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Scene the Third.

A terrible thunderstorm is raging over Rome; bad misgivings frighten even Cicero, the philosopher, and Cassius, who is always busily engaged to work for his plans, and con- trives to win over several others of the noble-minded and energetic Romans, besides Casca and Cinna. They agree to meet in Pompey's theatre there to discuss further proceedings, after they had seen Brutus again, and completely prevailed upon him to join them likewise in the conspiracy against Caesar.

Act the Second. Scene the First.

Brutus, weighing in his mind the danger threatening the freedom of his fellow-citizens, whilst Caesar is alive, wavers for some time, but finally he decides on joining the party of the conspirators, the working spirit of which is Cassius. The conspirators Casca, Cassius, Decius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber, and Trebonius repair to Brutus early in the morning to consult about the best way of executing their plot against Caesar's life. By Brutus's advice they desist from drawing Cicero, the great orator, into their secret. Also Mark Antony, being Caesar's best friend, is likewise excluded by them. The conspirators having retired, Portia, the noble wife of Brutus, entreats her husband to confide to her the secret, which obviously darkens his brows. He and Ligarius repair to Caesar's palace to accompany him to the

Senate-house. Scene the Second.

We see Caesar's wife Calpurnia urgingly imploring him to stay at home that day; a bad dream which she had the night before, seemed to her the forebodings of some disaster to him. He at last is willing to give way to her wishes, but when Decius Brutus comes to him, urging him to come to the Senate-house, he changes his mind again, guided particularly by Decius suggesting that the Senate would greatly take amiss Caesar's absence, especially to-day, when they had the intention to offer him a Crown. The whole party of conspirators are waiting outside for Caesar to accompany their noble victim to the Senate-house.

Scene the Third. Artemidorus meets that party in the street; he is attentively reading a paper, con- taining warnings and disclosures which he is anxious to slip into Caesar's hand as he passes by him. This is to warn him of the conspirators, the principal leaders of whom being noted

down upon it. Scene the Fourth.

In this scene we see Portia in great anxiety for her beloved husband Brutus, fearing that he might meet with some accident in his dangerous undertaking. Wavering for some time between manly energy and womanly meekness, the feelings of which are most beauti- fully expressed by the author, she finally despatches her servant Succus to enquire after her husband's health at the Capitol where she knows him to be with Caesar.

Act the Third. Scene the First. We see Artemidorus and the Soothsayer in vain endeavouring to warn Caesar on his way to the Capitol, the conspirators thwarting their endeavours by angrily pushing them away