The laft of all the Romans,3 fare thee well! 3 The last of all the Romans,] From the old tranflation of Plutarch: "So, when he [Brutus] was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Caffius, calling him THE laft of all the Romans, being impoffible that Rome Should ever breede againe fo noble and valiant a man as he, he caused his bodie to be buried," &c. Mr. Rowe, and all the fubfequent editors, read, as we thould now write,-Thou laft, &c. But this was not the phrafeology of Shakspeare's age. See Vol. XIV. p. 195, n. 5. See also the Letter of Pofthumus to Imogen, in Cymbeline, A& III. sc. ii : -as you, O the deareft of creatures, would not even renew me with thine eyes." Again, in King Lear : کی "The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes not ye jewels, as we now fhould write. MALone. I have not displaced Mr. Malone's reftoration from the old copy, because it is of no great importance to our author's meaning; though I am perfectly convinced, that in the inftances from Cymbeline and King Lear, the is merely the error of a compofitor who mifunderstood the abbreviations employed to exprefs thou and ye in the original MSS. which might not have been remarkable for calligraphy. Both these abbreviations very nearly resemble the one commonly used for the; a circumstance which has proved the frequent fource of fimilar corruption. A mistake of the fame colour appears to have happened in p. 415, where (fee note 9,) thee had been given instead of the See likewise the volume above referred to by Mr. Malone, where the is again printed (and, as I conceive, through the fame blunder,) inftead of thou. The paffage cited from Plutarch can have no weight on the prefent occafion. The biographer is only relating what Brutus had faid. In the text, Brutus is the speaker, and is addressing himSelf, propria perfona, to Caffius. Befides, why is not "Thou laft" &c. the language of Shakfpeare? Have we not in King Richard III: "Thou flander of thy mother's heavy womb! "Thou loathed iffue &c. "Thou rag of honour, thou detefted And again, in Troilus and Creffida: "Thou great and wife" &c. Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man, than you fhall fee me pay.- [Exeunt. And fifty more inftances to the fame purpose might be introduced. Objectum eft Hiftorico (Cremutio Cordo. Tacit. Ann. 1. iv. 34,) quod Brutum Caffiumque ultimos Romanorum dixiffet. Suet. Tiber. Lib. III. c. 61. STEEVENS. 4 and to Thaffos-] Old copy-Tharfus. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. It is Thaos in Sir Thomas North's tranflation. STEEVENS. 5 Labeo and Flavius,] Old copy-Flavio. Corrected by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE. SCENE IV. Another Part of the Field. Alarum. Enter fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, CATO, LUCILIUS, and Others. BRU. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads! CATO. What baftard doth not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field:- A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend ; [Charges the Enemy. BRU. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is overpowered, and falls. Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou dieft as bravely as Titinius; And may'st be honour'd being Cato's fon.7 1 SOLD. Yield, or thou dieft. 61 am the fon of Marcus Cato,] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "There was the fonne of Marcus Cato flaine valiantly fighting, &c. telling aloud his name and his father's name," &c. STEEVENS. 7 being Cato's fon,] i. e. worthy of him. WARBURTON. Luc. Only I yield to die: There is fo much that thou wilt kill me ftraight;& [Offering Money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 SOLD. We must not.-A noble prisoner! 2 SOLD. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 SOLD. I'll tell the news.9-Here comes the general : Enter ANTONY. Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord. ANT. Where is he? Luc. Safe, Antony; Brutus is fafe enough : 5 Luc. Only I yield to thee: There is fo much, that thou wilt kill me ftraight;] Dr. Warburton has been much inclined to find lacunæ, or paffages broken by omiffion, throughout-this play. I think he has been always mistaken. The Soldier here fays, Yield, or thou dieft. Lucilius replies, I yield only on this condition, that I may die; here is fo much gold as thou seeft in my hand, which I offer thee as a reward for speedy death. What now is there wanting? JOHNSON. 9 I'll tell the news.] The old copy reads: I'll tell thee news. JOHNSON. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. I Safe, Antony ;] So, in the old tranflation of Plutarch: "In the mean time Lucilius was brought to him, who ftowtly with a bold countenaunce fayd, Antonius, I dare affure thee, that no enemie hath taken, nor fhall take Marcus Brutus aliue: and I befeech God kee pe him from that fortune. For wherefoeuer he be found, aliue or dead, he will be founde like himselfe. And I dare affure thee, that no enemy The gods defend him from fo great a fhame! ANT. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I affure you, A prize no lefs in worth: keep this man safe, Such men my friends, than enemies. Go on, [Exeunt. now for my felfe, I am come vnto thee, hauing deceiued these men of armes here, bearing them downe that I was Brutus : and doe not refuse to suffer any torment thou wilt put me to. Lucilius wordes made them all amazed that heard him. Antonius on the other fide, looking vpon all them that had brought him, fayd vnto them: my companions, I thinke ye are forie you have failed of your purpose, & that you thinke this man hath done great wrong but I doe affure you, you have taken a better bootie, then that you followed. For, inftead of an enemie, you have brought me a friend." STEEVENS. |