafies,
Which bufy care draws in the brains of men ;
Therefore thou fleep'ft fo found.

Enter PORTIA.

Por. Brutus, my lord!

Bru. Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rife It is not for your health, thus to commit

you

[now?

Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
Por. Nor for yours neither. You have ungently,
Brutus,

Stole from my bed: And yefternight, at fupper,
You fuddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Mufing and fighing, with your arms across :
And when I afk'd you what the matter was,
You ftar'd upon me with ungentle looks:

I urg'd you further; then you fcratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
Yet I infifted, yet you anfwer'd not;

But with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave fign for me to leave you: So I did;
C 3

Fearing

Fearing to ftrengthen that impatience,

Which feem'd too much enkindled; and withal,
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,

Which fometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor fleep;
And, could it work fo much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I fhould not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your caufe of grief.

Bru. I am not well in health, and that is all. Por. Brutus is wife, and, were he not in health, He would embrace the means to come by it.

Bru. Why, fo I do :-Good Portia, go to bed, Por. Is Brutus fick ? and is it phyfical To walk unbraced, and fuck up the humours Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus fick; And will he steal out of his wholesome bed, To dare the vile contagion of the night? And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air To add unto his ficknefs? No, my Brutus; You have fome fick offence within your mind, Which, by the right and virtue of my place, I ought to know of: And, upon my knees, I charm you, by my once commended beauty, By all your vows of love, and that great vow Which did incorporate and make us one, That you unfold to me, yourself, your half, Why you are heavy: and what men to-night Have had refort to you: for there have been Some fix or feven, who did hide their faces Even from darknefs.

Bru. Kneel not, gentle Portia.

Por. I fhould not need, if you were gentle Brutus, Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,

Is it excepted, I fhould know no fecrets
That appertain to you? Am I yourself,
But as it were, in fort, or limitation ; ·
To keep with you at meals, comfort

your bed, And talk to you fometimes? Dwell I but in the fuburbs Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Bru. You are my true and honourable wife; As dear to me, as are the ruddy drops

That vifit my fad heart.

[ocr errors]

Por. If this were true, then fhould I know this

I grant, I am a woman; but, withal,

A woman that lord Brutus took to wife:
I grant, I am a woman; but withal,
A woman well reputed; Cato's daughter.
Think I
you, am no stronger than my fex,
Being fo father'd, and fo husbanded?

[fecret.

Tell me your counfels, I will not disclose them:
I have made strong proof of my conftancy,
Giving myself a voluntary wound

Here, in the thigh: Can I bear that with patience,
And not my husband's fecrets?

Bru. O, ye gods,

Render me worthy of this noble wife!

[Knock.

Hark, hark! one knocks: Portia, go in a while;

And by and by thy bosom shall partake

The fecrets of my heart.

All my engagements I will conftrue to thee,

All the charactery of my fad brows:

Leave me with haste.

Lucius, who is that knocks?

[Exit PORTIA.

Enter LUCIUS, and LIGARIUS.

Luc. Here is a fick man, that would speak with you.

Bru.

Bru. Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spoke of.Boy, ftand afide.-Caius Ligarius! how?

Lig. Vouchfafe good-morrow from a feeble tongue. Bru. O, what a time have you chofe out, brave Caius, To wear a kerchief? 'Would you were not fick ! Lig. I am not fick, if Brutus have in hand Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius, Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

Lig. By all the gods that Romans bow before,
I here difcard my ficknefs. Soul of Rome!
Brave fon, deriv'd from honourable loins!
Thou, like an exorcift, haft conjur'd up
My mortified fpirit. Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impoffible;
Yea, get the better of them. What's to do?

Bru. A piece of work, that will make fick men whole. Lig. But are not fome whole, that we must make fick?

Bru. That must we also. What it is, my Caius, I fhall unfold to thee, as we are going,

To whom it must be done.

Lig. Set on your foot;

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

To do I know not what: but it fufficeth,

That Brutus leads me on.

Bru. Follow me then.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. CESAR's palace. Thunder and lightning. Enter CESAR, in his night-gown.

Caf. Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace to-night:

Thrice hath Calphurnia in her fleep cry'd out,

Help.

Help, bo! They murder Cafar. Who's within?

Serv. My lord?

Enter a Servant.

Caf. Go bid the priest do present facrifice, And bring me their opinions of fuccefs.

Serv. I will, my lord.

Enter CALPHURNIA.

Cal. What mean you, Cæfar? Think

forth?

[Exit.

you to walk

You fhall not ftir out of your house to-day.

Caf.Cæfar fhall forth: The things, that threaten'd me, Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall fee The face of Cæfar, they are vanished.

Cal. Cæfar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Befides the things that we have heard and feen,
Recounts most horrid fights feen by the watch.
A lionefs hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead:
Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds,

In ranks, and fquadrons, and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol :

The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horfes did neigh, and dying men did groan;
And ghofts did fhriek, and fqueal about the streets.
O Cæfar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Caf. What can be avoided,

Whofe end is purpos'd by the mighty gods?
Yet Cæfar fhall go forth: for thefe predictions
Are to the world in general, as to Cæfar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets feen;

The

« AnteriorContinuar »