For let the Gods fo fpeed me, as I love Caffius, in Contempt of Cæfar. I was born free as Cafar, fo were you ; (2) For once upon a raw and gufty day, Leap city: my principles lead me to purfue it: this is my end, my good: whatever comes in competition with the general good, will weigh nothing: death and honour are to me things of an indifferent nature: but, however, I freely acknowledge, that of thefe indifferent things, honour has my greatest eftcem, my choice and love: the very name of honour I love, more than I fear death." Upton's Obfervations on Shakespear, p. 314. (2) For once, &c.] It is too well known that fiimming was an ufual exercife with the hardy and noble Romans, to infift upon it here: Horace makes it a mark of effeminacy to neglect it: and complains to Lydia, that he had enervated Sybaris, by making him afraid even to touch the yellow Tyber's fircam Cur timet flavum Tyberim tangere? See ode 8. 1. 1. Julius Cæfar was remarkable for his excellence in fwimming: Beaumont and Fletcher, in their Falfe One, thus nobly describe one of the most illuftrious incidents of his life But got near the fea, In which his navy anchor'd, in one hand See the latter end of Act 5. Leap in with me into this angry flood, And bid him follow: fo indeed, he did. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Caffius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain, And when the fit was on him, I did mark And that fame eye, whose bend doth awe the world, 66 Aye, and that tongue of his, that bad the Romans (3) So get the start of the majestic world, [Shout, Aourish. Bru. (3) So get, &c.] Mr. Warburton tells us, "the image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympic games." Tho' that does not appear fo certain or neceffary, fince the allufion to any public games will do full as well; yet what he fays afterwards is more to the purpose: "The majeflic world is a fine periphrafis for the Roman empire: their citizens fet themselves on a footing with kings, and they called their dominion, Orbis RoBut the particular allufion feems to be to the known story of Cafar's great pattern, Alexander, who being asked whe manus." ther Bru. Another general shout! I do believe that these applaufes are For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cafar. Walk under his huge legs, and peep about Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; SCENE IV. Cæfar's Diflike of Caffius. 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 foon as that spare Caffius. He reads much; He ther he would run the courfe at the Olympic games, replied, "yes, if the racers were kings." For this allufion alfo, there does not seem the least hint in the paffage; rather the contrary: Caffius wonders how fuch a feeble man fhould fo get the start of all the Romans, the majestic world, as to bear the palm alone? How he, feebler than the reft, fhould in the courfe out-ftrip 'em all, and carry off the prize He is a great obferver; and he looks SCENE VII. Spirit of Liberty. I know, where I will wear this dagger, then: Therein, ye Gods, you make the weak most strong; If I know this; know all the world befides, ACT II. SCENE I. Ambition, covered with fpecious Humility. But 'tis a common proof, That lowlinefs is young ambition's ladder, Whereto (4) lie bears, &c.] Mr. Theobald obferves well here: "This is not a trivial obfervation, nor does our poet mean barely by it, that Caffius was not a merry, fprightly man, but that he had not a due temperament of harmony in his compofition: and that Whereto the climber upward turns his face; Confpiracy, dreadful till executed. (5) Between the acting of a dreadful thing, And the first motion, all the interim is Like that, therefore, natures fo uncorrected, are dangerous." He hath finely dilated on this fentiment, in his Merchant of Venice. The man that hath no mufic, &c. (5) Between, &c.] Mr. Addifan has paraphrased this inimitable paffage, in his Cato, which alwaysserves to remind me of that excellent diftinction, made by Mr. Guthrie, in his Effay on Tra gedy, betwixt a poet and a genius: O think what anxious moments pafs between Fill'd up with horror all, and big with death, Cato. Either Mr. Theobald or Mr. Warburton (which who can pronounce, fince the one prints the fame words in his preface, which the other ufes as his own in his notes! See Theobald's preface, vol. 1. p. 25. and Warburton on the paffage) either the one or the other of them have obferved, "that nice critic, Dionyfius, of Halicarnaffus, confeffes, that he could not find thofe great strokes which he calls the terrible graces, any where fo frequent as in Homer. I believe the fuccefs would be the fame, likewife, if we fought for them in any other of our authors befides our British Homer, Shakespear. This defcription of the condition of confpirators has a pomp and terror in it, that perfectly aftonishes ; our excellent Mr. Addison, whofe modefty made him fometimes diffident in his own genius, but whofe exquifite judgment always led him to the fafeft guides, has paraphrafed this fine defcription: but we are no longer to expect thofe terrible graces, which he could not hinder from evaporating in the transfufion. We may obferve two things on his imitation: first, that the fubjects of |