enterprise　wanted　not　hands　or　resolution；　but　the　reputation　and
  authority　of　a　man　such　as　he　was；　to　give　as　it　were　the　first
  religious　sanction；　and　by　his　presence；　if　by　nothing　else；　to
  justify　the　undertaking；　that　without　him　they　should　go　about　this
  action　with　less　heart；　and　should　lie　under　greater　suspicions　when
  they　had　done　it；　for　if　their　cause　had　been　just　and　honourable；
  people　would　be　sure　that　Brutus　would　not　have　refused　it。　Cassius；
  having　considered　these　things　with　himself；　went　to　Brutus　and　made
  him　the　first　visit　after　their　falling　out；　and　after　the　compliments
  of　reconciliation　had　passed；　and　former　kindnesses　were　renewed
  between　them；　he　asked　him　if　he　designed　to　be　present　on　the　calends
  of　March；　for　it　was　discoursed；　he　said；　that　Caesar's　friends
  intended　then　to　move　that　he　might　be　made　king。　When　Brutus
  answered；　that　he　would　not　be　there；　〃But　what；〃　says　Cassius；　〃if
  they　should　send　for　us？〃　〃It　will　be　my　business；　then；〃　replied
  Brutus；　〃not　to　hold　my　peace；　but　to　stand　up　boldly；　and　die　for　the
  liberty　of　my　country。〃　To　which　Cassius　with　some　emotion　answered；
  〃But　what　Roman　will　suffer　you　to　die？　What；　do　you　not　know
  yourself；　Brutus？　Or　do　you　think　that　those　writings　that　you　find
  upon　your　praetor's　seat　were　put　there　by　weavers　and　shopkeepers；
  and　not　by　the　first　and　most　powerful　men　of　Rome？　From　other
  praetors；　indeed；　they　expect　largesses　and　shows　and　gladiators；
  but　from　you　they　claim；　as　an　hereditary　debt；　the　exurpation　of
  tyranny；　they　are　all　ready　to　suffer　anything　on　your　account；　if　you
  will　but　show　yourself　such　as　they　think　you　are　and　expect　you
  should　be。〃　Which　said；　he　fell　upon　Brutus；　and　embraced　him；　and
  after　this；　they　parted　each　to　try　their　several　friends。
  Among　the　friends　of　Pompey　there　was　one　Caius　Ligarius；　whom
  Caesar　had　pardoned；　though　accused　for　having　been　in　arms　against
  him。　This　man；　not　feeling　so　thankful　for　having　been　forgiven　as
  he　felt　oppressed　by　that　power　which　made　him　need　a　pardon；　hated
  Caesar；　and　was　one　of　Brutus's　most　intimate　friends。　Him　Brutus
  visited；　and　finding　him　sick；　〃O　Ligarius；〃　says　he；　〃what　a　time　you
  have　found　out　to　be　sick　in！〃　At　which　words　Ligarius；　raising
  himself　and　leaning　on　his　elbow；　took　Brutus　by　the　hand；　and　said；
  〃But；　O　Brutus；　if　you　are　on　any　design　worthy　of　yourself；　I　am
  well。〃
  From　this　time　they　tried　the　inclinations　of　all　their
  acquaintances　that　they　durst　trust；　and　communicated　the　secret　to
  them；　and　took　into　the　design　not　only　their　familiar　friends；　but　as
  many　as　they　believed　bold　and　brave　and　despisers　of　death。　For　which
  reason　they　concealed　the　plot　from　Cicero；　though　he　was　very　much
  trusted　and　as　well　beloved　by　them　all；　lest；　to　his　own　disposition；
  which　was　naturally　timorous；　adding　now　the　weariness　and　caution
  of　old　age；　by　his　weighing；　as　he　would　do；　every　particular；　that　he
  might　not　make　one　step　without　the　greatest　security；　he　should　blunt
  the　edge　of　their　forwardness　and　resolution　in　a　business　which
  required　all　the　despatch　imaginable。　As　indeed　there　were　also　two
  others　that　were　companions　of　Brutus；　Statilius　the　Epicurean；　and
  Favonius　the　admirer　of　Cato；　whom　he　left　out　for　this　reason：　as
  he　was　conversing　one　day　with　them；　trying　them　at　a　distance；　and
  proposing　some　such　question　to　be　disputed　of　as　among
  philosophers；　to　see　what　opinion　they　were　of；　Favonius　declared
  his　judgment　to　be　that　a　civil　war　was　worse　than　the　most　illegal
  monarchy；　and　Statilius　held；　that　to　bring　himself　into　troubles
  and　danger　upon　the　account　of　evil　or　foolish　men　did　not　become　a
  man　that　had　any　wisdom　or　discretion。　But　Labeo；　who　was　present；
  contradicted　them　both　and　Brutus；　as　if　it　had　been　an　intricate
  dispute；　and　difficult　to　be　decided；　held　his　peace　for　that　time；
  but　afterwards　discovered　the　whole　design　to　Labeo；　who　readily
  undertook　it。　The　next　thing　that　was　thought　convenient　was　to　gain
  the　other　Brutus　surnamed　Albinus；　a　man　of　himself　of　no　great
  bravery　or　courage；　but　considerable　for　the　number　of　gladiators　that
  he　was　maintaining　for　a　public　show；　and　the　great　confidence　that
  Caesar　put　in　him。　When　Cassius　and　Labeo　spoke　with　him　concerning
  the　matter；　he　gave　them　no　answer；　but；　seeking　an　interview　with
  Brutus　himself　alone；　and　finding　that　he　was　their　captain；　he
  readily　consented　to　partake　in　the　action。　And　among　the　others；
  also；　the　most　and　best　were　gained　by　the　name　of　Brutus。　And；　though
  they　neither　gave　nor　took　any　oath　of　secrecy；　nor　used　any　other
  sacred　rite　to　assure　their　fidelity　to　each　other；　yet　all　kept　their
  design　so　close；　were　so　wary；　and　held　it　so　silently　among
  themselves　that；　though　by　prophecies　and　apparitions　and　signs　in　the
  sacrifices　the　gods　gave　warning　of　it；　yet　could　it　not　be　believed。
  Now　Brutus；　feeling　that　the　noblest　spirits　of　Rome　for　virtue
  birth；　or　courage　were　depending　upon　him；　and　surveying　with
  himself　all　the　circumstances　of　the　dangers　they　were　to　encounter；
  strove　indeed；　as　much　as　possible；　when　abroad；　to　keep　his
  uneasiness　of　mind　to　himself；　and　to　compose　his　thoughts；　but　at
  home；　and　especially　at　night；　he　was　not　the　same　man；　but
  sometimes　against　his　will　his　working　care　would　make　him　start　out
  of　his　sleep；　and　other　times　he　was　taken　up　with　further
  reflection　and　consideration　of　his　difficulties；　so　that　his　wife
  that　lay　with　him　could　not　choose　but　take　notice　that　he　was　full　of
  unusual　trouble；　and　had　in　agitation　some　dangerous　and　perplexing
  question。　Porcia；　as　was　said　before；　was　the　daughter　of　Cato；　and
  Brutus；　her　cousin…german；　had　married　her　very　young；　though　not　a
  maid；　but　after　the　death　of　her　former　husband；　by　whom　she　had　one
  son　that　was　named　Bibulus；　and　there　is　a　little　book；　called　Memoirs
  of　Brutus；　written　by　him；　yet　extant。　This　Porcia；　being　addicted
  to　philosophy；　a　great　lover　of　her　husband；　and　full　of　an
  understanding　courage；　resolved　not　to　inquire　into　Brutus's　secrets
  before　she　had　made　this　trial　of　herself。　She　turned　all　her
  attendants　out　of　her　chamber；　and　taking　a　little　knife；　such　as　they
  use　to　cut　nails　with；　she　gave　herself　a　deep　gash　in　the　thigh；　upon
  which　followed　a　great　flow　of　blood；　and　soon　after；　violent　pains
  and　a　shivering　fever；　occasioned　by　the　wound。　Now　when　Brutus　was
  extremely　anxious　and　afflicted　for　her；　she；　in　the　height　of　all　her
  pain；　spoke　thus　to　him：　〃I；　Brutus；　being　the　daughter　of　Cato；　was
  given　to　you　in　marriage；　not　like　a　concubine；　to　partake　only　in　the
  common　intercourse　of　bed　and　board；　but　to　bear　a　part　in　all　your
  good　and　all　your　evil　fortunes；　and　for　your　part；　as　regards　your
  care　for　me；　I　find　no　reason　to　complain；　but　from　me；　what
  evidence　of　my　love；　what　satisfaction　can　you　receive；　if　I　may　not
  share　with　you　in　bearing　your　hidden　griefs；　nor　to　be　admitted　to
  any　of　your　counsels　that　require　secrecy　and　trust？　I　know　very
  well　that　women　seem　to　be　of　too　weak　a　nature　to　be　trusted　with
  secrets；　but　certainly；　Brutus；　a　virtuous　birth　and　education；　and
  the　company　of　the　good　and　honourable；　are　of　some　force　to　the
  forming　our　manners；　and　I　can　boast　that　I　am　the　daughter　of　Cato；
  and　the　wife　of　Brutus；　in　which　two　titles　though　before　I　put　less
  confidence；　yet　now　I　have　tried　myself；　and　find　that　I　can　bid
  defiance　to　pain。〃　Which　words　having　spoken；　she　showed　him　her
  wound；　and　related　to　him　the　trial　that　she　had　made　of　her
  constancy；　at　which　he　being　astonished；　lifted　up　his　hands　to
  heaven；　and　begged　the　assistance　of　the　gods　in　his　enterprise；
  that　he　might　show　himself　a　husband　worthy　of　such　a　wife　as
  Porcia。　So　then　he　comforted　his　wife。
  But　a　meeting　of　the　senate　being　appointed；　at　which　it　was
  believed　that　Caesar　would　be　present；　they　agreed　to　make　use　of　that
  opportunity；　for　then　they　might　appear　all　together　without
  suspicion；　and；　besides；　they　hoped　that　all　the　noblest　and　leading
  men　of　the　commonwealth；　being　then　assembled　as　soon　as　the　great
  deed　was　done；　would　immediately　stand　forward　and　assert　the　common
  liberty。　The　very　place　too　where　the　senate　was　to　meet　seemed　to
  be　by　divine　appointment　favourable　to　their　purpose。　It　was　a
  portico；　one　of　those　joining　the　theatre；　with　a　large　recess；　in
  which　there　stood　a　statue　of　Pompey；　erected　to　him　by　the
  commonwealth；　when　he　adorned　that　part　of　the　city　with　the
  porticos　and　the　theatre。　To　this　place　it　was　that　the　senate　was
  summoned　for　the　middle　of　March　（the　Ides　of　March　is　the　Roman
  name　for　the　day）；　as　if　some　more　than　human　power　were　leading　the
  man　thither；　there　to　meet　his　punishment　for　the　death　of　Pompey。
  As　soon　as　it　was　day；　Brutus；　taking　with　him　a　dagger；　which
  none　but　his　wife　knew　of；　went　out。　The　rest　met　together　at
  Cassius's　house；　and　brought　forth　his　son　that　was　that　day　to　put　on
  the　manly　gown；　as　it　is　called；　into　the　forum；　and　from　thence；
  going　all　to　Pompey's　porch；　stayed　there；　expecting　Caesar　to　come
  without　delay　to　the　senate。　Here　it　was　chiefly　that　any　one