| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
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IULIUS | At that time, the feast Lupercalia was celebrated, the which | |
CÆSAR | in olde time men say was the feast of sheapheards or heard | |
The feast | men, and is much like unto the feast of the Lycaeians in | |
Lupercalia. | Arcadia. But howesoever it is, that day there are divers | |
| noble mens sonnes, young men, (and some of them Magistrats | |
| them selves that governe then) which run naked through the | |
| city, striking in sport them they meete in their way, with | |
| leather thonges, heare and all on, to make them geve place. | |
| And many noble women, and gentle women also, goe of | |
| purpose to stand in their way, and doe put forth their handes | |
| to be striken, as schollers hold them out to their schoole- | |
| master, to be striken with the ferula: perswading them selves | |
| that being with childe, they shall have good deliverie, and | |
| also being barren, that it will make them to conceive with | |
| child. Caesar sate to beholde that sport upon the pulpit | |
Antonius | for orations, in a chayer of gold, apparelled in triumphing | |
being Consull, | manner. Antonius, who was Consull at that time, was one | |
was one of the | of them that ranne this holy course. So when he came into | |
Lupercalians. | the market place, the people made a lane for him to runne at | |
| libertie, and he came to Caesar, and presented him a Diadeame | |
Antonius pre- | wreathed about with laurell. Whereuppon there rose a | |
sented the | certain crie of rejoycing, not very great, done onely by a | |
Diademe to | few, appointed for the purpose. But when Caesar refused | |
Caesar. | the Diadeame, then all the people together made an outcrie | |
| of joy. Then Antonius offering it him againe, there was a | |
| second shoute of joy, but yet of a few. But when Caesar | |
| refused it againe the second time, then all the whole people | |
| showted. Caesar having made this proofe, found that the | |
| people did not like of it, and thereuppon rose out of his | |
| chayer, and commaunded the crowne to be caried unto | |
| Iupiter in the Capitoll. After that, there were set up | |
| images of Caesar in the city with Diadeames upon their | |
| heades, like kinges. Those, the two Tribunes, Flavius and | |
| Marullus, went and pulled downe: and furthermore, meeting | |
| with them that first saluted Caesar as king, they committed | |
| them to prison. The people followed them rejoycing at it, | |
| and called them Brutes: bicause of Brutus, who had in old | |
| time driven the kings out of Rome, and that brought the | |
| kingdom of one person, unto the government of the Senate | |
| 62 | |