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Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
I will confider; what you have to say,

I will with patience hear, and find a time

Both meet to hear, and answer fuch high things. 'Till then, my noble friend, 7 chew upon this Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a fon of Rome

Under fuch hard conditions, as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus,

Enter Cafar and his train.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve;
And he will, after his four fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to day.

Bru. I will do fo:-But look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cæfar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have feen him in the Capitol,
Being croft in conference by fome Senators.
Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,-

Ant. Cæfar.

Caf. [To Ant. apart.] Let me have men about me that are fat;

Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep a-nights:?

7

8

Yon'

· chew upon this ;] Confider this at leisure; ruminate on this.

— ferret,—] A ferret has red eyes.

JOHNSON.
JOHNSON.

9 Sleek-headed men,, &c.]" So in Sir Tho. North's Translation "of Plutarch. 1579, When Cæfar's friends complained unto "him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended fome "mifchief towards him; he answered, as for thofe fat men and

"fmooth.

Brutus and Cæfar! what fhould be in that Cæfar?
Why fhould that name be founded, 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 with 'em,
Brutus will start a fpirit, as foon as Cæfar.
Now in the names of all the Gods at once,
Upon what meat does this our Cæfar feed,
That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art fham'd:
Rome, thou haft loft the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, fince the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they fay, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls incompafs'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 fay,

5 There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As eafily as a king.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; What would you work me to, I have some aim. How I have thought of this, and of thefe times, I fhall recount hereafter; for this prefent, I would not, fo with love I might intreat you,

Sound them, it deth become the mouth as well.]

A fimilar thought occurs in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1614. "What diapafon's more in Tarquin's name "Than in a fubject's? or what's Tullia

6

"More in the found, than fhould become the name

"Of a poor

maid?

STEEVENS.

5 There was a Brutus once,] i. e. Lucius Junius BRUTUS. STEEV. eternal devil-] I fhould think that our author wrote rather, infernal devil.

JOHNSON.

I would continue to read eternal devil. L. J. Brutus (lays Caf Fus) would as foon have fulmitted to the perpetual dominion of a devil, as to the lafting government of a king.

STEEVENS.

Be

Be any further mov'd. What you have said,
I will confider; what you have to fay,

I will with patience hear, and find a time

Both meet to hear, and answer fuch high things. 'Till then, my noble friend, 7 chew upon this; Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a fon of Rome

Under fuch hard conditions, as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus,

Enter Cafar and his train.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve;
And he will, after his four fafhion, tell you
What hath proceeded, worthy note, to day.

Bru. I will do fo:-But look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cæfar's brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train.
Calphurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being croft in conference by fome Senators.
Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,

Ant. Cæfar.

Caf. [To Ant. apart.] Let me have men about me that are fat;

Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep a-nights:?

7

Yon'

chew upon this;] Confider this at leisure; ruminate on this.

— ferret,-] A ferret has red eyes.

JOHNSON.
JOHNSON.

9 Sleek-headed men, &c.]" So in Sir Tho. North's Translation "of Plutarch. 1579, When Cæfar's friends complained unto "him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended fome "mifchief towards him; he answered, as for thofe fat men and

"fmooth

Yon Caffius has a lean and hungry look,

He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cæfar, he's not dangerous;

He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caf. ''Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I fhould avoid,

So foon as that fpare Caffius. He reads much;
He is a great obferver; and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
As thou doft, Antony; he hears no musick :
Seldom he smiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his fpirit,
That could be mov'd to fmile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whilft 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 Cæfar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly, what thou think'ft of him.
[Exeunt Cæfar and his train.

Manent Brutus and Caffius: Cafca to them. Cafea. You pull'd me by the cloak: Would you speak with me?

"fmooth-combed heads, (quoth he) I never reckon of them: "but thofe pale-vifaged and carrion-lean people, I fear them "moft, meaning Brutus and Caffius."

And again,

"Cæfar had Caffius in great jealoufy, and fufpected him much, "whereupon he faid on a time, to his friends, what will Caffius "do, think you? I like not his pale looks." STEEVENS.

1

'Would be were fatter;-] Johnson in his Bartholomew-fair, unjustly fneers at this paffage, in Knockham's fpeech to the Pigwoman. Come, there's no malice in fat folks; I never fear thee, and I can 'fcape thy lean moon-calf there.

WARBURTON.

Bru.

Bru. Ay, Cafca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Cafca what had chanc'd. Cafea. 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 fhouting. Bru. What was the fecond noise for?

Cafea. Why, for that too.

Caf. They fhouted thrice: What was the laft cry

for?

Cafea. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Cafca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted.

Caf. Who offer'd him the crown?
Cafca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Cafca. Cafca. I can as well be hang'd, as tell the manner of it it was meer foolery, I did not mark it. I faw 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 offer'd it to him again: then he put it by again; but, to my thinking, he was very loth 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 hooted and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their fweaty night-caps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath because Cæfar refus'd the crown, that it had almoft choaked Cæfar; for he fwooned, and fell down at it and for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air.

Caf. But, foft, I pray you? What? did Cæfar

fwoon?

Caf

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