And when the fit was on him, I did mark Bru. Another general shout!. I do believe that these applauses are 120 130 [Shout. Flourish. For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. 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, 140 But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Cæsar: what should be in that "Cæsar "? Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, Now, in the names of all the gods at once, When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome, 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, and I have heard our fathers say, you There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd As easily as a king. 160 Bru. 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, 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 have to say you I will with patience hear, and find a time Both meet to hear and answer such high things. Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us. 170 156. Rome . . . room: pronounced alike in Shakespeare's day, and indeed very long afterwards. 159. There was a Brutus : Junius Brutus, the friend of Collatinus (see Lucrece), and first consul after the expulsion of the Tarquins. [The allusion affords an extremely artful climax.] 160. The eternal devil the devil of the next world, of eternity, who attends to the eternal tormenting of the unregenerate. 162. nothing jealous: not at all suspicious, doubtful. 171. chew upon this ruminate, think over. It is said that this use of "chew" is obsolete: erroneously. Not long ago I heard a man, who I am sure never saw the inside of a Shakespeare, if, indeed, the outside, say, "I give [gave] him that to chaw on.' 174. [these=such.] Cas. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR and his Train. Bru. I will do so. But, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cæsar? Cæs. Let me have men about me that are fat: Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o' nights: Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar; he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman and well given. 180 190 Caes. 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; 200 177. [thus much. It is worth while to note that Shakespeare did not warrant the phrase this much which is creeping into ordinary usage.] 185. Cicero. This is Shakespeare's own imagination of Cicero; there is no record of such an expression on his face. 197. well given well addicted, of honest habit and manners. Quite through the deeds of men; he loves no plays, I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd 210 [Sennet. Exeunt Cæsar and all his Train, but Casca. Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad. Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him: and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a-shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. 222 Cas. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was 't, and he put it by thrice, 221. [A truly vigorous rejecter turns the palm outward, for the palm strikes. Shakespeare's conception of the character of Cæsar, as determining the tragedy, is presented here. Plutarch says: "The chiefest cause that made him mortally hated was the covetous desire he had to be called king."] every time gentler than other; and at every puttingby mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offer'd him the crown? Casca. Why, Antony. Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. 230 Casca. I can as well be hang'd 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, 't 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 offer'd 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 offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refus'd it, the rabblement shouted and clapp'd their chapp'd hands and threw up their sweaty night-caps and utter'd such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refus'd the crown that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swounded 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. 250 Cas. But, soft, I pray you: what, did Cæsar swound? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like he hath the falling sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar 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 248. [swounded, a regular enough word, as can be seen by the form three lines below; but there is often an effort at intensifying the action in such forms, as for example in the irregular "drownded."] 254. the falling sickness: the old English name for epi lepsy, which had not quite passed out of use forty years ago. |