Julius Caesar Act III Scene I William Shakespeare

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Julius Cæsar
Act III. Scene I.
Rome.  Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.
A crowd of People; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer.  Flourish.  Enter CÆSAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and Others.
Cæs.  [To the Soothsayer.]  The ides of March are come.
Sooth.  Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.
Art.  Hail, Cæsar! Read this schedule.	        5
Dec.  Trebonius doth desire you to o’er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.
Art.  O Cæsar! read mine first; for mine’s a suit
That touches Cæsar nearer. Read it, great Cæsar.
Cæs.  What touches us ourself shall be last serv’d.	        10
Art.  Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.
Cæs.  What! is the fellow mad?
Pub.        Sirrah, give place.
Cæs.  What! urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.	        15
CÆSAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following.  All the Senators rise.
Pop.  I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
Cas.  What enterprise, Popilius?
Pop.        Fare you well.  [Advances to CÆSAR.
Bru.  What said Popilius Lena?	        20
Cas.  He wish’d to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.
Bru.  Look, how he makes to Cæsar: mark him.
Cas.  Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,	        25
Cassius or Cæsar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.
Bru.        Cassius, be constant:
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change.	        30
Cas.  Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.  [Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS.  CÆSAR and the Senators take their seats.
Dec.  Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.
Bru.  He is address’d; press near and second him.	        35
Cin.  Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
Casca.  Are we all ready? What is now amiss,
That Cæsar and his senate must redress?
Met.  Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat	        40
A humble heart,—  [Kneeling.
Cæs.        I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies,
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree	        45
Into the law of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood
That will be thaw’d from the true quality
With that which melteth fools; I mean sweet words,
Low-crooked curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.	        50
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, Cæsar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.	        55
Met.  Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar’s ear
For the repealing of my banish’d brother?
Bru.  I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee, that Publius Cimber may	        60
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Cæs.  What, Brutus!
Cas.        Pardon, Cæsar; Cæsar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.	        65
Cæs.  I could be well mov’d 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.	        70
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:
So, in the world; ’tis furnish’d well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;	        75
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshak’d 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,	        80
And constant do remain to keep him so.
Cin.  O Cæsar,—
Cæs.        Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus!
Dec.  Great Cæsar,—
Cæs.        Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?	        85
Casca.  Speak, hands, for me!  [They stab Cæsar.
Cæs.  Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Cæsar!  [Dies.
Cin.  Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
Cas.  Some to the common pulpits, and cry out,	        90
‘Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!’
Bru.  People and senators be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still; ambition’s debt is paid.
Casca.  Go to the pulpit, Brutus.
Dec.        And Cassius too.	        95
Bru.  Where’s Publius?
Cin.  Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met.  Stand fast together, lest some friend of Cæsar’s
Should chance—
Bru.  Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer;	        100
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else; so tell them, Publius.
Cas.  And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
Bru.  Do so; and let no man abide this deed	        105
But we the doers.