oot of the pedestal on which Pompey's statue
stood, and which was thus wet with his blood. So that Pompey himself
seemed to have presided, as it were, over the revenge done upon his
adversary, who lay here at his feet, and breathed out his soul through
his multitude of wounds, for they say he received three and twenty. And
the conspirators themselves were many of them wounded by each other,
whilst they all leveled their blows at the same person.

When Caesar's will was opened, and it was found that he had left a
considerable legacy to each one of the Roman citizens, and when his body
was seen carried through the marketplace all mangled with wounds,
the multitude could no longer contain themselves within the bounds of
tranquility and order, but heaped together a pile of benches, bars, and
tables, upon which they placed the corpse, and setting fire to it, burnt
it on them. Then they took brands from the pile, and ran some to fire
the conspirators, others up and down the city, to find out the men and
tear them to pieces, but met, however, with none of them, they having
taken effectual care to secure themselves.

Caesar died in his fifty-sixth year, not having survived Pompey above
four years. That empire and power which he had pursued through the
whole course of his life with so much hazard, he did at last with much
difficulty compass, but reaped no other fruits from it than the empty
name and invidious glory. But the great genius which attended him
through his lifetime, even after his death remained as the avenger
of his murder, pursuing through every sea and land all those who were
concerned in it, and suffering none to escape, but reaching all who in
any sort or kind were either actually engaged in the fact, or by their
counsels any way promoted it.

The most remarkable of mere human coincidences was that which befell
Cassius, who, when he was defeated at Philippi, killed himself with the
same dagger which he had made use of against Caesar. The most signal
preternatural appearances were the great comet, which shone very bright
for seven nights after Caesar's death, and then disappeared, and the
dimness of the sun, whose orb continued pale and dull for the whole of
that year, never showing its ordinary radiance at its rising, and giving
but a feeble heat. The air consequently was damp and gross, for want of
stronger rays to open and rarefy it. The fruits, for that reason, never
properly ripened, and began to wither and