caesar-第13部分

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friends　that　he　was　ready　to　offer　this　to　any　one　who　would　give



the　stroke。　But　afterwards　he　made　the　malady　from　which　he　suffered



the　excuse　for　his　sitting；　saying　that　those　who　are　attacked　by　it



lose　their　presence　of　mind　if　they　talk　much　standing；　that　they



presently　grow　giddy；　fall　into　convulsions；　and　quite　lose　their



reason。　But　this　was　not　the　reality；　for　he　would　willingly　have



stood　up　to　the　senate；　had　not　Cornelius　Balbus；　one　of　his



friends；　or　rather　flatterers；　hindered　him。　〃Will　you　and



remember；〃　said　he；　〃you　are　Caesar；　and　claim　the　honour　which　is　due



to　your　merit？〃



　　He　gave　a　fresh　occasion　of　resentment　by　his　affront　to　the



tribunes。　The　Lupercalia　were　then　celebrated；　a　feast　at　the　first



institution　belonging；　as　some　writers　say；　to　the　shepherds；　and



having　some　connection　with　the　Arcadian　Lycae。　Many　young　noblemen



and　magistrates　run　up　and　down　the　city　with　their　upper　garments



off；　striking　all　they　meet　with　thongs　of　hide；　by　way　of　sport；



and　many　women；　even　of　the　highest　rank；　place　themselves　in　the　way；



and　hold　out　their　hands　to　the　lash；　as　boys　in　a　school　do　to　the



master；　out　of　a　belief　that　it　procures　an　easy　labour　to　those　who



are　with　child；　and　makes　those　conceive　who　are　barren。　Caesar；



dressed　in　a　triumphal　robe；　seated　himself　in　a　golden　chair　at　the



rostra　to　view　this　ceremony。　Antony；　as　consul；　was　one　of　those



who　ran　this　course；　and　when　he　came　into　the　forum；　and　the　people



made　way　for　him；　he　went　up　and　reached　to　Caesar　a　diadem　wreathed



with　laurel。　Upon　this　there　was　a　shout；　but　only　a　slight　one；



made　by　the　few　who　were　planted　there　for　that　purpose；　but　when



Caesar　refused　it；　there　was　universal　applause。　Upon　the　second



offer；　very　few；　and　upon　the　second　refusal；　all　again　applauded。



Caesar　finding　it　would　not　take；　rose　up；　and　ordered　the　crown　to　be



carried　into　the　capitol。　Caesar's　statues　were　afterwards　found



with　royal　diadems　on　their　heads。　Flavius　and　Marullus；　two



tribunes　of　the　people；　went　presently　and　pulled　them　off；　and　having



apprehended　those　who　first　saluted　Caesar　as　king　committed　them　to



prison。　The　people　followed　them　with　acclamations；　and　called　them　by



the　name　of　Brutus；　because　Brutus　was　the　first　who　ended　the



succession　of　kings；　and　transferred　the　power　which　before　was　lodged



in　one　man　into　the　hands　of　the　senate　and　people。　Caesar　so　far



resented　this；　that　he　displaced　Marullus　and　Flavius；　and　in　urging



his　charges　against　them；　at　the　same　time　ridiculed　the　people；　by



himself　giving　the　men　more　than　once　the　names　of　Bruti　and　Cumaei。



　　This　made　the　multitude　turn　their　thoughts　to　Marcus　Brutus；　who；



by　his　father's　side；　was　thought　to　be　descended　from　that　first



Brutus；　and　by　his　mother's　side　from　the　Servilii；　another　noble



family；　being　besides　nephew　and　son…in…law　to　Cato。　But　the　honours



and　favours　he　had　received　from　Caesar　took　off　the　edge　from　the



desires　he　might　himself　have　felt　for　overthrowing　the　new



monarchy。　For　he　had　not　only　been　pardoned　himself　after　Pompey's



defeat　at　Pharsalia；　and　had　procured　the　same　grace　for　many　of　his



friends；　but　was　one　in　whom　Caesar　had　a　particular　confidence。　He



had　at　that　time　the　most　honourable　praetorship　for　the　year；　and　was



named　for　the　consulship　four　years　after；　being　preferred　before



Cassius；　his　competitor。　Upon　the　question　as　to　the　choice；　Caesar；



it　is　related；　said　that　Cassius　had　the　fairer　pretensions；　but



that　he　could　not　pass　by　Brutus。　Nor　would　he　afterwards　listen　to



some　who　spoke　against　Brutus；　when　the　conspiracy　against　him　was



already　afoot；　but　laying　his　hand　on　his　body；　said　to　the　informers；



〃Brutus　will　wait　for　this　skin　of　mine；〃　intimating　that　he　was



worthy　to　bear　rule　on　account　of　his　virtue；　but　would　not　be　base



and　ungrateful　to　gain　it。　Those　who　desired　a　change；　and　looked　on



him　as　the　only；　or　at　least　the　most　proper；　person　to　effect　it；　did



not　venture　to　speak　with　him；　but　in　the　night…time　laid　papers　about



his　chair　of　state；　where　he　used　to　sit　and　determine　causes；　with



such　sentences　in　them　as；　〃You　are　asleep；　Brutus；〃　〃You　are　no



longer　Brutus。〃　Cassius；　when　he　perceived　his　ambition　a　little



raised　upon　this；　was　more　instant　than　before　to　work　him　yet



further；　having　himself　a　private　grudge　against　Caesar　for　some



reasons　that　we　have　mentioned　in　the　Life　of　Brutus。　Nor　was　Caesar



without　suspicions　of　him；　and　said　once　to　his　friends；　〃What　do



you　think　Cassius　is　aiming　at？　I　don't　like　him；　he　looks　so　pale。〃



And　when　it　was　told　him　that　Antony　and　Dolabella　were　in　a　plot



against　him；　he　said　he　did　not　fear　such　fat；　luxurious　men；　but



rather　the　pale；　lean　fellows；　meaning　Cassius　and　Brutus。



　　Fate；　however；　is　to　all　appearance　more　unavoidable　than



unexpected。　For　many　strange　prodigies　and　apparitions　are　said　to



have　been　observed　shortly　before　this　event。　As　to　the　lights　in



the　heavens；　the　noises　heard　in　the　night；　and　the　wild　birds　which



perched　in　the　forum；　these　are　not　perhaps　worth　taking　notice　of



in　so　great　a　case　as　this。　Strabo；　the　philosopher；　tells　us　that　a



number　of　men　were　seen；　looking　as　if　they　were　heated　through　with



fire；　contending　with　each　other；　that　a　quantity　of　flame　issued　from



the　hand　of　a　soldier's　servant；　so　that　they　who　saw　it　thought　he



must　be　burnt；　but　that　after　all　he　had　no　hurt。　As　Caesar　was



sacrificing；　the　victim's　heart　was　missing；　a　very　bad　omen；



because　no　living　creature　can　subsist　without　a　heart。　One　finds　it



also　related　by　many　that　a　soothsayer　bade　him　prepare　for　some　great



danger　on　the　Ides　of　March。　When　this　day　was　come；　Caesar；　as　he



went　to　the　senate；　met　this　soothsayer；　and　said　to　him　by　way　of



raillery；　〃The　Ides　of　March　are　come；〃　who　answered　him　calmly；　〃Yes；



they　are　come；　but　they　are　not　past。〃　The　day　before　his



assassination　he　supped　with　Marcus　Lepidus；　and　as　he　was　signing



some　letters　according　to　his　custom；　as　he　reclined　at　table；　there



arose　a　question　what　sort　of　death　was　the　best。　At　which　he



immediately；　before　any　one　could　speak；　said；　〃A　sudden　one。〃



　　After　this；　as　he　was　in　bed　with　his　wife；　all　the　doors　and



windows　of　the　house　flew　open　together　he　was　startled　at　the



noise；　and　the　light　which　broke　into　the　room；　and　sat　up　in　his　bed；



where　by　the　moonshine　he　perceived　Calpurnia　fast　asleep；　but　heard



her　utter　in　her　dream　some　indistinct　words　and　inarticulate



groans。　She　fancied　at　that　time　she　was　weeping　over　Caesar；　and



holding　him　butchered　in　her　arms。　Others　say　this　was　not　her



dream；　but　that　she　dreamed　that　a　pinnacle；　which　the　senate；　as　Livy



relates；　had　ordered　to　be　raised　on　Caesar's　house　by　way　of　ornament



and　grandeur；　was　tumbling　down；　which　was　the　occasion　of　her　tears



and　ejaculations。　When　it　was　day；　she　begged　of　Caesar；　if　it　were



possible；　not　to　stir　out；　but　to　adjourn　the　senate　to　another



time；　and　if　he　slighted　her　dreams；　that　she　would　be　pleased　to



consult　his　fate　by　sacrifices　and　other　kinds　of　divination。　Nor



was　he　himself　without　some　suspicion　and　fears；　for　he　never　before



discovered　any　womanish　superstition　in　Calpurnia；　whom　he　now　saw



in　such　great　alarm。　Upon　the　report　which　the　priests　made　to　him；



that　they　had　killed　several　sacrifices；　and　still　found　them



inauspicious；　he　resolved　to　send　Antony　to　dismiss　the　senate。



　　In　this　juncture；　Decimus　Brutus；　surnamed　Albinus；　one　whom



Caesar　had　such　confidence　in　that　he　made　him　his　second　heir；　who



nevertheless　was　engaged　in　the　conspiracy　with　the　other　Brutus　and



Cassius；　fearing　lest　if　Caesar　should　put　off　the　senate　to　another



day；　the　business　might　get　wind；　spoke　scoffingly　and　in　mockery　of



the　diviners；　and　blamed　Caesar　for　giving　the　senate　so　fair　an



occasion　of　saying　he　had　put　a　slight　upon　them；　for　that　they　were



met　upon　his　summons；　and　were　ready　to　vote　unanimously　that　he



should　be　declared　king　of　all　the　provinces　out　of　Italy；　and　might



wear　a　diadem　in　any　other　place　but　Italy；　by　sea　or　land。　If　any　one



should　be　sent　to　tell　them　they　might　break　up　for　the　present；　and



meet　again　when　Calpurnia　should　chance　to　have　better　dreams；　what



would　his　enemies　say？　Or　who　would　with　any　patience　hear　his



friends；　if　they　should　presume　to　defend　his　government　as　not



arbitrary　and　tyrannical？　But　if　he　was　possessed　so　far　as　to　think



this　day　unfortunate；　yet　it　were　more　decent　to　go　himself　to　the



senate；　and　to　adjourn　it　in　his　own　person。　Brutus；　as　he　spoke　these



words；　took　Caesar　by　the　hand；　and　conducted　him　forth。　He　was　not



gone　far　from　the　door；　when　a　servant　of　some　other　person's　made



towards　him；　but　not　being　able　to　come　up　to　him；　on　account　of　the



crowd　of　those　who　pressed　about　him；　he　made　his　way　into　the



house；　and　committed　himself　to　Calpurnia；　begging　of　her　to　secure



him　till　Caesar　returned；　because　he　had　matters　of　great　importance



to　communicate　to　him。



　　Artemidorus；　a　Cnidian；　a　teacher　of　Greek　logic；　and　by　that



means　so　far　acquainted　with　Brutus　and　his　friends　as　to　have　got



into　the　secret；　brought　Caesar　in　a　small　written　memorial　the



heads　of　what　he　had　to　depose。　He　had　observed　that　Caesar；　as　he



received　any　papers；　presently　gave　them　to　the　servants　who



attended　on　him；　and　therefore　came　as　near　to　him　as　he　could；　and



said；　〃Read　this；　Caesar；　alone；　and　quickly；　for　it　contains　matter



of　great　importance　which　nearly　concerns　you。〃　Caesar　received　it；



and　tried　several　times　to　read　it；　but　was　still　hindered　by　the



crowd　of　th