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PORTIA Come hither, fellow. Which way hast thou been?
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PORTIA Come here, you. Where are you coming from?
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SOOTHSAYER At mine own house, good lady.
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SOOTHSAYER My own house, good lady.
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PORTIA What is ’t o'clock?
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PORTIA What time is it?
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SOOTHSAYER
25About the ninth hour, lady.
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SOOTHSAYER Around nine o'clock, madam.
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PORTIA Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol?
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PORTIA Has Caesar gone to the Capital yet?
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SOOTHSAYER Madam, not yet. I go to take my stand
To see him pass on to the Capitol.
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SOOTHSAYER Madam, not yet. I’m going to stand so I can see him pass
on the way to the Capitol.
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PORTIA Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?
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PORTIA You have some plea for Caesar, don’t you?
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SOOTHSAYER
30That I have, lady. If it will please Caesar
To be so good to Caesar as to hear me,
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.
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SOOTHSAYER Yes, I do, lady. If it pleases Caesar to be so good to himself as
to hear me, I’ll try to get him to do what’s good
for him.
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PORTIA Why, know’st thou any harm’s intended towards
him?
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PORTIA Why, do you know of any harm intended toward him?
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SOOTHSAYER None that I know will be; much that I fear may chance.
35Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow.
The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,
Of senators, of praetors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death.
I’ll get me to a place more void, and there
40Speak to great Caesar as he comes along.
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SOOTHSAYER Nothing that I know for sure, but a lot that I’m afraid
might happen. Good morning to you. The street is narrow here. The
crowd that follows Caesar at his heels—senators,
justices, common petitioners—will suffocate a feeble man
almost to death. I’ll move to a more open place and there
speak to great Caesar as he walks past.
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Exit SOOTHSAYER
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He exits.
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