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this opinion was still farther confirmed, when, on the 

 . 16th of February, at the Lupercalia, Antony, his 

 chief confident, publicly offered him a crown. It 

 was the custom in this festival for the first officers 

 of the state, along with the principal nobility, to 

 run naked through the streets, striking with thongs 

 of undressed leather, all who happened to be within 

 their reach. Even women presented themselves in 

 this indecent ceremony, regarding a stroke of the 

 thong as a sovereign cure for barrenness. Antony 

 bore his part in this ceremony ; and when he came 

 opposite to Csesar, who was seated on a gilded chair, 

 and in his triumphal rubes, he presented him with a 

 royal crown, saying, " This crown the Roman peo- 

 ple confer on Caesar by my hands." Caesar perceiv- 

 ing a general silence, pushed away the crown with 

 his hand, upon which there was an universal shout of 

 applause, a sufficient explanation of the popular feel- 

 ing. 



These obvious advances towards royalty gave great 

 effence ; whilst the facility of cutting off the tyrant 

 encouraged a combination against his life. Caesar 

 had foolishly imagined that he would be able to up- 

 hold, by the voluntary submission of the people, 

 that power which he had obtained by violence and 

 blood. With this view he dismissed his guards, say- 

 ing that he would rather die at once than live always 

 afraid of death. He endeavoured, indeed, to recon- 

 cile the people to his government, by mildness, cle- 

 mency, and munificence : but it was impossible to 

 obliterate from their minds the remembrance of their 

 former constitution, and of the way in which he had 

 obtained his power. A conspiracy, therefore, was 

 formed against his life, not by those who had suf- 

 fered amidst the devastations occasioned by his am- 

 bition, but by some of his own particular friends, 

 who were fired with the enthusiasm of liberty, and 

 animated with the vain hopes of restoring the glories 

 of the republic. At the head of this conspiracy 

 were Caius Cassius, Marcus and Decimus Brutus, 

 and Trebonius, with about sixty others. A meet- 

 ing of the senate had been fixed to take place on the 

 ides of March, and this was the time which the con- 

 spirators had chosen for the accomplishment of their 

 design. Cassar, however, being indisposed, had re- 

 solved not to attend the senate that day ; but was 

 induced to change his mind on the persuasion of De- 

 cimus Brutus. As he passed through the streets, a 

 paper was put into his hands, which he was request- 

 ed to read immediately, as it contained secrets of the 

 utmost importance. He attempted to read it, but 

 was prevented by the multitudes, who crowded round 

 him with applications; and he still held it in his hand 

 when he entered the senate. 



Brutus and most of the conspirators had taken 

 their places before the arrival of Cassar. Cimber, 

 one of the number, entered along with him, urging 

 a petition in favour of his brother. Having receiv- 

 ed a denial, he took hold of his robe, as if to press 

 the intreaty. " Nay, said Cassar, this is violence." 

 Upon this, Cimber flung back the gown from his 

 shoulders, this being the signal agreed upon, and 

 called aloud to strike. Casca aimed the first blow, 

 and immediately the swords of all the conspirators 

 gleamed around him, who, in their eagerness te reack 



his body, wounded one another. It is said that he 

 made a stout resistance, till he saw Brutus strike, 

 when muffling up his face in his mantle, he fell at the 

 foot of Pompey's statue, pierced with three-and- 

 twenty wounds. Cassius exclaimed, " There lies the 

 worst of men !" Brutus, holding up his sword, still 

 reeking with blood, called upon the senate, and upon 

 Cicero by name, to judge of the transaction which 

 had passed before them. But all who were not in 

 the secret, being thunderstruck, and not knowing 

 where the violence was to end, the senate broke up 

 in horror and consternation : and the people expect- 

 ing a general massacre, barred their dours, and pre- 

 pared to defend every one his own habitation. 



Thus fell this extraordinary man, a:u-r having 

 been only about five months in the undisputed pos- 

 session of that power which it had been the object 

 of his life to obtain. Cicero, judging either from the 

 general feeling, or from Caesar's evrdent neglect of 

 his own safety, had predicted his fall with a precision 

 which might seem oracular. In writing to his friend 

 Atticus, he say, Jam intflliges id regnum vix sc* 

 mestre csse posse. Corruat iste necessc ext, ant per 

 adversaries, aid ipse per se ; et id spero vivis nobis 

 fore. 



Cassar was unquestionably the most extraordinary 

 character that has appeared iu hist' ry, either in an- 

 cient or in modern times. Others have often risen 

 from as small beginnings to a high degree of power, 

 by improving the favourable incidents which pointed 

 the way to distinction and honour. But Caesar ap- 

 pears as the framer of his own fortune : in his his- 

 tory scarcely any tiling occurs which we can call ac- 

 cidental ; all the great objects which he accomplish- 

 ed were the result of accurate calculation, of a just 

 knowledge of his own resources, and of profound ob- 

 servations on human nature. With regard to other 

 individuals, we generally err in ascribing too much 

 to preconcerted plans, and in diving too deep >r the 

 motives of their actions ; but in the case of Cassar, 

 it is probable that we more frequently err in not per- 

 ceiving the full extent of his schemes, or in not dis- 

 covering those more minute and more complicated 

 principles which suggested the mode of conduct 

 which he adopted. Viewing him merely as deter- 

 mined on subverting the liberties of his country, we 

 see nothing in him to admire but his uncommon abi- 

 lities. Catiline and others had desired to accom- 

 plish what he so successfully achieved : but they 

 wanted that prudence, fortitude, and perseverance, 

 which alone could ensure the success of their enter- 

 prise. Caesar set out with the resolution of ensla- 

 ving his country. He \vas not impelled to it by the 

 necessity of his circumstances, nor by any sudden 

 fit of passion. It was the settled, determined, pur- 

 pose of his soul ; and he adopted tiie most judicious 

 meas'ires to obcain his object. His plan of ambition 

 was cool, deliberate, and systematic : this was early 

 observed by Cato, who used to say, Unum ex omni- 

 bus Ccesarem ad evertendam rempublicam sobrium ac- 

 cessisse. Suetou. Vit. C&s. 



But it would be an unfair representation of his 

 character to stop with these observation- : he possess- 

 ed so many splendid endowments of genius, and se 

 many amiable qualities of the heart, that we are a*t 



