Act IIScene III
A street near the Capitol
Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper.
Artemidorus
“Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wrong’d Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Caesar. If thou be’st not immortal, look about you: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, Artemidorus.”
Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,And as a suitor will I give him this.My heart laments that virtue cannot liveOut of the teeth of emulation.If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayest live;If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive.
Exit.