Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/330

 322 C^SAR. land. If any one should be sent to tell them they might break up for the present, and meet again when Calpurnia should chance to have better dreams, what would his enemies say ? Or who would with any patience hear his friends, if they should presume to defend his government as not arbitrary and tyrannical ? But if he was possessed so far as to think this day unfortunate, yet it were more decent to go himself to the senate, and to adjourn it in his own person. Brutus, as he spoke these words, took Caesar by the hand, and conducted him forth. He was not gone far from the door, when a servant of some other person's made towards him, but not being able to come up to him, on account of the crowd of those who pressed about him, he made his way into the house, and commit- ted himself to Calpurnia, begging of her to secure him till Caesar returned, because he had matters of great im- portance to communicate to him. Artemidorus, a Cnidian, a teacher of Greek logic, and by that means so far acquainted with Brutus and his friends as to have got into the secret, brought Caesar in a small written memorial, the heads of what he had to de- pose. He had observed that Caesar, as he received any papers, presently gave them to the servants who attended on him ; and therefore came as near to him as he could, and said, "Bead this, Caesar, alone, and quickly, for it contains matter of great importance which nearly con- cerns you." Caesar received it, and tried several times to read it, but was still hindered by the crowd of those who came to speak to him. However, he kept it in his hand by itself till he came into the senate. Some say it was another who gave Caesar this note, and that Artemi- dorus could not get to him, being all along kept off by the crowd. All these things might happen by chance. But the place which was destined for the scene of this murder, in