The fufferance of our fouls, the time's abuse,
If these be motives weak, break off betimes,
And ev'ry man hence to his idle bed,
So let high-fighted tyranny range on,
'Till each man drop by lottery.

But if these,
As I am fure they do, bear fire enough

To kindle cowards, and to fteel with valour.
The melting spirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any fpur, but our own caufe,
To prick us to redrefs? What other bond,
Than fecret Romans, that bave spoke the word,
And will not palter? and what other oath,
Than honesty to honefty engag'd,

That' this fhall be, or we will fall for it?
'Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions, and such suffering fouls
That welcome wrongs: unto bad causes, swear
Such creatures as men doubt; but do not ftain
The even virtue of our enterprize,

Nor th' infuppreffive mettle of our fpirits;

To think, that or our caufe, or our performance,
Did need an oath: When ev'ry drop of blood,

argument ftands thus, You require an oath to keep us together; but fure the freng motives that drew us into confederacy will keep us confederated. These motives he enumerates; but The FACE of men not being one of thefe motives must needs be a corrupt reading. Shakespeare, without queftion,

wrote,

If that the FATE of men, Or of mankind, which, in the ideas of a Roman, was involved in the fate of their Republick. And this was the principal motive which engaged the God-like Brutus in the undertaking.

WARBURTON.

This elaborate emendation is; I think, erroneous. The face of men is the countenance, the regard, the esteem of the publick; in other terms, honour and reputation; or, the face of men may mean, the dejected look of the people.

He reads, with the other modern editions,

-If that the face of men, but the old reading is, -if not the face, &c.

This is imitated by Otway When you would bind me, is there need of oaths? &c.

Venice preferved.

That

That ev'ry Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a feveral bastardy,

If he doth break the fmalleft particle
Of any promise that hath past from him.

Caf. But what of Cicero? fhall we found him?
I think, he will ftand very strong with us.
Cafea. Let us not leave him out.

Cin. No, by no means.

Met, O let us have him, for his filver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion,

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:
It fhall be faid, his Judgment rul'd our hands;
Our youths and wildness fhall no whit appear,
But all be buried in his gravity.

Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him: For he will never follow any thing,

That other men begin.

Caf. Then leave him out.

Cafca. Indeed, he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man elfe be touch'd, but only Cæfar? Caf. Decius, well urg'd: I think, it is not meet, Mark Antony, fo well belov'd of Cæfar, Should out-live Cafar: we fhall find of him A fhrewd contriver. And you know, his means, If he improve them, may well ftretch fo far, As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cæfar fall together.

Bru. Our courfe will feem too bloody, Caius Caffius,
To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs,
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards:
For Antony is but a limb of Cafar.

Let us be facrificers, but not butchers, Caius ;
We all stand up against the spirit of Cafar,
And in the fpirit of man there is no blool:
O, that we then could come by Cafar's fpirit,
And not difmember Cæfar! but alas!
Cafar muft bleed for it. And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

7

Let's

Stir up

Let's carve him as a difh fit for the Gods,
Not hew him as a carcafe fit for hounds.
And let our hearts, as fubtle mafters do,
their fervants to an act of rage,
And after feem to chide them. This fhall make
Our purpose néceffary, and not envious:
Which, fo appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd Purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cefar's arm,
When Cafar's head is off.

Caf. Yet I do fear him ;

For in th' ingrafted love he bears to Cefar-
Bru. Alas, good Caffius, do not think of him:
If he love Cafar, all that he can do

2

Is to himself; take thought, and die for Cafer:
And that were much, he should; for he is giv'n
To sports, to wildnefs, and much company.

Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die;
For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Bru. Peace, count the clock.
Caf. The clock hath ftricken three.
Treb. 'Tis time to part.

Caf. But it is doubtful yet,

[Clock Strikes.

If Cafar will come forth to-day, or no:
3 For he is fuperftitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantafy, of dreams, and ceremonies:

2-take thought,-] That is, turn melancholy.

3 For he is fuperftitious grown
of late,
Quite from the main opinion he
beld once

Of fantafy, of dreams, and ceremonies:] Cafar, as well as Caffius, was an Epicurean. By

It

main opinion Caffius intends a compliment to his fect, and means folid, fundamental opi nion grounded in truth and nature: As by fantasy is meant ominous forebodings; and by ceremonies, atonements of the Gods by means of religious rites and facrifices. A little after, where Calpburnia

It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the perfuafion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

Dec. Never fear that; if he be fo refolv'd,
I can o'erfway him; for he loves to hear,
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glaffes, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers.
But when I tell him, he hates flatterers,
He fays, he does; being then moft flattered.
Let me work:

For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

Caf. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. Bru. By the eighth hour. Is that the uttermoft? Cin. Be that the uttermoft; and fail not then. Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cæfar hard, Who rated him for fpeaking well of Pompey; I wonder, none of you have thought of him.

Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along to him:
He loves me well; and I have giv'n him reasons;
Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

Caf. The morning comes upon's. We'll leave you,
Brutus ;

And, friends! difperfe yourselves; but all remember
What you have faid, and fhew yourselves true Romans.

Caliphurnia fays,

Cæfar, I never flood on ceremonies,

Yet now they fright me:The poet ufes Ceremonies in a quite different fenfe, namely, the turning accidents to omens, a principal fuperftition of antiquity.

WARBURTON. Main opinion, is nothing more VOL. VII.

than leading, fixed, predominant opinion.

D

-for he loves to hear, &c.] It was finely imagined by the poet, to make Cefar delight in this fort of converfation. The tells us, that the great Prince of Author of St. Evremond's life Conde took much pleasure in remarking on the foible and ridicule of characters. WARB.

Bru.

Bru. Good Gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; 5 Let not our looks put on our purposes; But bear it, as our Roman actors do, With untir'd spirits, and formal conftancy. And fo, good-morrow to you every one.

Manet Brutus.

Boy! Lucius!-Faft afleep. It is no matter,
Enjoy the honey heavy dew of Slumber.
Thou haft no figures, nor no fantasies,
Which bufy care draws in the brains of men;
Therefore thou fleep'it fo found.

SCENE

Enter Porcia.

Por. Brutus, my Lord!

III.

[Exeunt.

Bru. Porcia, what mean you? Wherefore rife you now?

It is not for your health, thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
Por. Nor for yours neither. You've ungen:ly,
Brutus,

Stol'n from my bed; and, yefternight at fupper,
You fuddenly arofe and walk'd about,

Mufing and fighing, with your arms a cross,
And, when I afk'd you what the matter was,
You ftar'd upon me with ungentle looks;

foot:

I urg'd you further; then you fcratch'd your head,
And too impatiently ftamp'd with your
Yet I infifted; yet you anfwer'd not;
But with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave fign for me to leave you: fo I did,
Fearing to ftrengthen that impatience,

5 Let not our Looks] Let not our faces fut on, that is, wear or how our defigns.