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Bru. He greets me well.-Your mafter, Pindarus, 'In his own change, or by ill officers, Hath given me fome worthy caufe to wish

Things done, undone: but if he be at hand,
I fhall be fatisfied.

Pin. I do not doubt,

But that my noble mafter will appear,
Such as he is, full of regard, and honour.
Bru. He is not doubted.-A word, Lucilius-
How he receiv'd you, let me be refolv'd.

Luc. With courtefy, and with refpect enough;
But not with fuch familiar inftances,

Nor with fuch free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru. Thou haft describ'd

In his own change, or by ill officers,] The fenfe of which is this, Either your mafter, by the change of bis virtuous nature, or by his officers abufing the power be bad intrufled to them, hath don' fome things I could wish undone. This implies a doubt which of the two was the cafe. Yet, immediately after, on Pindarus's faying, His mafter was full of regard and bonour, he replies, He is not doubted. To reconcile this, we should read,

In his own CHARGE, or by ill officers,

i. e. Either by those under his immediate command, or under the command of bis lieutenants, who had abufed their truft. Charge is fo ufual a word in Shakespeare, to fignify the forces committed to the truft of a commander, that I think it needless to give any inftances. WARBURTON.

The arguments for the change propofed are infufficient. Brutus could not but know whether the wrongs committed were done by thofe who were immediately under the command of Caffius, or thofe under his officers. The anfwer of Brutus to the fervant is only an act of artful civility; his question to Lucilius proves, that his fufpicion ftill continued. Yet I cannot but fufpect a corruption, and would read,

In his own change, or by ill offices.

That is, either changing his inclination of himself, or by the ill of fices and bad influences of others.

JOHNSON.

A

A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to ficken 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 fhew and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody fpur,
They fall their crefts, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be quar-
ter'd;

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Caffius.

Enter Caffius and Soldiers.

[March within.

Bru. Hark, he is arriv❜d :—

March gently on to meet him.

Caf. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Caf. Most noble brother, you have done me

wrong.

Bru. Judge me, you Gods! Wrong I mine ene

mies?

And, if not fo, how fhould I wrong a brother?

Caf. Brutus, this fober form of yours

And when you do them-

Bru. Caffius, be content,

Speak your griefs foftly.-I do know

hides wrongs,

you

well:

Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing but love, from us,
Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Caffius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Caf.

Caf. Pindarus,

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

Bru. Lucilius, do the like; and let no man Come to our tent, 'till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.

[blocks in formation]

The infide of Brutus's tent.

Re-enter Brutus and Caffius.

[Exeunt.

Caf. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear

in this :

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letter, praying on his fide,
Because I knew the man, was flighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in fuch a cafe.
Caf. In fuch a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offence fhould bear its comment.
Bru. Let me tell you, Caffius, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To fell, and mart your offices for gold,
To undefervers.

Caf. I an itching palm?

You know, that you are Brutus, that speak this;
Or, by the Gods, this fpeech, were else your last.
Bru. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chaftisement doth therefore hide its head.
Caf. Chaftifement !

Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember!

Did not great Julius bleed for juftice fake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,

2-every nice offence-] i. e. fmall trifling offence. So in Romeo and Juliet, A& V.

"The letter was not nice, but full of charge
"Of dear import."

WARE.

STEEVENS.

And

And not for juftice? What, fhall one of us,
That ftruck the foremost man of all this world,
But for fupporting robbers; fhall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes ?
And fell the mighty space of our large honours,
For fo much trash, as may be grafped thus?-
3I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than fuch a Roman.

Caf. Brutus, bait not me,

I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a foldier; ay,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
5 To make conditions.

Bru. Go to; you are not Caffius.
Caf. I am.

Bru. I fay, you are not.

Caf. Urge me no more, I fhall forget myself; Have mind upon your health,-tempt me no further. Bru. Away, flight man!

Caf. Is't poffible?-

Bru. Hear me, for I will speak.

Muft I give way and room to your rash choler?
Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares?
Caf. O Gods! ye Gods! muft I endure all this?

3 I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,

Than fuch a Roman.] The poets and common people, who generally think and speak alike, fuppofe the dog bays the moon out of envy to its brightnefs; an allufion to this notion makes the beauty of the paffage in queftion: Brutus hereby infinuates a covert accufation against his friend, that it was only envy at Cæfar's glory which fet Caffius on confpiring against him; and ancient hiftory feems to countenance fuch a charge. Caffius understood him in this fenfe, and with much confcious pride retorts the charge by a like infinuation,

-Brutus, bay not me.

WARB.

To hedge me in ;-] That is, to limit my authority by your direction or cenfure.

JOHNSON.

5 To make conditions.] That is, to know on what terms it is fit to confer the offices which are at my disposal.

JOHNSON.

Bru.

Bru. All this! ay, more. Fret, 'till your proud heart break;

Go, fhew your flaves how cholerick you are,
And make your bondmen tremble. Muft I budge?
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your tefty humour? By the Gods,
You fhall digeft the venom of your fpleen,
Tho' it do fplit you: For, from this day forth,
I'll ufe you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are wafpifh.

Caf. Is it come to this?

Bru. You fay, you are a better foldier: Let it appear fo; make your vaunting true, And it thall pleafe me well.

For mine own part,

I fhall be glad to learn of noble men.

Caf. You wrong me every way,-you wrong me, Brutus ;

I said, an elder foldier; not a better :

Did I fay better?

Bru. If you did I care not.

Caf. When Cæfar liv'd, he durft not thus have mov'd me.

Bru. Peace, peace, you durft not so have tempted him.

Caf. I durft not!—

Bru. No.

Caf. What? durft not tempt him?

Bru. For your life you durft not.

Caf. Do not prefume too much upon my love;

I may do that, I fhall be forry for.

Bru. You have done that, you should be forry for. There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats;

For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honefty,

That they pass by me, as the idle wind,
Which I refpect not. I did fend to you

For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me;-
For I can raise no money by vile means:
G

VOL. VIII.

By

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