SCENE II. The Same. A Public Place. Enter, in procession, with trumpets and other music, CÆSAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPHURNIA', PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great Crowd following, among them a Soothsayer. Cæs. Stand you directly in Antonius' way", When he doth run his course.-Antonius,— Ant. Cæsar, my lord. Cæs. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile curse. I shall remember: Ant. Sooth. Cæsar! Cæs. Ha! Who calls? Casca. Bid every noise be still.-Peace yet again! Cæs. Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, [Music. [Music ceases. 6 With TRUMPETS AND OTHER music,] These words are from the corr. fo. 1632: the folio, 1623, says nothing of the kind, but from what follows, it is evidently necessary to mention music. 7 — Calphurnia,] Such is the name she bears in North's "Plutarch," 1579, p. 769, both in the body of the book and in the margin. We only mention it because Mr. Craik, in his "English of Shakespeare," p. 60, by mistake says the reverse, and objects that Shakespeare ought to have called her Calpurnia. See Plutarch's "Life of Antonius." • Stand you directly in ANTONIUS' way,] It is, by corruption, "in Antonio's way" in the old copies. Cæsar afterwards states his reason, and the knowledge of the superstition was obtained by Shakespeare from the "Life of Cæsar," in North's "Plutarch." Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cæs. What man is that? Bru. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March. Cas. Fellow, come from the throng: look upon Cæsar. [Sennet. Exeunt all but BRU. and Cas. Cas. Will you go see the order of the course? Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late : Bru. 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, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours; Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Forgets the shows of love to other men. Cas. 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? Cas. "Tis just; And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself For that which is not in me? Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar❜d to hear: That of yourself, which you yet know not of. [Flourish, and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cas. Ay, do you fear it ? Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well. For, let the gods so speed me, as I love Corrected by Pope. 9 a common LAUGHER,] Old copies, laughter. To every new protester;] i. e. says Johnson, to invite every new protester by making my regard stale by reason of the use of customary oaths. 2 That I profess MYSELF, in banqueting,] The folio, 1632, omits “ in this line, but the old annotator on that edition inserted it in his margin. myself" Think of this life; but for my single self In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæsar, so were you; The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores, And swim to yonder point ?"-Upon the word, And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain, And, when the fit was on him, I did mark How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake: Bru. [Shout. Flourish. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are 3 But ere we could ARRIVE the point propos'd,] i. e. Attain or reach the point propos'd. This transitive use of "arrive" was not uncommon. For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Cas. 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 Cæsar: what should be in that Cæsar? Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar. Now, in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd: Oh! you and I have heard our fathers say, Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; I will with patience hear, and find a time That her wide WALLS encompass'd but one man?] The early impressions have walks for "walls" of the corr. fo. 1632, and Mr. Singer, adopting "walls" (and he could not well avoid it), in this instance fairly admits his obligation to the old annotator. |