The whole Concurrence of Historians, even of the most undoubted Authority, have struck in, and espoused this Opinion.  They are not all Fools and superstitious Dotards, nor tied by any Obligations to record a Set of Miracles, which in their own private Thoughts they counted absurd, and laugh’d at.  Every Pen, that has touch’d the Circumstance of Julius Caesar’s Death, has consented to relate the Strange Things, which both foresaw and foretold his Assassination. Shakespear has communicated these Terrors to his Audience with the utmost Art:  The Night is attended with Thunder and Lightning; and Caesar comes forth in his Night-gown, reflecting on the Unquietness of the Season, and ordering the Priests to do present Sacrifice:  Calphurnia immediately follows him; and the Undauntedness of his Spirit, attack’d by the Tenderness of his Wife’s Tears, gives an Occasion for the following Recital.

Caesar, I never stood on Ceremonies; Yet now they fright me:  There is one within, Besides the Things that we have heard and seen, Recounts most horrid Sights seen by the Watch.  A Lioness hath whelped in the Streets; And Graves have yawn’d, and yielded up their Dead:  Fierce fiery Warriours fight upon the Clouds, (In Ranks and Squadrons, and right Forms of War) Which drizzled Blood upon the Capitol. The Noise of Battle hurried in the Air, Horses did neigh, and dying Men did groan, And Ghosts did shriek, and squeal about the Streets.  O Caesar! These Things are beyond all Use, And I do fear them.

The Poet, tho’ he has adorned this Description by his Art, has been careful to collect its Substance from the Historians.  Every Particular is preserved to us by the Heathen Writers; and not a Heathen, that we know of, did ever dispute the Truth of it.  The Love and Esteem which the Generality bore to the Person of Caesar, the Reverence which they paid to the Dignity of his Character, and the important Services which he had done the Commonwealth, contributed not only to convince them of these Prodigies, but to make some effort, that the Gods had received him into their Number.

The Use, which I intended from this Subject, is, that as Christians, who have more invaluable Obligations to remember, we should suffer our Faith and Gratitude to extend as least as far as the Pagans did.  There was a dread Time (for the Commemoration whereof a Day is annually set a-part) when the Sun was eclipsed, and Darkness was over all the Land; when the Vail of the Temple was rent asunder from the Top to the Bottom; when the Earth quaked, and Rocks were split; when the Graves were opened, and the Bodies of Saints, which slept in Death, arose and walked.  Let Atheists alone, and Freethinkers disbelieve the Terrors of that Hour.  ’Twas fit that Nature should feel such Convulsions, when the Lord of Life suffered such Indignities.