Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/174

166 ANTONY. Romans were celebrating their festival, called the Luper- calia, when Caesar, in his triumphal habit, and seated above the Rostra ia the market-place, was a spectator of the sports. The custom is, that many young noblemen and of the magistracy, anointed with oU and having straps of hide in their hands, run about and strike, in sport, at every one they meet. Antony was running with the rest ; but, omitting the old ceremony, twining a garland of bay roimd a diadem, he ran up to the Rostra, and, being lifted up by his companions, would have put it upon the head of Caesar, as if by that cei'emony he were declared king. Caesar seemingly refused, and drew aside to avoid it, and was applauded by the people with great shouts. Again Antony pressed it, and again he declined its acceptance. And so the dispute between them went on for some time, Antony's solicitations receiving but little encouragement from the shouts of a few friends, and Caesar's refusal being accompanied with the general applause of the people ; a cm'ious thing enough, that they should submit with patience to the fact, and yet at the same time dread the name as the destruction of their liberty. Caesar, very much discomposed at what had past, got up from his seat, and, laying bare his neck, said, he was ready to receive the stroke, if any one of them de- sired to give it. The crown was at last put on one of his statues, but was taken down by some of the tribunes, who were followed home by the people with shouts of applause. Csesar, however, resented it, and de])Osed them. These passages gave great encouragement to Brutus and Cassius, who, in making choice of trusty friends for such an enterprise, were thinking to engage Antony. The rest approved, except Trebonius, who told them that Antony and he had lodged and travelled together in the last journey they took to meet Caesar, and that he had