Brú. Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door. [Exeunts * Within the Tent: Enter Brutus and Caffius. Caf. That you have wrong'd me, doth appear in this, For taking bribes here of the Sardians; Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in fuch a cafe, f P. and all after, except C. omit do. z After man, C. adde Lucilius, h The fecond f. dove for done. does not change, but the direction, Ma- 1 In T. H. W. and F. it is Re-enter, which is improper where the scene changes; to re-chter fignifies to come again into the fame place, which they do not, but go from the outfide to the infide of the tent. m So the fo's, R.'s octavo, T. and F; n P. and all after but C. its for bit. Are 2 Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm, To undefervers. Caf. I an itching palm? You know that you are Brutus that fpeak this, Caf. Chaftifement? T Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember: Did not great Julius bleed for juftice' fake? What villain touch'd his body, that did ftab, Caf. Brutus, bay not me, I'll not endure it: you forget yourself Caf. Urge me no more, I fhall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no farther. Bru. Away, flight man! Caf. Is 't poffible? Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Muft I give way and room to your rafh choler?. Shall I be frighted, when a madman ftares? x Caf. O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this? Bru. All this? Ay, more; Fret till your proud heart break; Go, fhew your flaves how cholerick you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Muft I budge? u Qu. Whether we fhould not read ay for I? The old editions make no difference in these two words, always, as far as I remember, reading I for ay; it is therefore the fenfe only which muft direct us to the word the author meant In any paffage; and in this, to me it feems doubtful. w The fo's and all after, except H. put no comma between not and Caffius, making it the nominative cafe after the verb, which method of pointing Wdefends, and explains the paffage thus, You are no longer that brave, difinteresfied, philofophic Caffius, whose chara&er was made up of bonour and patriotism; but are funk down to the impotency and corruption of the times. But, if this be the meaning, Caffius does not understand it, for he replies I am; i. e. I am Caffius; if he had understood it, and meant to deny Brutus's charge, he fhould have faid, I am what I was, or fomething like it. x P. and all after, except C, omit ye. y The 1ft f. bouge the 2d and 3d, boudge. You You fhall digeft the venom of your fpleen, Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, I'll ufe you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish. Caf. Is it come to this? Bru. You fay, you are a better foldier: Let it appear fo; inake your vaunting true, And it fhall pleafe me well: For mine own part, I fhall be glad to learn of noble men. Caf. You wrong me, every way you wrong me, Brutus; I said, an elder foldier, not a better: Did I fay, better? Bru. If you did, I care not. Caf. When Cæfar liv'd, he durft not thus have mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durft not fo have tempted him. Caf. I durft not? Bru. No. Caf. What, durft not tempt him? Bru. For your life you durft not. Caf. Do not prefume too much upon my love, I may do that I fhall be forry for. Bru. You have done that you should be forry for. There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats; For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honefty, That they pafs by me, as the idle wind, Which I refpect not. I did fend to you For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me; 2 R. and all after, except C. Tho' for Though. H From From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash, By any indirection. I did fend To you for gold to pay my legions, Which you deny'd me: was that done like Caffius? To lock fuch rascal counters from his friends, Caf. I deny'd you not. Bru. You did. Caf. I did not: he was but a fool, That brought my answer back. Brutus hatli riv'd irry But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. Bru. I do not. Still you practise them on me. Caf. You love me not. Bru. I do not like your faults. Caf. A friendly eye could never fee fuch faults. bheart. Bru. A flattérer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus. |