his unavailing exertions to avert the danger of sudden death with which Cæsar was threatened.

19. A SOOTHSAYER.-The introduction of the Soothsayer here is unnecessary, and, I think, improper. All that he is made to say should be given to Artemidorus, who is seen and accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand to one more convenient (Tyrwhitt).

20. CINNA.-Caius Helvius Cinna, a poet of considerable renown, the friend of Catullus. Several of his epigrams are extant. He was at this time a tribune of the plebs, when he suffered the rage of the mob instead of his namesake, Lucius Cornelius Cinna.

21. A POET.-This is said to have been Marcus Favonius, an imitator of Cato Uticensis, whose character and conduct he copied so servilely, as to be nicknamed 'Cato's ape.'

22. MESSALA.-Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus, a member of the republican party belonging to the Valerian gens. He fought with Brutus, his friend, at Philippi, B.C. 42, was pardoned by the triumvirs, and afterwards became one of the chief generals and friends of Augustus, on whose side he fought at the battle of Actium, B.C. 31. To him Horace addressed Ode III, 21. He subdued Aquitania, and gained a triumph in B.C. 28-27. He was a poet and historian. Plutarch made use of his History of the Civil Wars. died between B.C. 3 and A.D. 3.

He

23. YOUNG CATO.-Statylius Porcius Cato, son of Cato of Utica, and brother of Portia, the wife of Brutus. When his father died by his own hand, Cæsar left the son unharmed. He was much censured for his fondness for pleasure. 'But he blotted out and destroyed all such ill-report by his death.'

24. VOLUMNIUS.-Publius Volumnius, of whom nothing seems to be known except what Plutarch relates (xlviii). C. W. Drumann, in a note to his History of Rome, i, p. 516, suggests that he was the boon companion of Antony, to whom several letters of Cicero are extant - P. Volumnius Eutrapelus.

I. CALPURNIA.-Daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso, who was consul B.C. 58, the third and last wife of the dictator, to whom she was married B.C. 59, and whom she survived.

II. PORTIA, daughter of Cato Uticensis, who was first married to M. Bibulus, B.C. 59, and afterwards to Marcus Brutus. Some accounts state that she did not put an end to her own life till after her husband's death.

THE ARGUMENT.

THE following passages extracted from the epitome of the contents of certain of the lost books of Livy's History, which indicate what the original books contained, seem to agree so closely with the plan of the present tragedy, that they may be regarded as forming a pretty correct argument of this drama:

'Cæsar triumphed a fifth time over Spain (I, i, 32). Very many and high honours were decreed him by the senate, among others, that he should be styled the father of his country, and sacred, and also that he should be perpetual dictator (708, B.C. 44). It afforded cause of odium against him, that he rose not to the senate when conferring these honours on him, as he was sitting before the shrine of Venus Genetrix; and that he laid aside on a chair the diadem, placed on his head by his colleague in the consulship, Marcus Antonius, who was running among the Lupercalians (I, ii); and that the magistracies were taken away from Epidius Marullus and Cæsetius Flavius, the tribunes of the people, who excited envy against him for aiming at the imperial dignity (I, i, ii, 280-282). For these reasons, a conspiracy was formed against him, the chiefs of which were Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius, with two of his own partisans, Decimus Brutus and Caius Trebonius (I, ii; II, i). He was slain in Pompey's senate house, with three-and-twenty wounds (V, i, 53), and the Capitol was seized on by his murderers (III, i). An act of amnesty having been passed by the senate in relation to his murder, and the children of Antony and Lepidus having been taken as hostages, the conspirators came down from the Capitol. Octavius, Cæsar's nephew, was, by his will, made heir of half his possessions. Cæsar's body was burned by the people in the Campus Martius, opposite the Rostrum (III, ii, 250256) [Book cxvi].

'Caius Octavius came to Rome from Epirus (III, i, 280), whither Cæsar had sent him to conduct the war in Macedonia; and having received favourable omens, assumed the name of Cæsar [Book cxvii].

'Caius Cæsar became reconciled to Antonius and Lepidus, so that he and Lepidus and Antony formed a triumvirate, for the administration of the republic for five years (IV, i), and that they should proscribe each his particular enemies, in which proscription were included very many of the equestrian order, and one hundred and thirty senators (IV, iii, 175-177), among whom were Lucius

Paulus, the brother of Lepidus, Lucius Cæsar, Antony's uncle, and Marcus Tullius Cicero, whose head and right hand were placed on the Rostrum, where he was murdered, in his sixty-third year, by Popilius, a legionary soldier (IV, iii, 180-182) [Book cxx]. Cæsar and Antonius, with their armies, passed over into Greece, to make war against Brutus and Cassius (V, i) [Book cxxiii]. Caius Cæsar and Antony fought an indecisive battle with Brutus and Cassius at Philippi, in which the right wing of each army was victorious, and on both sides the camps were taken. The death of Cassius turned the scale of fortune, for being at the head of that wing which was beaten, he supposed the whole army was routed, and killed himself (V, iii). Afterwards, in another battle, Brutus, being overcome, put an end to his life, in his fortieth year, after entreating Strato, the companion of his flight, to drive a sword through him (V, v). Many others slew themselves [Book cxxiv]. Cæsar, leaving Antony to take care of the provinces beyond the sea, returned to Italy, and made a distri. bution of lands among the veterans [Book cxxv].'

[Note.-There was presented to the Greenock public library in October 1870, a copy of North's Plutarch, 1612. On being examined by Mr Allan Park Paton, the volume, which is in excellent condition, was found to have written on its title-page the words Vive: ut vivas: W. S. . . pretiu 18s.' On the margin of The Life of Julius Cæsar, between brackets, 'Brute—Brutus' occurs, and the note, March 15,' is made opposite the Ides of March.' Several passages are marked in the book-seven in Casar, three in Antony, and three in Brutus. Other marks occur in the early lives; but these, and one in Demosthenes, are all that occur in the latter part. From these facts it has been inferred that the signature, handwriting, and markings may be Shakespeare's, and that, though he had no doubt been acquainted with North's Plutarch at an earlier date, this may have been a copy of the 1612 edition, bought by Shakespeare for his own library and use.]

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, Wife to BRUTUS.

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, Soldiers, etc.

SCENE. During a great part of the Play at ROME; afterwards at SARDIS, and near PHILIPPI.

JULIUS

CÆSAR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-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, in respect of a fine workman,

I am but, as you would say, a cobbler.

Mar. But what trade art thou? answer me directly.

5

IO

2 Cit. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. Mar. What trade, thou knave, thou naughty knave, what trade?

16

2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, 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 cobbler, art thou?

20

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

E

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