ABSTRACT
The Historic of Twelve Ccesars 153 before, when certaine new inhabitants, brought by vertue of the Law Julia 1 to dwell in the Colonie Capua, overthrew most auncient Sepulchers for to builde them houses to their landes; and did the same so much the more diligently and with better will, for that in searching they light upon manufactures and vessels good store of Antique worke: there was found in that verie monument, wherein by report, Capys the founder of Capua lay buried, a bras en Table with a writing upon it in Greeke words and Greeke letters to this effect: 'When the bones and reliques of Capys happen to be discovered, it shall come to passe, that one descended from Julus shall be murdered by the hands of his neere kinsfolke, and his death soone after revenged with the great calamities and miseries of all Italie.' And least any man should thinke this to be a fabulous tale and forged matter, know he that Cornelius Balbus a verie inward and familiar friend of Cresar is the author thereof. And the verie day next preceeding his death, those troupes of horses which in his passage over the River Rubicon hee had consecrate and let go loose ranging here and there without a keeper, (as he understood for certaine) forbare their meat and would not to die for it, touch any, yea, and shed teares aboundantly. Also, as he offered sacrifice, the Soothsayer Spurina warned him to take heede of danger toward him. and which would not be differred after the Ides of March. Now, the verie day before the said Ides, it fortuned that as the birde Regaliolus2 was flying with a little branch of Lawrell, into the Court of Pompei us, a sort of other birdes of diverse kindes from out of the grove hard by, pursued after and there pulled it in peeces. But that night next before the day of his murder, both himselfe dreamed as he lay a sleepe, one while, that he was flying above the clouds: another while, that Jupiter and he shooke hands: and also his wife Calpurnia, imagined, that the Finiall of his house felI downe, and that her husband was stabbed in her verie bosome: and sodainely withall the chamber doore of it selfe flew open. Hereupon, as also by reason of sickelinesse, he doubted a good while whether he should keepe at home and put off those matters which he had purposed to debate before the Senate, or no? At the last, being counselled and perswaded by Decius Brutus, not to disappoint the Senatours who were now in frequencie assembled and stayed for his comming long since, he went forth when it was well neere eleven of the clocke. And when one met him by the way,3 and offered him a written pamphlet, which layd open the conspiracie,
