Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame. Auf Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one, [Exeunt, bearing the Body of CORICI ANUS THE tragedy of Coriolanus is one of the most amusing of our author's performances. The old man's merriment in Menenius; the lofty lady's dignity in Volumnia; the bridal modesty in Virgilia; the patrician and military 1 This allusion is to a custom which was most pro- haughtiness in Coriolanus; the plebeian malignity and bably unknown to the ancients, but which was observed tribunitian insolence in Brutus and Sicinius, make a in the public funerals of English princes, at the conclu- very pleasing and interesting variety; and the various sion of which a herald proclaims the style of the de-revolutions of the hero's fortune, fill the mind with anx ceased. ious curiosity. There is, perhaps, too much bustle in the first Act, and too little in the last.-JOHNSON. 2 Memorial. See Act iv. Sc. 5. JULIUS CESAR. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 1 appears from the Appendix to Peck's Memoirs of mind and conscientious love of justice in Brutus, int Oliver Cromwell, &c. p. 14, that a Latin play on him to be the head of a party in a state entirely corruptthis subject has been written: 'Epilogus Cæsari inter-ed: these amiable failings give, in fact, an unfortunate fecti, quomodo in scenam prodiit ea res acta, in Ecclesia Christi, Oxon. Qui epilogus a Magistro Ricardo Eedes, et scriptus, et in proscenio ibidem dictus fuit, A. D. 1582. Meres, in his Wits' Commonwealth, 1598, enumerates Dr. Eedes among the best tragic writers turn to the cause of the conspirators. The play abounds 'You are my true and honourable wife, of Cæsar, and the artful eloquence with which he cap- which we should seek in vain in the works of any There are also those touches of nature interspersed, which we should seek in vain in the works of any other poet. In the otherwise beautiful scene with Lucius, an incident of this kind is introduced, which, though wholly immaterial to the plot or conduct of the scene, is perfectly congenial to the character of the agent, and beautifully illustrative of it. The sedate and philosophic Brutus, discomposed a little by the stupendous cares upon his mind, forgets where he had left his book of recreation : 'Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so.' beauty, is to be found in the scene where the conspi Another passage of the same kind, and of eminent rators assemble at the house of Brutus at midnight Brutus, welcoming them all, says:— 'What watchful cares do interpose themselves Cassius. Shall I entreat a word? [They whisper.] Cinna. O pardon, sir, it doth; and yon gray lines, Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises; It is not only heroic manners and incidents which the all-powerful pen of Shakspeare has expressed with great historic truth in this play, he has entered with no less penetration into the manners of the factious plebeians, and has exhibited here, as well as in Coriolanus, the manners of a Roman mob. How could Johnson say, that his adherence to the real story, ard to Ro man manners, seems to have impeded the natura vigour of his genius!!! PERSONS REPRESENTED. ARTEMIDORUS, a Sophist of Cnidos. Triumvirs after the death of CINNA, a Poet. Another Poet. Julius Cæsar. CICERO, PUBLIUS, POPILIUS LENA, Senators. MARCUS BRUtus, CASSIUS, CASCA, LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, young CATO, and PINDARUS, Servant to Cassius. Conspirators against Julius CALPHURNIA, Wife to Cæsar. Cæsar. FLAVIUS and MARULLUS, Tribunes. ACT I. SCENE I. Rome. A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a Rabble of Citizens. Flavius. PORTIA, Wife to Brutus. Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, §. SCENE, during a great part of the Play, at Rome: afterwards at Sardis; and near Philippi. To towers and windows, yea to chimney tops, HENCE; home, you idle creatures, get you home; That Tyber trembled underneath her banks,' Is this a holiday? What! know you not, 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. 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? Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you. Mar. What mean'st thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow ? Cit. Why, sir, cobble you. 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 recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's leather, have gone upon my handy 4 Honorary ornaments; tokens of respect. 5 We gather from a passage in the next scene what these trophies were. Casca there informs Cassius that Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence. To hear the replication of your sounds, And do you now put on your best attire? Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for lis fault, Assemble all the poor men of your sort;2 [Exeunt Citizens. 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 Caesar'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, Will make him fly an ordinary pitch; Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. A public Place. Enter in Procession, with Music, CESAR, ANTONY, for the Course; CALPHurnia, CALPHURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA, a great Crowd following, among them a Soothsayer. Cæs. Calphurnia,— Casca. 6 This person was not Decius but Decimus Brutus. The poet (as Voltaire has done since) confounds the characters of Marcus and Decimus. Decimus Brutus was the most cherished by Cæsar of all his friends, while Marcus kept aloof, and declined so large a share of his favours and honours as the other had constantly accepted. Lord Sterline has made the same mistake in his tragedy of Julius Cæsar. The error has its source in North's translation of Plutarch, or in Holland's Sue tonius, 1606. 7 The old copy reads 'Antonio's way:' in other places we have Octavio, Flavio. The players were more accustomed to Italian than Latin terminations, on account of the many versions from Italian novels, and the many Italian characters in dramatic pieces formed Sooth. Cæsar. Cas. Ha! who calls? [Music. Casca. Bid every noise be still:-Peace yet again. [Music ceases. Cæs. Set him before me, let me see his face. Ces. What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I'll leave you. Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness, And show of love, as I was wont to have: You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Over your friend that loves you. Bru. Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours: Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried And it is very much lamented, Brutus, on the same originals. The correction was made by Pope. The allusion is to a custom at the Lupercalia, the which (says Plutarch) in older time men say was the feaste of shepheards or heardsmen, and is much like unto the feast Lyceians in Arcadia. But howsoever it is, that day there are diverse noble men's sonnes, young men (and some of them magistrates themselves that govern them) which run naked through the city, striking in sport them they meet in their way with leather thongs. And many noblewomen and gentlewomen also go of purpose to stand in their way, and doe put forth their handes to be stricken, persuading themselves that being with childe they shall have good deliverie: and also being Darren, that it will make them conceive with child. Cæsar sat to behold that sport upon the pulpit for orations, in a chayre of gold, apparelled in triumphant manner. Antonius, who was consul at that time, was one of them that ronne this holy course.'-North's translation.. 1 See King Henry VIII. Act ii. Sc. 4. 2 i. e the nature of the feelings which you are now fering. Thus in Timon of Athens : I feel my maste "'s passion Your hidden worthiness into your eye, That you might see your shadow. I have heard. That you would have me seek into myself Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear. That of yourself which you yet know not of. [Flourish and Shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cas. Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, I had as lief not be, as live to be In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæsar; so were you. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder 3 Johnson has erroneously given the meaning of allurement to stale, in this place. 'To stale with ordinary oaths my love,' is to prostitute my love, or make it common with ordinary oaths,' &c. The use of the verb to stale here, may be adduced as a proof that in a disputed passage of Coriolanus, Act i. Sc. 1, wc should read stale instead of scale: see note there. 4 Shakspeare probably remembered what Suetonius relates of Cæsar's leaping into the sea, when he was in danger by a boat being overladen, and swimming to the next ship with his Commentaries in his hand. Hol land's Translation of Suetonius, 1606, p. 26. And in another passage, 'Were rivers in his way to hinder his passage, cross over them he would, either swimming, or else bearing himself upon blowed leather bottles. Ibid. p. 24. 5 But ere we could arrive the point propos'd.' The verb arrive, in its active sense, according to its etymo. logy, was formerly used for to approach, or come near Milton several times uses it thus without the preposition Thus in Paradise Lost, b. ii. : ▬▬▬▬▬ ere he arrive The hapny isle.' 1 Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man Bru. Another general shout! Than to repute himself a son of Rome, Cas. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brut as. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is re- Cas. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleevo Bru. I will do so :-But, look you, Cassius, I do believe, that these applauses are For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Like a Colossus: and we petty men Men at some time are masters of their fates: say, Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; Being cross'd in conference by some senators. Ant. Cæsar. Cas. Let me have men about me that are fat Cæs. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear hizi Yet if my name were liable to fear, I do not know the man I should avoid [Exeunt CESAR and his Train. CASCA Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd today, That Cæsar looks so sad. Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not? chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him:11 and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a shouting. 1 This is oddly expressed, but a quibble, alluding to vestiges of old phraseology it still lingers among the a coward flying from his colours, was intended. 2 Temperament, constitution. ? 'But I the meanest man of many more, Yet much disdaining unto him to lout, Or creep between his legs.' Spenser's Faerie Queene, b. iv. c. x. st. 19. 4 A similar thought occurs in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece : 'What diapason's more in Tarquin's name More in the sound than should become the name 5 'Lucius Junius Brutus (says Dion Cassius) would as soon have submitted to the perpetual dominion of a læmon, as to the lasting government of a king.' common people :-'I cannot say as I did,' &c. for that 9 When Cæsar's friends complained unto him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended some mischief towards him, he answered, As for those fat men and smooth-combed heads (quoth he,) I never reckon of them; but these pale-visaged and carrion-lean people, I fear them most; meaning Brutus and Cassius.' North's Plutarch, 1579. And in another place :- Cæsar had Cassius in great jealousy, and suspected him much; whereupon he said 6 i. e. guess. So in the Two Gentlemen of Verona:-on a time to his friends, What will Cassius do, think But fearing lest my jealous aim might err.' 7 Ruminate on this, consider it at leisure. 8 As, according to Tooke, is an article, and means the same as that, which, or it: accordingly we find it often so employed by old writers; and particularly in our excellent version of the Bible. Thus Lord Bacon also, in his Apophtt egmes, No. 210: One of the Romans said to his friend; what think you of such a one, as was taken with the manner in adultery ? Like other you? I like not his pale looks.' 10 Shakspeare considered this as an infallible mark of an austere disposition. The reader will remember the passage in The Merchant of Venice so often quoted: The man who hath no music in himself, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils." 11 Thus in the old translation of Plutarch: came to Cæsar, and presented him a diaden wreathed about with laurel' he Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. pulling scarfs off Cæsar s images, are put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I Cas. They shouted thrice: What was the last could remember it. cry for? Cusca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offered him the crown? Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw 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 offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chapped hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? did Cæsar swoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased, and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true' man. Bru. What said he when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation,2 if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues : and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done, or said any thing amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, Alas, good soul!-and forgave him with all their hearts: But there's no heed to be taken of them if Cæsar had stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. Bru. And after that, he came, thus sau, away? Cas. Did Cicero say any thing? Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you 'the face again: But those, that understood him, smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for 1 i. e. no honest man. Cas. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca? Cas. Will you dine with me to-morrow? Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the eating. Cas. Good; I will expect you. Casca. Do so: Farewell, both. [Exit CLICA. Bru. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be? He was quick mettle when he went to school. Cas. So he is now, in execution Of any bold or noble enterprize, However he puts on this tardy form. This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit, Which gives men stomach to digest his words With better appetite. you Bru. And so 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 with me, and I will wait for you Cas. I will do so:-till then, think of the world. [Exit BRUTUS. Well, Brutus, thou art noble ; yet, I see, I Thy honourable metal may be wrought From that it is dispos'd :3 Therefore 'tis meet That noble minds keep ever with their likes: For who so firm, that cannot be seduc'd? Cæsar doth bear me hard ; but he loves Brutus : If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius, He should not humour me. I will this night, In several 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 obscurely Cæsar's ambition shall be glanced at: And, after this, let Cæsar seat him sure; For we will shake him, or worse days endure. 5 [Ext. SCENE III. The same. A Street. Thunder and Lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, CASCA, with his sword drawn, and Cicero. Cic. Good even, Casca: Brought you Cæsar home ?6 Why are you breathless? and why stare you so? Casca. Are not you mov'd, when all the sway of earth Shakes, like a thing unfirm? O, Cicero, Incenses them to send destruction. Cic. Why, saw you any thing more wonderful? Casca. A common slave3 (you know him well by sight,) Like twenty torches join'd; Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd. and yet his hand, Besides (I have not since put up my sword,) Against the Capitol I met a lion, Who glar'd' upon me, and went surly by, humour signifies to turn and wind by inflaming his pas 2 Had I been a mechanic, one of the plebeians to | sions. You and your apron-men; you that stood so much Men of occupation; Opifices et tabernarii.'--Baret. 4 Has an unfavourable opinion of me.' The same phrase occurs again in the first scene of Act iii. 5 I think Warburton's explanation of this passage the uue one:- If I were Brutus, (said he,) and Brutus Cassius, he should not cajole me as do him. To 6' Did you attend Cæsar home? So in Measure 101 Measure : 'That we may bring you something on the way.' 7 The whole weight or momentum of this globe.' 8A slave of the souldiers that did cast a marvellous burning flame out of his hande, insomuch as they that saw it thought he had been burnt; but when the fire was out, it was found that he had no hurt.'--North's Plutarch. 9 The old copies erroneously read : "Who glazd upon me.' Malone determined obstinately to oppose himself to Steevens's judicious reading of glar'd, and reads, with less propriety and probability, gaz'd. Steevens has |