Table of Contents
ACT II SCENE IV Setting: Another part of the same street, before the house of BRUTUS.
Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.
| PORTIA | I prithee, 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. | 5 | |
| 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? | 10 |
| 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. | 15 | |
| Hark, boy! what noise is that? | ||
| LUCIUS | I hear none, madam. | |
| PORTIA | Prithee, 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? | 20 |
| 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. | 25 | |
| 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? | 30 |
| 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: | 35 | |
| 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. 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. | 45 | |
| Exeunt severally. |