280-282. Was there a reservation made in our marriage-bond to the effect that I should not know your secrets?

289-290. Consider how the perfect figure exalts and ennobles the sentiment. Not only is the expression more beautiful, but it means more, than simple, every-day words.

300. See Plutarch's Marcus Brutus.

308. See Merry Wives, v, 5, 77.

323. exorcist, exorcism, and exorciser always refer in Shakespeare to the calling up or summoning of spirits. This sense is now nearly obsolete.

324. Do not mistake the meaning of mortified. It is used here in the only sense known to Shakespeare. See Mac. v, 2, 5; L. L. Lost, i, 1, 28; Henry V, i, 1, 26; M. of V. i, 1, 82.

Scene 2.

The story of Calpurnia's crying out in her sleep, of the ill omens announced by the augurs, and of Cæsar's irresolution, is all in Plutarch, and is not exaggerated by the poet. This scene between Calpurnia and Cæsar and the similar one between Portia and Brutus should be compared with reference to differences of character in the actors which the dialogue brings to light.

57. Here's Decius Brutus. Refer back to ii, 1, 202. 67. graybeards; a contemptuous reference to the senators. 76. statuë; obviously to be pronounced in three syllables, as also in iii, 2, 192. Some editors print statua.

80. A six-foot line, or Alexandrine.

89. cognizance; as in 1 Henry VI, ii, 4, 108; Cym. ii, 4, 127. A term of heraldry. See dictionary.

97. rendered, i.e., repeated, talked about.

Of Friendship.

See Bacon's Essay,

104. liable; that is, subject, as in K. John, ii, 1, 490; Pericles, iv, 6, 178.

121. hour's; here dissyllabic.

124, 128. Compare Trebonius's Aside with that of Brutus.

129.

That every like is not the same, etc. The like used by Cæsar is very different from the like in Brutus's mind.

Scene 3.

"And one Artemidorus also, a Doctor of Rhetoricke, who by meanes of his profession was very familiar with certaine of Brutus confederates, and therefore knew the most part of all their practices against Cæsar, came and brought him a litle bill written with his owne hand, of all that he meant to tell him." Plutarch, Jul. Cæs.

6. If thou beest. "In the present subjunctive, second singular, after if, though, etc., beest, properly an indicative form, was common in the 16th and 17th centuries, and is regularly used by Shakespeare." Murray, New Eng. Dict. See the correct form in Genesis, xxvii, 21.

7. security, in the sense most frequent in Shakespeare and Milton. See Ham. i, 5, 61; Mac. iii. 5, 32; Allegro, 91; Par. Lost,

i, 261.

12. emulation; used here in a sense now obsolete. See Tro. and Cres? ii, 2, 212.

14. contrive. So in Ham. iv, 7, 136; M. of V. iv, 1, 352, 360.

Scene 4.

May we infer from this scene that Portia knows of the plot? Has Brutus kept his promise to her, ii, 1, 305-308? Or is her anxiety due merely to suspicion and presentiment of impending trouble?

39. The five accents are all present in the line. Perhaps the interjection is to be expanded to fill an entire foot. The reading has been suggested, "O Brutus mine." This satisfies the metrical requirements, but does it sound like Shakespeare?

ACT III.

The conspiracy attains its object in the assassination of Casar. Antony, belying Brutus's estimate of his character, enters with vigor and craft upon the task of avenging the dictator's death.

Scene 1.

Cæsar is slain, and trepidation prevails in the city. Brutus believes his own "reasons so full of good regard" that he will easily justify himself to the world. He overrides Cassius's suggestions of precautionary measures, and with fatal generosity permits Mark Antony to speak in Cæsar's funeral.

10. Sirrah. See Webster's Dict.

29. addressed, ready, as always in Shakespeare.

39. fond, in its primary sense of foolish. Chaucer has the noun fonne, meaning a fool.

67. And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive: All men are of one flesh, and belong to one family; and all men are endowed with reason.

Yet, etc.

77. Et tu Brute. These words are probably an invention of some dramatist of the poet's own time. They occur in the True Tragedie of Richard, Duke of Yorke, a play in whose composition Shakespeare probably had a share, and which certainly formed the ground-work of the third part of his King Henry VI. See True Tragedie, v, 1, 53, in the Cambridge Shakespeare. A play on the subject of Julius Cæsar, written in Latin, by Richard Eedes, had been performed at the University of Oxford in 1582. It is possible that Et tu Brute is Eedes's rendering into Latin of the Greek words, meaning and you my child, which Suetonius says were traditionally reported, "tradiderunt quidam," as forming Plutarch's account is very

Cæsar's last exclamation to Brutus. different:

"So Cæsar comming into the house, all the Senate stood vp on their feete to do him honour. Then part of Brutus company and

confederates stood round about Cæsar's chaire, and part of them also came towards him, as though they made sute with Metellus Cimber to call home his brother againe from banishment: and thus prosecuting still their sute, they followed Cæsar till he was set in his chaire. Who, denying their petitions, and being offended with them one after another, because the more they were denied, the more they pressed upon him, and were the earnester with him: Metellus at length, taking his gowne with both his hands, pulled it over his necke, which was the signe giuen the confederates to set vpon him. Then Casca behind him strake him in the necke with his sword, how beit the wound was not great nor mortall, because it seemed the fear of such a diuelish attempt did amaze him, and take his strength from him, that he killed him not at the first blow. But Cæsar turning straight unto him, caught hold of his sword, and held it hard, and they both cried out; Cæsar in latin, O vile traitor Casca, what doest thou? And Casca in Greek to his brother, Brother, help me. At the beginning of this stir, they that were present, not knowing of the conspiracie, were so amazed with the horrible sight they saw, they had no power to flie, neither to help him, nor so much as once to make an outcrie. They on the other side that had conspired his death, compassed him in on euery side with their swords drawn in their hands, that Cæsar turned him nowhere, but he was striken at by some, and still had naked swords in his face, and was hacked & mangled among them, as a wild beast taken of hunters. For it was agreed among them that every man should give him a wound, because al their parts should be in this murther. Men report also, that Cæsar did stil defend himself against the rest, running every way with his bodie: but when he saw Brutus with his sword drawne in his hand, then he pulled his gowne ouer his head, and made no more resistance, and was driven either casually or purposedly, by the counsel of the conspirators, against the base whereupon Pompey's image stood, which ran all of a goare bloud till he was slaine. Thus it seemed that the image tooke iust revenge of Pompeys enemie, being throwne down on the ground at his feet & yeelding up his ghost there, for the number of wounds he had upon him. For it is reported, that he had three and twentie wounds upon his bodie:

and divers of the conspirators did hurt themselves, striking one bodie with so many blowes." Plut., Julius Cæsar.

86. Where's Publius? Publius speaks three words, ii, 2, 109, and again three words in line 10 of this scene. For what dramatic purpose can it be that he is introduced?

90. Talk not of standing; i.e., we have no occasion to fear danger from Cæsar's friends.

95. abide this deed. Chaucer had the word abyde, to wait for, and the word abye, to answer for, to stand the consequences of. Shakespeare, on the authority of the earliest editions, has abye in Mid. N. Dr. iii, 2, 175, 335. But elsewhere in Shakespeare, as in modern speech, the two verbs appear with the form abide. 109, 111. walk we . . let us cry. There is no imperative of the first person. Substitutes for such an imperative in the plural are made in the two ways here illustrated. The former is the more ancient, and is now obsolete. Shakespeare uses both. In the Gospel of John, xi, 15, 16, Wycliff's version has go we, while Tyndale and the later translations have let us go.

122. most boldest. The double superlative is frequent in Shakespeare.

124-138. With this message to Brutus, which is really Antony's first speech in his career as champion of Cæsar's cause, what may be called the second part of the tragedy begins. Cæsar, with "his general behavior vain, ridiculous and thrasonical," is gone. Except Brutus and Cassius, all the conspirators, after shaking hands with Antony (186-190) disappear from the scene. Calpurnia and Portia have finished their parts. Of Portia's touching death we are to hear when a report of it is needed to set off her husband's stoic fortitude.

We have heard Cæsar and Antony discuss the character of Cassius, and have seen, from this discussion, that Antony is apparently incompetent to judge of men. We have heard Brutus and Cassius discuss the character of Antony, and, trusting to Brutus's insight, have perhaps concluded that Antony is a man of feeble quality, "given to sports, to wildness, and much company."

As we have learned that Cæsar was in the right concerning Cassius, so now we are to learn that Cassius, and not Brutus, was