him, but was prevented by the crowd.  Artemido’rus, a Greek philosopher, who had discovered the whole plot, delivered him a memorial, containing the heads of his information; but Caesar gave it, with other papers, to one of his secretaries, without reading, as was visual in matters of this nature.  Having at length entered the senate-house, where the conspirators were prepared to receive him, he met one Spuri’na, an augur, who had foretold his danger, to whom he said smiling, “Well, Spuri’na, the ides of March are come.”—­“Yes,” replied the augur, “but they are not yet gone.” 10.  No sooner had he taken his place, than the conspirators approached, under pretence of saluting him:  Cimber, who was one of them, in a suppliant posture, pretended to sue for his brother’s pardon, who had been banished by Caesar’s order.  The conspirators seconded him with great earnestness; and Cimber, seeming to sue with still greater submission, took hold of the bottom of his robe; holding him, so as to prevent his rising. 11.  This was the signal agreed on; when Casca, who was behind, instantly stabbed him in the shoulder, Caesar sprung around, and, with the steel of his tablet, wounded him in the arm.  The conspirators were all alarmed; when, being inclosed round, he received a second stab, from an unseen hand, in the breast; while Cassius wounded him in the face.  He still defended himself with great vigour, rushing among them, and throwing down such as opposed him, till he saw Brutus among the conspirators, who, coming up, struck his dagger into his thigh. 12.  Caesar, from that moment, thought no more of defending himself; but, looking upon Brutus, cried out, “Et tu Brute!”—­And you too, O Brutus!  Then covering his head, and spreading his robe before him, in order to fall with decency, he sunk down at the base of Pompey’s statue:  after having received three and twenty wounds, from those whom he vainly supposed he had disarmed by his benefits.

[Sidenote:  U.C. 709.]

13.  Caesar was killed in his fifty-sixth year, and about fourteen years after he had begun the conquest of the world.

[Illustration:  Death of Julius Caesar.]

14.  If we examine his history, we shall be at a loss whether most to admire his great abilities, or his wonderful fortune.  To pretend to say, that from the beginning he planned the subjection of his native country, is doing no great credit to his well-known penetration, as a thousand obstacles lay in his way, which fortune, rather than conduct, was to surmount; no man, therefore, of his sagacity, would have begun a scheme in which the chances of succeeding were so many against him.  It is most probable that, like all very successful men, he made the best of every occurrence; and his ambition rising with his good fortune, from at first being content with humbler aims, he at last began to think of governing the world, when he found scarcely any obstacle to oppose his designs.  Such is the disposition of man, whose cravings after power are then most insatiable when he enjoys the greatest share.[4]