A man of fuch a feeble temper should Bru. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applaufes are [Shout. Flourish. For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar. Walk under his huge legs 3, and peep about [Shout. 2 — get the start of the majestick world, &c.] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympic games. The majestick world is a fine periphrafis for the Roman empire: their citizens fet themfelves on a footing with kings, and they called their dominion Orbis Romanus. But the particular allufion feems to be to the known ftory of Cæfar's great pattern Alexander, who being afked, Whether he would run the courfe at the Olympic games, replied, Yes, if the racers were Kings. WARBURTON. That the allufion is to the prize allotted in games to the foremost in the race, is very clear. All the reft exifted, I apprehend, only in Dr. Warburton's imagination. MALONE. 3- and we petty men Walk under bis buge legs,] So, as an anonymous writer has obferved, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. IV. c. 10. But I the meaneft man of many more, "Yet much disdaining unto him to lout, 4 Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;] A fimilar thought oc curs in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1614: What diapafon's more in Tarquin's name "Than in a fubject's? or what's Tullia "More in the found, than fhould become the name Of a poor maid ?" STEEVENS. Now Now in the names of all the gods at once, O! you and I have heard our fathers fay, There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; I will with patience hear: and find a time Than to repute himself a fon of Rome Under thefe hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us3. 5 There was a Brutus once,] i. e. Lucius Junius Brutus. STEEV. eternal devil-] I fhould think that our authour wrote rather, infernal devil. JOHNSON. I would continue to read eternal devil. L. J. Brutus (lays Caffius,) would as foon bave fubmitted to the perpetual dominion of a dæmon, as to the lafting government of a king. STEEVENS. 7 - chew upon this ;] Confider this at leifure; ruminate on this. 8 Under thefe bard conditions as this time JOHNSON. Is like to lay upon us.] As, in our authour's age, was frequently ufed in the fenfe of that. So, in North's Tranflation of Plutarch, 1579; "infomuch as they that faw it, thought he had been burnt." MALONE. Caf. Caf. I am glad, that my weak words Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus. Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæfar is returning. Bru. I will do fo:-But, look you, Caffius, Ant. Cæfar. Caf. Let me have men about me, that are fat; He is a noble Roman, and well given. Caf. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: Yet if my name were liable to fear, ferret-] A ferret has red eyes. JOHNSON. 1 Sleek-beaded men, &c.] So, in fr Thomas North's translation of Plutarch, 1579. "When Cæfar's friends complained unto him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended fome mischief towards him; he answered them again, as for those fat men and smooth-cumbed heads, (quoth he) I never reckon of them; but these pale-visaged and carrionlean-people, I fear them moft; meaning Brutus and Caffius." And again : "Cæfar had Caffius in great jealousy, and suspected him much; whereupon he said on a time, to his friends, what will Caffius do, think you? I like not his pale looks." STEEVENS. 2 'Would be were fatter :-] Jonfon in his Bartholomew-fair, 1614, unjuftly fneers at this paffage, in Knockham's fpeech to the Pig-woman. "Come, there's no malice in fat folks; I never fear thee, an I can 'scape, tby lean moon-salf there," "WARBURTON. I do I do not know the man I fhould avoid So foon as that spare Caffius. He reads much; Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, [Exeunt CESAR, and his train. CASCA ftays behind. Cajca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you speak with me? Bru. Ay, Cafca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæfar looks fo fad. Cafca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I fhould not then afk Casca what had chanc'd. Cafea. Why, there was a crown offer'd him and being offer'd him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus ; and then the people fell a' fhouting. Bru. What was the fecond noise for? Cafca. Why for that too. Caf. They fhouted thrice; What was the laft cry for? Cafca. Why for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Cafca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honeft neighbours fhouted. Caf. Who offer'd him the crown ? Cafca. Why, Antony. 3- •be bears no mufick ] Our authour confidered the having no de. light in mufick as fo certain a mark of an auftere difpofition, that in The Merchant of Venice he has pronounced, that "The man that hath no mufick in his foul, "Is fit for treafons, ftratagems, and fpoils." MALONE. Bru Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Cafca. I can as well be hang'd, 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 offer'd it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loth to lay his fingers off it. And then he offer'd it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp'd their chopp'd hands, and threw up their fweaty nightcaps, and utter'd fuch a deal of ftinking breath because Cæfar refused the crown, that it had almoft choked Cæfar; for he fwoon'd, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durft not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. Caf. But, foft, I pray you: What? did Cæfar fwoon ? Cafca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like; he hath 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 pleafed, and difpleased them, as they ufe to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man 5. Bru. What faid he, when he came unto himself? Cafca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv'd the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he pluck'd me ope his doublet, and offer'd them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation, if I 4-one of thefe coronets;] So, in the old tranflation of Plutarch: "-he came to Cæfar, and prefented him a diadem wreathed about with laurel." STEEVENS. 6 no true man.-] No honeft man. See Vol. II. p. 90, n. 6. MALONE. a man of any occupation,] Had I been a mechanick, one of the Plebeians to whom he offered his throat. JOHNSON. So, in Coriolanus, A& IV. fc. vi: 66 You that flood fo much "Upon the voice of occupation." MALONE. VOL. VII. Y. would |