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HARVARD COLLEGE
LIBRARY

FROM THE UBRARY OF "

GEORGE RICHARD BLINN

CLASS OF i88;

SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDY

JULIUS C^SAR

SHAKESPEARE'S

TRAGEDY OF

JULIUS C^SAR

Edited, with Notes,

WILLIAM J. ROLFE, Litt. D.,

POKiaSRLY HEAD MASTER OF THB HIGH SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSc

WITH ENGRA VINGS.

NEW YORK .:. CINCINNATI .:• CHICAGO

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

i \-,

HAIIVARD C0LLE6C UBflkWi

FROM THE LIBRARY OF

iCORfiC RICKARO BURN

ENGLISH CLASSICS.

Edited by WM. J.

ROLFE, LiTT. D.

Illustrated. 12ino, Clotb

, 56 cents per volume.

Shakespeare's Works.

The Merchant of Venice.

Richard III.

Othello.

Henry VIII.

Julius Caesar.

King Lear.

A Midsummer-Night's Dream.

The Taming of the Shrew.
All 's Well that Ends Well.

Macbeth.

Hamlet

Coriolanus.

Much Ado about Nothing.

The Comedy of Errors.

Romeo and Juliet.

Cymbeline.

As You Like It.

Antony and Cleopatra.

J he Tempest.

Measure for Measure.

Twelfth Night.
The Winter^s Tale.

Merry Wives of Windsor.
Love*s Labour 's Lost.

King John.
Richard II.

Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Timon of Athens.

Henry IV. Part I.

Troilus and Cressida.

Henry IV. Part II.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre.'

Henry V.

The Two Noble Kinsmen.

Henry VI. Parti.

Venus and Adonis, Lucrece, etc.

Henry VI. Part II.

Sonnets.

Henry VI. Part III.

Titus Andronicus.

Goldsmith's Select Poems. Browning's Select Poems.

Gray's Select Poems. Browning's Select Dramas.

Minor Poems of John Milton. Macaula\^s Lays of Ancient Rome.

Wordsworth's

Select Poems.

Lambs' Tales from Shakespeare's Comedies.

Lambs' Tales from Shakespeare's Tragedies.

Edited by WM. J.

ROLFE, Litt. D.

Illustrated. Cloth. ISxn

o,tO cents per volume.

Julius Caesar,
w. P. 6

CONTENTS

Fa«e

Introduction to Julius CiESAR. , , 7

I. The History of the Play 7

II. The Historical Sources of the Play 8

III. Critical Comments on the Plav 11

JULIUS CiESAK 35

Act 1 37

- n 55

"HI 73

* IV. ^ 94

" V 109

NoiES 123

:^*^-\^^^

THB TIBER.

CAIUS JULIUS C^BSAR.

INTRODUCTION

JULIUS CiESAR.

I. THE HISTORY OF THE PLAY.

"The Tragedie of Julius Caesar"* was first published in the
Folio of 1623, where it occupies pages 109-130 in the division
of" Tragedies." It was printed with remarkable accuracy, and
no play of Shakespeare^s presents fewer textual difficulties.

The date at which the drama was written has been vari-
ously fixed by the critics. According to Malone, it " could
not have appeared before 1607." Collier argues that it must

♦ This is the title at the beginning of the play and at the head of each
page, but in the Table of Contents (or, as it is called, *' A Catalogve of
the seuerall Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies contained in this Vol-
ume") it is given af '*The Life and Death of Julius Caesar."

8 JULIUS C^SAR,

have been acted before 1603. Knight believes it to be "one
of the latest works of Shakespeare." Craik* comes to the
conclusion that it "can hafcfly be assigned to a later date
than the year 1607, but there is nothing to prove that it may
not be of considerably earlier date." White infers from the
style that "it was probably brought out between 1605 and
1608." Gervinus (in his Shakespeare Commentaries) decides
that it "was composed before 1603, about the same time as
tlamlet;'^ and he adds that this is "confirmed not only by
the frequent external references to Caesar which we find in
Hamlet^ but still more by the inner relations of the two plays."
More recently (in bis folio edition of Shakespeare, 1865),
Halliwell has shown that it was written " in or before the
year 160 1." This appears " from the following lines in Wee-
v^x'^ Mirror of Martyrs^ printed in that year — lines which
unquestionably are to be traced to a recollection of Shake-
speare^s drama, not to that of the history as given by Plutarch :
" * The many-headed multitude were drawne
By Brutus* speech, that Caesar was ambitious ;
When eloquent Mark Antonie had showne
His vertues, who but Brutus then was vicious ?' "

II. THE HISTORICAL SOURCES OF THE PLAY.

It appears from Peck's " Collection of divers curious his-
torical pieces, etc." (appended to his Memoirs of Oliver Crom-
well)^ that a Latin play on this subject, entitled " Epilogus
Caesaris interfecti," had been written as early as 1582, by Dr.
Richard Eedes, and acted at Christ Church College, Oxford.
This was very likely the drama referred to m Hamlet (iii. 2);

^^Hamlet My lord, you play'd once i' th' university, you say ?
Polonius. That did I, my lord ; and was accounted a good actor.
Hamlet, What did you enact ?

Poloftius. I did enact Julius Caesar : I was kill'd i' th' Capitol ;
Brutus kill'd me."

* English of Shakespeare, Rolfe*s ed., pp. 44-49.

INTRODUCTION,

THE ROMAN FORUM BBFOKB THK KhCUNT KXCAVATIONS.

Stephen Gosson also, in his School of Abuse ^ iS79> mentions a
play entitled "The History of Caesar and Pompey ;" and there
were doubtless other early English plays based on the story
of Caesar. But the only source from which Shakespeare ap-
pears to have derived his materials was Sir Thomas North^s
version oi Plutarch' s Lives (translated from the. French of
Amyot), first published in 1579. He has followed his au-
thority closely, not only in the main incidents, but often in
the minutest details of the action. This has been well stated

lo JULIUS C^SAR.

by Gervinus in his Shakespeare Commentaries:^ "The com*
pone^t parts of the drama are borrowed from the biographies
of Brutus and Caesar in such a manner that not only the his-
torical action in its ordinary course, but also the single char-
acteristic traits in incidents and speeches, nay, even single
expressions and words, are taken from Plutarch ; even such
as are not anecdotal or of an epigrammatic nature, even such
as one unacquainted with Plutarch would consider in form
and manner to be quite Shakespearian, and which have not
unfrequently been quoted as his peculiar property, testifying
to the poet's deep knowledge of human nature. From the
triumph over Pompey (or rather over his sons), the silencing
of the two tribunes, and the crown offered at the Lupercalian
feast, until Caesar's murder, and from thence to the battle of
Philippi and the closing words of Antony, which are in part
exactly as they were delivered, all in this play is essentially
Plutarch. The omens of Caesar's death, the warnings of the
augur and of Artemidorus, the absence of the heart in the
animal sacrificed, Calphurnia's dream ; the peculiar traits of
Caesar's character, his superstition regarding the touch of
barren women in the course, his remarks about thin people
like Cassius ; all the circumstances about the conspiracy
where no oath was taken, the character of Ligarius, the with-
drawal of Cicero ; the whole relation of Portia to Brutus, her
words, his reply, her subsequent anxiety and death ; the cir-
cumstances of Caesar's death, the very arts and means of
Decius Brutus to induce him to leave home, all the minutest
particulars of his murder, the behaviour of Antony and its
result, the murder of the poet Cinna ; further on, the conten-
tion between the republican friends respecting Lucius Bella
and the refusal of the money, the dissension of the two con-
cerning the decisive battle, their conversation about suicide,
the appearance of Brutus's evil genius, the mistakes in the

* Bunnett's Translation, London, 1863. This passage immediately pre-
cedes the one quoted in the " Critical Comments on the Play" below.

INTRODUCTION, t\

battle, its double issue, its repetition, the suicide of both
friends, and Cassius's death by the same sword with which
he killed Caesar — all is taken from Plutarch's narrative, from
which the poet had only to omit whatever destroyed the unity
of the action."

The period of the action of the play extends from the feast
of the Lupercalia, in February of the year 44 B.C., to the battle
of Philippi, in the autumn of the year 42 B.C.

MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS.

III. CRITICAL COMMENTS ON THE PLAY.
[From Hazlites " Characters of Shakespear's P/ays."]

Shakespear has in this play and elsewhere shown the same
penetration into political character and the springs of public
events as into those of every-day life. For instance, the whole
design of the conspirators to liberate their country fails from
the generous temper and overweening confidence of Brutus
in the goodness of their cause and the assistance of others.
Thus it has always been. Those who mean well themselves
think well of others, and fall a prey to their security. That
humanity and honesty which dispose men to resist injustice
and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and

12 JULIUS CyESAR.

power of those who are opposed to them. The friends of
Hberty trust to the professions of others because they are
themselves sincere, and endeavour to reconcile the public
good with the least possible hurt to its enemies, who have no
regard to anything but their own unprincipled ends, and stick
at nothing to accomplish them. Cassias was better cut out
for a conspirator. His heart prompted his head. His watch-
ful jealousy made him fear the worst that might happen, and
his irritability of temper added to his inveteracy of purpose,
and sharpened his patriotism. The mixed nature of his mo-
tives made him fitter to contend with bad men. The vices
are never so well employed as in combating one another.
Tyranny and servility are to be dealt with after their own
fashion ; otherwise they will triumph over those who spare
them, and finally pronounce their funeral panegjrric, as An-
tony did that of Brutus :

"All the conspirators, save only he,
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar ;
He only in a general honest thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.**

The quarrel between Brutus and Cassius is managed in a
masterly way. The dramatic fluctuation of passion, the calm-
ness of Brutus, the heat of Cassius, are admirably described ;
and the exclamation of Cassius on hearing of the death of
Portia, which he does not learn till after their reconciliation,
" How scap'd I killing when I crossed you so ?" gives double
force to all that has gone before. The scene between Brutus
and Portia, where she endeavours to extort the secret of the
conspiracy from him, is conceived in the most heroical spirit
and the burst of tenderness in Brutus —

" You are my true and honourable wife :
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart" —

is justified by her whole behaviour. Portia's breathless Im-
patience to learn the event of the conspiracy, in the dialogue

INTRODUCTION,

with Lucius, is full of passion. The interest which Portia
takes in Brutus, and, that which Calphurnia takes in the fate
of Caesar, are discriminated with the nicest precision. Mark
Antony's speech over the dead body of Caesar has been justly
admired for the mixture of pathos and artifice in it : that of
Brutus certainly is not so good.

The entrance of the conspirators to the house of Brutus is
rendered very impressive. In the midst of this scene we
meet with one of those careless and natural digressions which
occur so frequently and beautifully in Shakespear. After Cas-
sius has introduced his friends one by one, Brutus says,

"They are all welcome.
What watchful cares do interpose themselves
Betwixt your eyes and night 1

Cassius. Shall I entreat a word ? [Brutus and Cassius whisper,

Decius, Here lies the east : doth not the day break here ?

Casca. No.

Cinna. O pardon, sir, it doth ; and yon gray lines,
That fret the clouds, are messengers of day.

Casca, You shall confess that you are both deceived :
Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises ;
Which is a great way growing on the south,
Weighing the youthful season of the year.
Some two months hence, up higher toward the north
He first presents his fire, and the high east
Stands, as the Capitol, directly here."

We cannot help thinking this graceful familiarity better than
all the fustian in the world.

The truth of history in Julius CcBsar is very ably worked
up with dramatic effect. The councils of generals, the doubt-
ful turns of battles, are represented to the life. The death
of Brutus is worthy of him : it has the dignity of the Roman
senator with the firmness of the Stoic philosopher. But what
is perhaps better than either is the little incident of his boy
Lucius falling asleep over his instrument, as he is playing to
his master in his tent, the night before the battle. Nature
had played him the sanie forgetful trick. once before, on the

14 JULIUS C^SAR.

night of the conspiracy. The humanity of Brutus is the same

on both occasions.

** It is no matter :
Enjoy the heavy honey-dew of slumber.
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men.
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound."

[From Knighfs ''Pictorial Shakspere:'*^

Nothing can be more interesting, we think, than to follow
Shakespeare with Plutarch in hand. The poet adheres to
the facts of history with a remarkable fidelity. A few hard
figures are painted upon a canvas ; the outlines are distinct,
the colours are strong ; but there is no art in the composi-
tion, no grouping, no light and shadow. This is the histo-
rian's picture. We turn to the poet. We recognize the same
figures, but they appear to live ; they are in harmony with
the entire scene in which they move ; we have at once the
reality of nature and the ideal of art, which is a higher na-
ture. Compare the dialogue in the first act between Cassius
and Brutus, and the same dialogue as reported by Plutarch,
for an example of the power by which the poet elevates all
he touches, without destroying its identity. When we arrive
at the stirring scenes of the third act, this power is still more
manifest. The assassination scene is as literal as may be ;
but it offers an example apt enough of Shakespeare's mode
of dramatizing a fact. When Metellus Cimber makes suit
for his brother, and the conspirators appear as intercessors,
the historian says, " Caesar at the first simply refused their
kindness and entreaties ; but afterwards, perceiving they still
pressed on him, he violently thrust them from him." The
poet enters into the mind of Caesar, and clothes this rejection
of the suit in characteristic words. Hazlitt, after noticing
the profound knowledge of character displayed by Shake?
speare in this play, says : " If there be any exception to this
* Tragedies^ vol. ii. p. 3^9 folL

INTRODUCTION.

remark, it is in the hero of the piece himself. We do not
much admire the representation here given of Julius Caesar,
nor do we think it answers the portrait given of him in his
Commentaries, He makes several vapouring and rather pe-
dantic speeches, and does nothing. Indeed, he has nothing
to do. So far the fault of the character is the fault of the
plot." The echoes of this opinion are many, and smaller
critics wax bold upon the occasion. Boswell says: "There
cannot be a stronger proof of Shakespeare's deficiency in
classical knowledge than the boastful language he has put in
the mouth of the most accomplished man of all antiquity,
who was not more admirable for his achievements than for
the dignified simplicity with which he has recorded them."
Courtenay had hazarded, in his notice of Henry VIII., the
somewhat bold assertion that " Shakespeare used very little
artifice, and, in truth, had very little design, in the construc-
tion of the greater number of his historical characters."
Upon the character of Julius Caesar, he says that Plutarch's
having been supposed to pass over this character somewhat
slightly is " a corroboration of my remark upon the slight at-
tention which Shakespeare paid to his historical characters.
The conversation with Antony about fat men, and with Cal-
phurnia about her dreams, came conveniently into his plan ;
and some lofty expressions could hardly be avoided in por-
traying one who was known to the whole world as a great
conqueror. Beyond this our poet gave himself no trouble."
This is certainly an easy way of disposing of a complicated
question. Did Shakespeare give himself no trouble about
the characterization of Brutus and Cassius ? In them did he
indicate no points of character but what he found in Plu-
tarch "i Is not his characterization of Caesar himself a con-
siderable expansion of what he found set down by the histo-
rian ? At the exact period of the action of this drama, Caesar,
possessing the reality of power, was haunted by the weakness
of passionately desiring the title of king. Plutarch says :

1 6 JULIUS C^SAR,

" The chiefest cause that made him mortally hated was the
covetous desire he had to be called king.'' This is the pivot
upon which the whole action of Shakespeare's tragedy turns.
There might have been another method of treating the sub-
ject. The death of Julius Caesar might have been the catas-
trophe. The republican and monarchical principles might
have been exhibited in conflict. The republican principle
would have triumphed in the fall of Caesar ; and the poet
would have previously held the balance between the two
principles, or have claimed, indeed, our largest sympathies
for the principles of Caesar and his friends, by a true exhibi-
tion of Caesar's greatness and Caesar's virtues. The poet
chose another course. And are we, then, to talk, with
ready flippancy, of ignorance and carelessness — that he want-
ed classical knowledge — that he gave himself no trouble?
" The fault of the character is the fault of the plot," says
Hazlitt. It would have been nearer the truth had he said,
the character is determined by the plot. While Caesar is
upon the scene, it was for the poet, largely interpreting the
historian, to show the inward workings of "the covetous de-
sire he had to be called king," and most admirably, according
to our notions of characterization, has he shown them. Cae-
sar is "in all but name a king." He is surrounded by all
the external attributes of power ; yet he is not satisfied :

" The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow."

He is suspicious — he fears. But he has acquired the policy
of greatness — to seem what it is not. To his intimate friend
he is an actor :

" I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd
Than what I fear ; for always I am Caesar."

When Calphurnia has recounted the terrible portents of the
night — when the augurers would not that Caesar should stii
forth — he exclaims :

INTRODC/CTIOM jy

** The gods do this in shame of cowardice ;
Caesar should be a beast without a heart
If he should stay at home to-day for fear."

But to whom does he utter this, the "boastful language''
which so offends Boswell ? To the servant who has brought
the message from the augurers ; before him he could show
no fear. But the very inflation of his language shows that he
did fear \ and an instant after, when the servant no doubt is
intended to have left the scene, he says to his wife,
" Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And, for thy humour, 1 will stay at home."

Read Plutarch's account of the scene between Decius and
Caesar, when Decius prevails against Calphurnia, and Caesar
decides to go. In the historian we have not a hint of the
splendid characterization of Caesar struggling between his
fear and his pride. Wherever Shakespeare found a minute
touch in the historian that could harmonize with his general
plan, he embodied it in his character of Caesar. Who does
not remember the magnificent lines which the poet puts into
the mouth of Caesar ?

" Cowards die many times before their deaths ;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear ;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come."

A very slight passage in Plutarch, with reference to other
events of Caesar's life, suggested this : " When some of his
friends did counsel him to have a guard for the safety of his
person, and some also did offer themselves to serve him, he
would never consent to it, but said it was better to die once
than always to be afraid of death." . . . The tone of his last
speech is indeed boastful :

" I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
6

1 8 JULIUS C^SAR.

Unshak'd of motion ; and that I am he
Let me a little show it"

That Caesar knew his power, and made others know it, who
can doubt ? He was not one who, in his desire to be king,
would put on the robe of humility. Altogether, then, we pro-
fess to receive Shakespeare's characterization of Caesar with
a perfect confidence that he produced that character upon
fixed principles of art. It is true to the narrative upon which
Shakespeare founded it ; but, what is of more importance, it
is true to every natural conception of what Caesar must have
been* at the exact moment of his fall.

[From Ulricfs ''Shakespeare's Dramatic Art:'*']
The want of unity of interest is the common objection that
has been most frequently brought against Julius Ccesar,
And as long as this particular unity is confounded with the
true ideal unity of art, defective composition, or a want of
true organic unity, is the greatest censure that can be passed
upon a work of art. Now if the unity of interest ought to
centre entirely in one personage of the drama, then no doubt
the objection is just, for it is divided between Caesar, Brutus
and Cassius, and Antony and Octavius. But we cannot for
a moment concede that poetical interest is invariably per-
sonal ; we believe that it attaches as frequently to an idea.
In the historical drama, the interest must indeed be one, but
one historically, and then it will be one in a poetical sense
also. But in a certain sense history does not at all trouble
itself about persons ; its chief interest is in facts, and their
effects and influences. Now in yulius Ccesar this interest is
one throughout, and possesses a true and organic unity. One
and the same thought is reflected in the fall of Caesar, in the
defeat and death of Brutus and Cassius, and also in the vic-

* English Translation, London, 1847, P- 534f'^l- We have made a few
verbal changes, and have corrected some palpable errors; as ** sworn
friend" for " sworn enemy" (geschworenen Feinde).

INTRODUCTION.

tory of Antony and Octavius. No man, even though he be
as great as Caesar, or as noble as Brutus, is powerful enough
to drag at will history in leading-strings ; every one in his
vocation may contribute his stone to building up the grand
whole, but no one must presume to think that he may with
impunity try experiments with it. The great Julius was but
trying an experiment when he allowed the crown to be of*
fered which he thrice rejected against his will. He could
not tame his wild ambition — a fault which history perhaps
might have pardoned ; but he understood her not ; he wished
and attempted what she was not ready for : by this self-con-
demned error, by this arrogance, he precipitated his fate. But
Brutus and Cassius erred no less in thinking that Rome could
be saved by re-establishing the republic ; as if the prosperity
of a state depended on its form, and as if the individual could
restore the lost morality of the nation by a magic word. As
Caesar thought life unendurable without the outward dignity
of a crown, so they could not bear to live without the honour
of external liberty, which they mistook for true intrinsic free-
dom of mind. They also were trying their own experiments
with history. The avaricious and ambitious Cassius, as well
as the noble-minded and disinterested Brutus, arrogantly
thought themselves strong enough to control the course of
events. Thus, in their case also, was error associated with
presumption, and they doubly deserved the retribution that
overtook them. Antony, on the other hand, with Octavius
and Lepidus, the talented spendthrift with the clever actor
and the good-hearted simpleton — neither half so able nor so
noble-minded as their adversaries — nevertheless prevailed in
the struggle, because they consented to follow the course of
history and the spirit of their age, and understood how to use
it. In yulius CcBsar^ therefore, we discern throughout the
same ground-idea, and a well-distributed organic unity of his-
torical interest in all the characters, whether leading or sub-
ordinate. It shines forth even in Portia's death, as well as

20 JULIUS C^SAR,

in the fall of Cato, Cicero, and the other conspirators ; Por-
tia and Cato fell with Brutus, and the rest with Cassius, be-
cause they did not understand the progress of events, and
thought to control it arbitrarily for themselves, or no less
wantonly to put their hands into their bosoms, and " speak
Greek." History, accordingly, here appears under one of its
principal aspects — that of its despotic power and energy of
development, by which, although wo'-ked out by individual
minds, it yet rules the greatest of them, and reaches far be-
yond their widest calculations.

But what can justify apparitions and spirits in an historical
drama ? And in any case, why is it that the ghost of Caesar
appears to Brutus, whose designs, apparently at least, are
pure and noble, rather than to Cassius, his sworn enemy ?
Because, though they appear to be such, they are not so in
reality ; the design is not really pure which has for its first
step so arrogant a violation of right. Moreover, Caesar had
been more deeply wronged by Brutus than by Cassius. Bru-
tus, like Coriolanus, had trampled under foot the tenderest
and noblest affections of humanity for the sake of the phan-
tom honour of free citizenship. Brutus, lastly, was the very
soul of the conspiracy ; if his mental energies should be
paralyzed, and his strong courage unnerved, the whole en-
terprise must fail. And so, in truth, it went to pieces, be-
cause it was against the will of history — that is, against the
eternal counsels of God. It was to signify this great lesson
that Shakespeare introduced the ghost upon the stage. Only
once, and with a few pregnant words, does the spirit appear *,
but he is constantly hovering in the background, like a dark
thunder-cloud, and is, as it were, the offended and threaten-
ing spirit of history itself. It is with the same purpose that
Shakespeare has introduced spectral apparitions into another
of his historical pieces — Richard III, Both dramas belong
to the same historical grade ; they both represent important
turning-points in the history of the world — the close of an

11^ PRODUCT/ON. 21

old, and the commencement of a new state of things — and in
such times the guiding finger of God is more obviously ap-
parent than at others.

[From Gervinus's ** Shakespeare Commentaries^'^
The fidelity of Shakespeare to his source [Plutarch] justi-
fies us in saying that he has but copied the historical text
It is at the same time wonderful with what hidden and al-
most undiscernible power he has converted the text into a
drama, and made one of the most effective plays possible.
Nowhere else has Shakespeare executed his task with such
simple skill, combining his dependence on history with the
greatest freedom of a poetic plan, and making the truest his-
tory at once the freest drama. The parts seem to be only
put together with the utmost ease, a few links taken out of
the great chain of historical events, and the remainder united
with a closer and more compact unity ; but let any one, fol-
lowing this model work, attempt to take any other subject
out of Plutarch, and arrange oply a dramatic sketch from it,
and he will become fully aware of the difficulty of this appar-
ently most easy task. He will become aware what it is to
concentrate his mind on one theme strictly adhered to, as is
here the case ; to refer persons and actions to one idea ; to
seek this idea out of the most general truths laid down in
history ; to employ, moreover, for the dramatic representation
of this idea none but the actual historical personages ; and
so at length to arrange this for the stage with that practised
skill or innate ability, that with an apparently artless transcript
of history, such an ingenious independent theatrical effect can
be obtained as that which this play has at no time failed to
produce. Indeed, Leonard Digges informs us with what ap-
plause Julius CcBsar was acted in Shakespeare's time, whilst

* Bunnetf s Translation, London, 1863, vol. ii. p. 322 fol. (by permis-
sion). As this translation was made "under the author's superinten-
dence," we have quoted it verbatimy without collation with the original.

22 JULIUS C^SAR.

the tedious Catiline and SejanuSy which Ben Jonson had
worked at with such diligence and labour, were coldly re-
ceived. Immediately on its appearance the play roused the
emulation of all the theatres ; the renowned poets Munday,
Drayton, Webster, and Middleton wrote a rival piece, Ccesa?s
Fall, in 1602, Lord Stirling a yulius Caesar in 1604, and a
CcBsar and Pompey appeared in 1607. At the period of the
Restoration, ^;R^//«i' Ci^x^^r was one of the few works of Shake-
speare that were sought out, represented, and criticised. In
our own day, in Germany, we have seen it performed, seldom
well, but always with applause. Separate scenes, like that
between Casca and Cassius during the storm, produce an
effect which can scarcely be imagined from merely reading
them ; the speech of Antony, heightened by the effect of ex-
ternal arrangement and the artifices of conversation, by prop-
er pauses and interruptions, even with inferior acting, carries
away the spectator as well as the populace represented ; the
quarrel between Brutus and Cassius is a trial-piece for great
actors, which, according to Liconard Digges, created even in
his time the most rapturous applause ; and even the last act,
which has been often objected to, is capable of exciting the
liveliest emotion when well managed and acted with spirit.
* * » # # • ♦ #

The character of Caesar in our play has been much blamed.
He is declared to be unlike the idea conceived of him from
his Commentaries ; it is said that he does nothing, and only
utters a few pompous, thrasonical, grandiloquent words, and
it has been asked whether this be the Caesar that " did awe
the world ?" The poet, if he intended to make the attempt
of the republicans his main theme, could not have ventured
to create too great an interest in Caesar ; it was necessary to
keep him in the background, and to present that view of him
which gave a reason for the conspiracy. According even to
Plutarch, whose biography of Caesar is acknowledged to be
very imperfect, Caesar's character altered much for the worse

INTRODUCTION.

shortly before his death, and Shakespeare has represented,
him according to this suggestion. With what reverence
Shakespeare viewed his character as a whole we learn from
several passages of his works, and even in this play from the
way in which he allows his memory to be respected as soon
as he is dead. In the descriptions of Cassius we look back
upon the time when the great man was natural, simple, un-
dissembling, popular, and on an equal footing with others.
Now he is spoiled by victory, success, power, and by the re-
publican courtiers who surround him. He stands close on
the borders between usurpation and discretion ; he is master
in reality, and is on the point of assuming the name and the
right ; he desires heirs to the throne ; he hesitates to accept
the crown which he would gladly possess ; he is ambitious,
and fears he may have betrayed this in his paroxysms of epi-
lepsy ; he exclaims against flatterers and cringers, and yet
both please him. All around him treat him as a master, his
wife as a prince ; the senate allow themselves to be called
his senate ; he assumes the appearance of a king even in his
house ; even with his wife he uses the language of a man
who knows himself secure of power ; and he maintains every-
where the proud, strict bearing of a soldier, which is repre-
sented even in his statues. If one of the changes at which
Plutarch hints lay in this pride, this haughtiness, another lay
in his superstition. In the suspicion and apprehension before
the final step, he was seized, contrary to his usual nature and
habit, with misgivings and superstitious fears, which affected
likewise the hitherto free-minded Calphurnia. These con-
flicting feelings divide him, his forebodings excite him, his
pride and his defiance of danger struggle against them, and
lestore his former confidence, which was natural to him, and
which causes his ruin ; just as a like confidence, springing:
from another source, ruined Brutus. The actor must maKe
his high-sounding language appear as the result of this dis-
cord of feeling. Sometimes they are only incidental words

24 JULIUS CMSAR.

intended to characterize the hero in the shortest way. Gen-
erally they appear in the cases where Caesar has to combat
with his superstition, where he uses effort to take a higher
stand in his words than at the moment he actually feels. He
speaks so much of having no fear that by this very thing he »
betrays his fear. Even in the places where his words sound
most boastful, where he compares himself with the north star,
there is more arrogance and ill-concealed pride at work than
real boastfulness. It is intended there with a few words to
show him at that point when his behaviour could most excite
those free spirits against him. It was fully intended that he
should take but a small part in the action ; we must not,
therefore, say with Scottowe that he was merely brought upon
the stage to be killed. The poet has handled this historical
piece like his English historical plays. He had in his eye
the whole context of the Roman civil wars for this single
drama, not as yet thinking of its continuation in Antony and
Cleopatra,

[From Craik's ^^ English of Shakespeare,''''*]
It is evident that the character and history of Julius Caesar
had taken a strong hold of Shakespeare's imagination. There
is perhaps no other historical character who is so repeatedly
alluded to throughout his plays.

" There was never anything so sudden," says the disguised
Rosalind mAs You Like It (v. 2) to Orlando, speaking of the
manner in which his brother Oliver and her cousin (or sister,
as she calls her) Celia had fallen in love with one another,
"but the fight of two rams, and Caesar's thrasonical brag of
I came, saw, and overcame : for your brother and my sister
no sooner met, but they look'd ; no sooner looked, but they
lov'd ; no sooner lov'd, but they sigh'd ;" etc.

" O ! such a day," exclaims Lord Bardolph in the Second
Part of King Henry the Fourth (i. i) to old Northumberland,
* Rolfe*s edition, p. 49 fol

INTRODUCTION.

in his misanriOuncement of the issue of the field of Shrews-
bury,

** So fought, so foIlowM, and so fairly won,

Came not till now to dignify the times

Since Caesar's fortunes."

And afterwards (in iv. 3) we have Falstaff 's magnificent
gasconade : " I have speeded hither with the very extremest
inch of possibility : I have founder'd nine score and odd posts;
and here, travel-tainted as I am, have, in my pure and immac-
ulate valour, taken Sir John Colevile of the Dale, a most furi-
ous knight, and valorous enemy. But what of that } He saw
me, and yielded ; that I may justly say, with the hook-nos'd
fellow of Rome, I came, saw, and overcame."

" But now behold," says the Chorus in the Fifth Act of
King Henry the Fifth ^ describing the triumphant return of the
English monarch from the conquest of France,

" In the quick forge and working-house of thought,
How London doth pour out her citizens.
The mayor, and all his brethren, in best sort,
Like to the senators of th' antique Rome,
With the plebeians swarming at their heels,
Go forth, and fetch their conquering Caesar in."

In the three Parts of King Henry the Sixth, which are so
thickly scattered with classical allusions of all kinds, there
are several to the great Roman dictator. " Henry the Fifth !
thy ghost I invocate ;" the Duke of Bedford apostrophizes his
deceased brother in the First Part (i. i) :

" Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils !
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens !
A far more glorious star thy soul will make
Than Julius Caesar, or bright — "

In the next scene the Maid, setting out to raise the siege of
Orleans, and deliver her king and country, compares her-
self to

26 JULIUS C^SAR.

" that proud insulting ship
Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once."

In the Second Part (iv. i) we have Suffolk, when hurried
away to execution by the seamen who had captured him,
consoling himself with —

" Great men oft die by vile bezonians :
A Roman sworder and banditto slave
Murder'd sweet Tully ; Brutus' bastard hand
Stabb'd Julius Caesar ; savage islanders
Pompey the Great ; and Suffolk dies by pirates."

And afterwards (iv. 7) we have Lord Say, in somewhat sim-
ilar circumstances, thus appealing to Cade and his mob of
men of Kent :

** Hear me but speak, and bear me where you will.

Kent, in the Commentaries Caesar writ,

Is term'd the civil'st place of all this isle ;
. Sweet is the country, because full of riches ;

The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy ;

Which makes me hope you are not void of pity."

'* O traitors ! murderers !" Queen Margaret in the Third Pari
(v. 5) shrieks out in her agony and rage when the prince her
son is butchered before her eyes :

** They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,

Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,

If this foul deed were by to equal it :

He was a man ; this, in respect, a child ;

And men ne'er spend their fury on a child."

In King Richard the Third (iii. i) is a passage of great
pregnancy. "Did Julius Caesar build that place, my lord ?"
the young prince asks Buckingham, when it is proposed that
he shall retire for a day or two to the Tower before his coro-
nation. And when informed in reply that the mighty Roman
at least began the building, he further inquires,

'* Is It upon record, or else reported
Successively from age to age, he built it ?"

INTRODUCTION. 27

" Upon record, my gracious lord," answers Buckingham. On
which the wise royal boy rejoins,

** But say, my lord, it were not registered,
Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As *t were retail'd to all posterity.
Even to the general all-ending day."

And then, after a " What say you, uncle ?" he explains the
great thought that was working in his mind in these striking
words :

** That Julius Caesar was a famous man :

With what his valour did enrich his wit.

His wit set down to make his valour live.

Death makes no conquest of this conqueror,*

For now he lives in fame, though not in life."

Far away from anything Roman as the fable and locality
oi Hamlet are, various passages testify how much Caesar was
in the mind of Shakespeare while writing that play. First,
we have the famous passage (i. i) so closely resembling one
in the Second Scen# of the Second Act oi Julius Ccesar:
"In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell.
The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets ;
As t stars with trains of fire, and dews of blood.
Disasters in the sun ; and the moist star,
Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands.
Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse."}

Then there is (iii. 2) the conversation between Hamlet and
Polonius, touching the histrionic exploits of the latter in his
university days : " I did enact Julius Caesar : I was killed i'

♦ ^*IIis conqueror" is the reading of all the folios. ^^This^"" was restored
by Theobald from the quarto of 1597, and has been adopted by Malon«
and most modern editors.

t Something is evidently wrong here ; but even Mr. Collier's annotator
gives us no help.

t This passage, however, is found only m the quartos, and is omitted in
all the folios.

28 yULIUS C^SAR,

th' Capitol ; Brutus kiird me." " It was a brute part of him
to kill so capital a calf there" (surely, by-the-by, to be spoken
aside^ though not so marked). Lastly, there is the prince's
rhyming moralization (v. i) :

" Imperial Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.
O, that that earth which kept the world in awe
Should patch a wall t' expel the winter's flaw !"

Many notices of Caesar occur, as might be expected, in
Cymbeline. Such are the boast of Posthumus to his friend
Philario (ii. 4) of the valour of the Britons :

" Our countrymen
Are men more order'd than when Julius Caesar
Smil'd at their lack of skill, but found their courage
Worthy his frowning at"

Various passages in the First Scene of the Third Act :
" When Julius Caesar (whose remembrance yet
Lives in men's eyes, and will to ears and tongues
Be theme and hearing ever) was in t|j^s Britain,
And conquer'd it, Cassibelan, thine uncle
(Famous in Caesar's praises no whit less
Than in his feats deserving it)," etc.

" There be many Caesars,
Ere such another Julius."

"A kind of conquest
Caesar made here ; but made not here his brag
Oicame,jaxidi saw, and overcame: with shame
(The first that ever touch'd him) he was carried
From off our coast twice beaten ; and his shipping
(Poor ignorant baubles !) on our terrible seas,
Like egg-shells mov'd upon their surges, crack'd
As easily 'gainst our rocks. For joy whereof
The fam'd Cassibelan, who was once at point
(O giglot Fortune !) to master Caesar's sword.
Made Lud's town with rejoicing fires bright,
And Britons strut with courage."
•*Our kingdom is stronger than it was at that time ; and, as I said, there

is no more such Caesars ; other of them may have crook'd noses ; but to

owe such straight arms, none."

INTRODUCTION.

" Caesar's ambition
(Which swell'd so much that it did almost stretch
The sides o' th' world) against all colour here
Did put the yoke upon 's ; which to shake off
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be."
Lastly, we have a few references in Antony and Cleopatra .

" Broad-fronted Caesar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch" (i. 5).

" Julius Caesar,
Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted" (ii. 6).

" What was it
That mov'd pale Cassius to conspire ? And what
Made the all-honour'd, honest, Roman Brutus,
With the arm'd rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom,
To drench the Capitol, but that they would
Have one man but a man ?" (ii. 6.)

** Your fine Egyptian cookery
Shall have the fame. I have heard that Julius Caesar
Grew fat with feasting there" (ii. 6).

" When Antony found Julius Caesar dead,
He cried almost to roaring ; and he wept
When at Philippi he found Brutus slain" (iii. 2).

"T^yreus. Give me grace to lay
My duty on your hand.

Cleopatra. Your Caesar's father oft,

When he hath mus'd of taking kingdoms in,
Bestow'd his lips on that unworthy place.
As it rain'd kisses" (iii. 11).

These passages, taken all together, and some of them more
particularly, will probably be thought to afford a considerably
more comprehensive representation of " the mighty Julius"
than the Play which bears his name. We cannot be sure
that that Play was so entitled by Shakespeare. " The Trag-
edy of Julius Caesar," or " The Life and Death of Julius Cae-
sar," would describe no more than the half of it. Caesar's
part terminates with the opeping of the Third Act; after
that, on to the end, we have nothing more of him but his dead

30 JULIUS C^SAR,

body, his ghost, and his memory. The Play might more fitly
be called after Brutus than after Caesar. And still more re-
markable is the partial delineation that we have of the man.
We have a distinct exhibition of little else beyond his vanity
and arrogance, relieved and set off by his good nature or af-
fability. He is brought before us only as " the spoilt child
of victory." All the grandeur and predominance of his char-
acter is kept in the background, or in the shade — to be in^
ferred, at most, from what is said by the other dramatis per-
some — by Cassius on the one hand and by Antony on the
other in the expression of their own diametrically opposite
natures and aims, and in a very few words by the calmer,
milder, and juster Brutus — nowhere manifested by himself.
It might almost be suspected that the complete and full-
length Caesar had been carefully reserved for another drama.
Even Antony is only half delineated here, to be brought for-
ward again on another scene : Caesar needed such reproduc-
tion much more, and was as well entitled to a stage which he
should tread without an equal. He is only a subordinate
character in the present Play ; his death is but an incident
in the progress of the plot. The first figures, standing con-
spicuously out from all the rest, are Brutus and Cassius.

Some of the passages that have been collected are further
curious and interesting as being other renderings of concep-
tions that are also found in the present Play, and as conse-
quently furnishing data both for the problem of the chrono-
logical arrangement of the Plays, and for the general history
of the mind and artistic genius of the writer. After all the
commentatorship and criticism of which the works of Shake-
speare have been the subject, they still remain to be studied
in their totality with a special reference to himself. The
man Shakespeare, as read in his works — Shakespeare as
there revealed, not only in his genius and intellectual pow-
ers, but in his character, disposition, temper, opinions, tastes,
prejudices — is a book yet to be written.

INTRODUCTION,

3«

[From Mrs,yatnesofCs ^^Characteristics of Pf^omcn"]
Almost every one knows by heart Lady Percy*s celebrated
address to her husband, beginning,

" O, my good lord, why are you thus alone ?"*
and that of Portia to Brutus, in Julius Caesar,

..." You 've ungently, Brutus,
StoPn from my bed."

The situation is exactly similar, the topics of remonstrance
are nearly the same ; the sentiments and the style as oppo-
site as are the characters of the two women. Lady Percy is
evidently accustomed to win more from her fiery lord by ca-
resses than by reason : he loves her in his rough way, " as
Harry Percy's wife," but she has no real influence over him ;
he has no confidence in her.

**Lady Percy, ... In faith,

I '11 know your business, Harry, that I will ^

I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir
About this title, and hath sent for you
To line his enterprise ; but if you go^

Hotspur. So far afoot, I shall be weary, love I"

The whole scene is admirable, but unnecessary here, because
it illustrates no point of character in her. Lady Percy has
no character^ properly so called, whereas that of Portia is
very distinctly and faithfully drawn from the outline furnished
by Plutarch. Lady Percy's fond upbraidings, and her half-
playful, half- pouting entreaties, scarcely gain her husband's
attention. Portia, with true matronly dignity and tenderness.,
pleads her right to share her husband's thoughts, and proves
it too.

" I grant, I am a woman, but, withal,
A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife ;
I grant, I am a woman, but, withal,
A woman well reputed, Cato's daughter.

* I Henry IV, ii. 3.

32 JULIUS C^SAR,

Think you, I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so father'd, and so husbanded ?

Brutus, You are my true and honourable wife :
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart !"

Portia, as Shakespeare has truly felt and represented the
character, is but a softened reflection of that of her husband
Brutus : in him we see an excess of natural sensibility, an al-
most womanish tenderness of heart, repressed by the tenets
of his austere philosophy : a stoic by profession, and in real-
ity the reverse — acting deeds against his nature by the strong
force of principle and will. In Portia there is the same pro-
found and passionate feeling, and all her sex's softness and
timidity held in check by that self-discipline, that stately dig-
nity, which she thought became a woman " so fathered and
so husbanded." The fact of her inflicting on herself a vol-
untary wound to try her own fortitude is perhaps the strongest
proof of this disposition. Plutarch relates that on the day
on which Caesar was assassinated, Portia appeared overcome
with terror, and even swooned away, but did not in her emo-
tion utter a word which could aflect the conspirators. Shake-
speare has rendered this circumstance literally.

**Portia. I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house ;

Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.

Why dost thou stay ?
Lucius. To know my errand, madanL

Portia. I would have had thee there and here again,

Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there.

constancy ! be strong upon my side :

Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue I

1 have a man's mind, but a woman's might.

Ay me ! how weak a thing

The heart of woman is ! O, I grow faint," etc.

There is another beautiful incident related by Plutalcii
which could not well be dramatized. When Brutus and Por-
tia parted for the last time in the island of Nisida, she re-

INTRODUCTION.

strained all expression of grief that she might not shake his
fortitude ; but afterwards, in passing through a chamber in
which there hung a picture of Hector and Andromache, she
stopped, gazed upon it for a time with a settled sorrow, and
at length burst into a passion of tears.*

If Portia had been a Christian, and lived in later times,
she might have been another Lady Russel ; but she made a
poor stoic. No factitious or external control was sufficient
to restrain such an exuberance of sensibility and fancy ; and
those who praise the philosophy of Portia and the heroism of
her death, certainly mistook the character altogether. It is
evident, from the manner of her death, that it was not delib-
erate self-destruction, " after the high Roman fashion," but
took place in a paroxysm of madness, caused by overwrought
and suppressed feeling, grief, terror, and suspense. Shake-
speare has thus represented it : —

^^ Brutus. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs !

Cassius. Of your philosophy you make no use,
If you give place to accidental evils.

Brutus. No man bears sorrow better. — Portia is dead.

Cassius. Ha! — Portia?

Brutus, She is dead.

Cassius. How 'scap'd I killing, when I cross'd you so ? —
O insupportable and touching loss ! —
Upon what sickness ?

Brutus. Impatient of my absence,

And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Had made themselves so strong ; — for with her death
These tidings came. — With this she fell distracty
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire."

So much for woman's philosophy !

* When at Naples, I have often stood upon the rock at the extreme
point of Posilippo, and looked down upon the little island of Nisida, and
thought of this scene till I forgot the Lazaretto which now deforms it :
deforms it, however, to the fancy only, for the building itself, as it rises
from amid the vines, the cypresses, and fig-trees which embosom it, looks
beautiful at a distance.

alius JULIUS CASAR.

DRAMATIS PERSON jE.
Julius CiSSAR.

OCTAVIUS CiESAR, ' , . . . .u J .u ,

Marcus AntoniJs, pnumvirs, after the death of
M. iEMiLius Lepidus, ) J»^"» ^xsxt,

Cicbro, )

Senators.

PUBLIUS,

PopiLius Lena,
Marcus Brutus,
Cassius,
Casca,
Trebonius,

LiGARIUS,

Decius Brutus,
Metbllus Cimber,

CiNNA,

Conspirators against Julius Caesar

&'-A''J^?„s. } Tribunes

Aktbmidurus, a Sophist of Cnidos.

A Soothsayer.

CiNNA, a Poet.

Another Poet.

LuciLius,

TiTINIUS,

Mess A LA,
Young Cato,

VOLUMNIUS,

Varro,

Clitus,

Claudius,

Strato,

Lucius,

Dardanius,

Pindarus, Servant to Cassius.

Calpurnia, Wife to Caesar.
Portia, Wife to Brutus.

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, etc.

Scene, during a great part of the Play^ at Ronu ; afier*
wards at Sardis^ and near PkilippL

Friends to Brutus and Cassius.

Servants to Brutus.

ROMAN VICTORY.

ACT I.

Scene I. Rome, A Street,

Enter Flavius, Marullus, and a rabble of Citizens.

Flavins. Hence ! home, you idle creatures, get you home.
Is this a holiday ? What ! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession ? — Speak, what trade art thou ?

1 Citizen. Why, sir, a carpenter.

Marullus. AVhere is thy leather apron, and thy rule ?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on ? —
Vou, sir ; what trade are you ?

2 Citizen. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am
but, as you would say, a cobbler. u

38 JULIUS C^SAR,

Marullus, But what trade art thou ? Answer me directly.

2 Citizen, A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe
conscience ; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.

Marullus, What trade, thou knave "i thou naughty knave,
what trade t

2 Citizen, Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me ; yet
if you be out, sir, I can mend you.

MaruUus, What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou
saucy fellow ?

2 Citizen. Why, sir, cobble you. »

Flavins, Thou art a cobbler, art thou ?

2 Citizen, Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl. I
meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters :
but withal I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes ; when
they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as
ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.

Flavins. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day ?
Why dost thou lead these men about the streets ?

2 Citizen, Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself
into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see
Caesar, and to rejoice in his triumph. 31

Mamllns, Wherefore rejoice ? What conquest brings he
home ?
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels ?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things !
O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey ? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements.
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops.
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat 40

The livelong day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome ;
And, when you saw his chariot but appear.
Have you not made an universal shout,

ACT I. SCENE L

That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,

To hear the replication of your sounds

Made in her concave shores ?

And do you now put on your best attire ?

And do you now cull out a holiday ?

And do you now strew flowers in his way

That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood ?

Be gone !

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,

Pray to the gods to intermit the plague

That needs mrust light on this ingrjititude.

Flavins, Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault.
Assemble all the poor men of your sort ;
Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of alL — [^Exeunt Citizens.
See whether their basest metal be not mov'd I 6i

They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness.
Go you down that way towards the Capitol ;
This way will I. Disrobe the images.
If you do find them decked with ceremonies.

Marullus, May we do so }
You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

Flavins, It is no matter ; let no images
Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets ; -

So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,
Who else would soar above the view of men.
And keep us all in servile fearfulness. \Exeunt

^O JULIUS CyESAR.

Scene II. A Public Place.

Enter i in procession with Music, CiESAR ; Antony, for the
course; Calpurnia, Portia, Decius, Cicero, Brutus,
Cassius, and Casca, a great crowd following, among them
a Soothsayer.

Ccesar, Calpurnia !

Casca, Peace, ho ! Caesar speaks. \Music ceases,

Ccesar. Calpurnia !

Calpurnia. Here, my lord.

Ccesar. Stand you directly in Antonius' way
When he doth run his course. — Antonius !

Antony. Caesar, my lord !

Ccesar, Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia ; for our elders say.
The barren, touched in this holy chase.
Shake off their sterile curse.

Antony, I shall remember ;

When Caesar says *Do this,' it is perform 'd. lo

Ccesar. Set on, and leave no ceremony out. \Music,

Soothsayer, Caesar!

Ccesar. Ha ! who calls ?

Casca. Bid every noise be still. — Peace yet again !

[Music ceases,

Ccesar. W^ho is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
Cry, Caesar. Speak ; Caesar is turned to hear.

Soothsayer. Beware the ides of March.

Ccesar. What man is that?

Brutus. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

Ccesar. Set him before me ; let me see his face. 19

Cassius. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

Ccesar. What say'st thou to me now ? Speak once again.

Soothsayer. Beware the ides of March.

ACT /. SCENE IL 41

Ccesar, He is a dreamer ; let us leave him : — pass.

[Sennet, Exeunt all but Brutus and Cassius,

Cassius, Will you go see the order of the course ?

Brutus, Not I.

Cassius. I pray you, do.

Brutus. I am not gamesome ; I do lack some part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires ;
I '11 leave you.

Cassius. Brutus, I do observe you now of late :

I have not from your eyes that gentleness 3^

And show of love as I was wont to have ;
You bear too stubborn and too. strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

Brutus. Cassius,

Be not deceiv'd ; if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference.
Conceptions only proper to myself.
Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours ;
But let not therefore my good friends be griev'd, — 40

Among which number, Cassius, be you one,—
Nor construe any further my neglect
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war.
Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cassius. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion ;
By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face ?

Brutus. No, Cassius ; for the eye sees not itself
But by reflection by some other things.

Cassius. 'T is just ; 50

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn

42 JULIUS CMSAR,

Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard.
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

Brutus. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
That you would have me seek into myself 60

For that which is not in me }

Cassius, Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear ;
And, since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I your glass
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus :
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love

To every new protester ; if you know t"

That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them ; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [^Flourish and shout.

Brutus. What means this shouting? I do fear the people
Choose Caesar for their king.

Cassius, Ay, do you fear it?

Then must I think you would not have it so.

Brutus, I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well. —
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me ? 8©

If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i* the other,
And I will look on both indifferently ;
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cassius, I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,

ACT I SCENE II,

As well as I do know your outward favour.

Well, honour is the subject of my story. —

I cannot tell what you and other men

Think of this life, but, for my single self,

I had as lief not be as live to be

In awe of such a thing as I myself

I was born free as Caesar, so were you ;

We both have fed as well, and we can both

Endure the winter's cold as well as he.

For once, upon a raw and gusty day.

The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,

Caesar said to me, * Dar'st thou, Cassius, now

Leap In with me into this angry flood,

And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word.

Accoutred as I was, I plunged in.

And bade him follow ; so, indeed, he did.

The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it

With lusty sinews, throwing it aside

And stemming it with hearts of controversy.

But ere we could arrive the point proposed,

Caesar cried,* Help me, Cassius, or I sink.'

I, as iEneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber

Did I the tired Caesar. And this man

Is now become a god ; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body

If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him I did mark

How he did shake : 't is true, this god did shake ;

His coward lips did from their colour fly,

And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world

Did lose his lustre. I did hear him groan ;

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans

44 JULIUS CMSAR.

Mark him and write his speeches in their books,

Alas! it cried,* Give me some drink, Titinius,'

As a sick girl. — Ye gods, it doth amaze me,

A man of such a feeble temper should

So get the start of the majestic world,

And bear the palm alone. \Shout Flourish,

Brutus, Another general shout !
I do believe* that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heaped on Caesar. 130

Cassius, Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates ;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name ; 140

Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well ;
Weigh them, it is as heavy ; conjure with 'em,
* Brutus' will start a spirit as soon as * Caesar.' \Shout.

Now, in the names of all the gods at once.
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd !
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods !
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man ?
When could they say till now that talk'd of Rome 150

That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough.
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say.
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king !

ACT /. SCENE II. 45

Brutus. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous ;
What you would work me to, I have some aim ;
How I have thought of this, and of these times, i6o

I shall recount hereafter ; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you.
Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
I will consider ; what you have to say,
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this :
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time 170

Is like to lay upon us.

Cassius, I am glad

That my weak words have struck but thus much show
Of fire from Brutus.

Enter CiESAR and his train,

Brutus. The games are done, and Caesar is returning.

Cassius. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve ;
And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

Brutus. I will do so. — But, look you, Cassius,
The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow.
And all the rest look like a chidden train ; 180

Calpurnia's cheek is pale, and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by some senators.

Cassius. Casca will tell us what the matter is.

Casar, Antoniusl

Antony. Caesar?

CcRsar. Let me have men about me that are fat.
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o* nights :

46 JULIUS CMSAR.

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look ; 190

He thinks too much : such men are dangerous.

Antony. Fear him not, Caesar ; he 's not dangerous.
He is a noble Roman and well given.

Casar. Would he were fatter ! — But I fear him not.
Yet if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much ;
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men : he loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: *»

Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd
Than what I fear ; for always I am Caesar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him. aio

\Sennet, Exeunt Ccesar and his train, Casca remains,

Casca, You pull'd me by the cloak ; would you speak with
me?

Brutus. Ay, Casca ; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day,
That Caesar looks so sad.

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not ?

Brutus. I should not then ask Casca what had chanc'd.

Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him ; and, being
offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus;
and then the people fell a-shouting.

Brutus, What was the second noise for ?

Casca. Why, for that too. , vo

Cassius. They shouted thrice ; what was the last cry for ?

Casca. Why, for that too.

ACT /. SCENE IL 47

Brutus. Was the crown offered him thrice ?

Casca, Ay, marry, was *t, and he put it by thrice, every time
gentler than other; and at every putting- by mine honest
neighbours shouted.

Cassius, Who offered him the crown ?

Casca. Why, Antony.

Brutus, Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. 229

Casca. I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it ; it
was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony
offer him a crown ; — yet 't was not a crown neither,'! was one
of these coronets; — and, as I told you, he put it by once ; but,
for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then
he offered it to him again ; then he put it by again ; but, to
my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And
then he offered it the third time ; he put it the third time by ;
and still as he refused it, the rabblement shouted, and clapped
their chopped hands, and threw up their sweaty nightcaps, and
uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Caesar refused
the crown, that it had almost choked Caesar; for he swooned,
and fell down at it. And, for mine own part, I durst not
laugh, for fear of opening my lips and receiving the bad air.

Cassius, But, soft, I pray you. What ! did Caesar swoon t

Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at
mouth, and was speechless. 246

Brutus. 'T is very like ; he hath the falling sickness.

Cassius, No, Caesar hath it not ; but you and I,
And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness.

Casca, I know not what you mean by that; but I am sure
Caesar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him and
hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they
use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man. 253

Brutus, What said he when he came unto himself?

Casca, Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the
common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me
ope his doublet and offered them his throat to cut. — An I had

48 JULIUS C^SAR,

been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him
at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues. And
so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had
done or said any thing amiss, he desired their worships to
ihink it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I
stood, cried,* Alas, good soul !' — and forgave him with all their
hearts. But there 's no heed to be taken of them ; if Caesar
had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. 265

Brutus, And after that he came thus sad away ?

Casca. Ay.

Cassius, Did Cicero say any thing?

Casca, Ay, he spoke Greek.

Cassius. To what effect ? «7o

Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, 1 11 ne'er look you i' the face
again. But those that understood him smiled at one another
and shook their heads ; but, for my own part, it was Greek to
me. I could tell you more news too : Marullus and Flavins,
for pulling scarfs off Caesar's images, are put to silence. Fare
you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remem-
ber it.

Cassius. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca ?

Casca, No, I am promised forth.

Cassius, Will you dine with me to-morrow? aSo

Casca, Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your din-
ner worth the eating.

Cassius, Good ; I will expect you.

Casca, Do so. Farewell, both. \^Exit Casca,

Brutus, What a blunt fellow is this grown to be !
He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Celsius. So is he now, in execut'on
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.

This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit, ^^

Which gives n^n stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.

ACT I. SCENE J I I,

Brutus, And so it is. For this time I will leave you :
To-morrow if you please to speak with me,
I will come home to you ; or, if you will.
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.

Cassius, I will do so ; — till then, think of the world.—

\Exit Brutus
Well, Brutus, thou art noble ; yet, I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed : therefore it is meet v^

That noble minds keep ever with their likes j
For who so firm that cannot be seduced ?
Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus ;
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me. I will this night.
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at ; 310

And after this let Caesar seat him sure.
For we will shake him or worse days endure. [Exit.

Scene III. A Street,

Thunder and lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, Casca
with his sword drawn, and Cicero.

Cicero. Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar home }
Why are you breathless ? and why stare you so t

Casca. Are not you mov'd, when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm ? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests when the scolding winds
Have riv*d the knotty oaks ; and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the threatening clouds :
But never till to-night, never till now,

50 JULIUS CJSSAR.

Did I go through a tempest dropping fire. «o

Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

Cicero, Why, saw you any thing more wonderful ?

Casca, A common slave — you know him well by sight —
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches joined, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remained unscorch*d.
Besides — I have not since put up my sword —
Against the Capitol I met a lion, «o

Who glared upon me and went surly by
Without annoying me ; and there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women
Transformed with their fear, who swore they saw
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noonday upon the market-place.
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say.
These are their reasons, — they are natural ; 30

For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cicero, Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time ;
But men may construe things after their fashion.
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Caesar to the Capitol to-morrow ?

Casca, He doth ; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you he would be there to-morrow.

Cicero, Good night, then, Casca ; this disturbed sky 39
Is not to walk in.

Casca, Farewell, Cicero. \Exit Cicero.

ACT /. SCENE II

Enter Cassius.

Cassius, Who *s there ?

Casca. A Roman.

Cassius, Casca, by your voice.

Casca. Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this !

Cassius, A very pleasing night to honest men.

Casca, Who ever knew the heavens menace so ?

Cassius, Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walked about the streets.
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And thus unbraced, Casca, as you see.
Have bar'd my bosom to the thunder-stone ;
And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open so

The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.

Casca, But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens ?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble
When the most mighty gods by tokens send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

Cassius, You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life
That should be in a Roman you do want,
Or else you use not. You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and case yourself in wonder, 60

To see the strange impatience of the heavens ;
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts from quality and kind.
Why old men fool and children calculate.
Why all these things change from their ordinance,
Their natures and pre-formed faculties,
To monstrous quality, why, you shall find
That heaven hath infus'd them with these spirits.
To make them instruments of fear and warning 70

Unto some monstrous state. Now could I, Casca«

52 JULIUS CMSAR,

Name to thee a man most like this dreadful night,

That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars

As doth the lion in the Capitol y

A man no mightier than thyself or me

In personal action, yet prodigious grown

And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

Casca. T is Caesar that you mean ; is it not, Cassius ?

Cassius, Let it be who it is : for Romans now
Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors, &

But, woe the while ! our fathers* minds are dead,
And we are governed with our mothers' spirits ;
Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.

Casca, Indeed, they say, the senators to-morrow
Mean to establish Caesar as a king ;
And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,
In every place, save here in Italy.

Cassius, I know where I will wear this dagger, then ;
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong ; 9*

Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit ;
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides.
That part of tyranny that I do bear
I can shake off at pleasure. \^Thunder still,

Casca, So can I ;

So every bondman in his own hand bears loc

The power to cancel his captivity.

Cassius, And why should Caesar be a tyrant, then ?
Poor man ! I know he would not be a wolf.
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep ;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.

ACT /. SCENE III, 53

Those that with haste will make a mighty fire

Begin it with weak straws : what trash is Rome,

What rubbish, and what offal, when it serves

For the base matter to illuminate

So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief! no

Where hast thou led me ? I perhaps speak this

Before a willing bondman ; then I know

My answer must be made. But I am arm'd.

And dangers are to me indifferent.

Casca, You speak to Casca, and to such a man
That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand;
Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
And I will set this foot of mine as far
As who goes farthest.

Cassius, There 's a bargain made.

Now know you, Casca, I have mov^d already 120

Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
To undergo with me an enterprise
Of honourable-dangerous consequence ;
And I do know by this they stay for me
In Pompey*s porch : for now, this fearful night,
There is no stir or walking in the streets.
And the complexion of the element
In favour *s like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.

Enter Cinna.

Casca, Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste. 130

Cassius, T is Cinna ; I do know him by his gait:
He is a friend. — Cinna, where haste you so ?

Cinna, To find out you. Who 's that ? Metellus Cimber r

Cassius. No, it is Casca ; one incorporate
To our attempt. Am I not stay'd for, Cinna?

Cinna, I am glad on 't. What a fearful night is this !
There 's two or three of us, have seen strange sights.

54 JULIUS CMSAR.

Cassius, Am I not stayed for ? Tell me.

Cinna, Yes, you are. —

O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party I u©

Cassius, Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper,
And look you lay it in the praetor's chair,
Where Brutus may but find it ; and throw this
In at his window ; set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus' statue : all this done,
Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find us.
Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there ?

Cinna, All but Metellus Cimber ; and he 's gone
To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie,
And so bestow these papers as you bade me. 150

Cassius, That done, repair to Pompey's theatre. —

[Exit Cinna,
Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day
See Brutus at his house ; three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire
Upon the next encounter yields him ours.

Casca, O, he sits high in all the people's hearts \
And that which would appear offence in us
His countenance, like richest alchemy,
Will change to virtue and to worthiness.

Cassius, Him and his worth and our great need of him i6c
You have right well conceited. Let us go,
For it is after midnight, and ere day
We will awake him and be sure of him. [Exeunt

COIN OF CASAR.

ACT II.
Scene I. Rome, Brutus' s Orchard,

Enter Brutus.
Brutus, What, Lucius ! ho ! —
I cannot, by the progress of the stars.
Give guess how near to day. — Lucius, I say ! —
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly. —
When, Lucius, when ? Awake, I say ! What, Lucius !

Enter Lucius.

Lucius, Caird you, my lord ?
Brutus, Get me a taper in my study, Lucius ;
When it is lighted, come and call me here.

Lucius, I will, my lord. \Exit,

Brutus, It must be by his death ; and, for my part, lo

56 yULIUS CMSAR.

I know no personal cause to spurn at him,

But for the general. He would be crown'd ; —

How that might change his nature, there 's the question.

It is the bright day that brings forth the adder,

And that craves wary walking. Crown him ? — that ; —

And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,

That at his will he may do danger with.

The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins

Remorse from power ; and, to speak truth of Caesar,

I have not known when his affections sway'd ao

More than his reason. But 't is a common proof

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder.

Whereto the climber-upward turns his face ;

But when he once attains the upmost round

He then unto the ladder turns his back,

Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees

By which he did ascend. So Caesar may.

Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel

Will bear no colour for the thing he is.

Fashion it thus : that what he is, augmented, 30

Would run to these and these extremities ;

And therefore think him as a serpent's ^gg^

Which hatch'd would, as his kind, grow mischievous,

And kill him in the shell.

Enter LucTUS.

Lucius, The taper burneth in your closet, sir.
Searching the window for a flint, I found
This paper thus seal'd up, and I am sure
It did not lie there when I went to bed. [Gives him the letter.

Brutus. Get you to bed again ; it is not day.
Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March ? 40

Lucius. I know not, sir.

Brutus. Look in the calendar, and bring nie word.

Lucius. I will, sir. \Exit.

ACT IL SCENE I, ^j

Brutus, The exhalations whizzing in the air
Give so much light that I may read by them.

{Opens the tetter^ and reads.

* Brutus^ thou sleep' st; awake, and see thyself.
Shall Rome^ etc, Speak^ strike^ redress P —

* Brutus, thou sleep'st ; awake 1'

Such instigations have been often dropp'd

Where I have took them up. so

' Shall Rome, etc' Thus must I piece it out :

Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome?

My ancestors did from the streets of Rome

The Tarquin drive, when he was calPd a king.

* Speak, strike, redress !' Am I entreated

To speak and strike? — O Rome ! I make thee promise,
If the redress will follow, thou receivest
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus.

Enter Lucius.
Lucius, Sir, March is wasted fifteen days.

{Knocking within,
Brutus, *T is good. Go to the gate ; somebody knocks. —

\Exit Lucius,
Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar 6i

I have not slept.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
Like a phantasma or a hideous dream ;
The genius and the mortal instruments
Are then in -council, and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.

Enter Lucius.
Lucius, Sir, *t is your brother Cassius at the door, 79

Who doth desire to see you.

58 JULIUS CMSAR.

Brutus. Is he alone ?

Lucius, No, sir ; there are moe with him.

Brutus, Do you know thewi ?

Lucius, No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears,
And half their faces buried in their cloaks.
That by no means I may discover them
By any mark of favour.

Brutus, Let 'em enter.— \Exit Lucius,,

They are the faction. O Conspiracy !
Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night.
When evils are most free ? O, then, by day
Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough 80

To mask thy monstrous visage ? Seek none. Conspiracy ;
Hide it in smiles and affability;
For, if thou path, thy native semblance on.
Not Erebus itself were dim enough
To hide thee from prevention.

Enter Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber,
and Trebonius.

Cassius, I think we are too bold upon your rest :
Good morrow, Brutus ; do we trouble you ?

Brutus, I have been up this hour, awake all night.
Know I these men that come along with you ?

Cassius, Yes, every man of them ; and no man here *>
But honours you ; and every one doth wish
You had but that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

Brutus, He is welcome hither.

Cassius, This, Decius Brutus.

Brutus, He is welcome too.

Cassius, This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cim
ber.

Brutus, They are all welcome.—

ACT II. SCENE I

What^Rratchful cares do interpose themselves

Betwfxt your eyes and night? 99

Cassius, Shall I entreat a word ? [They whisper,

Decius, Here lies the east ; doth not the day break here ?

Casca, No.

Cinna, O, pardon, sir, it doth, and yon grey lines
That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

Casca, You shall confess that you are both deceiv'd.
Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises ;
Which is a great way growing on the south,
Weighing the youthful season of the year.
Some two months hence up higher toward the north
He first presents his fire, and the high east x'o

Stands as the Capitol, directly here.

Brutus. Give me your hands all over, one by one.

Cassius, And let us swear our resolution.

Brutus. No, not an oath 1 If not the face of men,
The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse, —
If these be motives weak, break off" betimes.
And every man hence to his idle bed ;
So let high-sighted tyranny range on.
Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,
As I am sure they do, bear fire enough ia<»

To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour
The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen.
What need we any spur but our own cause
To prick us to redress ? what other bond
Than secret Romans that have spoke the word.
And will not palter ? and what other oath
Than honesty to honesty engag'd
That this shall be, or we will fall for it?
Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls ijo

That welcome wrongs ; unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain

6o JULIUS C^SAR,

The even virtue of our enterprise,

Nor the insuppressive metal of our spirits,

To think that or our cause or our performance

Did need an oath, when every drop of blood

That every Roman bears, and nobly bears.

Is guilty of a several bastardy

If he do break the smallest particle

Of any promise that hath passed from him. i4«

Cassius, But what of Cicero ? Shall we sound him ?
I think he will stand very strong with us.

Casca. Let us not leave him out.

Cinna, No, by no means.

Metellus, O, let us have him, for his silver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion.
And buy men's voices to commend our deeds.
It shall be said, his judgment rul'd our hands ;
Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear.
But all be buried in his gravity.

Brutus, O, name him not ; let us not break with him, »5o
For he will never follow any thing
That other men begin.

Cassius, Then leave him out.

Casca. Indeed, he is not fit.

Decius, Shall no man else be touched but only Caesar ?

Cassius, Decius, well urg'd. — I think it is not meet
Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Caesar,
Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him
A shrewd contriver, and you know his means.
If he improve them, may well stretch so far
As to annoy us all ; which to prevent, i6o

Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

Brutus, Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
To cut the head off and then hack the limbs.
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards ;
For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.

ACT IL SCENE I, 6 1

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.

We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,

And in the spirit of men there is no blood ;

O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit,

And not dismember Caesar ! But, alas, 170

Caesar must bleed for it ! And, gentle friends,

Let 's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully ;

Let *s carve him as a dish fit for the gods,

Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds :

And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,.

Stir up their servants to an act of rage.

And after seem to chide *em. This shall make

Our purpose necessary and not envious ;

Which so appearing to the common eyes,

We shall be call'd purgers, not murtherers. t*'

And for Mark Antony, think not of him ;

For he can do no more than Caesar's arm

When Caesar's head is off.

Cassius, Yet I fear him,

For in the ingrafted love he bears to Caesar —

Brutus, Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him :
If he love Caesar, all that he can do
Is to himself, — take thought and die for Caesar ;
And that were much he should, for he is given
To sports, to wildness, and much company.

Trebonius, There is no fear in him ; let him not die ; 190
For he will live and laugh at this hereafter. \Clock strikes,

Brutus, Peace ! count the clock.

Cassius, The clock hath stricken three.

Trebonius, T is time to part.

Cassius, But it is doubtful yet

Whether Caesar will come forth to-day or no ;
For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.

62 JULIUS CMSAR,

It may be, these apparent prodigies,

The unaccustomed terror of this night,

And the persuasion of his augurers aoo

May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

Decius, Never fear that. If he be so resolv'd,
I can o'ersway him ; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betrayed with trees.
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes.
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers :
But, when I tell him he hates flatterers.
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Let me work ;

For I can give his humour the true bent, aio

And I will bring him to the Capitol.

Cassius, Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.

Brtitus, By the eighth hour ; is that the uttermost ?

Cinna. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.

Metdlus, Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard.
Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey ;
I wonder none of you have thought of him.

Brutus, Now, good Metellus, go along by him :
He loves me well, and I have given him reasons ;
Send him but hither, and I *11 fashion him. 320

Cassius. The morning comes upon 's; we '11 leave you,
Brutus. —
And, friends, disperse yourselves ; but all remember
What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.

Brutus, Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily.
Let not our looks put on our purposes ;
But bear it as our Roman actors do.
With untir'd spirits and formal constancy:
And so, good morrow to you every one. —

\Exeunt all but Brutus,
Boy ! Lucius ! — Fast asleep ? It is no matter ;
Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber : 330

ACT IL SCENE I. 63

Thou hast no figures, nor no fantasies,
Which^busy care draws in the brains of men ;
Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

Enter Portia.

Portia, Brutus, my lord !

Brutus, Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now?
It is not for your health thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.

Portia, Nor for yours neither. You Ve ungently, Brutus,
Stole from my bed ; and yesternight, at supper.
You suddenly arose and walked about.
Musing and sighing, with your arms across ; 340

And, when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You star'd upon me with ungentle looks.
I urg'd you further ; then you scratched your head,
And too impatiently stamped with your foot.
Yet I insisted, yet you answered not.
But with an angry wafture of your hand
Gave sign for me to leave you. So I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
Which seem'd too much enkindled, and withal
Hoping it was but an effect of humour, 250

Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep.
And, could it work so much upon your shape
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord.
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Brutus, I am not well in health, and that is all.

Portia, Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,
He would embrace the means to come by it.

Brutus, Why, so I do. — Good Portia, go to bed. 260

Portia, Is Brutus sick ? and is it physical
To walk unbraced and suck up the humours

64 JULIUS C^SAR,

Of the dank morning ? What ! is Brutus sick,

And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,

To dare the vile contagion of the night,

And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air

To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;

You have some sick offence within your mind.

Which by the right and virtue of my place

I ought to know of: and, upon my knees, ar

I charm you, by my once commended beauty,

By all your vows of love and that great vow

Which did incorporate and make us one.

That you unfold to me, yourself, your half.

Why you are heavy, and what men to-night

Have had resort to you ; for here have been

Some six or seven, who did hide their faces

Even from darkness.

Brutus, Kneel not, gentle Portia.

Portia. I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.
Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus, aSo

Is it excepted I should know no secrets
That appertain to you ? Am I yourself
But, as it were, in sort or limitation,
To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed.
And talk to yop sometimes ? Dwell I but in the suburbs
Of your good pleasure ? If it be no more,
Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Brutus, You are my true and honourable wife.
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart. 290

Portia, If this were true, then should I know this secret.
I grant I am a woman, but withal
A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife ;
T grant I am a woman, but withal
A woman well reputed, Cato's daughter.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,

ACT IL SCENE /. 65

Being so fathered and so husbanded ?

Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose 'em :

I have made strong proof of my constancy,

Giving myself a voluntary wound jo©

Here in the thigh ; can I bear that with patience,

And not my husband^s secrets ?

Brutus, O ye gods,

Render me worthy of this noble wife ! — {Knocking within.
Hark, hark ! one knocks. Portia, go in a while ;
And by and by thy bosom shall partake
The secrets of my heart.
All my engagements I will construe to thee.
All the charactery of my sad brows.
liCave me with haste.— \Exit Portia,

Enter Lucius and Ligarius.

Lucius, who 's that knocks ?

Lucius, Here is a sick man that would speak with you. 3*0

Brutus, Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of. —
Boy, stand aside. — Caius Ligarius ! how ?

Ligarius. Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue.

Brutus, O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius,
To wear a kerchief ! Would you were not sick !

Ligarius, I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand
Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

Brutus. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius,
Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

Ligarius. By all the gods that Romans bow before, ^^o
I here discard my sickness. Soul of Rome I
Brave son, derived from honourable loins !
Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up
My mortified spirit. Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impossible,
Yea, get the better of them. What 's to do ?

Brutus, A piece of work that will make sick men whole.

66 JULIUS CAlSAR,

Ligarius, But are not some whole that we must make sick?

Brutus, That must we also. What it is, my Caius,
I shall unfold to thee as we are going 330

To whom it must be done.

Ligarius. Set on your foot,

And with a heart new-fir'd I follow you.
To do I know not what ; but it sufiiceth
That Brutus leads me on.

Brutus, Follow me, then. \E3ceunt,

Scene II. A Room in Ccesar^s Palace.

Thunder and lightning. Enter CiESAR in his night-gown,

Ccesar, Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night ;
Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
* Help, ho ! they murther Caesar !' — Who 's within ?

Enter a Servant.
Servant, My lord ?

Ccesar, Go bid the priests do present sacrifice,
And bring me their opinions of success.
Servant, I will, my lord. \Exit,

Enter Calpurnia.

Calpurnia, What mean you, Caesar? Think you to walk
forth ?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Ccesar, Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me
Ne'er look'd but on my back ; when they shall see n

The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

Calpurnia, 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 ;

ACT IL SCENE IL 67

And graves have yawnM and yielded up their dead ;

Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,

In r^nks and squadrons and right form of war, 20

Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol ;

The noise of battle hurtled 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 ihem.

C(Bsar, What can be avoided

Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods ?
Yet Caesar shall go forth ; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.

Calpumia, When beggars die, there are no comets seen ;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. 31

CcBsar, Cowards die many times before their deaths ;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear.
Seeing that death, a necessary end.
Will come when it will come. —

Enter a Servant.

What say the augurers ?

Servant. They would not have yeu to stir forth to-day.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth.
They could not find a heart within the beast. 40

CcBsar, The gods do this in shame of cowardice ;
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to day for fear.
No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well
That Caesar is more dangerous than he.
We are two lions littered in one day.
And I the elder and more terrible ;
And Caesar shall go forth.

68 JULIUS CMSAR,

Calpumia, Alas ! my lord,

Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth to-day. Call it my fear so

That keeps you in the house, and not your own.
We Ml send Mark Antony to the senate-house,
And he shall say you are not well to-day ;
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

Ccesar. Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.

Enter Decius.

Here 's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

Decius. Caesar, all hail ! Good morrow, worthy Caesar ;
I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

Ccesar, And you are come in very happy time 60

To bear my greeting to the senators.
And tell them that I will not come to-day.
Cannot is false ; and that I dare not, falser ;
I will not come to-day. Tell them so, Decius.

Calpumia, Say he is sick,

Ccesar, Shall Caesar send a lie ?

Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far.
To be afeard to tell greybeards the truth ? —
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

Decius. Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause.
Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so. 70

Ccesar, The cause is in my will ; I will not come ;
That is enough to satisfy the senate.
But, for your private satisfaction.
Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calpumia here, my wife, stays me at home.
She dream'd to-night she saw my statua,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans
Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it ;

ACT IL SCENE //. 69

And these does she apply for warnings and portents 80

And evils imminent, and on her knee
Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.

Decius, This dream is all amiss interpreted ;
It was a vision fair and fortunate.
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bath'd.
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified. 90

CcBsar, And this way have you well expounded it.

Decius, I have, when you have heard what I can say ;
And know it now. The senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be ffender'd, for some one to say,

* Break up the senate till another time,

When Caesar^s wife shall meet with better dreams.*

If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper, «oo

* Lo, Caesar is afraid* ?

Pardon me, Caesar, for my dear, dear love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this.
And reason to my love is liable.

CcBsar, How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia !
I am ashamed I did yield to them.-—
Give me my robe, for I will go. —

Enter Publius, Brutus, Ltgarius, Metellus, Casca.
Trebonius, and Cinna.

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

Publius, Good morrow, Caesar.

Ccesar, Welcome, Publius. —

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too 1 — no

yo JULIUS CjESAR,

Good morrow, Casca. — Caius Ligarius,
Caesar was ne'er so much your enemy
As that same ague which hath made you lean. —
What is 't o'clock ?

Brutus, Caesar, 't is strucken eight.

Casar, I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter Antony.

See I Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up. — Good morrow, Antony.

Antony, So to most noble Caesar.

Casar. Bid them prepare within.-—

I am to blame to be thus waited for. —
Now, Cinna. — Now, Metellus. — What, Trebonius ! im

I have an hour's talk in store for you.
Remember that you call on me to-day ;
Be near me, that I may remember you.

Trebonius. Caesar, I will. — [Aside] And so near will I be
That your best friends shall wish I had been further.

Ccesar, Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me ;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

Brutus, [Aside"] That every like is not the same, O Caesar,
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon ! \Exeunt>

Scene III. A Street near the Capitol,

Enter Artemidorus, reading a Paper,

Artemidorus. Ccesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cos-
sius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not
Trebonius ; mark well Metellus Cimber ; Decius Brutus loves
thee not; thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius, There is but
one mind in all these men^ and it is bent against Ccesar, If
thou beest not immortal^ look about you ; security gives way
to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover ^

Artemidorus.

ACT II. SCENE IV.

Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,

And as a suitor will I give him this. i«

My heart laments that virtue cannot live

Out of the teeth of emulation. —

If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayst live ;

If not, the fates with traitors do contrive. \Exh

Scene IV. Another Part of the same Street^ before the House
of Brutus,
Enter Portia and Lucius.
Portia, I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house;
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.
Why dost thou stay?
Lucius, To know my errand, madam.

Portia, I would have had thee there, and here again.
Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there. —

constancy, be strong upon my side 1

Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue f

1 have a man's mind, but a woman's might.
How hard it is for women to keep counsel ! —
Art thou here yet ?

Lucius. Madam, what should I do ? i©

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else ?
And so return to you, and nothing else ?

Portia. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well.
For he went sickly forth ; and take good note
What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.
Hark, boy ! what noise is that.^

Lucius. I hear none, madam.

Portia. Prithee, listen well ;

I heard a bustling rumour like a fray.
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

Lucius, Sooth, madam, I hear nothing. *•

72 JULIUS C^SAR.

Enter the Soothsayer.

Portia, Come hither, fellow. Which way hast thou been .'

Soothsayer, At mine own house, good lady.

Portia, What is 't o'clock r

Soothsayer, About the ninth hour, lady.

Portia, Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol ?

Soothsayer, Madam, not yet ; I go to take my stand,
To see him pass on to the Capitol.

Portia, Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not ?

Soothsayer. That I have, lady \ if it will please Caesar
To be so good to Caesar as to hear me,
I shall beseech him to befriend himself. ao

Portia, Why, know*st thou any harm 's intended towards
him ?

Soothsayer, None that I know will be, much that I fear
may chance.
Good morrow to you. — Here the street is narrow ;
The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,
Of senators, of praetors, common suitors.
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death :
I '11 get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Caesar as he comes along.

Portia. I must go in. — Ay me, how weak a thing
The heart of woman is ! O Brutus, 40

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise I —
Sure, the boy heard me. — Brutus hath a suit.
That Caesar will not grant. — O, I grow faint \ —
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord ;
Say I am merry : come to me again,
And bring me word what he doth say to thee. [Exeunt

ACT III.

Scene I. The Capitol; the Senate sitting.

A crowd of People in the Street leading to the Capitol ; among
them Artemidorus and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter
CiESAR, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus,Tre-
BONius, CiNNA, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius, Publius, and
others.

Qesar. The ides of March are come.

74 JULIUS CMSAR.

Soothsayer, Ay, Caesar \ but not gone.

Artemidorus, Hail, Caesar ! Read this schedule.

Decius, Trebonius doth desire you to o*er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Artemidorus. O, Caesar, read mine first j for mine 's a suit
That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.

CcBsar. What touches us ourself shall be last serv'd.

Artemidorus. Delay not, Caesar \ read it instantly.

Ccesar, What ! is the fellow mad ?

Publius, Sirrah, give place, lo

Cassius, What! urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

Ccdsar enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the
Senators rise,

Popilius. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.

Cassius, What enterprise, Popilius ?

Popilius. Fare you well. [Advances to Ccesar,

Brutus, What said Popilius Lena ?

Cassius, He wished to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.

Brutus, Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him.

Cassius. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. — ao
Brutus, what shall be done ? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back.
For I will slay myself

Brutus, Cassius, be constant :

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes ;
For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

Cassius. Trebonius knows his time ; for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

\Exeunt Antony and Trebonius, Ccesar and the Sena-
tors take their seats.

Decius. Where is Metelius Cimber ? Let him go
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar;

ACT III. SCENE I.

Brutus, He is addressed ; press near and second him.

Cinna, Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. 30

Cctsca. Are we all ready ?

Casar. What is now amiss

That Caesar and his senate must redress?

Metellus, Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart. — \Kneeling,

Casar. I must prevent thee, Cimber.

These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond,
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood 40

That will be thaw'd from the true quality
With that which melteth fools, — I mean sweet words.
Low-crooked curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished ;
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

Metellus, Is there no voice more worthy than my own.
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear 50

For the repealing of my banished brother ?

Brutus. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar,
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

Ccesar, What, Brutus !

Cassius. Pardon, Caesar ; Caesar, pardon •

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Ccesar, I could be well mov'd, if I were as you ;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me :
But I am constant as the northern star, 60

76 JULIUS CjESAR,

Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality

There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks;

They are all fire, and every one doth shine ;

But there 's but one in all doth hold his place.

So in the world ; 't is furnish'd well with men,

And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive ;

Yet, in the number, I do know but one

That unassailable holds on his rank,

Unshak'd of motion : and that I am he, -o

Let me a little show it, even in this, —

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

Cinna, O Caesar ! —

Casar. Hence ! wilt thou lift up Olympus ?

'Decius. Great Caesar, —

Ccesar, , Doth not Brutus bootless kneel ?

Casca. Speak, hands, for me.

\Casca stabs Ccesar in the neck, Ccesar catches hold of
his arm. He is then stabbed by several other Con-
spirators^ and at last by Marcus Brutus,

Ccesar, Et tu. Brute 1 — Then, fall, Caesar.

\Dies, The Senators and People retire in confusion,

Cinna, Liberty ! Freedom ! Tyranny is dead ! —
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

Cassius, Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, 80

* Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement !*

Brutus, People, and senators ! be not affrighted ;
Fly not ; stand still : — ambition's debt is paid.

Casca. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Deciles, And Cassius too.

Brutus. Where 's Publius ?

Cinna. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

Metellus. Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's
Should chance —

ACT III. SCENE /. • 77

Brutus, Talk not of standing. — Publius, good cheer ; 90
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

Cassius, And leave us, Publius ; lest that the people
Rushing on us should do your age some mischief.

Brutus, Do so ; — and let no man abide this deed
But we the doers.

Enter Trebonius.

Cassius, Where is Antony.^

Trebonius, Fled to his house amaz*d.
Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run,
As it were doomsday.

Brutus, Fates ! we will know your pleasures :

That we shall die, we know ; 't is but the time, 100

And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

Casca, Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

Brutus, Grant that, and then is death a benefit ;
So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged
His time of fearing death. — Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords ;
Then walk we forth, even to the market-place,
And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, no

Let 's all cry. Peace! Freedom ! and Liberty!

Cassius, Stoop, then, and wash. — How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown !

Brutus, How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,
That now on Pompey's basis lies along
No worthier than the dust !

Cassius, So oft as that shall be.

So often shall the knot of us be calPd
The men that gave their country liberty.

yg JULIUS C^SAR,

Decius, What ! shall we forth ?

Cassius, Ay, every man away ; mo

Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Ent^ a Servant.

Brutus, Soft, who comes here ? A friend of Antony's.

Servant Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel ;
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down ;
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say :
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest ;
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving.
Say I love Brutus and I honour him ;
Say I fear'd Caesar, honoured him, and lov'd him. 13*

If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him and be resolved
How Caesar hath deserv'd to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead
So well as Brutus living, but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

Brutus, Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman ;
I never thought him worse. 140

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied and, by my honour,
Depart untouched.

Servant, I'll fetch him presently. [Exit Servant

Brutus, I know that we shall have him well to friend.

Cassius, I wish we may ; but yet have I a mind
That fears him much, and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

ACT III. SCENE I,

Enter Antony.

Brutus. But here comes Antony. — Welcome, Mark An-
tony.

Antony, O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, 150

Shrunk to this little measure 1 Fare thee well. —
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank ;
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar's death's hour, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. JL,ive a thousand years, 160

I shall not find myself so apt to die ;
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Brutus. O Antony I beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by bur hands and this our present act,
You see we do, yet see you but our hands
And this the bleeding business they have done.
Our hearts you see not : they are pitiful ; 17c

And pity to the general wrong of Rome —
As fire drives out fire, so pity pity —
Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antoay;
Our arms in strength of malice, and our hearts
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in,
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

Cassius. Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In the disposing of new dignities.

So JULIUS C^SAR.

Brutus, Only be patient, till we have appeas'd i8o

The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Antony, I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand :
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you ; —
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand ; —
Now, Decius Brutus, yours ; — now yours, Metellus ; —
Yours, Cinna ; — and, my valiant Casca, yours ; —
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius. igo
Gentlemen all, — alas ! what shall I say ?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground.
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer. —
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 't is true !
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not. grieve thee dearer than thy death.
To see thy Antony making his peace.
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes.
Most noble ! in the presence of thy corse ? mc

Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius ! — Here wast thou bay*d, brave hart ;
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand,
Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned in thy lethe. —
O world ! thou wast the forest to this hart ;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee. —
How like a deer strucken by many princes a«

Dost thou here lie !

Cassius. Mark Antony, —

Antony, Pardon me, Caius Cassius :

ACT III. SCENE I, 8 1

The enemies of Caesar shall say this ;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

Cassius, I blame you not for praising Caesar so ;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends ;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you ?

Antony. Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed
Sway'd from the point by looking down on Caesar. aao

Friends am I with you all and love you all.
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.

Brutus. Or else were this a savage spectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard
That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,
You should be satisfied.

Antony. That 's all I seek ;

And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place,
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend, as©

Speak in the order of his funeral.

Brutus. You shall, Mark Antony.

Cassius. Brutus, a word with you. —

\Aside\ You know not what you do. Do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral.
Know you how much the people may be mov'd
By that which he will utter ?

Brutus. By your pardon ; —

I will myself into the pulpit first,
And show the reason of our Caesar's death ;
.What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission, 240

And that we are contented Caesar shall
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

Cassius. I know not what may fall ; I like it not.
F

82 JULIUS CMSAR,

Brutus. Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,
And say you do 't by our permission \
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you shall speak 350

In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.

Antony. ' Be it so ;

I do desire no more.

Brutus. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

[Exeunt all but Antony.

Antony. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth.
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers 1
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hands that shed this costly blood 1
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy, 360

Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue :
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men \
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy ;
Blood and destruction shall be so in use,
And dreadful objects so familiar,
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quartered with the hands of war.
All pity chok'd with custom of fell deeds ; 370

And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge.
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry ' Havoc !' and let slip the dogs of war ;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men groaning for burial. —

AC 7' III, SCENE II, 83

Enter a Servant
You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not ?

Servant. I do, Mark Antony.

Antony, Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.

Sen^ant. He did receive his letters and is coming, ago

And bid me say to you, by word of mouth —
O Caesar ! — [Seeing the body,

Antony, Thy heart is big ; get thee apart and weep.
Passion, I see, is catching, for mine eyes,
Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine,
Began to water. Is thy master coming?

Servant, He lies to-night within seven leagues of Rome.

Antony, Post back with speed, and tell him what hath
chanc'd.
Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,
No Rome of safety for Octavius yet ; ;.yo

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile ;
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse
Into the market-place : there shall I try.
In my oration, how the people take
The cruel issue of these bloody men ;
According to the which thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand. \Exeunt with Ccesar^s body.

Scene IL The Forum,
Enter Brutus and Cassius, and a throng of Citizens.
Citizens, We will be satisfied ; let us be satisfied.
Brutus, Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.—
Cassius, go you into the other street.
And part the numbers. —

Those that will hear me speak, let *em stay here ;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him ;

84 JULIUS C^SAR.

And public reasons shall be rendered
Of Caesar's death.

1 Citizen, I will hear Brutus speak.

2 Citizen. I will hear Cassius, and compare their reasons^
When severally we hear them rendered. w

[Exit Cassius, with some of the Citizens. Brutus goes
into the pulpit.

3 Citizen. The noble Brutus is ascended. Silence !
Brutus. Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers ! hear me for my cause, and
be silent, that you may hear \ believe me for mine honour,
and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe ; cen-
sure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you
may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any
dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Cae-
sar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why
Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer, — Not that I
loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you
rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar
were dead, to live all freemen ? As Caesar loved me, I weep
for him \ as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it ; as he was val-
iant, I honour him ; but as he was ambitious, I slew him.
There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for
his valour, and death for his ambition. Who is here so base
that would be a bondman.? If any, speak, for him have I
offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman?
If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is here so vile
that will not love his country ? If any, speak, for him have
I offended. I pause for a reply. s*

All. None, Brutus, none.

Brutus. Then none have I offended. I have done no more
to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his
death is enrolled in the Capitol ; his glory not extenuated,
wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which
he suffered death. ' 3«

ACT II L SCENE 11. 85

Enter Antony and others^ with Ccesar^s body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though
he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his
dying, a place in the commonwealth ; as which of you shall
not ? With this I depart, — that, as I slew my best lover for
the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself when
it shall please my country to need my death. 44

Ail. Live, Brutus, live ! live !

1 Citizen. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

2 Citizen, Give him a statue with his ancestors.

3 Citizen. Let him be Caesar.

4 Citizen. Caesar's better parts
Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Citizen. We '11 bring him to his house with shouts and

clamours. 50

Brutus. My countrymen, —

2 Citizen. Peace 1 silence ! Brutus speaks.
I Citizen. Peace, ho !

Brutus. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony;
Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Caesar's glories, which Mark Antony
By our permission is allow'd to make.
I do entreat you, not a man depart.
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke. [Exit.

I Citizen. Stay, ho ! and let us hear Mark Antony. 6q

3 Citizen. Let him go up into the public chair;
We '11 hear him. — Noble Antony, go up.

Antony. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.

4 Citizen. What does he say of Brutus ?

3 Citizen. He says, for Brutus' sake,
He finds himself beholding to us all.

4 Citizen. 'T were best he speak no harm of Brutus here.
I Citizen. This Caesar was a tyrant.

86 JULIUS CMSAR,

3 Citizen. Nay, that 's certain ;

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

2 Citizen. Peace, let us hear what Antony can say. 69

Antony. You gentle Romans, —

All. Peace, ho ! let us hear him.

Antony. Friends, Romans^countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones ;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious ;
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, —
For Brutus is an honourable man, 80

So are they all, all honourable men, —
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious ;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransom did the general coffers fill ;
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious ?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept ;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. 90

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious ;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown.
Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition ?
Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious ;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke.
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause ; i<»

ACT III. SCENE II. 87

What cause withholds you then to mourn for him ?

judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason ! — Bear with me ;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

1 Citizen. Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

2 Citizen. If thou consider rightly of the matter,
Caesar has had great wrong.

3 Citizen. Has he, masters?

1 fear there will a worse come in his place.

4 Citizen. Mark'd ye his words ? He would not take the

crown ; no

Therefore 't is certain he was not ambitious.

1 Citizen. If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

2 Citizen. Poor soul ! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

3 Citizen. There 's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

4 Citizen. Now mark him, he begins again to speak.
Antony. But yesterday the word of Caesar might

Have stood against the world ; now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.

masters ! if I were disposed to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, lao

1 should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong,
Who, you all know, are honourable men.

I will not do them wrong ; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here *s a parchment, with the seal of Caesar ;
I found it in his closet ; 't is his will.

Let but the commons hear this testament,

Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read, —

And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds, u»

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills,

88 JULIUS CjESAR,

Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue.

4 Citizen, We 11 hear the will. Read it, Mark Antony.

AIL The will, the will ! we will hear Caesar's will.

Antony. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;
It is not meet you know how Caesar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men ; 140

And, being men, hearing the will of Caesar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'T is good you know not that you are his heirs ;
For if you should, O, what would come of it ?

4 Citizen. Read the will ! we '11 hear it, Antony !
You shall read us the will ! Caesar's will !

Antony. Will you be patient.^ Will you stay awhile.^
I have o'ershot myself, to tell you of it.
I fear I wrong the honourable men
Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar ; I do fear it. »5o

4 Citizen. They were traitors ! Honourable men I

All. The will ! the testament !

2 Citizen. They were villains, murtherers ! The will ! Read
the will !

Antony. You will compel me, then, to read the will ?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend ? And will you give me leave }

All. Come down. 159

2 Citizen. Descend. \He comes down from the pulpit.

3 Citizen. You shall have leave.

4 Citizen. A ring ; stand round.

1 Citizen. Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.

2 Citizen. Room for Antony ! — most noble Antony \
Antony. Nay, press not so upon me ; stand far off.
AIL Stand back ! room ! bear back !

Antony. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle : I remember

ACT III. SCENE II. 89

The first time ever Caesar put it on ;

'T was on a summer's evening, in his tent, »7o

That day he overcame the Nervii.

Look ! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through ;

See what a rent the envious Casca made ;

Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed ;

And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,

Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it.

As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd

If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no ;

For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel :

Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar lov'd him ! «8o

This was the most unkindest cut of all ;

For, when the noble Caesar saw him stab.

Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,

Quite vanquished him : then burst his mighty heart ;

And, in his mantle muffling up his face.

Even at the base of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.

O, what a fall was there, my countrymen !

Then I, and you, and all of us fell down.

Whilst bloody treason flourished over us. 190

O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel

The dint of pity ; these are gracious drops.

Kind souls, what ! weep you when you but behold

Our Caesar's vesture wounded ^ Look you here.

Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.

1 Citizen. O, piteous spectacle 1

2 Citizen. O, noble Caesar !

3 Citizen. O, woful day I

4 Citizen. O, traitors, villains!

1 Citizen. O, most bloody sight!

2 Citizen. We will be reveng'd !

All. Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill!
Slay ! Let not a traitor live 1

90 JULIUS CMSAR.

Antony, Stay, countrymen.

1 Citizen, Peace there ! Hear the noble Antony.

2 Citizen, We '11 hear him, we '11 follow him, we '11 die with
him.

Antony, Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable. aio

What private griefs they have, alas ! I know not.
That made them do it ; they are wise and honourable,
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts :
I am no orator, as Brutus is,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man.
That love my friend ; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech, aao

To stir men's blood : I only speak right on ;
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths.
And bid them speak for me : but, were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

All. We '11 mutiny.

I Citizen, We '11 burn the house of Brutus. ^y^

3 Citizen, Away, then ! come, seek the conspirators.
Antony, Yet hear me, countrymen ; yet hear me speak,
AIL Peace, ho ! Hear Antony, most noble Antony.
Antony, Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.

Wherein hath Caesar thus deserv'd your loves ?
Alas, you know not ! — I must tell you, then.
You have forgot the will I told you of.
All, Most true ;— the will ! — let 's stay, and hear the will.

ACT I/I. SCENE II.

Antony. Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.
To every Roman citizen he gives, a4o

To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

2 Citizen. Most noble Caesar ! — we 41 revenge his death.

3 Citizen. O, royal Caesar 1
Antony. Hear me with patience.
Ail. Peace, ho !

Antony. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbours, and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tiber ; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs forever, common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves. 350

Here was a Caesar ! when comes such another ?

1 Citizen. Never, never I — Come, away, away!
We 11 burn his body in the holy place.

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

2 Citizen. Go, fetch fire.

3 Citizen. Pluck down benches.

4 Citizen. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

[Exeunt Citizens, with the body.
Antony. Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot.
Take thou what course thou wilt! — How now, fellow.? 260

Enter a Servant.

Servant. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

Antony. Where is he ?

Servant. He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house.

Antony. And thither will I straight to visit him.
He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
And in this mood will give us any thing.

Servant. I heard him say Brutus and Cassius
Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.

Antony. Belike they had some notice of the people, a6<j
How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt.

92 yUUUS CMSAR.

Scene III. A Street.

Enter Cinna the Poet,
Cinna, I dream'd to-night that I did feast with Caesar,
And things unlucky charge my fantasy.
I have no will to wander forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.

Enter Citizens.

1 Citizen. What is your name ?

2 Citizen. Whither are you going ?

3 Citizen. Where do you dwell t

4 Citizen. Are you a married man, or a bachelor ?
2' Citizen. Answer every man directly.

1 Citizen. Ay, and briefly. lo
4 Citizen. Ay, and wisely.

3 Citizen. Ay, and truly, you were best.

Cinna. What is my name ? Whither am I going ? Where
do I dwell t Am I a married man, or a bachelor 1 Then to
answer every man directly and briefly, wisely and truly.
Wisely, I say, I am a bachelor.

2 Citizen. That 's as much as to say, they are fools that
marry ;~you *11 bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed ;
directly.

Cinna. Directly, I am going to Caesar's funeral. m

1 Citizen. Asa friend, or an enemy }
Cinna. As a friend.

2 Citizen. That matter is answered directly.
4 Citizen. For your dwelling, — briefly.
Cinna. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.

3 Citizen. Your name, sir, truly.
Cinna. Truly, my name is Cinna.

I Citizen. Tear him to pieces, he 's a conspirator.
Cinna. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

ACT III. SCENE TIL

4 Citizen. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad
verses. 31

Cinna. I am not Cinna the conspirator.

2 Citizen. It is no matter, his name 's Cinna ; pluck but his
name out of his heart, and turn him going.

3 Citizen. Tear him, tear him ! Come, brands, ho 1 fire-
brands ! To Brutus^ to Cassius' ; burn all. Some to Decius'
house, and some to Casca's ; some to Ligarius' : away ! go !

\Exeunt.

J V \i- ■■■■ •• . ■ >^

ROMAN SOLDIERS.

ACT IV.

Scene I. A Room in Antony's House, Antony, Octavius,
and Lepidus, seated at a table,

Antony. These many, then, shall die ; their names are

prick'd.
Octavius. Your brother too must die. Consent you,Xep-

idus?
Lepidus. I do consent.

Octavius. Prick him down, Antony.

Lepidus. Upon condition Publius shall not live.
Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

ACT IV, SCENE I.

Antony, He shall not live ; look, with a spot I damn him.
But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar's house ;
Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine
How to cut off some charge in legacies.

Lepidus, What, shall I find you here ? lo

Octavius, Or here or at the Capitol. {Exit Lepidus,

Antony, This is a slight, unmeritable man,
Meet to be sent on errands ; is it fit.
The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it ?

Octavius. So you thought him,

And took his voice who should be prick'd to die
In our black sentence and proscription.

Antony, Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads, ac

He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business.
Either led or driven, as we point the way ;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears
And graze in commons.

Octavius, You may do your will ;

But he 's a tried and valiant soldier.

Antony, So is my horse, Octavius, and for that
[ do appoint him store of provender. w

It is a creature that I teach to fight.
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His corporal motion governed by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so :
He must be taught, and train 'd, and bid go forth ;
A barren-spirited fellow, one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations
Which, out of use and staled by other men,

96 JULIUS CyESAR.

Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him

But as a property. — And now, Octavius, 40

Listen great things. Brutus and Cassius

Are levying powers ; we must straight make head :

Therefore let our alliance be combined,

Our best friends made, our means stretched ;

And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclos'd.

And open perils surest answered.

Octavius, Let us do so : for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies ;
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear, so

Millions of mischiefs. [Exeunt

Scene II. Before the Tent of Brutus^ in the Camp near
Sardis,

Drum, Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Titinius, and Soldiers:
PiNDARUS meeting them ; Lucius at a distance,

Brutus. Stand, ho!

Lucilius. Give the word, ho ! and stand.

Brutus. What now, Lucilius? is Cassius near?

Lucilius. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come
To do you salutation from his master.

[Pindarus gives a letter to Brutus

Bmtus. He greets me well. — Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change, or by ill officers.
Hath given me some worthy cause to wish
Things done undone ; but if he be at hand,
I shall be satisfied.

Pindarus. I do not doubt 10

But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Brutus. He is not doubted. — A word, Lucilius:
How he receiv'd you, let me be resolv'd.

ACT IV. SCENE II. 97

Luciiius, With courtesy, and with respect enough,
But not with such familiar instances,
Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath us*d of old.

Brutus, Thou hast described

A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay •©

It useth an enforced ceremony.
There are no tricks in plain and simple faith ;
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand.
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle,
But when they should endure the bloody spur
They fall their crests, and like deceitful jades
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on }

Lucilius, They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd ;
The greater part, the horse in general,
Are come with Cassius. [March within.

Brutus, Hark, he is arrived. — 3«

March gently on to meet him.

Enter Cassius and Soldiers.

Celsius, Stand, ho !

Brutus, Stand, ho ! Speak the word along.

1 Soldier. Stand.

2 Soldier. Stand.

3 Soldier. Stand.

Cassius, Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

Brutus, Judge me, you gods ! Wrong I mine enemies ?
And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother ?

Cassius, Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs, 4c
And when you do them —

Brutus, Cassius, be content ;

Speak your griefs softly, — I do know you well.
Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us,

^8 JULIUS CAlSAR.

Let us not wrangle. Bid thenx move away ;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Cassius, Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

Brutus, Lucius, do you the like ; and let no man 50

Come to our tent till we have done our conference.
Lucilius and Titinius, guard our door. \Exeunt

Scene III. Within the Tent of Brutus,
Enter Brutus and Cassius.

Cassius, That you have wronged me doth appear in this :
You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians ;
Wherein my letter, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, was slighted off.

Brutus, You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.

Cassius, In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.

Brutus. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm, ><>

To sell and mart your offices for gold
To undeservers^

Cassius, I an itching palm ?

You know that you are Brutus that speaks this.
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Brutus, The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cassius, Chastisement !

Brutus, Remember March, the ides of March remember 1
Did not great Julius bleed for justice sake ?
What villain touched his body, that did stab, ao

And nof for justice ? What ! shall one of us.

ACT IV. SCENE III.

That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, — shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Cassius, Brutus, bay not me ;

I '11 not endure it : you forget yourself.
To hedge me in. I am a soldier, I, 30

Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

Brutus, Go to ; you are not, Cassius.

Cassius. I am.

Brutus, I say you are not.

Cassius, Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

Brutus, Away, slight man !

Cassius. Is 't possible ?

Brutus, Hear me, for I will speak.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler ?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares.? 40

Cassius, O ye gods, ye gods ! Must I endure all this ?

Brutus, All this ? Ay, more. Fret till your proud heart
break ;
Go show your slaves how choleric you are.
And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
Must I observe you ? Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humour ? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen.
Though it do split you ; for from this day forth
I *11 use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter.
When you are waspish.

Cassius. Is it come to this ? so

Brutus. You say you are a better soldier :

lOO JULIUS C^SAR,

Let it appear so ; make your vaunting true,
And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

Cassius, You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Brutus ;
I said an elder soldier, not a better ;
Did I say better ?

Brutus, If you did, I care not.

Cassius, When Caesar liv'd he durst not thus have mov*d me.

Brutus, Peace, peace ! you durst not so have tempted him.

Cassius, I durst not ? 60

Brutus, No.

Cassius. What '^ durst not tempt him ?

Brutus, For your life you durst not

Cassius, Do not presume too much upon my love ;
I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Brutus, You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats ;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
That they pass by me as the idle wind
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me ; — 70

For I can raise no money by vile means :
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart.
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
By any indirection. — I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,
AVhich you denied me. Was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so ^
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends, 80

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts.
Dash him to pieces !

Cassius. I denied you not

Brutus, You did.

ACT IV, SCENE IIL loi

Cassius, I did not ; he was but a fool

That brought my answer back. — Brutus hath riv'd my heart ;
A friend should bear a friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Brutus, I do not, till you practise them on me.

Cassius. You love me not.

Brutus. I do not like your faults.

Cassius. A friendly eye could never see such faults.

Brutus. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear 90
As huge as high Olympus.

Cassius, Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,.
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius !
For Cassius is aweary of the world ;
Hated by one he loves, brav'd by his brother,
Check'd like a bondman ; all his faults observ'd,
Set in a note-book, learn'd and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes ! — There is my d'agger,
And here my naked breast ; within, a heart ^oo

Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold :
If that thou beest a Roman, take it forth.
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart :
Strike, as thou didst at Caesar ; for I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better
Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.

Brutus, Sheathe your dagger :

Be angry when you will, it shall have'scope ;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger as the flint bears fire, no

Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark
And straight is cold again.

Cassius, Hath Cassius liv'd

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief and blood ill-temper'd vexeth him ?

I02 JULIUS C^SAR.

Brutus, When I spoke that I was ill-temper'd too.

Cassius, Do you confess so much ? Give me your hand.

Brutus, And my heart too.

Cassius, O Brutus ! —

Brutus, What 's the matter ?

Cassius. Have not you love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humour which my mother gave me
Makes me forgetful ?

Brutus, Yes, Cassius ; and from henceforth, lao

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He '11 think your mother chides, and leave you so.

[Noise within.

Poet, [ Within\ Let me go in to see the generals :
There is some grudge between 'em ; 't is not meet
They be alone.

Lucilius. \Withifi\ You shall not come to them.

Poet, [ Within\ Nothing but death shall stay me.

Enter Yo^X^ followed by Lucilius and Titinius.

Cassius, How now t What 's the matter ?

Poet, For shame, you generals ! What do you mean ?
Love, and be friends, as two such men should be ;
For I have seen more years, I 'm sure, than ye. 130

Cassius, Ha, ha ! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme !

Brutus, Get you hence, sirrah ! saucy fellow, hence I

Cassius, Bear with him, Brutus ; 't is his fashion.

Brutus. I '11 know his humour when he knows his time.
What should the wars do with these jigging fools ! —
Companion, hence !

Cassius, Away, away ! be gone ! \E3cit Poet,

Brutus, Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Cassius, And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you.
Immediately to us. \Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius,

Brutus, Lucius, a bowl of wine. 140

ACT IV, SCENE III. 103

Cassius, I did not think you could have been so angry.

Brutus, O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs !

Cassius, Of your philosophy you make no use,
If you give place to accidental evils.

Brutus, No man bears sorrow better. — Portia is dead.

Cassius, Ha! Portia?

Brutus, She is dead.

Cassius, How scap'd I killing when I crossed you so?—
O, insupportable and touching loss I—
Upon what sickness ?

Brutus, Impatient of my absence, 150

And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Have made themselves so strong ;— for with her death
That tidings came.— With this she fell distract.
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

Cassius, And died so }

Brutus, Even so.

Cassius, O ye immortal gods i

Enter Lucius, with wine and tapers,
Brutus, Speak no more of her. — Give me a bowl of

wine. — vn ' h

In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. \Drinks,

Cassius, My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.—
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup ; r • 7

I cannot drink too much of Brutus^ love. \Dnnks.

Enter Titinius, with Messala.

Brutus, Come in, Titinius.— Welcome, good Messala.—
Now sit we close about this taper here.
And call in question our necessities.

Cassius, Portia, art thou gone ?

Brutus, No more, I pray you.—

Messala, I have here received letters.
That young Octavius and Mark Antony

150

I04 JULIUS CMSAR.

Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Messala, Myself have letters of the selfsame tenour.

Brutus, With what addition ? . 170

Messala, That by proscription and bills of outlawry,
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus
Have put to death an hundred senators.

Brutus, Therein our letters do not well agree ;
Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cassius, Cicero one ?

Messala, Cicero is dead,

And by that order of proscription. —
Had you your letters from your wife, my lord ?

Brutus, No, Messala. '**

Messala. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her ?

Brutus, Nothing, Messala.

Messala, That, methinks, is strange.

Brutus, Why ask you ? Hear you aught of her in yours ?

Messala. No, my lord.

Brutus, Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.

Messala. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell ;
For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

Brutus, Why, farewell, Portia. — We must die, Messala.
With meditating that she must die once,
I have the patience to endure it now. igo

Messala, Even so great men great losses should endure.

Cassius, I have as much of this in art as you.
But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Brutus, AVell, to our work alive. What cio you think
Of marching to Philippi presently ?

Cassius, I do not think it good.

Brutus, Your reason ?

Cassius, This it is :

T is better that the enemy seek us ;

ACT IV. SCENE III.

105

So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,

Doing himself offence, whilst we lying still

Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness. ao©

Brutus, Good reason^ must, of force, give place to better
The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
Do stand but in a forc'd affection,
For they have grudg'd us contribution.
The enemy, marching along by them.
By them shall make a fuller number up,
Come on refreshed, new-added, and encourag'd ;
From which advantage shall we cut him off
If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.

Cassius. Hear me, good brother. %u

Brutus, Under your pardon. — You must note beside
That we have tried the utmost of our friends.
Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe ;
The enemy increaseth every day ;
We, at the height, are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat, 220

And we must take the current when it serves.
Or lose our ventures.

Cassius, Then, with your will, go on ;

We '11 along ourselves and meet them at Philippi.

Brutus, The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity.
Which we will niggard with a little rest.
There is no more to say ?

Cassius, No more. Good night !

Early to-morrow will we rise and hence.

Brutus, Lucius, my gown. — [Exit Lucius,'] Farewell, good
Messala ! —

lo6 JULIUS C^SAR.

Good night, Titinius I — Noble, noble Cassius,
Good night, and good repose I

Cassius, O my dear brother,

This was an ill beginning of the night ;
Never come such division 'tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.

Enter Lucius, with the gown.

Brutus. Every thing is well.

Cassius. Good night, my lord 1

Brutus. Good night, good brother I

TitiniuSy Messala. Good night, lord Brutus !

Brutus. Farewell, every one ! —

\Exeunt Cassius ^ Titinius^ and Messala.
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument ?

Lucius, Here, in the tent.

Brutus, What! thou speak \st drowsily?

Poor knave, I blame thee not ; thou art o'erwatch'd.
Call Claudius and some other of my men ; %m

I '11 have them sleep on cushions in my tent

Lucius, Varro and Claudius I

Enter Varro and Claudius.

Varro. Calls my lord ?

Brutus, I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleeps
It may be I shall raise you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.

Varro, So please you, we will stand and watch your
pleasure.

Brutus, I will not have it so : lie down, good sirs ;
It may be I* shall otherwise bethink me. —
Look, Lucius, here 's the book I sought for so ; %^

I put it in the pocket of my gown. \Servants lie down

Lucius, I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

Brutus, Bear with me, good boy; I am much forgetful.

ACT IV. SCENE III. 107

Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
And touch thy instrument a strain or two?

Lucius. Ay, my lord, an 't please you.

Brutus. It does, my boy ;

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

Lucius, It is my duty, sir.

Brutus. I should not urge thy duty past thy might ;
I know young bloods look for a time of rest. atw

Lucius. I have slept, my lord, already.

Brutus. It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again ;
I will not hold thee long : if I do live,
I will be good to thee. — [Music and a song.

This is a sleepy tune. — O murtherous slumber,
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
That plays thee music ! — Gentle knave, good night ;
I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee.
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument :
I '11 take it from thee ; and, good boy, good night. — 270

Let me see, let me see, — is not the leaf turn'd down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think. \Be sits down.

Enter the Ghost of Caesar,
How ill this taper burns I — Ha I who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of my eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me. — Art thou any thing?
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil.
That mak'st my blood bold and my hair to stare ?
Speak to me what thou art.
Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus:

Brutus. Why com'st thou ? a8<

Ghost To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.
* Brutus. Well ; then I shall see thee again ?

Ghost. Ay, at Philippi.

{Ghost vanishes.

lo8 JULIUS CMSAR,

Brutus. Why, I will see thee at Philippi then. —
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest.
Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee. —
Boy ! Lucius ! — Varro 1 Claudius ! Sirs, awake ! —
Claudius !

Lucius, The strings, my lord, are false.

Brutus, He thinks he still is at his instrument. —
Lucius, awake ! ago

Lucius, My lord 1

Brutus. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Lucius, My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

Brutus, Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see any thing?

Lucius, Nothing, my lord.

Brutus, Sleep again, Lucius. — Sirrah, Claudius !
Fellow thou ! awake !

Varro, My lord !

Claudius, My lord!

Brutus, Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep ? 300

Varro^ Claudius, Did we, my lord ?

Brutus, Ay ; saw you any thing ?

Varro, No, my lord, I saw nothing.

Claudius. Nor I, my lord.

Brutus. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius ;
Bid him set on his powers betimes before.
And we will follow.

Varro^ Claudius, It shall be done, my lord. \Eoceunt,

Scene I. The Plains of PhilippL
Enter Octavius, Antony, and their Army.

Octavius. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered.
You said the enemy would not come down.
But keep the hills and upper regions.
It proves not so : their battles are at hand ;
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
Answering before we do demand of them.

Antony. Tut ! I am in their bosoms, and I know
Wherefore they do it : they could be content
To visit other places, and come down

no JULIUS C^SAR,

With fearful bravery, thinking by this face ««

To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 't is not so.

Enter a Messenger.

Messenger, Prepare you, generals :

The enemy comes on in gallant show ;

Their bloody sign of battle is hung out.

And something to be done immediately.
Antony, Octavius, lead your battle softly on,

Upon the left hand of the even field.

Octavius, Upon the right hand I ; keep thou the left
Antony. Why do you cross me in this exigent t 'S

Octavius, I do not cross you ; but I will do so. \March,

Drum, Enter Brutus, Cassius, and their Army ; Lucilius,
TiTiNius, Messala, and others,

Brutus, They stand and would have parley.

Cassius, Stand fast, Titinius; we must out and talk.

Octavius. Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle t

Antony, No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
Make forth ; the generals would have some words.

Octavius, Stir not until the signal.

Brutus. Words before blows \ is it so, countr)anen ?

Octavius. Not that we love words better, as you do.

Brutus. Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

Antony. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words .
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart, 31

Crying, * Long live ! Hail, Caesar !'

Cassius, Antony,

The posture of your blows are yet unknown ;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Antony. Not stingless too.

Brutus. O, yes, and soundless too ;

ACT V. SCENE I, m

For you have stolen their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.

Antony. Villains, you did not so when your vile daggers
Hacked one another in the sides of Caesar : 40

You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet,
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind.
Struck Caesar on the neck. 0,you flatterers!

Cassius, Flatterers I — Now, Brutus, thank yourself;
This tongue had not offended so to-day.
If Cassius might have rul'd.

Ociavius, Come, come, the cause ; if arguing make us sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look, I draw a sword against conspirators; 50

When think you that the sword goes up again t
Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
Be well aveng'd, or till another Caesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

Brutus, Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

Octavius, So I hope ;

I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

Brutus, O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.

Cassius, A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
Join'd with a masker and a reveller. 61

Antony. Old Cassius still !

Octavius, Come, Antony; away! —

Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth.
If you dare fight to-day, come to the field ;
If not, when you have stomachs.

\Exeunt Octavius, Antony, and their Army.

Cassius. Why now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

Brutus. Ho, Lucilius ! hark, a word with you.

112 JULIUS CjESAR.

Lucilius. My lord ! \Brutu5 and LucUius talk apart,

Cassius, Messala!

Messala. What says my general ?

Cassius. Messala,

This is my birthday ; as this very day 70

Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala ;
Be thou my witness that against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong,
And his opinion ; now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers* hands, 80

Who to Philippi here consorted us :
This morning are they fled away and gone,
And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us.
As we were sickly prey ; their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

Messala, Believe not so.

Cassius, I but believe it partly,

For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly. 90

Brutus. Even so, Lucilius.

Cassius. Now, most noble Brutus,

The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may.
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age !
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let 's reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together •
What are you then determined to do ?

ACT V. SCENE II,

Brutus, Even by the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death lo©

Which he did give himself. I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life, — arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high powers
That govern us below.

Cassius. Then, if we lose this battle,

You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome ?

Brutus. No, Cassius, no ! think not, thou noble Roman,
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome ; "c

He bears too great a mind. But this same day

Must end that work the ides of March begun ;

And whether we shall meet again I know not.

Therefore our everlasting farewell take ;

For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius !

If we do meet again, why, we shall smile ;

If not, why, then this parting was welt made.

Cassius, For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus !

If we do meet again, we '11 smile indeed ;

If not, 't is true, this parting was well made. 120

Brutus, Why, then lead on. — O that a man might know

The end of this day's business ere it come !

But it sufficeth that the day will end.

And then the end is known. — Come, ho ! away ! [Exeunt

Scene II. The Field of Battle,
Alarum. Enter Brutus and Messala.
Brutus, Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills
Unto the legions on the other side. [Loud alarum.

Let them set on at once ; for I perceive
But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing,

114 JULIUS CJESAR,

And sudden push gives them the overthrow.

Ride, ride, Messala ; let them all come down. \Exeunt

Scene III. Another Part of the Field,
Alarums, Enter Cassius and Titinius.

Cassius. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly !
Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy.
This ensign here of mine was turning back ;
I slew the coward, and did take it from him.

Titinius, O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly ; his soldiers fell to spoil.
Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.

Enter Pindarus.

Pindarus, Fly further off, my lord, fly further off!
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord ! lo

Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off!

Cassius, This hill is far enough. — Look, look, Titinius;
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire t

Titinius, They are^ my lord.

Cassius. Titinius, if thou lov'st me.

Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him.
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops
And here again, that I may rest assur'd
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

Titinius. I will be here again even with a thought. \Exit,

Cassius. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill ; *>

My sight was ever thick ; regard Titinius,
And teil me what thou not'st about the field. —

[Pindarus goes up.
This day I breathed first : time is come round.
And where I did begin, there shall I end ;
My life IS run his compass. — Sirrah, what news.**

ACT V, SCENE III. 115

Pindarus, \Above\ O my lord !

Cassius. What news?

Pindarus. Titinius is enclosed round about
With horsemen that make to him on the spur ; —
Yet he spurs on. — Now they are almost on him. 30

Now, Titinius ! —
Now some light. — O, he lights too. — He 's ta'en ; — and,

hark!
They shout for joy. [^Shout

Cassius, Come down, behold no more. —

O, coward that I am tQ live so long.
To see my best friend ta'en before my face ! —

Pindarus comes down.
Come hither, sirrah !
In Parthia did I take thee prisoner ;
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do.

Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath ! 40
Now be a freeman ; and with this good sword.
That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer : here, take thou the hilts ;
And when my face is cover'd, as 't is now.
Guide thou the sword. — Caesar, thou art reveng'd.
Even with the sword that kill'd thee. [^Dies,

Pindarus, So, I am free ; yet would not so have been.
Durst I have done my will. — O Cassius !
Far from this country Pindarus shall run, 49

Where never Roman shall take note of him. [Exit.

Enter Titinius, with Messala.

Messala, It is but change, Titinius ; for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power.
As Cassius' legions are by Antony.

Titinius, These tidings will well comfort Cassius.

Il6 JULIUS CMSAR,

Messala, Where did you leave him ?

Titinius, All disconsolate,

With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.

Messala, Is not that he that lies upon the ground ?

Titinius, He lies not like the living. O, my heart !

Messala, Is not that he ?

Titinius, No, this was he, Messala,

But Cassius is no more. — O setting sun ! 60

As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night.
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set ;
The sun of Rome is set ! Our day is gone ;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come ; our deeds are done !
Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.

Messala. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. —
O hateful Error, Melancholy's child !
Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not } O Error, soon conceived.
Thou never com'st unto a happy birth, 70

But kill'st the mother that engendered thee.

Titinius, What, Pindarus ! Where art thou, Pindarus ?

Messala, Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears ; — I may say, thrusting it.
For piercing steel and darts envenomed
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
As tidings of this sight.

Titinius, Hie you, Messala,

And I will seek for Pindarus the while. — \Exit Messala,
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius ? 80

Did I not meet thy friends ? and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory.
And bid me give it thee ? Didst thou not hear their shouts ?
Alas 1 thou hast misconstrued every thing.
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow ;
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I

ACT V, SCENE IV. II7

Will do his bidding. — Brutus, cortie apace,

And see how I regarded Caius Cassius. —

By your leave, gods : — this is a Roman's part ; 89

Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart. \Dies.

Alarum, Enter Messala, with Brutus, young Cato, Stra-
TO, VoLUMNius, and Lucilius.

Brutus, Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie ?

Messala, Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.

Brutus, Titinius' face is upward.

Cato. He is slain.

Brutus, O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet !
Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails. \Low alarums,

Cato. Brave Titinius !

Look, whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius 1

Brutus, Are yet two Romans living such as these ? —
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well !
It is impossible that ever Rome 100

Should breed thy fellow. — Friends, I owe moe tears
To this dead man than you shall see me pay. —
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time. —
Come, therefore, and to Thassos send his body ;
His funerals shall not be in our camp.
Lest it discomfort us. — Lucilius, come ; —
And come, young Cato ; let us to the field. —
Labeo and Flavins, set our battles on. —
'T is three o'clock ; and, Romans, yet ere night 109

We shall try fortune in a second fight. [Exeunt.

Scene IV. Another Part of the Field,
Alarum, Enter^ fighting. Soldiers of both Armies ; then Bru-
tus, Cato, Lucilius, and others,
Brutus, Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads !

1x8 JULIUS C^SAR.

Cato, What bastard doth not ? Who will go with me ?
I will proclaim my name about the field. —
I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho !
A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend ;
I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho ! \Charges the enemy,

Brutus, And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I ;
Brutus, my country's friend ; know me for Brutus !

\Exit^ charging the enemy. Cato is averpouiered, and
fails,

Lucilius, O young and noble Cato, art thou down ?
Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius, lo

And mayst be honoured, being Cato's son.

I Soldier, Yield, or thou diest.

Lucilius, Only I yield to die :

There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight ;

{Offering money.
Kill Brutus, and be honoured in his death.

1 Soldier, We must not. — A noble prisoner !

2 Soldier. Room, ho ! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en.

I Soldier, I'll tell the news. — Here comes the general. —

Enter Antony.

Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord.

Antony, Where is he ?

Lucilius, Safe, Antony ; Brutus is safe enough. 20

I dare assure thee that no enemy
Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus ;
The gods defend him from so great a shame !
When you do find him, or alive or dead,
He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

Antony, This is not Brutus, friend, but, I assure you,
A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe.
Give him all kindness ; I had rather have
Such men my friends than enemies. Go on.
And see whether Brutus be alive or dead, 10

ACT V. SCENE V.

119

And bring us word unto Octavius' tent

How every thing is chanc'd. [Exeunt

Scene V. Another Part of the Field,
Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, ^;/// Volumnius,

Brutus. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

Clitus, Statilius showed the torch-light, but, my lord,
He came not back ; he is or ta'en or slain.

Brutus. Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word ;
It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. {^Whispering.

Clitus. What ! I, my lord ? No, not for all the world.

Brutus. Peace then ! no words.

Clitus. I *11 rather kill myself.

Brutus. Hark thee, Dardanius ! [ Whispers him.

Dardanius. Shall I do such a deed }

Clitus. O Dardanius !

Dardanius. O Clitus ! 10

Clitus. What ill request did Brutus make to thee ?

Dardanius. To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.

Clitus. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.

Brutus. Come hither, good Volumnius ; list a word.

Volumnius. What says my lord ?

Brutus. Why, this, Volumnius :

The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me
Two several times by night ; at Sardis once,
And this last night here in Philippi fields.
I know my hour is come.

Volumnius. Not so, my lord. -c

Brutus. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes ;
Our enemies have beat us to the pit : [Low alarums.

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves
Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,

I20 JULIUS CjESAR,

Thou know'st that we two went to school together ;
Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
Hold thou my sword-hilts whilst I run on it.

Volumnius, That 's not an office for a friend, my lord.

\Alarufn still,

Clitus, Fly, fly, my lord 1 there is no tarrying here. 30

Brutus, Farewell toyou;.— andyou;— and you, Volumnius. —
Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep ;
Farewell to thee too, Strato. — Countrymen,
My heart doth joy that yet in all my life
I found no man but he was true to me.
I shall have glory by this losing day,
More than Octavius and Mark Antony
By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
So, fare you well at once ; for Brutus* tongue
Hath almost ended his life's history. 40

Night hangs upon my eyes ; my bones would rest,
That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

[Alarum, Cry within, ' Fiy, fly, fly !'

Clitus, Fly, my lord, fly!

Brutus, Hence, I will follow. —

[Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius,
I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.
Thou art a fellow of a good respect ;
Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it :
Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato ?

Strato, Give me your hand first ; fare you well, my lord.

Brutus, Farewell, good Strato. — Caesar, now be still ; 5°
I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

[He runs on his sword, and dies.

Alarum, Retreat, Enter Octavius, Antony, Messala,
LuciLius, and the Army,

Octavius, What man is that ?

ACT V. SCENE V, I21

Messala, My master's man. — Strato, where is thy master?

Strata, Free from the bondage you are in, Messala ;
The conquerors can but make a fire of him ;
For Brutus only overcame himself,
And no man else hath honour by his death.

Lucilius, So Brutus should be found. — I thank thee, Brutus,
That thou hast proved Lucilius' saying true.

Octavius, All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them. —
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?

Strato, Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.

Octavius, Do so, good Messala.

Messala. How died my master, Strato?

Strato. I held the sword, and he did run on it.

Messala. Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.

Antony. This was the noblest Roman of them all.
All the conspirators, save only he.

Did that they did in envy of great Caesar ; 70

He only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, *This was a man !'

Octavius. According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie.
Most like a soldier, ordered honourably. —
So, call the field to rest, and let 's away, 80

To part the glories of this happy day. [^Exeunt

COIN OF THE TRIUMVIRS.

ROMAN MATRON.

NOTES.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES.

Abbott (or Gr.), Abbott's ShaJUspearian Grammar (third edition).
A. S., Anglo-Saxon.

A. v., Authorized Version of the Bible (1611).

B. and F., Beaumont and Fletcher.
B. J., Ben Jonson.

Camb. ed-, *' Cambridge edition " of Shakespeare, edited by Clark and Wright

C£ {c0H/er)y compare.

Clarke, *' Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare,*' edited by Charles and Mary Cowdoi*
Clarke (London, n. d-).

Coll., Collier (second edition).

Coll. MS., Manuscript Corrections of Second Folio, edited by Collier.

Craik, Craik's English 0/ Shakespeare (Rolfe*8 editioo).

D., Dyce (second edition).

H., Hudson (" Harvard" edition).

Halliwell, J. O. HalliweU (folio ed. of Shakespeare).

Id. {idem), the same.

K., Knight (second edition).

N., North's Plutarch.

Nares, Glossary, edited by halliweil and Wright (London, 1859).

Prol., Prologue.

Rich., Richardson's Dictionary (LondoB; lis^^^^

S., Shake?peare.

Schmidt, A. Schmidt*s Shakespeare-Lexicon (Berlin, 1874).

Sr., Singer.

St, Staunton.

Theo., Theobald.

v., Verplanck.

W., R. Grant White.

Walker, Wm. Sidney Walker's Critical Examination 0/ the Text 0/ Shakespean
(London, i860).

Warb., Warburton.

Wb., Webster's Dictionary (revised quarto edition of 1879).

Wore, Worcester's Dictionary (quarto edition).

Wr., W. A. Wright's " Qarendon Press" ed. of J. C. (Oxford, 1878).

The abbreviations of the names of Shakespeare* s Plays will be readily understood ; as
T. N. for Ttuel/th Night, Cor. for Coriolattus, 3 Hen. VI. for The Third PaH 0/ King
Henry the Sixth., etc P. P. refers to The Passionate Pilgrim ; V. and A. to Venus
and Adattii i L> C. to Lover's Complaint ; and Sonn. to the Sonnets.

When the abbreTiation of the name of a play is followed by a reference to A^f^t
Rolfe's edition uf the play is meant.
I'he ntimbera of the lines (except for the present play) are ihose of tne *^ Globe'* ed

NOTES.

PLBBBIANS.

ACT I.

Scene I. — In the folio of 1623 the play is divided into acts, but not intc
scenes, and there is no list of dramatis persotia. The heading of Act I.
is as follows : " Actus Primus. Sceena Prima. Enter Flauius^ Murel-
lus^ and certaine Commoners ouer the Stage.^"* The spelling Murellus is
found throughout the play, except in one instance (i. 2. 278), where we find
" Murrellus and Flauius^ for pulling Scarffes off Casars Images, are put to
silence." The name in N. is Marullus, and Theo. corrected it here.

3. Being mechanical. ** Cobblers, tapsters, or such like base mechan-
ical people " (N.). S. uses both mechanic and mechanical as noun and
as adjective. Cf M. N. D. iii. 2. 9 : " rude mechanicals ;" 2 Hen. IV. v.
5. 38 : " by most mechanical and dirty hand ;" Cor. v. 3. 83 ; " Rome's
mechanics ;" A. and C. v. 2. 209 : " mechanic slaves."

126 NOTES,

Ought not tvalk. On the omission oitOy see Gr. 349.

4. A labouring day. As Craik remarks, labouring here is not the par-
ticiple, but the verbal noun (or gerund) used as an adjective. Ct the
expressions a walking-sticky a writing-desk^ etc. The participle in 'ing
is active^ and it remains so when used as an adjective ; as in a labouring
man, etc. When used as a noun, which rarely occurs in English, it de-
notes the agent. Thus "the erring" means tAose who err, as amans in
Latin means a lover. The verbal noun in -ing, on the other hand, de-
notes the act (as " labouring is wearisome "), like the Latin gerund amandiy
etc. This verbal noun is commonly called a " participial noun " in the
grammars, but it has no etymological connection with the participle. In
early English (as in A. S.) the two had different forms. The ending of
the participle was aude {and), ende {end), or inde, and that of the verbal
noun was ing or ung; but the former went out of use, and the latter
came to do service for both. This change began before the year 1300,
but in the time of Chaucer the old participial ending was still occasion-
ally used, and it is found in Scotch writers even to the end of the six-
teenth century.

The followmg are examples of the participle and the verbal noun used
with their appropriate endings in the same sentence :

" Hors, or hund, or othir thing

That war plesaW to their likzVf^." — Barboitr (i^sj).
•• Full low \iic\\Tiand to their queen full clear

Whom for their noble nourisn/«r^ they thank." — Duniar (Ellis's Spec).

5. What trade art thou ? Either trade is equivalent to tradesman (as
Craik makes it), or of is understood. Cf. Gr. 202. On the use of thou
and yoti in S., see Gr. 232.

6. I Citizen. The folio has " Car." (that is, Carpenter), and for 2 Citiun
either " CobW or " Cob:' {Cobbler).

12. Answer me directly. That is, explicitly, without ambiguity. Cf. iii.
3. 9 below. It is hardly necessary to say that cobbler meant not only a
mender of shoes, but a clumsy workman at any trade ; and the latter
sense is not wholly unknown even now.

14. A mender of bad soles. For the quibble, cf. M. of V. iv. I. 123 :
** Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew." Malone quotes Fletch-
er's Woman /^leased:

"If thou dost this, there shall be no more shoe-mending;
Every man shall have a st}ecial care of his own soul.
And carry in his pocket his two confessors."

15. What trade, thou knave ? The folio gives this speech to Flavius, but
the " Mend me, thou saucy fellow ?" shows that it belongs to Marullus.

16. Be not out with me, etc The play upon out tviih and out {at the
toes) is obvious.

24. But withal, etc. This is the folio reading, and may well enough
be retained. " What the cobbler means to say is, that although he med-
dles not with tradesmen's matters or women's matters, he is withal (mak-
ing at the same time his little pun) a surgeon to old shoes " (W.). K.
and Coll. print " but with all. I am," etc. D., the Camb. ed., and H.
have ** but with awl. I am," etc

ACT /. SCENE /.

127

25. As proper merty etc. See M. of V. p. 132 (note on A proper mun^s
picture)^ and cf. Temp. ii. 2. 62 ; ** as proper a man as ever went on four
legs ;" and Id. ii. 2. 73 : "any emperor that ever trod on neat's leather."

31. His triumph. This was in honour of his successes in Spain,
whence he had returned late in the preceding September, after defeating
the sons of Pompey at the battle of Munda (March 17th, B.C. 45). It
was Caesar's fifth and last triumph.

37. Many a time. Trench {English Past and Present) explains "many
a man " as a corruption of ** many of men ;" but Abbott (Gr. 85) shows
that the " many " is probably used as an adverb. Cf. the German man-
cher (adj.) Mann with manch (adv.) ein Mann^ etc. In A. S. the idiom
was many man, not many a man. Cf. M. of V. p. 135'

42. Pass the streets. Cf. T.G.ofV. iv. 3. 24 : ** the ways are dangerous
to pass." See Gr. 198.

43. And when you saw his chariot but appear. That is, saw but his
chariot appear. See Gr. 129 and 420.

45. That Tiber trembled^ etc. On this common ellipsis of so before
thaty see Gr. 283. The river is here personified as feminine ; as in i. 2.
lOi below (see note there). Cf. Milton, P. L. iii. 359 :

ROMAN HIGHWAY ON THE BANKS OF THE TIBKR.

128 NOTES,

" the river of bliss through midst of Heaven
Rolls o'er Elysian flowers her amber stream. '*

51. Replication of. Reply to, echo of.

52. Be gone! On these brief " interjectional lines," see Gr. ,SI2.

58. Tiber banks. This use of proper names as adjectives is common
in S. Cf. V. 5. 19 below : " Here in Philippi fields." See Gr. 22.

61. Whether. The folio prints *' where " here, as in v. 4. 30 below , but
it often has whether when the word is a monosyllable (see on ii. i.. 194
below). Cf. Gr. 466. Some modern eds. read *• whe'r " or " wh€r."

Metal, Used interchangeably with mettle in the early eds. See K,
John^ p. 148.

65. Decked with ceremonies. This is the reading of the folio, and is
retained by all the editors except W. and H., who have "ceremony."
Ceremonies may mean " honorary ornaments " (Malone), or what are after-
wards called " Caesar's trophies," and described as " scarfs " hung on his
images. Wr. compares Hen. V. iv. 1. 109 : " his ceremonies laid by," etc

67. The feast of Lupercal. The Lupercal was a cavern in the Palatine
Hill, sacred to Lupercus, the old Italian god of fertility, who came to be
identified with Pan. Thus Virgil {/En. viii. 344) speaks of the place as

"sub rupe Lupercal
Parrhasio dictum Panos de more Lycaei."

Here the feast of the Lupercalia was held every year, in the month of
February. After certain sacrifices and other rites, the Luperci (or priests
of Lupercus) ran through the city wearing only a cincture of goatskin, and
striking with leather thongs all whom they met This performance was
a symbolic purification of the land and the people. The festal day was
called dies februiita (from februare^ to purify), the month in which it oc-
curred Februarius, and the god \i\xi\?>^\{ Februns.

73. Pitch. A technical term for the height to which a falcon soars.
See Rich. II. p. 153.

Scene IL — The heading in the folio is, " Enter Ccesar^ Antony for the
Course^ Calphurnia^ Portia^ Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, Caska, a
Soothsayer : after them Murellns and Flauius.^^ Calphurnia is the name
of Caesar's wife throughout the play, and also in N. (eds. of 1579 and
1612*), though Craik and W. say that it is Calpurnia in the latter author-
ity. Calpiirnia was the classical form of the name.

Decius. His true name was Decimus Brutus. "The error, however,
is as old as the edition of Plutarch's Greek text produced by Henry Ste-
phens in 1572 ; and it occurs likewise in the accompanying Latin transla-
tTon» and both in Amyot's and Dacier's French, as wellas in North's Eng-
lish* It I'h also found in Philemon Holland's translation oi Suetonius,
published \\\ 1606. Lord Stirling, in his Julius Ccesar, probably misled
tn like manner by North, has fallen into the same mistake" (Craik). It
may be notc^d, also, that it was this Decimus Brutus who had been the
special favourite of Caesar, and not Marcus Junius Brutus, as represented
in the play.

* to tame Later editions (as in that of 1676) the name is changed to Calpttnua.

ACT L SCENE II. 1 29

3. In Antonius* way. The folio has " in Antonio's ivzy ;" and in other
names ending in -ins it often gives the Italian form in -io^ which was more
familiar to the actors of the time.

Antony was the head or chief of a third " college " of Luperci that had
been adcied to the original two in honour of Caesar.

4. When he doth run his course. Cf. N.» {Life of Casar) : " At that
time the feast Lupercalia was celebrated, the which m old time, men say,
was the feast of Shepheards or Herdmen, and is much like unto the feast
of Lycaeians in Arcadia. But, howsoever it is, that day there are divers
noble men's sons, young men (and some of them Magistrates themselves
that govern them), which run naked through the City, striking in sport
them they meet in their way with Leather thongs, hair and all on, to
make them give place. And many noble Women and Gentlewomen
also, go of purpose to stand in their way, and do put forth their hands
to be stricken, as Scholars hold them out to their Schoolmaster, to l)e
stricken with the ferula ; perswading themselves that, being with Child,
they shall have good delivery; and so, being barren, that it will make
them to conceive with Child. . . . Antonius, who was Consull at that time,
was one of them that ran this holy course."

1 1. Set on. Set out, proceed. Cf. v. 2. 3 below ; and see Hen. VIII
p. 180.

15. Press. Crowd. Cf. JR. of L. 1301, 1408, etc ; also Mark^ ii. 4.

17. Ides of March. In the Roman calendar the Ides fell on the 15th
of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of the other months.

18. ^ soothsayer bids. Some put a comma after soothsayer ^ as if there
were an ellipsis oiwho (Gr. 244). On the measure, see Gr. 460.

23. Sennet. A particular set of notes on a trumpet. See Hen. VIIL
p. 176.
27. Quick. Lively, sprightly ; as in Much Ado,, ii. i. 399, v. 2. ii, etc.
30. That gentleness . . . as. See Gr. 280, and cf. 170 below.

36. Merely upon myself. Altogether upon myself. See Temp."^. ill,
note on We are merely cheated. Cf. Bacon, Adv. of L. ii. i. 4: "narra-
tions which are merely and sincerely natural ;" Id. ii. 25. 9 : ** which do
make men merely aliens and disincorporate from the Church of God ;'"
Essay 27 : "it is a mere and miserable solitude to want true friends."

37. Passions of some difference. " With a fluctuation of discordant
opinions and desires " (Johnson).

38. Proper to myself. Peculiar to myself; my own. See Gr. 16, and
c£ Temp. p. 133, note on Their proper selves.

39. Behaviours. For the plural, cf. Much Adoy ii. 3. 9, 100, L. L. L. ii.
I. 234, etc

45. Mistook your passion. See M. of V. p. 141 (note on Not undertook)
or Gr. 343. Ovi passion— it€im%^ see M. of V. p. 157.

47. Cogitations. Thoughts. Cf. Bacon, ^^/z/. ^Z. i. introd. : "I may
excite ^our princely cogitations to visit the excellent treasure of your
own mmd," etc See also Dan. vii. 28.

49. The eye sees not itself. Cf. T. and C. iii. 3. 106 :

* All our quotations from North's Plutarch are from the edition of 1676.

I30 NOTES.

"nor doth the eve itself
That most pure spirit of sense, behold itself.**

Steevens quotes Sir John Davies, Nosce Tripsum (1599) :

— " the mind is like the eye,

Not seeing itself, when other things it sees."

50. But by reflection by some other things. This is the folio reading,
retained by K. and Wr. Pope reads " from some other things ;" D. and
H. have ** from some other thing ;" and W., " by some other thing."
U by is what S. wrote, it is probably equivalent to "by means of" or
" from." Cf. the peculiar uses of by noted in Gr. 146. Even now we
may say " being reflected by some other thing."

52. Mirrors. Walker, D., and H. read '* mirror."

55. The best respect. The highest respectability or estimation. Cf. v.
5. 45 below.

62. Therefore^ good Brutus^ etc " The eager, impatient temper of Cas-
sius, absorl)ed in his own idea, is vividly expressed by his thus continu-
ing his argument as if without appearing to have even heard Brutus*s
interrupting question ; for such is the only interpretation which his there-
fore would seem to admit of" (Craik).

67. Jealous on me. Distrustful or suspicious of me. See M, of V, p.
143 (note on Glad on V), or Gr. 180.

68. A common laugher. The folio has "common laughter." Pope
substituted laugher^ which has been adopted by all the more recent edit-
ors. Wr., however, thinks " laughter " may be right ( = laughing-stock).
As Craik remarks, " neither word seems to be perfectly satisfactory."
A friend suggests " lover " as being in harmony with the context.

69. To stale with ordinary oaths, etc. Johnson (followed by W.) ex-
plains this, " to invite every new protester to my affection by the stale, or
allurement, of customary oaths." On this sense ofstale, see Temp. p. 137.
But here (as Craik suggests) the word doubtless means " to make stale,"
or common. Cf. iv. i. 38 below : "stal'd by other men ;" /4, and C, ii. 2.
240 ; " Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety," etc.

72. Scandal. Defame, traduce. Cf. Cor. iii. 1. 44 : " Scandal'd the sup-
pliants for the people," etc. See also Temp. p. 136. On the adverbial
ifter, see Gr. 26.

73. Profess myself. "Make protestations of friendship " (Schmidt).

81. To%vard. Wr. believes that the word, when a dissyllable, is always
accented by S. on the first syllable ; not only here, but in L, L. L. v. 2.
92, M.of V,\,i. 5, and A. and C. iii. 10. 31.

82. Set honour in mie eye, etc. Johnson explains this as follows:
" When Brutus first names honour and death, he calmly declares them
indifferent, but as the image kindles in his mind, he sets honour above
life." Coleridge says : " Warburton would read death for both ; but I
prefer the old text. There are here three things — the public good, the
individual Brutus's honour, and his death. The latter two so oalanced
each other that he could decide for the first by equipoise; nay — the
thought growing — that honour had more weight than death. That Cas-
sius understood it as Warburton is the beauty of Cassius as contrasted

ACT /. SCENE II.

131

with Brutus." Craik remarks : " It does not seem to be necessary to
suppose any such change or growth either of the image or the sentiment.
What Brutus means by saying that he will look upon honour and death
indifferently, if they present themselves together, is merely that, for the
sake of the honour, he will not mind the death, or the risk of death, by
which it may be accompanied ; he will look as fearlessly and steadily
upon the one as upon the other. He will think the honour to be cheaply
purchased even by the loss of life ; that price will never make him falter
or hesitate in clutching at such a prize. He must be understood to set
honour above life from the first ; that he should ever have felt otherwise
for a moment would have been the height of the unheroic"

On iitdifferently^ cf. Bacon, Adv. of L. ii. introd. : " I for my part shall
be indifferently glad either to perform myself, or accept from another,
that duty of humanity." See also Cor. ii. 2. 19.

84. Speed. Prosper ; as in ii. 4. 41 below.

87. Your outivard favour. Your face, or personal appearance. Cf. ii.
I. 76 below ; and Bacon, Ess. 27 (ed. of 1625) : " For, as S. James saith,
they arc as Men, that looke sometimes into a Glasse^ and presently forget
their own Shape, &* Favour." See also Prcrverbs, xxxi. 30.

97. The troubled Tiber chafing, etc. See Gr. 376. Chafe (the Latin
calefacere, through the Fr. ichauffer and chauffer) meant, first, to warm ;
then, to warm by rubbing ; and then simply to rub — either literally, as
here, or in a figurative sense =to irritate ; as in Hen. VIII. i. i. 123 :
" What, are you chafd .?" Cf. 2 Sam. xvii. 8.

Here, as in i. i. 45 above, some editors have changed her to " his," be-
cause Tiber is masculine in Latin ; but, as Craik remarks, ** this is to give
us both language and a conception different from Shakespeare's." It was
not the Roman river-god that he had in mind in these personifications of
the stream.

THE RIVBR-GOD TIBER.

132

NOTES,

104. With lusty sinews. With vigorous sinews. Cr TJww/.ii. 1. 119: "in
lusty stroke," etc. Lusty is "from the Saxon lust in its primary sense of
eager desire, or intense longing, indicating a corresjTonding intensity of
bodily vigour " {Bible Word-Book), See Judges^ iii. 29.

105. Hearts of controversy . " With courage that opposed and contend-
ed with the violence of the stream" (Wr.).

106. Arrive, Cf. 3 Hen, VI. v. 3. 8: "have arrived our coast;" Mil-
ton, P. L, ii. 409 : " Ere he arrive The happy isle." See Gr. 198.

,118. His coioard lips^ etc. "There can, I think, be no question that
Warburton is right in holding that we have here a pointed allusion to a
soldier flying from his colours. . . . The figure is quite in Shakespeare's
manner and spirit " (Craik).

119. And that same eye whose bend^ etc Cf. Cymb, i. I. 13: "wear
their faces to the bent Of the king's looks." Bend occurs elsewhere
only in A, and C, ii. 2. 213 (see our ed. p. 183).

120. His lustre. That is, its lustre. See Gr. 228.

125. Of such a feeble temper. That is, " temperament, constitution"
(D.). Qi. M,of V, i. 2. 20 : "a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree," etc

131. Man, " Cassius grows more familiar as Brutus is more moved "
(Wr.).

138. What should be in that Ccesar ? On should^ see Gr. 325.

139. More than yours. In the folio, " more then yours ;" and then is
the invariable form in that edition, as in Bacon, Hooker, etc Usage
had varied. Wiclif has than for both than and then^ while Tyndale has
then for both. Milton has than for then in the Hymn on the Nativity, 88 :

" Full little thought they than
That the mighty Pan
Was kindly come to live with them below. ^

147. Noble bloods. Cf. iv. 3. 260 below : " young bloods ;" K, J^hn, ii.
1. 278 : " As many and as well-born bloods,'* etc

148. The great flood. The deluge of Deucalion. Cf. W, T, iv. 4. 442
and Cor, ii. i. 102.

149. Fam*d with. Famed for, or made famous by. Cf. Gr. 193, 194.

151. Wide walls. The folio has " wide Walkes,'^ which K. and St. re-
tain. Coll., D., W., Wr., and H. adopt Rowe's correction of "walls."

152. Rome indeed and room enough, " Evidence this that * Rome * was
pronounced room^ or *room' rome^^ (W.). Cf. below, iii. i. 290: "No
Rome of safety for Octavius yet;" JC, Jolm, iii. i. 180 1 "I have room
with Rome to curse a while." St. quotes Prime, Commentary on Gala-
tians (1587): "Rome is too narrow a Room for the Church of God."
In I Hen, VI. iii. I. 51, the Bishop of Winchester says, " Rome shall rem-
edy this," and Warwick replies, " Roam thither then." W. infers from
this play upon Rome and roam (together with the fact that room was often
spelled rome) that all three words were pronounced with the long sound
of ^; but it is not impossible that oa was sometimes pronounced 00, In
our day loom is the rustic pronunciation of loam. It is more probable,
however, that Craik and Earle {Philology of English Ton^ie^ 1871) are
right in assuming that in the time of S. the modern pronunciation oi Rome
was beginning to be heard, although the other was more common.

ACT I. SCENE II.

^55

^rj^r

OLD WALLS OF ROMB.

153. But one only man. Cf. Hooker, Ecci, Pol. i. 25 : " one only God ;*
i. 10. 14 : " one only family," etc. Gr. 130.

155. T/tere 7vas a Brutus once. Lucius Junius Brutus, who brought
about the expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus. Cf. i. 3. 145 below.

156. The eternal devil. Johnson thought that S. wrote " infernal devil."
Steevens explains thus : ** L. J. Brutus (says Cassius) would as soon have
submitted to the perpetual dominion of a demon as to the lasting govern-
ment of a king." Abbott (Gr. p. 16) considers it one of the exceptions to
the exactness with which the poet used words that were " the recent in-
ventions of the age." Cf. 0th. iv. 2. 130 : "eternal villain ;" Ham. v. 2.
376: "eternal cell." Wr. compares the Yankee "tarnal."

Keep his slate. Maintain his dignity ; or, perhaps, keep his throne.
Cf. Mach. p. 214, note on Her state.

158. Nothing jealous. Nowise doubtful. Cf. 67 above ; and see also
T. of S. iv. 5. 76 : " For our first merriment hath made thee jealous," etc.

159. I have some aim. I can partly guess, or conjecture. Cf. T.G.oJ
V. iii. I. 28 : ** fearing lest my jealous aim might err," etc.

134 NOTES,

162. So with love. On so (=if, provided that), see Gr. 133.

167. Chew upon this, " We have lost the Saxon word in this applica-
tion, but we retain the metaphor, only translating chew into the Latin
equivalent, ruminate'^'' (Craik).

168. Brutus had rather be^ etc. See M. of V, p. 132, note on 43. The
superlative rathest is found in Bacon, Colours of Good and Evil^ i. :
•' whome next themselves they would rathest commend."

169. Than to repute. See Temp. p. 131 (note on 62), or Gr. 350.

I'JT, What hath proceeded worthy note. What hath happened. On the
ellipsis, see Gr. 19&1.

178. Cassius, Here a trisyllable, as in several other instances. See
Gr. 479.

182. Such ferret and such fiery eyes. The ferret has red eyes.

183. As we have seen him. That is, seen him look with. See Gr,

384-

184. Crossed in conference. Opposed in debate. D. and H. read "sen-
ator."

188. Let me have men about me^ etc. Cf. N. {Life of Ccesar) ; " CtEsar
also had Cassius in great jealousie, and suspected him much : whereupon
he said upon a time to his friends, what will Cassius do, think ye? I like
not his pale looks. Another time, when Ccesars friends complained unto
him of Atitonius and Dolabella^ that they pretended some mischief tow-
ards him : he answered them again. As for those fat men and smooth
combed heads, quoth he, I never reckon of them ; but these pale visaged
and carrion lean People, I fear them most, meaning ^r«///x and Cassius,"
So also, in Life of Brutus : "For, intelligence being brought him one
day that Antonius and Dolabella did conspire against him : he answered.
That these fat long haired men made him not afraid, but the lean and
whitely faced fellows, meaning that by Brutus and Cassius."

189. O' nights. The folio has "a-nights." See Gr. 182, and cf. 176
and 24.

190. Yond, Often printed "Yond'," but not a contraction o{ yonder.
See Temp. p. 121, note on 407.

193. Well given. Well disposed. Cf. 2 Hen. VL iii. i. 72 : " too well
given," etc. In i Hen. JV. iii. 3, we have both "virtuously given" (16)
and "given to virtue" (38).

195. Liable to fear. Liable to the imputation of fear.

200. He hears no music. Cf. M. of V.\. I. 83 : "The man that hath
not music in himself," etc.

201. Seldom he smiles. He seldom smiles. Cf. just below, " for always
I am Caesar," and see Gr. 421.

204. Such men as he be never at hearfs ease. On be^ see M, of V, p. 134
(note on 19), and Gr. 300. On at^ see Gr. 144. We still say cU ease,

205. Whiles, See M. of V. p. 133, or Gr. 137.

212. Tell us what hath chanced. W. says that the folio has ^^ had
chanc'd," but he must have been looking at the next speech of Brutus.
Here the folio reading is, "I Caska, tell vs what hath chanc*d to-day;"
there, "I should not then aske Caska what had chanc'd."

213. Sad, Grave, serious. C£ M, of V, p. 141, note on 179.

ACT I. SChNH. II.

220. Why^ there was a cr<nvn^ etc. The editors generally q[uote here
Plutarch's LiJ^e of Ccesar^ but it seems to us that the account given in the
Life ofAntonius is more in keeping with Casca's way of telling the story :
" When he [Antony] was come to Ccesar^ he made his fellow Runners with
him lift him up, and so he did put his Lawl-ell Crown upon his head, sig-
nifying thereby that he had deserved to be King. But Ccesar making as
though he refused it, turned away his head. The People were so rejoiced
at it, that they all clapped their hands for joy. Antonitu again did put it
on his head : Ccesar again refused it ; and thus they were striving off and
on a great while together. As oft as Antonius did put this Lawrell Crown
unto him, a few of his followers rejoyced at it : and as oft also as Ccesar
refused it, all the People together clapped their hands. . . . Ccesar in a
rage arose out of his Seat, and plucking down the choller of his Gown
from his neck, he shewed it naked, bidding any man strike off his head
that would. This Lawrell Crown was afterwards put upon the head of
one of Ccesar's Statues or Images, the which one of the Tribunes plucki
ofil The People liked his doing therein so well, that they waited on him
home to his house, with great clapping of hands. Howbeit Ctesar did
turn them out of their offices for it." According to the Life of Ccesar^ his
" tearing open his Doublet Coller," and offering his throat to be cut, was
among his friends in his awn house ^ and on a different occasion, namely,
when " the Consuls and Praetors, accompanied with the whole Assembly
of the Senate, went unto him in the Market-place, where he was set by
the Pulpit for Orations, to tell him what honours they had decreed foi
him in his absence," and he offended them by " sitting still in his Majes-
ty, disdaining to rise up unto them when they came in." The historian
adds that, *' afterwards to excuse his follj, he imputed it to his disease,
saying, that their wits are not perfect which have this disease of the fall-
ing-Evill, when standing on their feet they speak to the common People,
but are soon troubled with a trembling of their Body, and a suddain dim-
ness and giddiness." The Lupercalia and the offering of the crown are
then described as occurring after this insult to " the Magistrates of tho
Commonwealth."

224. Ay^ marry ^ was V. On marry {=Mary\ see M. of V, p. 138.

225. Than other. Cf. C. of E, iv. 3. 86 : " Both one ancl the other," etc
Gr. 12.

238. The rabblement shouted. The folio has " howted," which is doubt-
less a misprint for "showted," as the word is spelled just above in " mine
honest neighbours showted." Johnson and K. have " hooted," which is
not consistent with the context, as it expresses " insult, not applause."

241. He swooned. The folio has ** hee swoonded," and below, " what,
did Ccesar swound ?" Cf. R. of L. i486 (see our ed. p. 195).

247. ^Tisverylikeytic. Like (or likely ^2iS\try ohtx\. The folio reads,
" 'T is very like he hath the Falling sicknesse," and Coll. adheres to that
pointing. But Brutus knew that Caesar was subject to these epileptic at-
tacks. Cf. N.: " For, concerning the constitution of his body, he was lean,
white, and soft skinned, and often subject to head-ach, and other while to
the falling-sickness (the which took him the first time, as it is reported,
in CoRDUBA, a City of Spain), but yet therefore yielded not to the disease

136 NOTES.

of his body, to make it a cloak to cherish him withall, but contrarily, took
the pains of War, as a Medicine to cure his sick body, fighting alwaies
with his disease, travelling continually, living soberly, and commonly
lying abroad in the Field."

251. Tag-rat^, Cf. Cor. iii. i. 248: "Will you hence, before the tag
return?" Coil, quotes John Partridge, 1566:

" To walles they goe, both tagge and ragge.
Their citie to defende."

253. No trtie man. No honest man. Cf. M.for M, iv. 2. 46 : " Every
true man's apparel fits your thief;*' L. L. L. iv. 3. 187 : "a true man or
a thief;" Cyfub. ii. 3. 77 : ** hangs both thief and true man," etc.

256. pluck* ii me ope his doublet. On me^ see M.o/V.p.i^^ (note on
Pt'ird me) and Gr. 220. On ope, see Gr. 343, 290.

As Wr. remarks, " no doubt on the stage Julius Caesar appeared in
doublet and hose like an Englishman of Shakespeare's time." '

257. An J had. The folio has " and I had." See Gr. loi fol.

258. A man of any occupation. "A mechanic, one of the plebeians to
whom he offered his throat " (Johnson). Cf. Cor. iv. 6. 97 : " the voice
of occupation and The breath of garlic-eaters." W. suggests that it may
mean " a man of action, a busy man." As Wr. says, both senses may be
combined.

259. At a word. At his word. Elsewhere the phrase =i« a word.
Cf. Cor. i. 3. 122 : " No, at a word, madam ;" Much Ado, ii. I. 118 : "At
a word, I am not." See also M. W. i. i. 109, 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 319, etc
Wr. makes the phrase here =**at the least hint, quickly."

273. All Greek to me. Casca is joking here, if we may take Plutarch's
testimony concerning his knowledge of Greek. See N., p. 156 below.

279. I am promised forth. Cf. M. of V. ii. 5. II : "I am bid forth to
supper," and " I have no mind of feasting forth to-night" See Gr. 41.

286. He was quick mettle. The Coll. MS. has "mettled." Walker
suggests "metal," referring to blunt. See on i. i. 61 above.

290. This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit, etc Cf. Lear, ii. 2. 102 :

••This is some fellow.
Who, having been prais'd for bluntness, doth affect
A saucy roughness.'*

300. From that it is disposed. From that to which it is disposed. Cf.
iii. 2. 250 below ; and see (jr. 244 (cf. 394).

302. So firm that cannot. See Gr. 279.

. 30J. Doth bear me hard. " Does not like me, bears me a grudge "
(Craik) ; like the Latin aegre ferre (Wr.). Cf. ii. i. 215: "Caius Liga-
rius doth bear Caesar hard;" and iii. i. 158: "if you bear me hard."
The expression occurs nowhere else in S. Hales quotes B. J., Catiline,
iv. 5 : " Ay, though he bear me hard," etc.

J05. He should not humour me. " He ( that is, Brutus ) should not
cajole me as I do him " (Warb.). " * Caesar loves Brutus, but if Brutus
and I were to change places, his love should not humour me,' should not
take hold of my affection, so as to make me forget my principles" (John-
son). See Addenda, p. 188.

306. In several hands. Referring to writings below. Cf^ Gr. 4190.

ACT /. SCENE III. 137

315. S^at him sure. See Gr. 223 and i. On the rhyming couplet at
the end of a scene, see Gr. 515.

Scene III. — i. Brought you Ccesar home? On M«^= accompany, es-
cort, cf. 0th. iii. 4. 197 : " I pray you, bring me on the way a little," etc
See also Gen, xviii. 16, ActSy xxi. 5, 2 Cor, i. 16.

3. The sway of earth, " The whole weight or momentum of this world*'
(Johnson). ** The balanced swing of earth" (Craik).

4. C/nfirm, S. uses both infirm and unfirm — each four times. See
M,ofV,^. 155 (note on (Incapable) ox Gr. 442.

8. To be exalted with. That is, in the effort to rise to that height ; or,
possibly, so as to rise to the clouds.

10. A tempest dropping fire. The folio has " a Tempest-dropping-fire ;"
corrected by Rowe.

13. Destruction, Here a quadrisyllable. See Gr. 479.

14. Any thing more wonderful, Abbott (Gr. 6) explains this as " more
wonderful than usual ;" Craik, " anything more that was wonderful" C£
Cor, iv. 6. 62 : . ^

**The slave's report is seconded, and more.
More fearful, is delivered."

15. You know him well by sight. This is a stumbling-block to some
of the commentators. D. suggests (and H. reads) '* you'd know him,"
and Craik "you knew him," in the sense of "would have known him ;"
but, as Wr. notes, "the slaves had no distinctive dress." It is nothing
strange that both Cicero and Casca should happen to know a particular
slave bv sight, and it is natural enough that Casca, in referring to him
here, snould say. And you yourself know the man. "It is simply a
graphic touch" (Wr.).

On this whole passage, cf. N. {Life of Casar) : " Certainly, destiny may
easier be foreseen than avoided, considering the strange and wonaerfufl
Signs that were said to be seen before Casars death. For, touching the
Fires in the Element, and Spirits running up and down in the night, and
also the solitary Birds to be seen at noon days sitting in the great Market-
place, are not all these Signs perhaps worth the noting, in such a wonder-
full chance as happened ? But Strabo the philosopher writeth, that divers
men were seen going up and down in fire : and furthermore, that there
was a Slave of the Souldiers that did cast a marvellous burning flame out
of his hand, insomuch as they that saw it thought he had been burnt : when
the Fire was out, it was found he had no hurt. Ccesar self also doing Sac-
rifice unto the gods, found that one of the Beasts which was sacrificed had
no Heart: and that was a strange thing in nature: how a Beast could
Jive without a Heart."

2a A lion, IVho, etc. See M. of V, p. 144 (note on 4), or Gr. 264. The
folio has "glaz'd vpon me." Pope substituted glared, and the Coll. MS.
has tLc same. Cf. Lear, iii. 6. 25 : " Look, how he stands and glares !"
See also Macb, iii. 4. 96, etc

22. Annoying, Cf. Rich. III. v. 3. 156 ; " Good angels guard thee from
the boor's annoy !" Chaucer {Persones Tale) speaks of a man as annoy-
ing his neighbour by burning his house, or poisoning him, and the like.

138

NOTES.

•'Against the Capitol 1 met a lion.'

Drawn Upon a heap. Crowded together. Cf. Hen, V, iv. 5. 18 : " Let
us on heaps go offer up our lives;" Rich. IILW, i. 53: "Among this
princely heap," etc.

30. These are their reasons. Such and such are their reasons. Cf. ii.
I. 31 below: "Would run to these and these extremities." The Coll.
MS. has ** seasons," which H. adopts.

32. Climate, Region, clime. Ql. Rich. II.\\,\,\'^o\ "in a Christian
climate ;" and Bacon, Adv. of L. \. 6. 10 : " the southern stars were in
that climate unseen." The word is used as a verb in W, T, v. i. 170 :
"whilst you Do climate here."

35. Clean from. Quite away from. Cf. 0th. i. 3. 366 ; " clean out of
the way," etc. See also Ps, Ixxvii. 8, Isa. xxiv. 19, etc. Onfrotnt see Gr
158, and cf. 64 below.
~40. Not to walk in. That is, not fit to walk in. See Gr. 405.

42. What night is this! Craik reads "What a night," but this is a
needless marring of the metre. Cf. T, G. of V, i. 2. 53 :

"What fool is she that knows I am a maid,
And would not force the letter to my view I'*

and T N, ii. 5. 123 :

^'Fabian. What dish o* poison has she dressed him I
Sir Toby. And with what wing the staniel checks at it!**

For other examples, see Gr. 86.

47. Submitting me. Exposing myself. Gr. 223.

49. The thunder-stone. " The imaginary product of the thunder, which
the ancients called Brontia^ mentioned by Pliny (iV. H, xxxvii. 10) as a spe-
cies of gem, and as that which, falling with the lightning, does the mischief.
It is the fossil commonly called the Belemnite, or Finger-stone, and now

ACT J. SCENE III.

139

known to be a shell. We still talk of the thunder^holt^ which, however, is
commonly confounded with the lightning. The thunder-stone was held to
be quite distinct from the lightning, as may be seen from Cymb* iv. 2.2702

" • Guiderius. Fear no more the liehtning-flash.
Arviragus. Nor the all-dreaded thunder-etonc*

It is also alluded to in 0th, v. 2. 235 :

" ' Are there no stones in heaven
But what serve for the thunder?' " (Craik)

60. Case yourself in wonder. The folio has " cast your selfe in wonder,''
which is retaineci by Coll., C, St., and the Camb. ed. D., W., and H.
have case^ which was independently suggested by Swynfen Tervis and
M.W.Williams. CtMuch Ado.'w. 1. 146: "attir'd in wondfer." Wr.
explains "cast yourself in" as =** hastily dress yourself in."

64. Why birds and beasts^ etc. That is, wh^ they change their natures.
See on 35 above. Cf. Lear^ ii. 2. 104 ; ** Quite from his nature." For
>bV///= nature, see A, and C. p. 216, note on 262.

65. Why old menfooli etc. ** Why old men become fools, and children
prudent" (W.). The folio reads, " Why Old men, Fooles, and Children
calculate ;" and so K. and Craik. Coll. and St. have ** Why old men
fools" — ^that is, why we have old men fools. D., W., the Camb. editors,
and H. read Why old men fool, which was suggested by Mitford. On fool,
see Gr. 290.

66. Their ordinance. What they were ordained to be.

7 1 . Some monstrous state. Some monstrous or unnatural state of things.
Cf. Lear, ii. 2. 176 : " this enormous state ;" and see our ed. p. 206.

74. As doth the lion in the Capitol, " That is, roars in the Capitol as
doth the lion" (Craik). Wr. thinks that S. imagined lions kept in the
Capitol, as in the Tower of London.

75. Than thyself or me. On me, see Gr. 210.

76. Prodigious. Portentous ; as always in S. except in T, G. of V. ii.
3. 4 : " the prodigious son" (Launce's blunder for " prodigal son"). Cf.
fe. and F., Philaster, v. i : ** like a prodigious meteor ;" and see Gr. p. 13.

80. Theius and limbs. Here thews means muscular powers, as in the
two other instances (2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 276, and Ham. i. 3. 12) in which S.
uses the word. It is from the A. S. theow or theoh, whence also thigh, and
must not be coi^founded with the obsolete M^</j = manners, or qualities
of mind, from the A. S. thenw. This latter thews is common in Chaucer,
Spenser, and other early writers ; the former is found very rarely before
S.'s day.

81. Wog the while. Alas for the time ! See Gr. 137 (cf. 230).

82. Goifern\i with. On ivith (=by) see Gr. 193.

94. Can be retentive, etc. " Can retain or confine the spirit " (Craik).

96. Power. Here a dissyllable. Gr. 480.

100. ^S"^ every bondman, etc. There is a play on bond ; as in Rich, III.
iv. 4. 77 : " Cancel his bond of life, dear God, I pray !" Cf. also Cymb, v. 4.
28: "And cancel these cold bonds" (that is, his chains)-, Macb. iii. 2 49?

"And with thy bloody and invisible hand
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
Which keeps mc pale I"

140 NOTES.

1 13. My answer must be made. ** I shall be called to account, and
must answer as for seditious words" (Johnson).

115. Such a man That is no Jieering tell-tale. On such . . . that^ see Gr.
279. /7f^r»'«^= grinning, sneering. Cf. Much Ado^ v. i. 58 : " never fleer
and jest at me ;" and see our ed. p. 162.

116. Holdy my hand. Here, take my hand. St. omits the comma after
" Hold." Craik interprets the passage thus : " Have, receive, take hold
(of it) ; there is my hand." But hold is probably a mere interjection, as
often in S., and not an imperative with object ** understood." Cf. Mcicb,
ii. 1.4: " Hold, take my sword ;" Rich. II. ii. 2. 92 : ** Hold, take my
ring," etc This hold is of course identical with the reflexive verb whicn
we have below (v. 3. 85): "But hold thee, take this garland," etc

117. Be factious^ etc. ** Factious seems here to mean active" (John-
son). Coleridge says, " I- understand it thus : You have spoken as a
conspirator; be so m/act, and I >yill join you." It may, however, have
its ordinary meaning (given to fa'ction), as it does in every other in-
stance in b. Griefs here = grievances, C£ iii. 2. 211 and iv. 2, 42, 46
below.

• 119. As 7vho goes farthest. On who^ see Gr. 257.

122. Undergo, Undertake. Cf. W. T. p. 202.

123. Honourable-dangerous. See Gr. 2. Some print "bloody-fiery'*
in 129 below.

125. Pompey^s porch. A large building connected with Pompey*s The-
atre, in the Campus Martius.

127. The element. The heaven, or sky. Cf. N. {^Life ofPompey) : ** the
dust in the element" (that is, in the air) ; and the quotation in note on 15
above : " the Fires in the Element." See also Milton, Comus^ 298 ;

"I took it for a &ery vision
Of some gay creatures of the element.
That in the colours of the rainbow live,
And play in the plighted douds."

128. In favour V like. In aspect is like. The folio reads, ** Is Fauors,
like the Worke we haue in hand." Johnson proposed " In favour's,"
which K., D., W., and the Camb. ed. adopt. Steevens suggested ** * It
favours,' or * Is favoured* (so H.) ;'* and Reed, " Is fev'rous,** quoting "
in support of it Mcub, ii. 3. 66: "the earth Was feverous, and did
shake.**

133. To find out you. To find you out. See Gr. 240.

134. One incorporate To our attempt. "One united with us in our en-
terprise ** (Craik). Cf. Bacon, Adv. of L. ii. 2. 12 : " not incorporate into
the history.*' See Gr. 342 and 187. The folio has "To our Attempts,'*
which is retained by K. and the Camb. ed. The correction is Walker's.

I J7. There *j two or three. See Temf*, p. 122 (note on TTiere is no more
sucn shapes\ or Gr. 335.

143. Where Brutus may but find it. On but^ see Gr. 128.

145. Upon old Brutus' statue. Cf. N. {Life of Brutus) : " But for Bru-
tus^ his friends and Countreymen, both by divers procurements and sun-
dry rumors of the City, and by many bills also, did openly call and procure
him to do that he did. For under the image of his ancestor yunius Brutus

ACT L SCENE IIL

141

(that drave the Kings out of Rome) they wrote : O, that it pleased the
gods thou wert now alive, Brutus I and again, That thou were here among
us now ! His tribunal or chair, where he gave audience during the time
he was Praetor, was full of such bills : Brutus thou art asleep, and art not
Brutus indeed."

151. Potnpey's theatre. This was the first stone theatre that had been
built at Rome, and was modelled after one that Pompey had seen at
Mitylene. It was large enough to accommodate forty thousand specta-
tors. At its opening in B.C. 55, the games exhibited by Pompey lasted
many days, and consisted of dramatic representations, contests of gym-
nasts and of gladiators, and fights of wild beasts. Five hundred African
lions were killed^ and eighteen elephants were brought into the arena,
most of which fell before Gaetulian huntsmen.

153. Three parts of him Is ours. See Gr. 333.

158. Alchemy. For the allusion to the art of changing base metals to
gold, cf. Sonn. 33. 4: "Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;"
and K, John, iii. i. 78 :

"the glorious sun
Stays in his course and plays the alchemist,
Turning with splendour of his ptedous eye
The meagre cloddy earth to ghttering gold."

161. Conceited, Conceived, imagined ; as in iii. 1. 193 below. Cfc O^
iii. 3. 149 : " one that so imperfectly conceits," etc.

142 NOTES.

ACT II.

M.of V.^.\\i (note on What^ Jessica !\ Temp.
use I when ?\ and Gr. yvi. Cf. 5 just below,
[ow near it is to day. Gr. 403.

Scene I. — ^The heading in the folio is, " Enter Brutus in his Orchard.'^
Orchard in S. is ** generally synonymous with garden " (D.). The word
is the A. S. ortgeard^ or wyrtgeard (wort-yard or plant-yard), not a tauto-
logical compound of the Latin horlus and the A. S. geard^ as Earle {Phi-
lology of English Tongue^ 1 871) and others have made it. The "private
arbours and new-planted orchards " of iii. 2. 247 below are the *^ gardens
and arbours " of N.

I. What^ Lucius ! See M. t
p. 119 (on Come ^ thou tortoise t

3. How near to day. How near it is to day. Gr. 403.

10. // must be by his death, etc. Coleridge remarks : " This speech is
singular — at least, I do not at present see into Shakespeare's motive, his
rationale^ or in what point of view he meant Brutas's character to appear.
For surely — (this, I mean, is what I say to myself, with my present quan-
tum of insight, only modified by my experience in how many instances I
have ripened into a perception of beauties where I had before descried
faults) — ^surely nothing can seem more discordant with our historical pre-
conceptions of Brutus, or more lowering to the intellect of the Stoico- Pla-
tonic tyrannicide, than the tenets here attributed to him — to him, the stern
Roman republican ; namely, that he would have no objection to a king,
or to Caesar, a monarch in l^ome, would Caesar but be as good a monarch
as he now seems disposed to be ! How, too, could Brutus say that he
found no personal cause — none in Caesar's past conduct as a man ? Had
he not crossed the Rubicon ? Had he not entered Rome as a conqueror?
Had he not placed his Gauls in the Senate "i Shakespeare, it may be
said, has not brought these things forward. True — and this is just the
ground of my perplexity. What character did Shakespeare mean his
Brutus to be ?" As Wr. says, " he was a political theorist."

12. For the general. " For the community, or the people" (Craik).
Cf. M./or M. ii. 4. 27: "the general subject to a well-wish'd king;"
Ham, ii. 2. 457 : " caviare to the general," etc. Some make for the gen-
eral='* {01 the general cause.'''*

15. Croivn him ? — That. Be that so ; suppose that done.

17. Do danger. Do what is dangerous, do mischief. Cf. Gr. 303.

19. Remorse. Mercy, or pity. See M. of V. p. 156, and Temp. p. 14a

21. Common proof. A thing commonly proved, a common experience.
Cf. T. N. iii. I. 135 :

" for 't is a vulgar proof
That very oft we pity enemies."

23. Climber-Upward. On the " noun- compounds" of S., see Gr. 43a

24. Upmost. Like inmost, outmost, or utmost, etc. Mrs. Clarke does not
give the word, but has utmost in this passage, following what is probably
a slip of the type in Knight's ed. We find upmost in Dryden (Wore).

26. The base degrees. The lower steps of the ladder. Cf. Hen, VIII.
ii. 4. 112: "You have . . . Gone slightly o'er low steps, and now are
mounted," etc

ACT IL SCENE L 143

29. Will bear no colour y etc. Can find no pretext in what he now is.
On colour y cf. Hen. VIII. p. 160.

33. As his kind. " Like the rest of his species" (Mason).

^4. And kill him in the shell. •* It is impossible not to feel the ex-
pressive effect of the hemistich here. The line itself is, as it were, killed
m the shell" (Craik).

40. The Ides of March. The folio has " the first of March." Theo.
made the correction.

50. Have took. See M. of V. p. 141 (note on Not umlertook)^ or Gr. 343.

53. My ancestors. D. and H. read ** My ancestor."

59. March is wasted fifteen days. This is the folio reading, changed to
** fourteen days" by Theo. and all the recent editors except W., who re-
marks that " in common parlance Lucius is correct" — and so in Roman
parlance, he might have added.

65. Phantasma. Vision ; used by S. nowhere else Phantasm (=fan-
tastical fellow) occurs in Z. Z. Z.iv. i. no : "A phantasm, a Monarcho,
and one that makes sport;" and Id. v. i. 20: "fanatical phantasms."

66. The genius and the mortal instruments. " The commentators have
written and disputed lavishly upon these celebrated words. Apparently,
by the genius we are to understand the contriving and immortal mind,
and most probably the mortal instruments are the earthly passions. The
best light for the interpretation of the present passage is reflected from
the one below, where Brutus says :

" ' Let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide 'em.'

The servants here may be taken to be the same with the instf'uments in
the passage before us. It has been proposed to understand by the mor-
tal instruments the bodily powers or organs ; but it is not obvious how
these could be said to hold consultation with the genius or rnind. Nei-
ther could they in the other passage be so fitly said to be stirred up by
the heart" (Craik).

According to Johnson, the poet " is describing the insurrection which a
conspirator feels agitating the little kingdom of his own mind ; when the
geniusy or power that watches for his protection, and the mortal instrn-
mentSf the passions, which excite him to a deed of honour and danger,
are in council and debate ; when the desire of action, and the care of
safety, keep the mind in continual fluctuation and disturbance."

Malone endorses Johnson's interpretation, but understands mortal to
mean deadly ^ as often in S.

A writer in the Edinburgh Revieiv (Oct. 1869) makes genius " the spirit,
ruling intellectual power, rational soul, as opposed to the irascible nat-
ure," and mortal instruments " the bodily powers through which it works ;"
and this is probably correct. We cannot believe \\i2X genius has here the
meaning which Johnson ascribes to it, and which it has in some other
passages of our poet ; as in C ^ £". v. i. 332 :

** One of these men is genius to the other ;
And so of these. Which is the natural man,
And which the spirit?"

144 NOTES,

67. The state of man. The folio has " the state of a man," which K
and Craik retain ; all the other recent editors omit ** a." Cf. Macb. i. 3.
140.

On the whole passage, cf. T and C. ii. 3. 184:

*'*twixt his mental and his active parts
Kingdom'd Achilles in commotion rages,
And batters 'gainst himself."
70. Your brother Cassius. Cassius had married Junia, the sister of
Brutus.

72. Moe. More ; as in v. 3. 10 1 below. See M. of V, p. 129.

73. Their hats^ eta ** S. dresses his Romans in the slouched hats of
his own time " ( Wr.). See on i. 2. 256 above.

75. That, On the ellipsis of so^ see on i. i. 45 above.

76. By any mark of favour. See on i. 2. 87 above.

78. Sham' St thou, etc Cf W. T. ii. i. 91 : "What she should shame
to know ;" JC, John, i. i. 104: *' I shame to speak," etc.

79. Evils. Evil things ; as in -^. ^Z. 1250, etc.

83. For if thou path^ etc The ist folio reads, ** For if thou path thy
natiue semblance on," which (with a comma after />^M, as in the 2d folio)
may be explained, "If thou walk in thy true form" (Johnson). Dra)rton
uses/nM as a transitive verb in his Polyolbion: " Where from the neigh-
bouring hills her passage Wey doth path," and again in his Epistle from
Duke Humphrey, etc : " Pathing young Henry's unadvised ways." It
is possible, however, that path is a misprint here. Southern and Cole-
ridge independently suggested "put," which Walker pronounces "cer-
tainly" right, and which D. adopts. W. is inclined to the opinion that
S. wrote "hadst." H. reads "pass" (an anonymous conjecture).

86. We are too bold, etc. " We intrude too boldly or unceremoniously
upon your rest" (Craik).

100. Shaft I entreat a word? See p. 13 above.

104 Fret, Cf. R. and J. p. 192, foot-note.

107. Which is a great way, etc. Which must be far to the south, when
we consider the time of year. On weighing, stt Gr. 378.

112. Your hands all over. "That is, all included"(Craik).

1 14. No, not an oath, Cf N. {Life of Brutus) : " The onely name and
great Calling of Brutus, did bring on the most of them to give consent
to this conspiracy ; who having never taken Oaths together, nor taken
nor given any caution or assurance, nor binding themselves one to an-
other by any religious Oaths, they all kept the matter so secret to them-
selves, and could so cunningly handle it, that notwithstanding, the gods
did reveal it by manifest signs and tokens from above, and by Predictions
of Sacrifices, yet all this would not be believed."

Face. The folio reading, retained by K., I)., W., H., and the Camb.
ed. Warb. proposed "fate," Mason "faith," and Malone "faiths."

115. 7he time's abuse. The abuses of the time.

117. Idle bed. Bed of idleness ; as we say " a sick bed." Cf. T, and C.
i.3. 147: "upon a lazy bed." High-sighted =" supercilious" (Schmidt).

119. By lottery. As chance may determine. Steevens thought there
might be an allusion to the custom o{ decimation — " the selection by lot of

ACT II. SCENE /. 145

every tenth soldier, in a general mutiny, for punishment" Cf. T. of A.
V. 4. 31 : "By decimation, and a tithed death."

123. What need we^ etc. Why need we, etc. Gr. 253.

125. Than secret Romans. Than that of Romans pledged to secrecy.

126. Will not palter. Will not shuffle or equivocate. Cf. A. and C.
iii. II. 63 : "dodge And palter in the shifts of lowness;" Cor, iii. i. 58:
" This paltering Becomes not Rome ;" Macb. v. 8. 20 :

"And be these juggling fiends no more believed,
That palter with us in a double sense ;
That keep the word of promise to our ear,
And break it to our hope."

129. Cautelous. Wary, crafty, as in Cor. iv. 1.33: " cautelous baits
and practice." Cf. the noun cautel in Ham. i. 3. 15 : " no soil nor cautel
doth besmirch The virtue of his will." Cotgrave {Fr. Diet. 161 1) defines
cautelle thus : " A wile, cautell, sleight ; a craftie reach, or fetch, guilefull
deuise or endeuor ; also, craft, subtiltie, trumperie, deceit, cousenage."
Cf. Bacon, Adv. of L.'ii. 21. g: "frauds, cautels, impostures."

133. Even. " Without a flaw or blemish, pure" (Schmidt). Cf. Hen.
VIII. iii. I. 37 : " I know my life so even," etc.

134. Insupfressive. Used m a " passive" sense, = not to be suppressed.
Cf. A. Y. L. iii. 2. 10: "The fair, the chaste, and unexpressive she ;" T.
and C. iii. 3. 198 : " the uncomprehensive (unknown) deeps ;" A. W, i. 2.
53 : " his plausive (plausible, specious) words ;" T G. of V. iv. 4. 200 :
" I can make respective (respectable) in myself," etc See Gr. 3.

135. To think. By thinking. On the infinitive, see Gr. 356.

136. Did need an oath. Ever could need an oath. Gr. 370.

138. A several bastardy. " A special or distinct act of baseness, or of
treason against ancestry and honourable birth" (Craik). See Temp. p.
131, note on Several.

144. His silver hairs. Cicero was then about sixty years old. There
is an obvious play upon silver and purchase. C>//«/(t?// = reputation.

150. Break with him. Broach the matter to him. See Hen. VIII. p.
197.

Cf N. {Life of Brutus) : " For this cause they durst not acquaint Cicero
with their conspiracy, although he was a man whom they loved dearly,
and trusted best ; for they were afraid that he, being a coward by nature,
and age also having encreased his fear, he would quite turn and alter all
their purpose, and quench the heat of their enterprise, the which specially
required hot and earnest execution."

158. We shall find of him A shrewd contriver. On ^=in, see Gr. 172.
On shrewd=^s'\\ mischievous, see Hen. VIII. p. 202. Wiclif {Gen. vi.
12) translates iniquitate of the Vulgate by "shrewdnes." Cf. Chaucer,
Tale of Melibaus : " The prophete saith : Flee shrewdnesse, and do good-
nesse ; seek pees, and folwe it, in as Inuchel as in thee is ;" Id. : " And
Seint Poule the Apostle sayth in his Epistle, whan he writeth unto the
Romaines, that the juges beren not the spere withouten cause, but they
beren it to punish the shrewes and misdoers, and for to defende the goode
men." Contriver =^\oiit\ ; as in A. Y. Z. i. 1. 151 (see our ed. p. 139).

160. Annoy. See on i. 3. 22 above.

146

NOTES,

164. Etwy. Malice ; as often. See il/. ^ F. p. 151, note on Envious,

166. Let us be sacrificers^ etc. On the measure, see Gr. 468 ; and also
for 178 just below.

177. Make. "Make to seem." Craik and H. adopt the "mark" of
the Coll. MS.

180. Pwgers, Cleansers or healers (of the land). Cf. Macb. v. 3. 52.

183. Yet I fear him. Pope reads " do fear," which C. says " improves,
if it is not absolutely required by, the sense or expression as well as the
prosody."

187. Take thought and die. Thought used to mean "anxiety, melan-
choly ;" and to thinks or take thought^ " to be anxious, despondent." Cf.
A. and C. iii. 13. I : " Cleopatra. What shall we do, Enobarbus } Eno-
barbus. Think, and die ;" Holland, Camden^s Ireland: " the old man for
very thought and grief of heart pined away and died ;" Bacon, Hen. VII. :
" Hawis .... dyed with thought, and anguish." See also i Sam. ix. 5,
and Malt. vi. 25.

190. There is no fear in him. That is, nothing for us to fear. Fear is
elsewhere used for the cause or object of fear ; 2iS'\xi M.N. D.s.\.2\\

" Or in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush suppos'd a bear 1"

192. Count the clock. Of course this is an anachronism, as the clepsydra^
or water-clocks, of the Romans did not strike the hours.

Hath stricken. S. uses struck (or strook), strucken (or stroken\ and
stricken. See Gr. 344.

ACT IL SCENE /.

147

194. Whether, Here the folio prints " Whether," though the word is
metrically equivalent to the "where" in i. i. 61 above.

196. Quite from the main opinion, ' Quite contrary to the fixed (or pre-
dominant) opinion. See on i. 3. 35 above. Mason proposed to read
" mean opinion."

197. Fantasy, "-Fancy, or imagination, with its unaccountable an-
ticipations and apprehensions, as opposed to the calculations of reason"
(Craik).

Ceremonies, " Omens or signs deduced from sacrifices, or other cere-
monial rites" (Malone). Cf. Bacon, Adv, of L, ii. 10. 3 : " ceremonies,
characters, and charms," where the word means superstitious rites.

\gI^. These apparent prodigies. These manifest portents. Apparent \%
used in its emphatic sense {clearly appearing), not in its weaker one
{merely appearing, or seeming), Cf. I Hen, IV, ii. 4. 292 : " this open and
apparent shame ;" K, John^ iv. 2. 93 ;

" It is apparent foul play ; and 't is shame
That greatness should so grossly offer it."

See also Bacon, Ess, 40 (ed. 1625) : ** Overt, and Apparent vertues bring
forth Praise ; But there be Secret and Hidden Vertues, that bring Forth
Fortune.

204. That unicorns^ etc. Steevens says ; " Unicorns are said to have
been taken by one who, running behind a tree, eluded the violent push
the animal was making at him, so that his horn spent its force on the
trunk, and stuck fast, detaining the beast till he was despatched by the
hunter." Cf. Spenser, F, Q, ii. 5. 10 :

*'Like as a Lyon, whose imperiall powre
A prowd rebellious Unicorn defyes,
T' avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre
Of his fiers foe, him to a tree applyes,
And when him ronning in full course he spyes,
He slips aside; the whiles that furious beast
His precious home, sought of his enimyes.
Strikes in the stocke, ne thence can be releast,
But to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast."

See also T, of A. iv. 3. 339 : "wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath
would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy
fury."

"Bears," adds Steevens, "are reported to have been surprised by
means of a mirror, which they would gaze on, affording their pursuers
an opportunity of taking a surer aim. This circumstance, I think, is men-
tioned by Claudian. Elephants were seduced into pitfalls, lightly covered
with hurdles and turf, on which a proper bait to tempt them was ex-
posed. See Pliny's Natural History ^ book viii."

208. Most flattered. "At the end of a line ed is often sounded after ^r"
(Gr. 474). On the metre of the next line, see Gr. 512.

212. There. That is, at Caesar's house.

215. Doth bear Ccesar hard. See on i. 2. 303 above. On the relations
of this Caius (or, rather, Quintus) Ligarius to Caesar, cf. N. {Life of Bru-
tus)'. "Now amongst Pompey*s friends, there was one called Caius Li-
gariuSf who had been accused unto Ccesar for taking part with Pompey^

148 NOTES,

and CtBsar discharged him. But Ligarius thanked not Cmar so much
for his discharge, as he was offended with him for that he was brought
in danger by his tyrannical! power. And, therefore, in his heart he was
alway his mortall enemy, and was besides very familiar with Brutus^ who
went to see him being sick in his bed, and said unto him : Ligarius in
what a time art thou sick ! Ligarius rising up in his'bed, and taking him
by the right hand, said unto him : Brutus (said he) if thou hast any great
enterprise in hand worthy of thyself, I am whole."

218. Go along by him. That is, by his house (on your way home). Cf.
iv. 3. 205 below. Pope reads " Go along to him."

2iq. Reasons, D. and H. read "reason."

224. Look fresh and merrily. That is, freshly and merrily (or fresh
and merry). Cf. T. N, v. i. 135 : "Apt and willingly." Gr. 397.

225. Let not our looks put on our purposes. That is, " such expression
as would betray our purposes." Craik compares the exhortation of Lady
Macbeth to her husband {Macb. i. 5. 64) :

"To beguile the time,
Look like the time: bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it"

But the sentiment takes its boldest form from the lips of Macbeth him-
self in the first fervour of his weakness exalted into determined wicked-
ness (i. 7. 81) :

"Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False fiace must hide what the false heart doth know."

227. Formal constancy. " Constancy in outward form or aspect" (Craik) ;
«* dignified self-possession" (Wr.).

230. The honey-heavy dew of slumber. See Gr. 430. The folio reads,
"the hony-heauy-Dew of Slumber," for which the Coll. MS. substitutes
"heavy honey-dew." D. in his ist edition has "honey heavy dew"
(which he explains as " honeyed and heavy"), but in his 2d he adopts
" heavy honey-dew." K., W., H., and the Camb. ed. have honey-heavy
dew. W. adds : " that is, slumber as refreshing as dew, and whose
heaviness is sweet." " Honey-dew" occurs in 71 A, iii. i. 112:

"the honey-dew
Upon a gathered lily almost wither d."

On the figure in the text, cf. Rich, TIL iv. i. 84 : "enjoy the golden dew
of sleep."

231. Thou hast no figures^ etc. "Pictures created by imagination or
apprehension" (Craik). Cf. M. W. iv. 2. 231 : "if it be out to scrape flie
figures out of your husband's brains." On the double negative, see Gr.
406.

233. Enter Portia. Cf. N. {Life of Brutus) : " Now Brutus^ who knew
very well, that for his sake all the noblest, valiantest, and most couragious
men of Rome did venture their lives, weighing with himself the greatness
of the danger: when he was out of his house, he did so frame and fashion
his countenance and lookes, that no man could discern he had anything
to trouble his mind. But when night came that he was in his own house,

ACT IL SCENES ^49

then he was clean changed : for either care did wake him against his will
when he would have slept, or else oftentimes of himself he fell into such
deep thoughts of this enterprise, casting in his mind all the dangers that
might happen : that his Wife lying by him, found that there was some
marvellous great matter that troublea his mind, not being wont to be in
that taking, and that he could not well determine with himself. . . . This
young Lady being excellently well seen in Philosophy, loving her Husband
well, and being of a noble courage, as she was also wise : because she
would not ask her Husband what he ayled, before she had made some
proof by herself: she took a little Razor, such as Barbers occupy to pare
mens nails, and causing her Maids and Women to go out of her Chamber
gave herself a great gash withall in her thigh, that she was straight all of
a gore bloud : and incontinently after, a vehement Feaver took her, by
reason of the pain of her wound. Then perceiving her Husband was
marvellously out of quiet, and that he could take no rest, even in her
greatest pain of all, she spake in this sort unto him : * I being, O Brutus
(said she) the daughter of Cato^ was married unto thee ; not to be thy
bedfellow, and Companion in bed and at board onely, like a Harlot, but
to be partaker also with thee of thy good and evill Fortune. Now for
thy self, I can find no cause of fault in thee touching our match : but for
my part, how may I show my duty towards thee, and how much I would do
for thy sake, if I cannot constantly bear a secret mischance or grief with
thee, which requireth secresie ana fidelity. I confess, that a Womans wit
commonly is too weak to keep a secret safely : but yet {Brutus) good ed-
ucation, and the company of vertuous men, have some power to reform
the defect of nature. And for my self, I have this benefit moreover, that
I am the Daughter of Cato, and Wife of Brutus, This notwithstanding,
I did not trust to any of these things before, untill that now I have found
by experience, that no pain or grief whatsoever can overcome me.* With
those words she shewed him her wound on her thigh, and told him what
she had done to prove her self. Brutus was amazed to hear what she
said unto him, and lifting up his hands to Heaven, he besought the god-
desses to give him the grace he might bring his enterprise to so good
pass, that he might be found a Husband, worthy of so noble a Wife as
Porcia : so he then did comfort her the best he could."

238. State. Elsewhere S. has sto/en. See Gr. 343.

240. Arms across. Folded arms ; as in /^. of L, 1662.

246. Waftnre, The folio has " wafter." S. used the word nowhere
else.

248. Impatience. A quadrisyllable. See on i. 3. 13 above. Gr. 479.

251. His hour. Here his=.\\&^ as often. See on i. 2. 124 above.

254. PrevaiPd on your condition. Influenced your temper or state of
mind. See M. of V. p. 133, note on Condition.

255. Dear my lord. See Gr. 13. Cf. the French cher monsieur^ etc.

261. Is Brutus sick? "For sick^ the correct English adjective to ex-
press all degrees of suffering from disease, and which is universally used
in the Bible and by Shakespeare, the Englishman of Great Britain has
poorly substituted the adverb ///" (W.). Cf Gen. xlviii. i. Sam. xix. 14.
XXX. 13, etc.

ISO

NOTES.

Is it physical f Trench {Glossary, etc) says : " Thoxx^ physical has not
dissociated itself from physics^ it has from physic ^nA physician , being used
now as simply the equivalent for natural" C£ the only other instance in
which S. uses the word, Cor, i. 5. 19 :

** The blood I drop is rather physical
Than dangerous to me."

262. To walk unbraced, Cf. i. 3. 48 above.

266. Rheumy, Causing " rheumatic diseases" {M. N, D. ii. x. 105) ;
used by S. only here.

268. Some sick offence. Some pain, or grief, that makes you sick,

271. I charm you, I conjure you. Cf. R,of L. 1681. rope (followed
by H.) substituted ** charge" — a needless and prosaic alteration.

283. But, as it were, in sort or limitation. Only in a manner, or in some
limited sense.

289. As dear to me, etc. Gray has imitated this in The Bard: " Dear
as the ruddy drops that warm my heart" Some critics see here an an-
ticipation of Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood; but
vague notions of such a circulation prevailed before Harvey's day.

295. A woman well reputed, etc Warb. and St. read, ** A woman, well-
reputed Cato's daughter;'* that is, daughter of the much-esteemed Cato.

297. Being so fathered, etc As Abbott remarks (Gr. 290), " any noun
or adjective could be converted into a verb by the Elizabethan authors."

308. All the charactery, etc The word charactery occurs also in M. IV,
v. 5. 77 : " Fairies use flowers for their charactery," and with the same
accent as here.

309. IVho 'j thttt knocks ? On the ellipsis, see Gr. 244.

313. Vouchsafe good morrow, etc Vouchsafe to receive, etc Gr. 382.

315. To wear a kerchief, T\ityroxdi kerchief {YxQx\c\i couvrir, to co\tx,
and chef, the head) is here used in its original sense of a covering for the
head. Cf. M. W, iii. 3. 62 : "A plain kerchief. Sir John ; my brows be-
come nothing else." As Malone remarks, S. here gives to Rome the
manners of his own time, it being a common practice in England for sick
people to wear a kerchief on their heads. Cf. Fuller, Worthies: "if any
there be sick, they make him a posset, and tye a kerchief on his heao,
and if that will not mend him, then God be merciful to him."

323. Thou, like an exorcist, " Here, and in all other places where the
word occurs in S., to exorcise means to raise spirits, not to lay them"
(Mason). See Cymb, iv. 2. 276, A, W, v. 3. 305, and 2 Hen, VI, 1. 4. 5.

324. Mortified spirit. The former word makes y^«r syllables ; the latter,
as often, only one (Gr. 463). On w^///?^//= deadened, cf. Hen. V, i. i. 26 ;

"The breath no sooner left his fathei's body,
But that his wildness, mortified in him,
Seem'd to die too."

331. To whom it must be done. See Gr. 208, and cf. 394. H. and some
other editors put a comma after going, making To whom, etc, a repetition
of What it is.

Scene H. — i. Have been. On the plural verb, cf. Gr. 408.

2. Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep, etc. Cf. N. {Life of Casar) ;

ACT II. SCENE II.

151

** He heard his wife Calptimia, being fast asleep, weep and sigh, and put
forth mai)y fumbling* lamentable speeches : for she dreamed that Casat
was slain, and that she had him in her Arms. . . . Insomuch that Casar
rising in tha morning, she prayed him if it were possible, not to go out of
the doors that day, but to adjourn the Session of the Senate untill another
day. And if that he made no reckoning of her Dream, yet that he would
search further of the Soothsayers by their Sacrifices, to know what should
happen him that day. Thereby it seemed that Ccesar likewise did fear or
suspect somewhat, because his Wife Calpurnia untill that time was never
given to any fear and superstition : and that then he saw her so troubled
in mind with this Dream she had. But much more afterwards, when the
Soothsayers having sacrificed many Beasts one after another, told him
that none did like them :t then he determined to send Anlonius to adjourn
the Session of the Senate. But in the mean time came Decius Brutus,
surnamed Albinus, in whom Ccssar put such confidence, that in his last
Will and Testament he had appointed him to be his next Heir, and yet
was of the conspiracy with Cassius and Brutus: he, fearing that \{Casard\d
adjourn the Session that day, the conspiracy would be betrayed, laughed
at the Soothsayers, and reproved Casar, saying, that he gave the Senate
occasion to mislike with him, and that they might think he mocked them,
considering that by his commandment they were assembled, and that they
were ready willingly to grant him all things, and to proclaim him King of
all his Provinces of the Empire of Rome out of Italy, and that he should
wear his Diadem in all other places both by Sea and Land. And further-
more, that if any man should tell them from him, they should depart for
that present time, and return again when Calpurnia should have better
Dreams, what would his Enemies and ill-willers say, and how could the>
like of his Friends words ?"

5. Present, Immediate ; as in R. of Z. 1263 : " present death," etc.
For /;w^////y=immediately, see M. of V. p. 131.

6. Success. Probably = good-fortune (and so in v. 3. 65 below) ; but ex-
plained by Craik as= issue. For the latter sense, cf. v. 3. 66 ; also Rich.
Ill, iv. 4. 236: "dangerous success " (see our ed. p. 232), etc. See also
Joshuay i. 8.

13. / never stood on ceremonies. I never regarded auguries. See on
ii. 1. 197 above.

19. Fought. The folio has " fight," which K., Craik, and the Camb.
ed. retain. Fought was proposed by D., and is adopted by W. and H.

22. Hurtled. Clashed. See A. Y. L. p. 191 ; and cf. Gray, The Fatal

Sisters :

" Iron sleet of arrowy shower
Hurtles in the darken* d air.'*

23. Horses did neigh. The ist folio has " Horsses do neigh ;'* corrected
in the 2d folio. K. retains " do," on the ground that " the tenses arc
purposely confounded, in the vague terror of the speaker ;" but, as Craik
remarks, ** no degree of mental agitation ever expressed itself in such a
jumble and confusion of tenses as this — not even insanity or drunkenness."

• This is the word in the edition of 1676 ; as quoted by K., it is "grumbling."
\ That is, none of the victims did pUase them, or give good omens.

IS2

NOTES,

24. And ghosts did shriek^ etc. Cf. the passage from Hamlet (i. i)
quoted on page 27.

25. Beyond all use. That is, all that we are used to.

27. Whose end is purposed. The completion of which is designed.

31. Blaze forth. Proclaim (cf. R, and y. p. 191) ; with a reference also
to the other meaning, as in V, and A. 219 : " Red cheeks and fiery eyes
blaze forth her wrong." On the passage cf. i. ffen, VI, \, i. i fol.

32. Cowards die many times, etc See p. 17 above.

38. They would not have you to stir. For the to, see Gr. 349.

42. Casar should be a beast. On should =viOM\d, see Gr. 322.

46. We are two lions. The folio has, ** We heare two Lyons." The cor-
rection is Upton's, and is generally adopted. Theo. proposed " were."

67. Afeard, Used by S. interchangeably with afraid,

72. Enough to satisfy, etc. Enough yiv me to do towards that end.

76. To-night, \a&\. night ; as in iii. 3. i below. See M. of V, p. 142.

In this line the folio has " Statue," and also in iii. 2. 186 below : ** Euen
at the Base of Pompeyes Statue ;" but in both passages the editors, with
very few exceptions, have given statua, a form of the word common in the
time of S. both in poetry and prose. Bacon, for example, uses it in Es-
says 27, 37, and 45, in Adv. of L, ii. i. 2 ; 22. i ; 23. 36 ('* a statua of Cae-
sar's"), and repeatedly (if not uniformly) elsewhere. See Gr. 487. Some
print "statue."

78. Lusty, See on i. 2. 104 above.

81. And evils imminent. This is the folio reading, altered by Hanmer
and the Coll. MS. to " Of evils imminent." D. and H. adopt this emen-
dation, but K., W., and the Camb. ed. retain And,

89. For tinctures, stains, etc. ** Tinctures and stains are understood both
by Malone and Steevens as carrying an allusion to the practice of persons
dipping their handkerchiefs in the blood of those whom they regarded as
martyrs. And it must be confessed that the general strain of the passage,
and more especially the expression *shall^;wj for tinctures,' etc., will not
easily allow us to reject this interpretation. Yet does it not make the
speaker assign to Caesar by implication the very kind of death Calphur-
nia's apprehension of which he professes to regard as visionary ? The
pressing for tinctures and stains, it is true, would be a confutation of so
much of Calphurnia's dream as seemed to imply that the Roman people
would be delighted with his death —

' Many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.'

Do we refine too much in supposing that this inconsistency between the
purpose and the language of Decius is intended by the poet, and that in
this brief dialogue between him and Caesar, in which the latter suffers
himself to be so easily won over — ]>ersuaded and relieved by the very
words that ought naturally to have confirmed his fears — we are to feel
the presence of an unseen power driving on both the unconscious prophet
and the blinded victim ?" (Craik). Cf. iii. 2. 131 below.

Cognizance (that by which anything is known) is an heraldic term =
badge. Cf i Hen, VI, ii. 4. 108 and Cymb, ii. 4. 127. Here the word
may be plural. See Gr. 471.

ACT II. SCENES III. AND IV.

IS3

97. Apt to be rendered. Likely to be made in reply. H. gives this strange
explanation : " It were apt, or likely, to be construed or represented as a
piece of mockery."

103. Lcve to your proceeding. Affectionate interest in your course of
conduct, or career. Cf. R. and J. iii. 1. 193 : " I have an mterest in your
haters proceeding," etc.

104. And reason to my love is liable, " * Reason,' or propriety of con-
duct and language, is subordinate to my love" (Johnson) ; or, my love
leads me to indulge in a freedom of speech that my reason would restrain.

114. 'T'/j strucken eight. See on ii. i. 192 above.

1 18. So to most noble Casar. On so^ see Gr. 65.

1 19. To be thus^ etc. In being thus, etc Gr. ^56.

121. An hour'^s talk. Here honr'^s is a dissyllable. See Hen. VIII. p.
197, or Gr. 480.

128. That every like^ etc "That to be like a thing is not always to be
that thing" (Craik). There is a reference to Caesar's " We, like friends."

129. Yearns to think npon. The folio has "earnes," another form of
the same word. Cf. Spenser, F. Q. iii. 10. 21 ; ** And ever his faint hart
much earned at the sight ;" where it is used in the same sense as here. In
F. Q. i. I. 3 (" his heart did earne To prove his puissance"), i. 6. 25 (** he
for revenge did earne"), etc., it is used in its current sense. In ^. yearn
always means either to pain (transitive) or to be pained, to grieve (intrans-
itive). Cf. Hen. V. ii. 3. 3 ; " For Falstaff he is dead. And we must
yearn therefore ;" Id. iv. 3. 26 : " It yearns me not if men my garments
wear ;" Rich. II. v. 5. 76 : " O. how it yearned my heart," etc. On the
position of ///<?//, see Gr. 203.

Scene III. — 6. Look about you. On you following thou^ see Gr. 235.

Security gives way to. Confidence, or carelessness, leaves the way open
to. Cf. iv. 3. 39 below ; and Macb. iii. 5. 32 : "security Is mortal's chief-
est enemy."

7. Lover. Friend. See M. of V. p. 153.

12. Out of the teeth of emulation. Sate from the attacks of envy. Cf.
71 and C. ii. 2. 212: "Whilst emulation in the army crept." In the
Rheims version of the Bible (1582), Acts vii. 9 reads, " And the patriarchs
through emulation sold Joseph into Egypt." Bacon, like S., uses the
word in both a good and a bad sense.

14. Contrive. Plot. Cf. M. of V. iv. i. 360: "Thou hast contriv'd
against the very life ;" Ham. iv. 7. 136: " Most generous and free from
all contriving," etc. See also on contriver^ ii. i. 158 above. In T. of S.
i. 2. 278 (" Please you we may contrive this afternoon"), contrive is used
in the sense of wear away, spend (Latin conlero^ contrivi)^ and Walker
makes it have a similar meaning (sojourning, contereutes temf^us) in A.
and Ci. 2. 189: "our contriving friends in Rome" (but see our ed. p.
172). Cf. Spenser, F. Q. ii. 9. ^: "Three ages, such as mortall men
contrive."

Scene IV. — 3. To know my errand. Steevens compares Rich. Ill, iv.
4. 444 fol.

IS4

NOTES.

6. Constancy, Firmness ; as in ii. i. 227, 299 above. Cf. Macb. ii. 2.
68 : " Your constancy Hath left you unattended" (that is, your firmness
has forsaken you).

9. To keep counsel. To keep a secret. Cf. Ham. iii. 2. 152 : "the play-
ers cannot keep counsel ; they'll tell all ;" A, fV. iii. 7. 9 : " what to your
sworn counsel (secrecy) I have spoken." See also ii. i. 298 above.

i^, A bustling rumour. Here n/»i<?//r= murmur, noise. Qi, K.John^
v. 4. 45 : " the noise and rumour of the field." Drayton uses Tumorous
similarly : " the rumorous sound Of the sterne billowes."

20. Sooth. In sooth, in truth. See M. of V, p. 127, note on In sooth.

Enter Soothsayer, Here Rowe (followed by W.) substituted ** Artemi-
dorus." Tyrwhitt says that it should be " Artemidorus, who is seen and
accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand to one more con-
venient." The folio may be wrong, but the case is hardly clear enough
to justify a change.

31. Any harm V intended. Any harm that is intended. Cf. ii. I. 309
above.

37. / ''ll get me to a place more void. I '11 betake myself to a place more
open (as opposed to narrow). On get me, see Gr. 296, 223.

39. Ay me ! It is " Aye me !" in the folio, but all the editors except
Craik and D. have " Ah me !" The latter, as Craik remarks, is a phrase
that S. nowhere uses. Cf. Milton, Lycidas^ 56, 154, Comus, 511, /*. L. iv.
86, X. 813, etc. Neither Wore, nor Wb. recognizes this ay. The affirma-
tive particle ay or aye is uniformly printed " 1" in the folio ; as in the
second line of the next scene : ** I Casar^ but not gone."

42. Brutus hath a suity eta " This she addresses in explanation to the
boy, whose presence she had for a moment forgotten" (Craik).

COINS STRUCK ON THB DEATH OF CiBSAR.

ACT III. SCENE I.

155

ACT III.

Scene I. — Here, as in Ham. and A. and C. (see quotations on pp. 28,
29), the death of Caesar is represented as taking place in the Capitol, in-
stead of the Curia of Pompey. Cf. N. {Life of Brutus) : " Furthermore,
they [the conspirators] thought also that the appointment of the place
where the Councill should be kept, was chosen of purpose by divine Prov-
idence, and made all for them. For it was one of the Porches about the
Theater, in the which there was a certain place full of Seats for men to
sit in ; where also was set up the image of Pompey^ which the City had
made and consecrated in honour of him, when he did beautifie.that part
of the City with the Theater he built, with divers Porches about it In
this place was the assembly of the Senate appointed to be, just on the fif-
teenth of the Moneth March^ which the Romans ca^^Idus Martias: so
that it seemed some god of purpose had brought Casar thither to be slain,
for revenge oi Pompey* s death."

See also N. {Life of Casar) : "And one Artemidorus also born in the
Isle of Gnidos, a Doctor of Rhetorick in the Greek Tongue, who by means
of his Profession was very familiar with certain qI Brutus Confederates ;
and therefore knew the most part of all their practices against Casar,
came and brought him a little Bill written with his own hand, of all that
he meant to tell him. He marking how Casar received all the Supplica-
tions that were offered him, and that he ^ave them straight to his men
that were about him pressed nearer to him, and said : Ccesar^ read this
Memorial to your sel^ and that quickly, for they be matters of great
weight, and touch you nearly. Ccesar took it of him, but could never read
it, though he many times attempted it, for the number of People that did
salute him."

8. What touches us otirself etc. The Coll. MS. alters this to "That
touches us ? Ourself shall be last serv'd." Craik adopts this " specious
but entirely needless change," as W. calls it.

13. / wish your enterprise to-day may thrive. Cf N. {Life of Brutus) :
"Another Senatour called Popilius Lana^ zfter he had saluted Brutus
and Cassius more friendly than he was wont to do, he rounded* softly in
their ears, and told them : I pray the goddess you may go through with
that you have taken in hand ; but withall, dispatch I readt you, for your
enterprise is bewrayed. When he bad said, he presently departed from
them, and left them both afraid that their conspiracy would out."

18. LooJS^y how he makes to Casar; mark him. See how he presses
towards Caesar. Mark is probably a dissyllable here. Or. 485.

21. Cassius or Ccesar^ etc. This is the folio reading, retained by K.,
D., H., and the Camb. ed. Malone proposed "Cassius on Caesar,"
which is adopted by Craik and W. But, as Ritson remarks, " Cassius
says, if the plot be discovered, at all events either he or Caesar shall
never return alive ; for, if the latter cannot be killed, he is determined to

* See Hen. VIII. p. 168, foot-note.

t ReoiL, or rede^ meant to advise or counsel. We have the noun in Ham. L 3. 51 :
" And redes not his own rede." See our ed. p. 18S.

156 NOTES.

slay himsjclf." Craik, commenting on this, says that " to turn back can-
not mean to return alive, or to return in any way." But see Rich, III,
iv. 4. 184: " Ere from this war thou turn a conqueror ;" T, A' v. 2. 141 :
" And tarry wish him till I turn again ;" A, Y, L, iii. i. 7 :

" Bring him dead or living
Within this ^elvemonth, or turn thou no more
To seek a living in our territory ;"

0th. iv. I. 263 : •* you did wish that I would make her turn," etc

22. Cassius, be constant^ etc Cf. N. (Z//Jr of Bnitus) : " And when
Cassins and certain other clapped their hands on their Swords to draw
them, Brutus marking the countenance and gesture of Lana^ and con-
sidering that he did use himself rather like an humble and earnest suiter,
then like an accuser : he said nothing to his Companion (because there
were many amongst them that were not of the conspiracy), but with
a pleasant countenance encouraged Casstus, And immediately after,
Lisna went from Casar^ and kissed his hand : which shewed plainly that
it was for some matter concerning himself, that he had held him so long
in talk."

26. He draws Mark Antony out of the way. Cf. N. {Life of Brutus) :
" Trebonius on the other side drew Antonius aside, as he came into the
house where the Senate sate, and held him with a long talk without."

29. He is addressed. He is ready. Cf. M. of V: ii. 9. 19 : " And so have
I address'd me" (prepared myself) ; 2 Hen. IV. iv. 4. 5 : " Our navy is
address'd ;" M, N. D. v. 1. 107 : "the Prologue is address'd," etc

30. Casca^you are the first that rears your hand. Cf. Tentp, ii. I. 295 :
** When I rear my hand." On the construction, see Gr. 247.

31. Are we all ready ^ In the folio (so in K. and the Camb. ed.) these
words begin Caesar's speech. Ritson proposed to add them to Cinna's
speech, but the Coll. MS. assigns them to Casca, "in whose mouth they
form a very natural rejoinder to what Cinna has just said." This latter
arrangement is adopted by Craik, D., W., and H.

On the remainder of this scene, cf. N. {Lif of Brutus) : " So when he
was set, the Conspiratours flocked about him, and amongst them they pre-
sented one Tidlius Cimber*'wYio made humble suit for the calling home
again of his Brother that was banished. They all made as though they
were intercessours for him, and took Ccesar by the hands, and kissed his
head and breast. Casar at the first, simply refused their kindness and
entreaties : but afterwards, perceiving they still pressed on him, he vio-
lently thrust them from him. Then Cimber^ with both his hands plucked
Ccesar'^s Gown over his shoulders, and Casca that stood behind him, drew
his Dagger first and strake Casar upon the shoulder, but gave him no
great wound. CV^J^r feeling himself hurt, took him straight by the hand
he held his Dagger in, and cried out, in Latine, O traytor Casca^ what doest
thou ? Casca on the other side cried in Greek, and called his Brother to
help him. So divers running on a heap together to flie upon Ccesar^ he
looking about him to have fled, saw Brutus with a Sword drawn in his
hands ready to strike at him : then he let Casca"* s hand go, and casting his

* In the Life o/Casar he is called Metellus Cifnber^ and in Suetonius (i. 82) Cimbtr
Tullius.

ACT /II. SC£JVE I.

157

Gown over his face, suffered every man to strike at him that would. Then
the Conspiratours thronging one upon another, because every man was
desirous to have a cut at him, so many Swords and Daggers lighting upon
one body, one of them hurt another, and among them Brutus caught a
blow on his hand, because he would make on^ in murthering of him, and
all the rest also were every man of them blowiied. Casar being slain in
this manner, Brutus standing in the middest of the house, would have
spoken and staied the other Senatours that were not of the conspiracy, to
have told them the reason why they had done this fact But they as men
both afraid and amazed, fled, one upon anothers neck in hast to get out
at the door, and no man followed them. For it was set down, and agreed,
between them, that they should kill no man but Casar onely, and should
intreat all the rest to look to defend their liberty."

33. Puissant, Always a dissyllable in S., though puissance is some-
times a trisyllable. Cf. 2 Hen, IV, i. 3. 9 : ** Upon the power and puis-
sance of the king ;" and Id. i. 3. 77 : "And come against us in full puis-
sance." In Spenser we find {F. Q, iv. 11. 15) "Of puissant Nations
which the world possest," and (/^ Q, v. 2. 7) " For that he is so puissant
and strong."

36. TAese couchings. The Coll. MS. has " crouchings," which Craik
says " does not admit of a doubt." But Sr. remarks that *^ couching had
the same meaning as crouching; thus Huloet: *Cowche, like a dogge ;
procumbOf prosierno,'' " Cf. also Gen, xlix. 14. K., D., W., H., and the
Camb. ed. retain couchings,

39. Into the law of children. The folio reads " the lane of Children,"
a misprint which Johnson corrected.

Be notfoudt etc Be not so foolish as to think, etc See M, of V, pp.
146, 152, and Gr. 281. On such . . . that^ see Gr. 279.

4;j. Law-crooked curtsies. The Coll. MS. has "Low-crouched," which
Craik adopts. But ** low-crooked is the same as low-crouched ; for Huloet
has * crooke-backed or crowche-bcuked^^ and to crook was to bow" (Sr.). See
Temp, p. 120, note on Curtsied,

47. Know CcBsar doth not wroug^ etc Ben Jonson, in his Discoveries^
speaking of Shakespeare, says : " Many times he fell into those things
could not escape laughter ; as when he said in the person of Caesar, one
speaking to him, * Caesar, thou dost me wrong,* he replied, * Caesar did
never wrong but with just cause.*" And he ridicules the expression
again in his Staple of News: " Cry you mercy ; you never did wrong but
with just cause,'* Craik believes that the words stood originally as Jon-
son has given them ; but, as Collier suggests, Jonson was probably speak-
ing only from memory, which, as he himself says, was " shaken with age
now, aiid sloth,*' and misquoted the passage.

51. The repealing of my banished brother. That is, his recall. Both the
verb and the noun (see the next speech) are often used by S. in this sense.
Cf. Rich, II iv. I. 87 : " Till Norfolk be repeal'd : repeal'd he shall be ;"
Cor. V. 5. 5 : " Repeal him with the welcome of his mother ;" Id. iv. 1.41 :
"A cause for thy repeal ;" R. ofL, 640 : "I sue for exiled niajesty's repeal.**
60. But I am constant^ etc. Cf. i. 2, 208 : " But always I am Caesar. **
67. Apprehensive, Endowed with apprehension or intelligence. Cf.

IS8 NOTES,

2 Hen, IV, iv. 3. 107 : " Makci it (the brain) apprehensive, quick, forge-
tive (inventive) ;" B. and F., Philaster^ v. i : " as I did grow More and
more apprehensive," etc.

69. Holds on his ranky etc Continues to " hold his place" (like the
star), resisting every attempt to move him. Unshaked of motion might
mean unshaken in his motion (Gr. 173), but that would not be in keep-
ing with the simile of the pole-star.

77. Et ttt. Brute ! " There is no ancient Latin authority, I believe, for
this famous exclamation, although in Suetonius, i. 82, Caesar is made to
address Brutus Kai <ru, Timvov ; (And thou too, my son ?). It may have
occurred as it stands here in the Latin play on the same subject which is
recorded to have been acted at Oxford in 1582 ; and it is found in The
True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York^ first printed in 1 595, on which 3
Hen. VI, is founded, as also in a poem by S. Nicholson, entitled Acolastus
his Afterwitf printed in 1600, in both of which nearly contemporary pro-
ductions we have the same line — * Et tu^ Brute f Wilt thou stab Caesar
too ?' " (Craik). According to Stokes, it is in the Latin play of 1582.

90. Cheer, On the literal meaning ( = tace), see M, of V, p. 152.

93. Lest that. On that as a " conjunctional affix," see Gr. 287.

95. Abide this deed. That is, answer for it, be held responsible for it.
Cf iii. 2. 1 12 below. Aby was used in the same sense ; as in M, N, D, iii.
2. 175: "Lest to thy peril thou aby it dear.* This aby is fremient in
Spenser. See F. Q. ii. 8. 28 : ** His life for dew revenge should deare
abye ;" also Id. iii. 4. 38, iii. ID. 3, iv. I. 5J, iv. 6. 8, etc.

96. But we. Cf. Ham. i. 4. 54 : " Makmg night hideous, and we," etc.
Gr. 216.

99. As it zaere doomsday. As ^it were. Gr. 107.

102. PVhy, he that cuts off, etc. The folio gives this speech to Casca, but
some of the editors have transferred it to Cassius. As H. remarks, ** the
sentiment is in strict keeping with what Casca says in i. 3. 100 above :
* So every bondman in his own hand bears,* etc."

1 14. In states unborn. The ist folio has " Stale,'* and just below " lye
along ;** both corrected in 2d folio.

1 16. On Pompey's basis lies along. Lies prostrate at the base of Pom-
pey's statue. Cf. Cor. v. 6. 57 : " When he lies along,'* etc. See also
Judges, vii. 13.

122. Most boldest. Cf. iii. 2. 181 below : " most unkindest,** etc. Gr. 1 1.

132. Be resolv\L Have his doubts resolved or removed ; be satisfied.
Cf. iii. 2. 177 and iv. 2. 14 below.

137. Thorough. Through. See M. of V. p. 144, note on Throughfares.

141. Tell him, so please him cotne. See Gr. 133, 297, and 349.

144. iVe shall have him well to friend. See Temp. p. 124, note on A
paragon to their queen. Gr. 189.

146. My misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose. My suspicions
are always shrewd enough to hit the mark. On stilly see M. of V. p. 128.

153. Be let blood. Be bled ; that is, put to death. Cf. Rich. III. iii. i.
183, T.and C. ii. 3. 222, Cymb. iv. 2. 168, etc Rank—^\Q^ from repletion;
as in Sonn. 1 18. 12 (see our ed. p. 170), 2 Hen. IV. iv. 1.64, etc

156. Of half that worth as. See Gr. 280.

ACT III. SCMATS /.

iS9

158. / t/if beseech ye^ if you bear me hard. On the pronouns, sec Gr.
236. For bear me hardy see on i. 2. 303 above.

160. Live a thousand years. Cf. M, ojf V, iii. 2. 61 : " Live thou, I live ;"
and see Gr. 361.

161. Apt to die. Ready or disposed to die.

162. No mean of death. On mean=mtzxiSy see Hen. VIII. p. 201.
164. The choice and master spirits, Craik thinks that choice mav be

either noun or adjective, but it is pretty certainly the latter. We nave
the expression " choice spirits" in i Hen. VI. v. 3. 3.

172. As fire, etc. The fir^t fire is a dissyllable, the second a monosyl-
lable. See Gr. 480, and cf. 475. For the simile, cf. R. and J. i. 2. 46 :
" one fire burns out another's burning ;" Cor, iv. 7. 54 : ** One fire drives
out one fire ;" T, G, of V, ii. 4. 192 : " Even as one heat another heat ex-
pels," etc.

175. Our arms y in strength of malice^ etc The passage stands thus in
the folio : ^lQ^^ Armes in strength of malice, and our Hearts
Of Brothers temper, do receiue vou in,
With all kinde loue, good thoughts, and reuerence.''

Pope reads " exempt from malice ;" Capell and D., " no strength of
malice ;" the Coll. MS. and Craik, ** in strength of welcome." Sr. (fol-
lowed by H.) suggested " in strength of amity." K., W., and Wr. retain
the folio reading, and W. remarks : " The difficulty found in this passage,
which even Mr. Dyce suspects to be corrupt, seems to result from a for-
getfulness of the preceding context :

*' * Though now we must appear bloody and crutl^
As by our hands^ and this our present act,
You see we do; yet you see but our hands,
And this the bleeding business they have done.
Our hearts you see not ; they are pitiful :
And pity to the general wrong of Rome,' etc.

So {Brutus continues) our arms, even in the intensity of their hatred to
Ccesar''s tyranny, and our hearts in their brotherly love to all Romans, do
receive you in." Wr. explains thus: "strong as if nerved by malice
against you, the death grip of enemies being stronger than the most lov-
ing embrace. See also p. 192 below.

182. Deliver, Declare, relate. See Temp, p. 144, and Hen. VIII, pp.
163, 176.

185. Render^ etc. "Give me back in return for mine" (Craik).

190. Though lasty not least in love. Cf. Lear, i. i. 85 (quarto): "Al-
though the last, not least in our dear love." Spenser has " though last,
not least" in Coliu Clout 'j Come Home Again, published in 1595.

193. Conceit, See on i. 3. 161 above.

197. Dearer, More intensely. See Temp. p. 124, note on 133.

205. Bayed. That is, " brought to bay," or hemmed in by enemies as
a hart by the hounds. See Rich. II. p. 186, note on 127.

207. Crimsoned in thy lethe. " Crimson'd in the stream that bears thee
to oblivion " (W.) The Coll. MS. alters lethe to "death " (as Pope had
done), which H. adopts. Coll. himself, in his 2d edition, restores lethe^
which is also given by K., D., St, and the Camb. ed.

i6o NOTES.

208, 209. O worlds etc: Coleridge doubted the genuineness of these
two lines, both on account of the rhythm, ** which is not Shakespearian,"
and because they interrupt the sense and connection and ** the Shake-
spearian link of association." He adds : ** I venture to say there is
no instance in Shakespeare fairly like this. Conceits he has ; but they
not only rise out of some word in the lines before, but also lead to the
thought in the lines following. Here the conceit is a mere alien : An-
tony forgets an image when he is even touching it, and then recollects it,
when the thought last in his mind must have led him away from it." We
kave the same quibble in ^. K Z. iii. 2. 260 and 7". iVl i. i. 21.
210. Strncken, The folio has **strok6n," and in 183 ** strooke" for struck,
214. Modfsty, Moderation. Cf. T, ofS, ind. 1. 68 : " If it be husbanded
with modesty," etc.

216. Compact, On the accent, see Gr. 490.

217. Pricked, Marked. Cf. iv. 1. 1, 3, 16 below. See also 2 Hen, IV,
p. 172.

225. So full of good regard, " So full of what is entitled to favourable
regard" (Craik). Cf. iv. 2. 12 below.

229. Produce, Bear forth, bring out ; as in i Hen. VI, \, 4. 40, Lear^ v.
3. 230, etc.

236. By your pardon. By your leave, I will explain.

242. Have all true rites. Pope, D., and H. read " due rites," but, as
Coll. says, " the change seems rather for the worse."

258. The tide of times. ** The course of times" (Johnson). As Craik
remarks, " tide and time properly mean the same thing." Cf. Spenser,
F. Q. i. 2. 29: **and rest their weary limbs a tide ;" Id. iii. 6. 21 : "mine
may be your paine another tide;" Id. iii. 9. 32: "glad of so fitte tide
Him to commend," etc. The word still has this sense in eventide, spring-
tide, etc.

259. Hands. The folio has "hand," which K. retains; but cf. 159
above.

263. TAe limbs of men. The folio reading, retained by K., W., and H.
W., however, is " almost sure" that S. wrote " the fonnes of men." Warb.
proposed "line," Hanmer "kind," Johnson "lives" or "lymms,"*the
Coll. MS. "loins" (which Craik adopts). Walker "times," St. "tombs,"
and Swynfen Jervis (whom D. follows) "minds."

269. fVitA the hands. Here 7vith=by, as often. Gr. 193. C£ iii. 2.
195 below. See also Hen, VIII. p. 193.

272. Pf^ith Ate by his side, Craik remarks that " this Homeric goddess
had taken a strong hold of Shakespeare's imagination.*' See Much Ado,
ii. I. 263 : " the infernaJ Ate ;" L. L, L, v. 2. 694: " more Ates. more
Ates ;" K, John, ii. I. 63 : "an Ate stirring him to blood and strife."

274. Cry * Havoc P In old times this cry was the signal that no quar-
ter was to be given. Cf. Cor. iii. i. 275 :

• " That is," he adds, " these bloodhounds of men." S. uses the word in Lear^ iii. 6. ^% ;
•' Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach or fym.**
The old copies have "him** or "hym," but there can be no doubt that these are mis-
prints for "lym."

ACT in, SCENE IL l6l

" Do not cry havoc, where you should but hunt
With modest warrant"

TTie dojE^s of war. Steele {Tatier, No. 137) suggests that by **the dogs
of war" S. probably meant firct sword, diWdi famine, Cf. Hen, V, i. chor. 5 :

" Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,
Leash' d in like hounds, should Famine, Sword, and Fire

Crouch for employment'

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