Act 3, Scene 1 Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above. [ previous scene ][ home page ][ next scene ]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’er read, At your best leisure, this his humble suit. 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? 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 followingPOPILIUS I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. CASSIUS What enterprise, Popilius? 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. 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: 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, 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? 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 couching’s 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 Caesar bears such rebel blood That will be thaw’d from the true quality With that which mel teth fools; I mean, sweet words, Low-crooked court ” sides 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, 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? 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: 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, Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality There is no fellow in the firmament. The skies are painted with un number’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, Unshaken 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.
CINNA O Caesar, — CAESAR Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus? DECIUS BRUTUS Great Caesar, — CAESAR Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? CASCA Speak, hands for me! CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and BRUTUS stab CAESAR CAESAR Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar. Dies.