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Scene Three: A street near the Capitol.
Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.
Artemidorus:
“Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wrong’d Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Caesar. If thou be’st not immortal, look about you: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee!
Thy lover, Artemidorus.”
Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,
And as a suitor will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.
If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayest live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive.
(Exit.)
Scene Four: Another part of the same street, before the house of Brutus.
Enter Portia and Lucius.
Portia:
I pr’ythee, boy, run to the Senate-house;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.
Why dost thou stay?
Lucius:
To know my errand, madam.
Portia:
I would have had thee there and here again,
Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.
(Aside.) O constancy, be strong upon my side,
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 counsel!
Art thou here yet?
Lucius:
Madam, what should I do?
Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And so return to you, and nothing else?
Portia:
Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
For he went sickly forth: and take good note
What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy, what noise is that?
Lucius:
I hear none, madam.
Portia:
Pr’ythee, listen well.
I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Lucius:
Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
Enter the Soothsayer.
Portia:
Come hither, fellow:
Which way hast thou been?
Soothsayer:
At mine own house, good lady.
Portia:
What is’t o’clock?
Soothsayer:
About the ninth hour, lady.
Portia:
Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol?
Soothsayer:
Madam, not yet. I go to take my stand,
To see him pass on to the Capitol.
Portia:
Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?
Soothsayer:
That I have, lady, if it will please Caesar
To be so good to Caesar as to hear me,
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.
Portia:
Why, know’st thou any harm’s intended towards him?
Soothsayer:
None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.
Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow.
The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,
Of Senators, of Praetors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:
I’ll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Caesar as he comes along.
(Exit.)
Portia:
I must go in.
(Aside.) Ay me, how weak a thing
The heart of woman is! O Brutus,
The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!
Sure, the boy heard me. Brutus hath a suit
That Caesar 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.)