For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once196
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.
It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers,200
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.
Dec. Never fear that: if he be so resolv'd,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,204
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers;
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.208
Let me work;
For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.
Cas. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.212
Bru. By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost.
Cin. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.
Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæsar hard,
Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey:216
I wonder none of you have thought of him.
Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along by him:
He loves me well, and I have given him reasons;
Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.220
Cas. The morning comes upon 's: we'll leave you, Brutus.
And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember
196 from . . . main: changed from the general
198 apparent: manifest
204 trees: by luring them to drive their horns too firmly into trees
205 glasses: mirrors, to distract their attention
holes: pitfalls
206 toils: nets, snares
210 humour: disposition; cf. n. on line 250
213 uttermost: latest
216 rated: berated, reprimanded
218 by him: by his house
220 fashion: like modern 'whip into shape'
