| GRECIANS AND ROMANS | | |
| | |
| heard his wife Calpurnia, being fast a sleepe, weepe and sigh, | IULIUS |
| and put forth many fumbling lamentable speaches. For she | CÆSAR |
| dreamed that Caesar was slaine, and that she had him in her | The dreame |
| armes. Others also doe denie that she had any suche dreame, | of Calpurnia, |
| as amongest other, Titus Livius wryteth, that it was in this | Caesars wife. |
| sorte. The Senate having set upon the toppe of Caesars | |
| house, for an ornament and setting foorth of the same, a | |
| certaine pinnacle: Calpurnia dreamed that she sawe it broken | |
| downe, and that she thought she lamented and wept for it. | |
| Insomuch that Caesar rising in the morning, she prayed him | |
| if it were possible, not to goe out of the dores that day, but | |
| to adjorne the session of the Senate, untill an other day. | |
| And if that he made no reckoning of her dreame, yet that | |
| he woulde searche further of the Soothsayers by their sacri- | |
| fices, to knowe what should happen him that day. Thereby | |
| it seemed that Caesar likewise did feare and suspect somewhat, | |
| bicause his wife Calpurnia untill that time, was never geven | |
| to any feare or supersticion: and then, for that he saw her | |
| so troubled in minde with this dreame she had. But much | |
| more afterwardes, when the Soothsayers having sacrificed | |
| many beastes one after an other, tolde him that none did | |
| like them: then he determined to sende Antonius to adjorne | |
| the session of the Senate. But in the meane time came | |
| Decius Brutus, surnamed Albinus, in whom Caesar put such | |
| confidence, that in his last will and testament he had ap- | |
| pointed him to be his next heire, and yet was of the con- | |
| spiracie with Cassius and Brutus: he fearing that if Caesar | Decius Brutus |
| did adjorne the session that day, the conspiracie woulde out, | Albinus per- |
| laughed the Soothsayers to scorne, and reproved Caesar, say- | swasion to |
| ing: that he gave the Senate occasion to mislike with him, | Caesar. |
| and that they might thinke he mocked them, considering | |
| that by his commaundement they were assembled, and that | |
| they were readie willingly to graunt him all thinges, and to | |
| proclaime him king of all the provinces of the Empire of | |
| Rome out of Italie, and that he should weare his Diadeame | |
| in all other places, both by sea and land. And, furthermore, | |
| that if any man should tell them from him, they should | |
| departe for that present time, and returne againe when | |
| Calpurnia shoulde have better dreames: what would his | |
| 65 | |