To wear a kerchief? 'Would you were not sick! Bru. Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius, Had you a healthful ear to hear of it. Lig. By all the gods that Romans bow before, I here discard my sickness. Soul of Rome! Brave son, deriv'd from honourable loins! Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjur'd 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? Bru. A piece of work, that will make sick men whole. Lig. But are not some whole, that we must make sick? Bru. That must we also. I shall unfold to thee, as we To whom it must be done. What it is, my Caius, are going Set on your foot; you, Lig. Cæs. Nor heaven, nor earth, have been at peace to-night: • Thou, like an exorcist,] Here, and in all other places where the word occurs in Shakspeare, to exorcise means to raise spirits, not to lay them; and perhaps he is singular in his acceptation of it. Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out, Serv. My lord? Enter a Servant. Cæs. Go bid the priests do present sacrifice, And bring me their opinions of success. Serv. I will, my lord. [Exit. Enter CALPHURNIA. Cal. What mean you, Cæsar? Think you to walk forth? You shall not stir out of your house to-day. Cæs. Cæsar shall forth: The things that threat en'd me, Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see The face of Cæsar, they are vanished. Cal. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,7 And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead: The noise of battle hurtled in the air," And I do fear them. Cæs. What can be avoided, 1 Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,] i. e. I never paid a ceremonious or superstitious regard to prodigies or omens. The noise of battle hurtled in the air,] To hurtle is to clash, or move with violence and noise. Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods? Cal. When beggars die, there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. Cas. 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; Re-enter a Servant. What say the augurers? Serv. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast. Ces. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:9 Cæsar should be a beast without a heart, If he should stay at home to-day for fear. No, Cæsar shall not: Danger knows full well, That Cæsar is more dangerous than he. We were two lions litter'd in one day, And I the elder and more terrible; And Cæsar shall go forth. Cal. Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consum'd in confidence. Do not go forth to-day: Call it my fear, That keeps you in the house, and not your own. in shame of cowardice:] The ancients did not place cou rage but wisdom in the heart. JOHNSON. Cæs. 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. I come to fetch you to the senate-house. Cæs. And you are come in very happy time, And tell them, that I will not come to-day: Cæs. Dec. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause, Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so. Ces. 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. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck Ces. And this way have you well expounded it. If you shall send them word, you will not come, When Casar's wife shall meet with better dreams. Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear, dear love Cæs. How foolish do your fears seem now, Cal- I am ashamed I did yield to them.— For tinctures, stains relicks, and cognizance.] This speech, which is intentionally pompous, is somewhat confused. There are two allusions; one to coats armorial, to which princes make additions, or give new tinctures, and new marks of cognizance; the other to martyrs, whose relicks are preserved with veneration. But Messrs. Malone and Steevens think that tinctures has no relation to heraldry, but means merely handkerchiefs, or other linen, tinged with blood. At the execution of several of our ancient nobility, martyrs, &c. we are told that handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as affectionate or salutary memorials of the deceased. 2 And reason, &c.] And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love. |