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Cafea. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was fpeechlefs.

Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath the falling fickness. Caf. No, Cæfar hath it not; but you and I, And honeft Cafca, we have the falling fickness.

Cafea. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am fure, Cæfar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hifs him, according as he pleas'd, and difpleas'd them, as they ufed to do the Players in the theatre, I am no true man.

2

Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himself? Cefca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refus'd the Crown, he pluckt me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut. An' I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues: And fo he fell. When he came to himself again, he faid, If he had done, or faid any thing amifs, he defir'd their Worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cry'd, alas, good foul !— and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them; if Cæfar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And after that, he came, thus fad, away
Cafca. Ay.

Caf. Did Cicero say any thing?

Cafca. Ay, he fpoke Greek.
Caf. To what effect?

Cafca. Nay, an' I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again. But thofe, that understood him, fmil'd at one another, and fhook their heads: but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too. Marullus and Flavius, for pull

2 a man of any occupation,] Had I been a mechanick, one of the Plebeians to whom he offered his throat.

JOHNSON.

ing scarfs off Cæfar's images, are put to filence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.

Caf. Will you fup with me to-night, Cafca?
Cafca. No, I am promis'd forth.

Caf. Will you dine with me to-morrow,?

Cafca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the eating.

Caf. Good: I will expect you.

Cafca. Do fo: farewell both.

[Exit.

Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be?

He was quick mettle, when he went to school.
Caf. So is he now, in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprize,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a fauce to his good wit,
Which gives men ftomach to digeft his words
With better appetite.

you.

Bru. And fo it is. For this time I will leave To-morrow, if you please to speak with me, I will come home to you; or, if you will, Come home to me, and I will wait for you. Caf. I will do fo. Till then, think of the world. [Exit Brutus. Well, Brutus, thou art noble: yet, I fee, 3 Thy honourable metal may be wrought From what it is difpos'd: therefore 'tis meet, That noble minds keep ever with their likes: For who fo firm, that cannot be feduc'd? Cæfar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus: *If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius,

be

wrought

He

3 Thy bonourable metal may From what it is difpos'd:] The best metal or temper may be worked into qualities contrary to its original conftitution.

JOHNSON.

If I were Brutus now, and he were Caffius, He fhould not humour me.] This is a reflection on Brutus's ingratitude; which concludes, as is ufual on fuch occafions, in an VOL. VIII.

C

en

He should not humour me. I will, this night,
In feveral hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obfcurely
Cæfar's ambition fhall be glanced at:

And, after this, let Cæfar feat him fure;

For we will shake him, or worse days endure. [Exit.

SCENE III.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Cafca, his fword drawn ; and Cicero, meeting him.

Cic. Good even, Cafca. Brought you Cæfar home? Why are you breathlefs? and why ftare you fo? Cafea. Are you not mov'd, when all the 'fway of earth

Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,

I have seen tempefts, when the fcolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have feen
The ambitious ocean fwell, and rage, and foam,
To be exalted with the threatening clouds:
But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempeft dropping fire.
Either there is a civil ftrife in heaven;

encomium on his own better conditions. If I were Brutus (fays he) and Brutus, Caffius, he should not cajole me as I do him. To bumour fignifies here to turn and wind him, by inflaming his passions. The Oxford Editor alters the laft line to

Cafar fhould not love me.

What he means by it, is not worth inquiring.

WARB.

The meaning, I think, is this, Cæfar loves Brutus, but if Brutus and I were to change places, his love should not humour me, fhould not take hold of my affection, so as to make me forget my principles. JOHNSON. 5-Brought you Cæfar home ?] Did you attend Cæfar home?

JOHNSON.

-fway of earth] The whole weight or momentum of this globe.

JOHNSON.

Or

T

Or else the world, too faucy with the Gods,
Incenfes them to fend deftruction.

Cic. Why, faw you any thing more wonderful?
Cafca. A common flave (you know him well by fight)
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn,
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not fenfible of fire, remain'd unicorch'd.
Befides (I have not fince put up my fword)
Against the Capitol I met a lion,

"Who glar'd upon me, and went furly by,
Without annoying me.

And there were drawn

Upon a heap a hundred ghaftly women,

Transformed with their fear; who fwore, they faw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And, yesterday, the bird of night did fit,
Even at noon-day, upon the market-place,
Hooting and fhrieking. When these prodigies
Do fo conjointly meet, let not men say,
These are their reafons-They are natural;
For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cic. Indeed, it is a strange-difpofed time:
But men may conftrue things after their fafhion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themfelves.
Comes Cæfar to the Capitol to-morrow?

Cafca. He doth; for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you, he would be there to-morrow.
Cic. Good night then, Cafca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.

Cafca. Farewell, Cicero.

7 Who glar'd upon me,-] The first edition reads,

Who glaz'd upon me,—

Perhaps, Who gaz'd upon me.

[Exit Cicero.

JOHNSON.

Glar'd is certainly right. To gaze is only to look ftedfaftly, or with admiration. Glar'd has a fingular propriety, as it is highly expreffive of the furious fcintillation of a lion's eyes. STEEVENS.

[blocks in formation]

Caf. Who's there?

Cafca. A Roman.

Enter Caffius.

Caf. Cafca, by your voice.

Cafea. Your ear is good. Caflius, what night is this? Caf. A very pleasing night to honeft men.

Cafca. Whoever knew the heavens menace fo? Caf. Thofe, that have known the earth fo full of faults.

For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;
And, thus unbraced, Cafca, as you fee,
Have bar'd my bofom to the thunder-ftone:
And when the cross blue lightning feem'd to open
The breaft of heaven, I did prefent myself

Even in the aim and very flafh of it.

so much tempt

Cafca. But wherefore did you so much.

heavens ?

It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty Gods, by tokens, fend
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

the

Caf. You are dull, Cafca; and those sparks of life That fhould be in a Roman, you do want, Or else you use not: you look pale, and gaze, And put on fear, and caft yourself in wonder, To see the strange impatience of the heavens: But if you would confider the true cause,

Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghofts;

8

Why birds, and beafts, from quality and kind;

Why old men, fools, and children calculate;

8

Why

Why birds, and beafts, from quality and kind ;] That is, Why they deviate from quality and nature. This line might perhaps be more properly placed after the next line.

W by birds, and beafts, from quality and kind;

Why all thefe things change from their ordinance. JOHNSON. —and children calculate ;] Calculate here fignifies to foretel

or

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