caesar-第14部分

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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　those　who　came　to　speak　to　him。　However；　he　kept　it　in　his



hand　by　itself　till　he　came　into　the　senate。　Some　say　it　was　another



who　gave　Caesar　this　note；　and　that　Artemidorus　could　not　get　to



him；　being　all　along　kept　off　by　the　crowd。



　　All　these　things　might　happen　by　chance。　But　the　place　which　was



destined　for　the　scene　of　this　murder；　in　which　the　senate　met　that



day；　was　the　same　in　which　Pompey's　statue　stood；　and　was　one　of　the



edifices　which　Pompey　had　raised　and　dedicated　with　his　theatre　to　the



use　of　the　public；　plainly　showing　that　there　was　something　of　a



supernatural　influence　which　guided　the　action　and　ordered　it　to



that　particular　place。　Cassius；　just　before　the　act；　is　said　to　have



looked　towards　Pompey's　statue；　and　silently　implored　his



assistance；　though　he　had　been　inclined　to　the　doctrines　of



Epicurus。　But　this　occasion；　and　the　instant　danger；　carried　him



away　out　of　all　his　reasonings；　and　filled　him　for　the　time　with　a



sort　of　inspiration。　As　for　Antony；　who　was　firm　to　Caesar　and　a



strong　man；　Brutus　Albinus　kept　him　outside　the　house；　and　delayed　him



with　a　long　conversation　contrived　on　purpose。　When　Caesar　entered；



the　senate　stood　up　to　show　their　respect　to　him；　and　of　Brutus's



confederates；　some　came　about　his　chair　and　stood　behind　it；　others



met　him；　pretending　to　add　their　petitions　to　those　of　Tillius　Cimber；



in　behalf　of　his　brother；　who　was　in　exile；　and　they　followed　him　with



their　joint　applications　till　he　came　to　his　seat。　When　he　was　sat



down；　he　refused　to　comply　with　their　requests；　and　upon　their



urging　him；　further　began　to　reproach　them　severely　for　their



importunities；　when　Tillius；　laying　hold　of　his　robe　with　both　his



hands；　pulled　it　down　from　his　neck；　which　was　the　signal　for　the



assault。　Casca　gave　him　the　first　cut　in　the　neck；　which　was　not



mortal　nor　dangerous；　as　coming　from　one　who　at　the　beginning　of



such　a　bold　action　was　probably　very　much　disturbed；　Caesar



immediately　turned　about；　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the　dagger　and　kept



hold　of　it。　And　both　of　them　at　the　same　time　cried　out；　he　that



received　the　blow；　in　Latin；　〃Vile　Casca；　what　does　this　mean？〃　and　he



that　gave　it；　in　Greek　to　his　brother；　〃Brother；　help！〃　Upon　this



first　onset；　those　who　were　not　privy　to　the　design　were　astonished；



and　their　horror　and　amazement　at　what　they　saw　were　so　great　that



they　durst　not　fly　nor　assist　Caesar；　nor　so　much　as　speak　a　word。　But



those　who　came　prepared　for　the　business　enclosed　him　on　every　side；



with　their　naked　daggers　in　their　hands。　Which　way　soever　he　turned　he



met　with　blows；　and　saw　their　swords　levelled　at　his　face　and　eyes；



and　was　encompassed　like　a　wild　beast　in　the　toils　on　every　side。



For　it　had　been　agreed　they　should　each　of　them　make　a　thrust　at



him；　and　flesh　themselves　with　his　blood；　for　which　reason　Brutus　also



gave　him　one　stab　in　the　groin。　Some　say　that　he　fought　and　resisted



all　the　rest；　shifting　his　body　to　avoid　the　blows；　and　calling　out



for　help；　but　that　when　he　saw　Brutus's　sword　drawn；　he　covered　his



face　with　his　robe　and　submitted；　letting　himself　fall；　whether　it



were　by　chance　or　that　he　was　pushed　in　that　direction　by　his



murderers；　at　the　foot　of　the　pedestal　on　which　Pompey's　statue　stood；



and　which　was　thus　wetted　with　his　blood。　So　that　Pompey　himself



seemed　to　have　presided；　as　it　were；　over　the　revenge　done　upon　his



adversary；　who　lay　here　at　his　feet；　and　breathed　out　his　soul　through



his　multitude　of　wounds；　for　they　say　he　received　three…and…twenty。



And　the　conspirators　themselves　were　many　of　them　wounded　by　each



other；　whilst　they　all　levelled　their　blows　at　the　same　person。



　　When　Caesar　was　despatched；　Brutus　stood　forth　to　give　a　reason



for　what　they　had　done；　but　the　senate　would　not　hear　him；　but　flew



out　of　doors　in　all　haste；　and　filled　the　people　with　so　much　alarm



and　distraction；　that　some　shut　up　their　houses；　others　left　their



counters　and　shops。　All　ran　one　way　or　the　other；　some　to　the　place　to



see　the　sad　spectacle；　others　back　again　after　they　had　seen　it。



Antony　and　Lepidus；　Caesar's　most　faithful　friends；　got　off　privately；



and　hid　themselves　in　some　friends'　houses。　Brutus　and　his



followers；　being　yet　hot　from　the　deed；　marched　in　a　body　from　the



senate…house　to　the　capitol　with　their　drawn　swords；　not　like



persons　who　thought　of　escaping；　but　with　an　air　of　confidence　and



assurance；　and　as　they　went　along；　called　to　the　people　to　resume



their　liberty；　and　invited　the　company　of　any　more　distinguished



people　whom　they　met。　And　some　of　these　joined　the　procession　and　went



up　along　with　them；　as　if　they　also　had　been　of　the　conspiracy；　and



could　claim　a　share　in　the　honour　of　what　had　been　done。　As；　for



example；　Caius　Octavius　and　Lentulus　Spinther；　who　suffered　afterwards



for　vanity；　being　taken　off　by　Antony　and　the　young　Caesar；　and　lost



the　honour　they　desired；　as　well　as　their　lives；　which　it　cost　them；



since　no　one　believed　they　had　any　share　in　the　action。　For　neither



did　those　who　punished　them　profess　to　revenge　the　fact；　but　the



ill…will。　The　day　after；　Brutus　with　the　rest　came　down　from　the



capitol　and　made　a　speech　to　the　people；　who　listened　without



expressing　either　any　pleasure　or　resentment；　but　showed　by　their



silence　that　they　pitied　Caesar　and　respected　Brutus。　The　senate



passed　acts　of　oblivion　for　what　was　past；　and　took　measures　to



reconcile　all　parties。　They　ordered　that　Caesar　should　be　worshipped



as　a　divinity；　and　nothing；　even　of　the　slightest　consequence；



should　be　revoked　which　he　had　enacted　during　his　government。　At　the



same　time　they　gave　Brutus　and　his　followers　the　command　of　provinces；



and　other　considerable　posts。　So　that　all　the　people　now　thought



things　were　well　settled；　and　brought　to　the　happiest　adjustment。



　　But　when　Caesar's　will　was　opened；　and　it　was　found　that　he　had　left



a　considerable　legacy　to　each　one　of　the　Roman　citizens；　and　when



his　body　was　seen　carried　through　the　market…place　all　mangled　with



wounds；　the　multitude　could　no　longer　contain　themselves　within　the



bounds　of　tranquillity　and　order；　but　heaped　together　a　pile　of



benches；　bars；　and　tables；　which　they　placed　the　corpse　on；　and



setting　fire　to　it；　burnt　it　on　them。　Then　they　took　brands　from　the



pile　and　ran　some　to　fire　the　houses　of　the　conspirators；　others　up



and　down　the　city；　to　find　out　the　men　and　tear　them　to　pieces；　but



met；　however；　with　none　of　them；　they　having　taken　effectual　care　to



secure　themselves。



　　One　Cinna；　a　friend　of　Caesar's；　chanced　the　night　before　to　have　an



odd　dream。　He　fancied　that　Caesar　invited　him　to　supper；　and　that　upon



his　refusal　to　go　with　him；　Caesar　took　him　by　the　hand　and　forced



him；　though　he　hung　back。　Upon　hearing　the　report　that　Caesar's　body



was　burning　in　the　market…place；　he　got　up　and　went　thither；　out　of



respect　to　his　memory；　though　his　dream　gave　him　some　ill



apprehensions；　and　though　he　was　suffering　from　a　fever。　One　of　the



crowd　who　saw　him　there　asked　another　who　that　was；　and　having　learned



his　name；　told　it　to　his　neighbour。　It　presently　passed　for　a



certainty　that　he　was　one　of　Caesar's　murderers；　as；　indeed；　there　was



another　Cinna；　a　conspirator；　and　they；　taking　this　to　be　the　man；



immediately　seized　him　and　tore　him　limb　from　limb　upon　the　spot。



　　Brutus　and　Cassius；　frightened　at　this；　within　a　few　days　retired



out　of　the　city。　What　they　afterwards　did　and　suffered；　and　how　they



died；　is　written　in　the　Life　of　Brutus。　Caesar　died　in　his　fifty…sixth



year；　not　having　survived　Pompey　above　four　years。　That　empire　and



power　which　he　had　pursued　through　the　whole　course　of　his　life　with



so　much　hazard；　he　did　at　last　with　much　difficulty　compass；　but



reaped　no　other　fruits　from　it　than　the　empty　name　and　invidious



glory。　But　the　great　genius　which　attended　him　through　his　lifetime



even　after　his　death　remained　as　the　avenger　of　his　murder；　pursuing



through　every　sea　and　land　all　those　who　were　concerned　in　it；　and



suffering　none　to　escape；　but　reaching　all　who　in　any　sort　or　kind



were　either　actually　engaged　in　the　fact；　or　by　their　counsels　any　way



promoted　it。



　　The　most　remarkable　of　mere　human　coincidences　was　that　which　befell



Cassius；　who；　when　he　was　defeated　at　Philippi；　killed　himself　with



the　same　dagger　which　he　had　made　use　of　against　Caesar。　The　most



signal　preternatural　appearances　were　the　great　comet；　which　shone



very　bright　for　seven　nights　after　Caesar's　death；　and　then



disappeared；　and　the　dimness　of　the　sun；　whose　orb　continued　pale



and　dull　for　the　whole　of　that　year；　never　showing　its　ordinary



radiance　at　its　rising；　and　giving　but　a　weak　and　feeble　heat。　The　air



consequently　was　damp　and　gross　for　want　of　stronger　rays　to　open



and　rarefy　it。　The　fruits；　for　that　reason；　never　properly　ripened；



and　began　to　wither　and　fall　off　for　want　of　heat　before　they　were



fully　formed。　But　above　all；　the　phantom　which　appeared　to　Brutus



showed　the　murder　was　not　pleasing　to　the　gods。　The　story　of　it　is



this。



　　Brutus；　being　to　pass　his　army　from　Abydos　to　the　continent　on　the



other　side；　laid　himself　down　one　night；　as　he　used　to　do；　in　his



tent；　and　was　not　asleep；　but　thinking　of　his　affairs；　and　what　events



he　might　expect。　For　he　is　related　to　have　been　the　least　inclined



to　sleep　of　all　men　who　have　commanded　armies；　and　to　have　had　the



greatest　natural　capacity　for　continuing　awake；　and　employing



himself　without　need　of　rest。　He　thought　he　heard　a　noise　at　the



door　of