University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE SECOND.

Senators seated. Brutus and Cassius in their places. Cæsar, preceded by Lictors, which afterwards leave him; Casca, Cimber, and many others, follow him. All rise at the entrance of Cæsar, and continue standing till he be seated.
Cæ.
What can this mean? Scarce half the senate here,
Although th'appointed hour be past. ... But I
Beyond my duty have in this transgress'd.—
Ye conscript fathers, I lament that thus
I have detain'd you ... But yet, what can be
The cause that takes from me so many of you?

(UNIVERSAL SILENCE)
Bru.
Does no one answer? The demanded cause
Is known to all of us. Is it not, Cæsar,
Fully divulged to thee by this our silence
But, would'st thou hear it? Those whom thou seest here,
Terror collected; those whom thou seest not,
Terror dispersed.

Cæ.
I am not unaccustom'd
To the intemperate harangues of Brutus,
As to the generous clemency of Cæsar
Thou art not unaccustom'd. But in vain;
For here I came not to dispute ...

Bru.
Nor we
To offend thee idly. Certainly those fathers
Were ill-advised who vanish'd from the senate
On such a joyful day: and ill act those
Who in the senate now stand mute. Myself,
Fully apprized of the high sentiments
Which Cæsar purposes t'unfold to us,
Can scarce restrain th'expression of my joy;
Feeling the eager wish to dissipate
The false alarm of others. Ah! no, now
Cæsar doth not within his bosom cherish
Against his country any guilty purpose;
Ah no! that generous clemency of his,
With which to-day he has upbraided Brutus,
And which in future he ought not to exert
Towards me, to trembling and afflicted Rome
He hath directed all of it already.
To-day, I swear to you, that Cæsar adds
A new one, and the most sublime of all,
To his so many triumphs; thence he here
Presents himself the victor of himself,
And of the envy of his adversaries.
Yes, noble fathers, this I swear to you;
Cæsar to-day assembles you to this
His sublime triumph: he has now resolved
To recreate himself th'associate,
The equal of his fellow-citizens;
This would he do spontaneously; and hence
'Mid all the men that have been in the world,
There never was, nor will be, Cæsar's equal.

Cæ.
I might, oh Brutus, interrupt thy speech ...

Bru.
Nor let mine seem to you rash arrogance,
Scarcely a prætor that I should presume
To anticipate the words of the dictator,
For Brutus now and the illustrious Cæsar
Are but one person.—I behold your brows
Arch'd with amazement: to the senators
My language is obscure; but speedily,
I shall make all clear with a single word.
I am the son of Cæsar ...

(AN UNIVERSAL CRY OF ASTONISHMENT.)
Bru.
Yes; I am born from him; now do I thence
Light exultation feel; since to-day Cæsar
Becomes, from a perpetual dictator,
A first-rate, and perpetual citizen.

(AN UNIVERSAL CRY OF JOY.)
Cæ.
... Yes, Brutus is my son; I myself told
Erewhile to him this secret. Th'energy,
The eloquence, the impetuosity,
I know not what of superhuman power
That breathes in his discourse, made on my heart
A deep impression: ardent, and aspiring,
My genuine son, is Brutus. Hence, oh Romans,
I chuse him, far more worthy than myself,
To perform for you after me that service,
Which now no longer lies within my power:
I have decided to transfer to him
My whole authority; in him have I
Establish'd it: in him will ye have Cæsar ...

Bru.
I stand secure: not Brutus' enemies
The most embitter'd and implacable,
Much more his friends, then, never will believe him
Of this e'er capable; ah no!—To me,
Cæsar, oh Romans, yields his power: he would
Imply by this, that Cæsar abdicates,
At the entreaties of myself his son,
His unjust power, that he replaces Rome
In liberty for ever.

(AN UNIVERSAL CRY OF JOY.)
Cæ.
'Tis enough.—
Thou as my son, and younger than myself,
Shouldest keep silence in my presence.—Now,
Cæsar, oh fathers, speaks—I have resolved
Irrevocably in my secret thoughts
To go against the Parthians. To-morrow
I march against Asia with my faithful legions:
There have I long been summon'd, and by force
Constrain'd to go, by th'unavenged shade
Of Crassus. Rome I leave to Anthony;
In him let her behold a second Cæsar:
Let Cimber, Casca, Cassius now return
To their allotted prefectures: my side
Brutus shall never quit. When I have slain
The enemies of Rome, I will return
And to my enemies submit myself:
Then, at her will, whichever she likes best,
Rome shall possess me as her citizen,
As her dictator, or discard me quite.

(UNIVERSAL SILENCE.)
Bru.
—These were not certainly, which we have heard,
The accents of a Roman, of my father,
Nor e'en of Cæsar. These were the harsh words
Of a despotic king.—Ah! father, yet
Hear me once more; behold my tears, and hear
Th'entreaties of a son and citizen
Now all Rome by my mouth addresses thee.
Behold that Brutus, whom no man e'er saw
Hitherto weep or supplicate; behold him
Prostrate before thee. Would'st thou be to me,
And not to Rome, a father?

Cæ.
I will not
Listen to prayers which are a public insult.
Arise: be mute.—He dares to call me tyrant;
But I am not one: if I were, had I
Myself permitted him to offer me
Such gross indignities before all Rome?—
What the dictator in his mind hath fix'd,
Should all be executed. Thus commands
The interest of Rome; and every man
Who doubts now, or refuses to obey me,
Is th'enemy of Rome; hostile to her,
He is an impious traitor.

Bru.
Then let all
Of us now, as true citizens should do,
Obey the dictator.

Cim.
Die, tyrant, die!

Cas.
And may I smite him also!

Cæ.
Traitors ...

Bru.
Ah!
And must I be the only one to spare him? ...

Some Senators.
Die, let the tyrant die!

Other Senators
, flying.
Oh day of horrors!

Cæ.
Son, ... and thou too! ... I die ...

Bru.
Oh Rome! ... Oh father! ...

Cim.
But at the cries of the pale fugitives,
The people flock already in a crowd ...

Cas.
Let them come in; the tyrant is no more.
Let us now hasten to slay Anthony.