JULIUS CAESAR 2.2

a word from our sponsors

The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works

JULIUS CAESAR 2.2

CAESAR's house.

[Thunder and lightning. Enter CAESAR, in his

night-gown]

CAESAR Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:

Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,

'Help, ho! they murder Caesar!' Who's within?

[Enter a Servant]

Servant My lord?

CAESAR Go bid the priests do present sacrifice 5

And bring me their opinions of success.

Servant I will, my lord.

[Exit]

[Enter CALPURNIA]

CALPURNIA What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?

You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

CAESAR Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me 10

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see

The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

CALPURNIA Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,

Yet now they fright me. There is one within,

Besides the things that we have heard and seen, 15

Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;

Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,

In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, 20

Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;

The noise of battle hurtled in the air,

Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,

And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.

O Caesar! these things are beyond all use, 25

And I do fear them.

CAESAR What can be avoided

Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?

Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions

Are to the world in general as to Caesar. 30

CALPURNIA When beggars die, there are no comets seen;

The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths;

The valiant never taste of death but once.

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard. 35

It seems to me most strange that men should fear;

Seeing that death, a necessary end,

Will come when it will come.

[Re-enter Servant]

What say the augurers?

Servant They would not have you to stir forth to-day. 40

Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,

They could not find a heart within the beast.

CAESAR The gods do this in shame of cowardice:

Caesar should be a beast without a heart,

If he should stay at home to-day for fear. 45

No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well

That Caesar is more dangerous than he:

We are two lions litter'd in one day,

And I the elder and more terrible:

And Caesar shall go forth. 50

CALPURNIA Alas, my lord,

Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.

Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear

That keeps you in the house, and not your own.

We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house: 55

And he shall say you are not well to-day:

Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

CAESAR Mark Antony shall say I am not well,

And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.

[Enter DECIUS BRUTUS]

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so. 60

DECIUS BRUTUS Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:

I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

CAESAR 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: 65

Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:

I will not come to-day: tell them so, Decius.

CALPURNIA Say he is sick.

CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie?

Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,

To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? 70

Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS BRUTUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,

Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

CAESAR The cause is in my will: I will not come;

That is enough to satisfy the senate. 75

But for your private satisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know:

Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:

She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,

Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, 80

Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans

Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:

And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,

And evils imminent; and on her knee

Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day. 85

DECIUS BRUTUS This dream is all amiss interpreted;

It was a vision fair and fortunate:

Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,

In which so many smiling Romans bathed,

Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck 90

Reviving blood, and that great men shall press

For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.

This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

CAESAR And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS BRUTUS I have, when you have heard what I can say: 95

And know it now: the senate have concluded

To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.

If you shall send them word you will not come,

Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock

Apt to be render'd, for some one to say 100

'Break up the senate till another time,

When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'

If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper

'Lo, Caesar is afraid'?

Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love 105

To our proceeding bids me tell you this;

And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!

I am ashamed I did yield to them.

Give me my robe, for I will go. 110

[Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA,

TREBONIUS, and CINNA]

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

PUBLIUS Good morrow, Caesar.

CAESAR Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?

Good morrow, Casca. Caius Ligarius, 115

Caesar was ne'er so much your enemy

As that same ague which hath made you lean.

What is 't o'clock?

BRUTUS Caesar, 'tis strucken eight.

CAESAR I thank you for your pains and courtesy. 120

[Enter ANTONY]

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.

ANTONY So to most noble Caesar.

CAESAR Bid them prepare within:

I am to blame to be thus waited for. 125

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.

TREBONIUS Caesar, I will: 130

[Aside]

and so near will I be,

That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

CAESAR Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;

And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

BRUTUS [Aside] That every like is not the same, O Caesar, 135

The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

[Exeunt]

This edition copyright © 2000 Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. Originally derived from the Complete Moby Shakespeare(tm), which is now in the public domain.
'The First Web Folio Edition' is a trademark of Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. All rights reserved.

If you're not reading this on shakespeare.com, you're in the wrong place.

CAESAR		Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
		Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
		'Help, ho! they murder Caesar!' Who's within?
		[Enter a Servant]

CAESAR		Go bid the priests do present sacrifice	5
		And bring me their opinions of success.

CALPURNIA		What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?
		You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

CAESAR	Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me	10
	Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
	The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

CALPURNIA	Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
	Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
	Besides the things that we have heard and seen,	15
	Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
	A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
	And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
	Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
	In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,	20
	Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
	The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
	Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
	And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
	O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,	25
	And I do fear them.

CAESAR	What can be avoided
	Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
	Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
	Are to the world in general as to Caesar.	30

CALPURNIA		When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
		The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

CAESAR	Cowards die many times before their deaths;
	The valiant never taste of death but once.
	Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.	35
	It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
	Seeing that death, a necessary end,
	Will come when it will come.
	[Re-enter Servant]
	What say the augurers?

Servant	They would not have you to stir forth to-day.	40
	Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
	They could not find a heart within the beast.

CAESAR	The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
	Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
	If he should stay at home to-day for fear.	45
	No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
	That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
	We are two lions litter'd in one day,
	And I the elder and more terrible:
	And Caesar shall go forth.	50

	Type or paste text or Web address (beginning with http://) here: http://www.shakespeare.com/FirstFolio/JULIUS_CAESAR/2.2.html
	Powered by Systran	Translate from:

CALPURNIA	Alas, my lord,
	Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
	Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear
	That keeps you in the house, and not your own.
	We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house:	55
	And he shall say you are not well to-day:
	Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

CAESAR	Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
	And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.
	[Enter DECIUS BRUTUS]
	Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.	60

DECIUS BRUTUS		Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:
		I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

CAESAR	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:	65
	Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:
	I will not come to-day: tell them so, Decius.

CAESAR	Shall Caesar send a lie?
	Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
	To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?	70
	Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

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

CAESAR	The cause is in my will: I will not come;
	That is enough to satisfy the senate.	75
	But for your private satisfaction,
	Because I love you, I will let you know:
	Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
	She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,
	Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,	80
	Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
	Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:
	And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,
	And evils imminent; and on her knee
	Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.	85

DECIUS BRUTUS	This dream is all amiss interpreted;
	It was a vision fair and fortunate:
	Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
	In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
	Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck	90
	Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
	For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
	This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

DECIUS BRUTUS	I have, when you have heard what I can say:	95
	And know it now: the senate have concluded
	To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
	If you shall send them word you will not come,
	Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
	Apt to be render'd, for some one to say	100
	'Break up the senate till another time,
	When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'
	If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper
	'Lo, Caesar is afraid'?
	Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love	105
	To our proceeding bids me tell you this;
	And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR	How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
	I am ashamed I did yield to them.
	Give me my robe, for I will go.	110
	[Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA,
	TREBONIUS, and CINNA]
	And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

CAESAR	Welcome, Publius.
	What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
	Good morrow, Casca. Caius Ligarius,	115
	Caesar was ne'er so much your enemy
	As that same ague which hath made you lean.
	What is 't o'clock?

CAESAR	I thank you for your pains and courtesy.	120
	[Enter ANTONY]
	See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,
	Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.

CAESAR	Bid them prepare within:
	I am to blame to be thus waited for.	125
	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.

TREBONIUS	Caesar, I will:	130
	[Aside]
	and so near will I be,
	That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

CAESAR		Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
		And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

BRUTUS	[Aside] That every like is not the same, O Caesar,	135
	The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!
	[Exeunt]