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ABOUT the middle of February, A.U.C. 709, a riotous festival sacred to Pan, and called Lupercalia, was hel¿ ja honour of Cesar, when the regal crown was offered him by Antony. In the middle of the following March he was assassinated. November 27, 710, the Triumvirs, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius, met at a small island formed by the river Rhenus, near Bouonia, and there agreed upon the cruel proscription introduced in Act IV.---In 711, Brutus and Cassius were totally defeated at Philippi.---Shakspeare appears to have produced this play about the year 1607: one, upon the same subject, had been written by a young Scotch Nobleman, the Earl of Sterline; and in many passages of each, a strong similarity may be traced :---this was probably occasioned by both authors drawing their materials from the same source.---A Latin play on this subject, by Dr. Eedes, of Oxford, who is enumerated amongst the best tragic authors of that ara, was published in 1582.---Dr. Johnson says of this tragedy :---“ Many particular passages deserve regard, and the contention and reconcilement of Brutus and Cassius are universally celebrated, but I have never been strongly agitated in perusing it, and think it somewhat cold and unaffecting, compared with some other of Shakspeare's plays : his adherence to the real story, and to Roman manners, seems to have impeded the natural vigour of his genius."

JULIUS CESAR.

OCTAVIUS CESAR,

MARCUS ANTONIUS,

M. EMIL. LEPIDUS,

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

ARTEMIDORUS, a Sophist of Cnidos.

Triumvirs after the A SOOTHSAYER.
Death of Julius
Cesar.

CINNA, a Poet,-Another Poet.

CICERO, PUBLIUS, POPILIUS LENA, Senators.

MARCUS BRUTUS,

CASSIUS,

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LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, Young CATO,
and VOLUMNIUS, Friends to Brutus and
Cassius.

VARRO, CLITUS, CLAUDIUS, STRATO, LUCIUS,
DARDANIUS, Servants to Brutus.
PINDARUS, Servant to Cassius.

CALPHURNIA, Wife to Cesar.
PORTIA, Wije to Brutus.

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &c.

SCENE: the first three acts at Rome: afterwards at an Island near Mutina, at Sardis; and near

Philippi.

ACT I.

SCENE 1.-Rome.-A Street.

Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a Rabble of
CITIZENS.

Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get
you home;

Is this a holiday? What! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day, without the sign

Of your profession ?-Speak, what trade art thou?
1 Cit. Why, Sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule ?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on ?—
You, Sir; what trade are you?

2 Cit. Truly, Sir, all that I live by is, with the awl I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor woman's matters, but with awl. I am, are in great danger, I recover them. indeed, Sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they As proper men as ever trod upon neats-leather, have gone upon my handy-work.

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 Cit. Truly, Sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, SM, we make holiday to see Cesar, and to rejoice in his triumph.

Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,

2 Cit. Truly, Sir, in respect of a fine workman ? To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? I am but, as you would say, a cobler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer De directly.

You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things?

2 Cit. A trade, Sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, Sir, a mender of bad soals.

Mar. What trade, thou knave! thou naughty knave, what trade?

2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me yet, if you be ont, Sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow?

2 Cit. Why, Sir, cobble you.
Flav. Thou art a cobler, art thou?

O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your armis, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome :
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tyber trembled underneath her banks
To hear the replication of your sounds,
Made in her concave shores?

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And do you now put on your best attire ?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way,
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone!

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.
Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this
Assemble all the poor men of your sort; [fault,
Draw them to Tyber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all.

[Exeunt CITIZENS.
See, whe'r their basest metal be not mov'd;
They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness.
Go you down that way towards the Capitol;
This way will I: Disrobe the images,
If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.⚫
Mar. May we do so?

You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

Flav. It is no matter; let no images
Be hung with Cesar's trophies. + I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets :
So do you too where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Cesar's wing,
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch :
Who else would soar above the view of men,
And keep us all in servile fearfuluess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same.-A public Place. Enter, in Procession, with Music, CESAR ; ANTONY, for the course; CALPHURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA, a great Crowd following, among them a SOOTHSAYER.

Ces. Calphurnia,-

Casca. Peace, ho! Cesar speaks.

Ces. Calphurnia,-
Cal. Here, my lord.

Ces. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, When he doth run his course. -Antonius. Ant. Cesar, my lord.

Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness,
And show of love--as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

Bru. Cassius,

Be not deceiv'd': if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am,
Of late, with passions of some difference ;*
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil, perhaps, to my beha-
viours:

But let not therefore my good friends be gricv'd:
(Among which number, Cassius, be you one)
Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cus. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your
passion, †

By means whereof, this breast of mine hath
buried

Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
Bru. No, Cassius: for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.
Cas. 'Tis just :

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cesar) speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
Bru. Into what dangers would you lead ine,
Cassius,

That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?

Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, he prepar'd to
hear:
[Music ceases. And, since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous of ine, gentle Brutus :
Were I a common laughter, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or, if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
[Flourish and shout.
Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the
people

Ces. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia: for our elders say, The barren touched in this holy chase, Shake off their steril curse.

Ant. I shall remember:

When Cesar says, Do this, it is perform'd.
Ces. Set on; and leave no ceremony out.

Sooth. Cesar!

Ces. Ha! who calls?

[Music.

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But wherefore do you hold me here so long!
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye, and death i'the other,
And I will look on beth indifferently:
For, let the gods so speed me, as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.-
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold, as well as he.
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores,
Cesar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,

• Discordant opinions. + The nature of your feelings. To nauseate by repetition.

And swim to yonder point? Upon the word,
Accouter'd as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did,
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But, ere we could arrive the point propos'd,
Cesar cried, Help me, Cassius, or I sink.
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of
Tyber

Did I the tired Cesar: And this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cesar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And, when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake :
His coward lips did from their colour fly;
And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the
world,

Did lose its lustre: I did hear him groan :
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Ro-

mans

Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
Alas! it cried, Give me some drink, Titinius,
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of such a feeble temper⚫ should
So get the start of the majestic world,
And bear the palm alone. [Shout. Flourish.
Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe that these applauses are

For some new honours that are heap'd on Cesar. Cas. Why, man he doth bestride the narrow world

Like a Colossus; and we petty men
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,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Cesar : What should be in that
Cesar?

Why should that name be sounded more than yours?

Write them together, yours is as fair a name ; Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure them, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cesar.

[Shout.
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Cesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of
Rome,

That her wide walks encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
Oh! you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus + once, that would have
brook'd

The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king.

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 you have to say,
I will with patience hear: aud find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager, t
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under such hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

• Temperament, constitution. + Lucius Junius Brutus. Not a citizen of Rome

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. The games are done, and Cesar is returning.

Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;

And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to-day.

Bru. I will do so :-But, look you, Cassius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cesar's brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train:
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such tiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross'd in conference by some senators.
Cas. Casca will tell us what the matter is.
Ces. Autonius.

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Ces. 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, Cesar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Ces. '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;
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no
plays,

As thon dost, Antony; he hears no music:
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he, be never at heart's ease,
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd,
Than what I fear, for always I am Cesar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.

[Exeunt CESAR and his Train. CASCA
stays behind.

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 Cesar 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.

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: every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Casca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown; -yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas 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 offered 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 offered it the third time; he put it the third time by and still, as he refused it, A ferret has red eyes.

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