SCENE changes to a Street near the Capitol.

(16) Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.

C4

ESAR, beware of Brutus; take heed of Caffius; come not near Cafca; have an eye to Cinna; truft "not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius "Brutus loves thee not; thou haft wrong'd Caius Liga"rius. There is but one mind in all thefe men, and "it is bent against Cafar. If thou beeft not immortal, "look about thee: fecurity gives way to confpiracy. "The mighty Gods defend thee!

6.6

Thy Lover Artemidorus.
Here will I ftand, 'till Cæfar país along,
And as a fuitor will I give him this:
My heart laments, that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Cæfar, thou may'st live;
If not, the fates with Traitors do contrive.

Enter Porcia and Lucius.

[Exit.

Por. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the Senate-house ; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:

Why doft thou stay?

Luc. To know my errand, Madam.

Por. I would have had thee there, and here again, Ere I can tell thee what thou fhould't do thereO Conftancy, be ftrong upon my fide,

(16) Enter Artemidorus,] In the Dramatis Perfona, through all the editions, Artemidorus is called a Soothsayer. But, 'tis certain, the poet defigned two diftinct characters. Artemidorus was neither Augur, nor Soothfayer. 'Tis true, there was an Artemidorus, whofe critic on dreams we ftill have: but he did not live till the time of Antoninus. He likewife wrote, according to Suidas, of Augury and Palmistry. But this Artemidorus, who had been Cafar's hoft at Cnidos, as we learn from Plutarch, Appian, &c, did not pretend to know any thing of the confpiracy against Cæfar by prefcience, or prognoftication. He was a fophift, who taught that fcience in Greek at Rome; by which means being intimate with Brutus, and those about him, he got into their fecret; and, out of his old affection for Cafar, was defirous of acquainting him with his danger,

Set

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 counfel!
Art thou here yet?

Luc. Madam, what fhould I do?

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And fo return to you, and nothing else?

Por. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy Lord look well,
For he went fickly forth and take good note
What Cæfar doth, what fuitors prefs to him.
Hark, boy! what noife is that ?

Luc. I hear none, Madam. -
Por. Pr'ythee, liften well:

I heard a buftling rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Luc. Sooth, Madam, I hear nothing.

Enter Artemidorus.

Por. Come hither, fellow, which way haft thou been? Art. At mine own houfe, good Lady.

Por. What is't o'clock ?

Art. About the ninth hour, Lady.

my ftand,

Por. Is Cæfar yet gone to the Capitol? Art. Madam, not yet; I go to take To see him pass on to the Capitol.

Por. Thou haft fome fuit to Cæfar, hast thou not Art. That I-have, Lady, if it will pleafe Cafar

To be fo good to Cæfar, as to hear me:

I fhall befeech him to befriend himself.

Por. Why, know'st thou any harm intended tow'rds him?

Art. None that I know will be, much that I fear; Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow: The throng, that follows Cæfar 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 Cæfar as he comes along.

[Exit.

The

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

The Heavens speed thee in thine enterprize!
Sure, the Boy heard me :-- Brutus hath a Suit,
That Cæfar 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.
[Exeunt feverally.

SCENE, the Street before the Capitol; and the Capitol open.

Flourish, Enter Cæfar, Brutus, Caffius, Cafca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Artemidorus, Popilius, Publius, and the Soothsayer.

CÆSAR

HE Ides of March are come.

TH

Sooth. Ay, Cefar, but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cafar: read this schedule.

Dec. Trebonius doth defire you to o'erread, At your beft leifure, this his humble fuit.

Art. O Cefar, read mine firft; for mine's a fuit That touches Cafar nearer. Read it, great Cæfar. Caf. What touches us our felf, fhall be laft fery'd. Art. Delay not, Cafar, read it instantly. Caf. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirrah, give place.

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

Pop. I wish your enterprize to-day may thrive.
Caf. What enterprize, Popilius?

Pop. Fare you well.

Bru. What faid Popilius Lena?

Caf. He wish'd, to-day our enterprize might thrive:

I fear, our purpose is discovered,

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cafar; mark him. Caf. Cafca, be fudden, for we fear prevention. Brutus, what fhall be done, if this be known? Caffius, or Cafar, never fhall turn back; For I will flay myself.

Bru. Caffius, be constant:

Popilius Lena fpeaks not of our purpose ;

For, look, he fmiles, and Cafar doth not change. Caf. Trebonius knows his time; for look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? let him go,

And prefently prefer his fuit to Cafar.

Bru. He is addreft; prefs near, and fecond him. Cin. Cafea, you are the first that rears your hand. Caf. Are we all ready? what is now amiss,

That Cafar and his Senate must redress?

Met. Moft high, most mighty, and moft puiffant Cæfar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy feat
An humble heart.

Caf. I must prevent thee, Cimber;
Thefe couchings and thefe lowly courtefies
Might are the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the lane of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæfar bears fuch rebel blood,
That will be thaw'd from the true quality

[Kneeling.

With that which melteth fools; I mean, fweet words,
Low-crooked curtfies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou doft bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I fpurn thee like a cur out of my way.

(17) Know, Cæfar doth not wrong; nor without caufe Will he be fatisfied.

Met

"Cry The

(17) Know, Cæfar doth not wrong;] Ben Jobnfon, in the introduction to his Staple of News, has a fneer upon this paffage :you mercy, you never did wrong but with juft caufe.". words are conftantly printed in a different character, and, that they are levell's at Shake peare, is fully clear'd up by another paffage in Ben's Difcoveries, where he thus fpeaks of our author: "Many times "he fell into thofe things could not efcape laughter; as when he

as faid

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own, To found more sweetly in great Cæfar's ear, For the repealing of my banish'd Brother?.

Bru. I kifs thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæfar;
Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus!

Caf. Pardon, Cafar; Cafar, pardon;
As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me :
But I am conftant as the northern Star,

Of whofe true, fixt, and refting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament;
The skies are painted with unnum bred sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth fhine;
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 apprehenfive;
Yet in the number, I do know but one

That unaffailable holds on his rank,

Unfhak'd of motion: and that I am he,

"faid in the perfon of Cæfar, one fpeaking to him,Cæfar, thou doft me wrong; he reply'd, Cæfar did never wrong, but with just caufe." -I can't pretend to guefs, for what reafon Ben has left this farcalm upon our author; when there is no room for it from any of the printed copies: nor fhould I have thought it worth while to revive the memory of fuch a remark, had not Mr. Pope purposely deviated into a criticism upon the affair. There is a fort of fatality attends fome people, when they aim at being hypercritical. "He "thinks, Ben Johnson's remark was made upon no better credit, "than fome blunder of an actor in fpeaking the verfe now under "debate: and, perhaps, (fays he) this play was never printed in B. "Johnson's time; and fo he had nothing to judge by, but as the

actor was pleased to speak it."--I don't know how this gen. tleman's head was employed, when he made this profound obfervation: for he could not but know, that B. Johnson lived to the year 1637, fourteen years before which the players had put out their edi. tion of all Shakespeare's genuine plays in folio. The furly Laureat therefore cannot ftand excus'd, from any blunder of an actor, for wounding the memory of a poet; when the abfurdity, reflected on, is not to be found in his works.

Let