A wretched creature, and must bend his body, Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans BRU. Another general shout! 6 [Shout. Flourish. I do believe, that these applauses are For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. CAS. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world, 5 His COWARD lips did from their COLOUR FLY;] A plain man would have said, the colour fled from his lips, and not his lip from their colour. But the false expression was for the sake of as false a piece of wit a poor quibble, alluding to a coward flying from his colours. WARBURTON. 7 feeble temper-] i. e. temperament, constitution. STEEVENS. - get the start of the majestick world, &c.] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympick games. The majestick world is a fine periphrasis for the Roman empire: their citizens set themselves on a footing with kings, and they called their dominion Orbis Romanus. But the particular allusion seems to be to the known story of Cæsar's great pattern, Alexander, who being asked, Whether he would run the course at the Olympick games, replied, "Yes, if the racers were kings." WARBURTON. That the allusion is to the prize allotted in games to the foremost in the race, is very clear. All the rest existed, I apprehend, only in Dr. Warburton's imagination. MALONE. Like a Colossus; and we petty men peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: and we petty men Walk under his huge legs,] So, as an anonymous writer has observed, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, b. iv. c. x. st. 19: 66 But I the meanest man of many more, "Yet much disdaining unto him to lout, 66 Or creep between his legs." MALONE. Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;] A similar thought occurs in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1630: 66 What diapason's more in Tarquin's name, "Than in a subject's? or what's Tullia "More in the sound, than should become the name Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Cæsar.] Dr. Young, in his Busiris, appears to have imitated this passage: "Nay, stamp not, tyrant; I can stamp as loud, "And raise as many dæmons with the sound." STEEVENS. There was a Brutus once 2, that would have brook'd The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome, 3 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*; I will with patience hear: and find a time 5 Both meet to hear, and answer, such high things. Than to repute himself a son of Rome CAS. I am glad, that my weak words ' 2 There was a Brutus once,] i. e. Lucius Junius Brutus. 3 STEEVENS. - eternal devil-] I should think that our author wrote rather, infernal devil. JOHNSON. I would continue to read eternal devil. L. J. Brutus (says Cassius) would as soon have submitted to the perpetual dominion of a dæmon, as to the lasting government of a king. STEEVENS. 4-aim:] i. e. guess. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona : "But, fearing lest my jealous aim might err-." STEEVENS. Consider this at leisure; ruminate on 6 Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us.] As, in our author's age, was frequently used in the sense of that. So, in North's translation of Plutarch, 1579: " - insomuch as they that saw it, thought he had been burnt." MALONE. 7 I am glad, THAT my WEAK words] For the sake of regular measure, Mr. Ritson would read : "Cas. Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. BRU. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. CAS. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve; Being cross'd in conference by some senators. ANT. Cæsar. 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, Cæsar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given. CES. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: 8- ferret-] A ferret has red eyes. JOHNSON. 9 Sleek-headed men, &c.] So, in Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch, 1579: When Cæsar's friends complained unto him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended some mischief towards him; he answered, as for those fat men and smooth-combed heads, (quoth he) I never reckon of them; but these pale-visaged and carrion-lean people, I fear them most; meaning Brutus and Cassius." And again: 66 Cæsar had Cassius in great jealousy, and suspected him much; whereupon he said on a time, to his friends," What will Cassius do, think you? I like not his pale looks." STEEVENS. ''Would he were fatter:] Ben Jonson, in his Bartholomew 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; Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd, [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 today, That Cæsar looks so sad. CASCA. Why you were with him, were you not? BRU. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. CASCA. Why, there was a crown offered him : and being offered him, he put it by with the back 66 Fair, 1614, unjustly sneers at this passage, in Knockham's speech to the Pig-woman : Come, there's no malice in fat folks; I never fear thee, an I can scape thy lean moon-calf there." 2 WARBURTON. - he hears no musick:] Our author considered the having no delight in musick as so certain a mark of an austere disposition, that in The Merchant of Venice he has pronounced, that "The man that hath no musick in himself, "Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils." Malone. See vol. v. p. 141. STEEVENS. |