To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things. And do you now put on your best attire? Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, That needs must light on this ingratitude. Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault, Assemble all the poor men of your sort; [Ex. Citizens, Draw them to Tyber banks, and weep your tears If : you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.' Mar. May we do so? You know, it is the feast of Lupercal. Flav. It is no matter; let no images Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about, And drive away the vulgar from the streets : So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing, Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. [Exeunt. [1] Ceremonies, for religious ornaments. Thus afterwards, he explains them by Cesar's trophies; i. e. such as he had dedicated to the gods. WARBURTON SCENE II. The same. A public Place. Enter, in procession, Casca. Peace, ho! Cæsar speaks. Cal. Here, my lord. Cas. Stand you directly in Antonius' way, When he doth run his course. Ant. Cæsar, my lord. -Antonius. Cæs. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calphurnia: for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their steril curse. Ant. I shall remember: When Cæsar says, Do this, it is perform'd. [Music ceases. Cæs. Set on; and leave no ceremony out. [Music Sooth. Cæsar. Cas. Ha! who calls? Casca. Bid every noise be still :-Peace yet again. [Music ceases. Cas. Who is it in the press, that calls on me? Cœs. What man is that? Bru. A soothsayer, bids you beware the ides of March. Cas. Set him before me, let me see his face. Casca. Fellow, come from the throng. Look upon Cæsar. Cas. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cæs. He is a dreamer; let us leave him ;-pass. [Sennet. Exeunt all but BRU. and CAS. Cas. Will you go see the order of the course? Bru. Not I. Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late : You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'd my look, Of late, with passions of some difference," Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours: Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Forgets the shows of love to other men. Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion ; By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face? And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes. Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself For that which is not in me? Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: And, since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, JOHNSON. [2] With a fluctuation of discordant opinions and desires. To invite every new protestor to my affection by the stale or allurement of customary oaths. JOHNSON. And after scandal them; or if you know To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish & shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cas. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well: In awe of such a thing as I myself.) I was born free as Cæsar; so were you : And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. I, as Æneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, If Cæsar carelessly but nod on him. He had a fever when he was in Spain, And that same eye, whose bend doth awe the world, Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans Bru. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are [Shout. Flourish For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Walk under his huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates : 'But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus, and Cæsar: What should be in that Cæsar? That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd: [Shout. [5] A plain man would have said the colour fled from his lips. 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. STEEVENS. That is, temperament, constitution. This image is extremely noble; it is taken from the Olympic games. The majestic 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 Olympic games, replied, "Yes, if the racers were kings." WARBURTON. |