| GRECIANS AND ROMANS | |
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| side under his long gowne, that no bodie sawe nor knewe, | MARCUS |
| but his wife onelie. The other conspirators were all assembled | BRUTUS |
| at Cassius house, to bring his sonne into the market place, | |
| who on that day did put on the mans gowne, called Toga | |
| Virilis: and from thence they came all in a troupe together | |
| unto Pompeys porche, looking that Caesar woulde straight | |
| come thither. But here is to be noted, the wonderfull | The wonder- |
| assured constancie of these conspirators, in so daungerous | full constancy |
| and waightie an enterprise as they had undertaken. For | of the con- |
| many of them being Praetors, by reason of their office, whose | spirators, in |
| duetie is to minister justice to everie bodie: they did not | killing of |
| onelie with great quietnesse and curtesie heare them that | Caesar. |
| spake unto them, or that pleaded matters before them, and | |
| gave them attentive eare, as if they had had no other matter | |
| in their heades: but moreover, they gave just sentence, and | |
| carefullie dispatched the causes before them. So there was | |
| one among them, who being condemned in a certaine summe | |
| of money, refused to pay it, and cried out that he did appeale | |
| unto Caesar. Then Brutus casting his eyes uppon the con- | |
| spirators, sayd, Caesar shall not lette*
me to see the lawe | |
| executed. Notwithstanding this, by chaunce there fell out | Sundrie mis- |
| many misfortunes unto them, which was enough to have | fortunes to |
| marred the enterprise. The first and chiefest was, Caesars | have broken |
| long tarying, who came verie late to the Senate: for bicause | of the enter- |
| the signes of the sacrifices appeared unluckie, his wife Cal- | prise. |
| purnia kept him at home, and the Soothsayers bad him | |
| beware he went not abroade. The seconde cause was, when | |
| one came unto Casca being a conspirator, and taking him by | |
| the hande, sayd unto him: O Casca, thou keptest it close | |
| from me, but Brutus hath tolde me all. Casca being amazed | |
| at it, the other went on with his tale, and sayd: Why, howe | |
| nowe, howe commeth it to passe thou art thus riche, that | |
| thou doest sue to be Ædilis? Thus Casca being deceived | |
| by the others doubtfull wordes, he tolde them it was a | |
| thowsand to one, he blabbed not out all the conspiracie. | |
| An other Senator called Popilius Laena, after he had saluted | |
| Brutus and Cassius more frendlie then he was wont to doe: | |
| he rounded softlie in their eares, and told them, I pray | |
| the goddes you may goe through with that you have taken | |
| 195 | |