* And I will look on Death indifferently:
For, let the Gods fo speed me, as I love
The name of Honour, more than I fear Death.
Caf. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, Honour is the fubject of my story:
I cannot tell, what you and other men
Think of this life; but for my fingle felf,
I had as lief not be, as live to be
In awe of fuch a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Cefar, fo were you;
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold, as well as he.
❝ 3 For once upon a raw and gufty day,
"The troubled Tyber chafing with his fhores,

2 And I will look on both indifferently;] This is a contradiction to the lines immediately fucceeding. If he lov'd honour, more than he fear'd death, how could they be both indifferent to him? Honour thus is but in equal balance to death, which is not fpeaking at all like Brutus: for, in a foldier of any ordinary pretenfions, honour fhould always preponderate. We mult certainly read,

And I will look on death indifferently.

What occafion'd the corruption, I prefume, was, the transcribers imagining, the adverb indifferently must be applied to two things oppos'd. But the ufe of the word does not demand it; nor does Shakespear always apply it fo. In the prefent paffage it fignifies neglectingly; without fear, or concern: And fo Cafea afterwards, again in this act, employs it.

And dangers are to me indifferent.

I weigh them not; nor am deterr'd on the score of Danger.

3 For once upon a raw and gufty day, &c.] This was the common exercise of fuch of the Roman nobility as delighted in the use of arms. Therefore Horace, fpeaking of one enervated by love, Cur timet flavum Tiberim tangere !

fays,

On which Hermannus Figulus makes this comment—Natare, Nam Romæ primæ adolefcentiæ juvenes, præter cæteras gymnafticas difciplinas, etiam natare difcebant, ut ad belli munera firmiores aptiorefque effent. And he puts us in mind, from Suetonius, how expert a fwimmer Julius Cæfar was.

Cafar

66

the word,

"Cæfar fays to me, dar'ft thou, Caffius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
"And fwim to yonder point?-Upon
"Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
"And bid him follow; fo, indeed, he did.
"The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
"With lufty finews; throwing it afide,
"And stemming it with hearts of controversie.
"But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,"
Cafar cry'd, Help me, Caffius, or I fink.
I, as Eneas, our great Ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchifes bear, fo, from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cæfar: and this man

Is now become a God; and Caffius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,
If Cæfar carelefly but nod on him.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,

And when the fit was on him, I did mark

How he did shake: 'tis true, this God did shake;

* His coward lips did from their colour fly,

And that fame eye, whofe Bend doth awe the world, Did lofe its luftre; I did hear him groan:

Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans
Mark him, and write his fpeeches in their books,
Alas! it cry'd give me fome drink, Titinius
As a fick girl. Ye Gods, it doth amaze me,
A man of fuch a feeble temper fhould
"So get the start of the majestick world,

5

"And

4. His coward lips did from their colour fly,] A plain man would have faid, the colour fled from his lips, and not his lips from their colour. But the falfe expreffion was for the fake of as falfe a piece of wit: a poor quibble, alluding to a coward flying from his colours.

5

-get the start of the majeflick world, &c.] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the olympic games.

The ma

jeftic world is a fine periphrafis for the Roman empire: their

citizens

"And bear the Palm alone."

Bru. Another general shout!

I do believe, that these applaufes are

[Shout. Flourish

For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cefar. Caf. Why, man, he doth beftride the narrow world

• Like a Coloffus; and we petty men

• Walk under his huge legs, and peep about • To find ourselves difhonourable graves. • Men at fometimes are mafters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 'But in ourselves, that we are underlings. • Brutus and Cæfar! what fhould be in that Cæfar? Why should that name be founded, more than yours? • Write them together; yours is as fair a name: Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, • Brutus will start a spirit, as foon as Cæfar. Now in the names of all the Gods at once, Upon what meat does this our Cæfar feed, 'That he is grown fo great? Age, thou art fham'd; Rome, thou haft loft the breed of noble bloods. • When went there by an age, fince the great flood, But it was fam'd with more than with one man? • When could they fay, till now, that talk'd of Rome, 'That her wide walls incompafs'd but one man? Now is it Rome, indeed; and room enough, When there is in it but one only man. Oh! you and I have heard our fathers fay, There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd Th' eternal devil to keep his ftate in Rome,

As eafily as a King.

citizens fet themselves 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 asked, whether he would run the courfe at the Olympic games, replied, Yes, if the racers were Kings.

Bru.

Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have fome aim;
How I have thought of this, and of thefe times,
I fhall recount hereafter: for this present,
I would not (fo with love I might intreat you)
Be any further mov'd. What you have faid,
I will confider; what you have to say,

I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear, and answer fuch high things.
'Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this
Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome

Under fuch hard conditions, as this time

Is like to lay upon us.

Caf. I am glad that my weak words

Have ftruck but thus much fhew of fire from Brutus.

Bru. The Games are done, and Cæfar is returning.
Caf. As they pafs by, pluck Cafca by the fleeve,
And he will, after his four fashion tell you,
What hath proceeded worthy note to day.

Bru. I will do fo; but look you, Caffius,
The angry spot doth glow on Cefar's brow,
And all the reft look like a chidden train.
Calpburnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with fuch ferret, and fuch fiery eyes,
As we have seen him in the Capitol,

Being croft in conf'rence by fome Senators.
Caf. Cafca will tell us what the matter is.
Caf. Antonius,

Ant. Cæfar?

Cef. "Let me have men, about me that are fat, "Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights:

"Yond

"Yond Caffius has a lean and hungry look,
"He thinks too much; fuch men are dangerous.
Ant. Fear him not, Cafar, he's not dangerous;
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,

'I do not know the man I should avoid,

་

'So foon as that fpare Caffius. He reads much; 'He is a great obferver; and he looks

"Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays, 'As thou doft, Antony; he hears no musick; • Seldom he fmiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort, 'As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit, That could be mov'd to smile at any thing. 'Such men as he be never at heart's ease, 'Whilst they behold a greater than themselves; • And therefore are they very dangerous. I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd, ⚫ Than what I fear; for always I am Cæfar. Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf, And tell me truly, what thou think'st of him.

S. C

[Exeunt Cæfar and bis Train.

E NE V.

Manent Brutus and Caffius: Casca, to them.

Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?

Bru. Ay, Cafca, tell us what hath chanc'd to day, That Cafar looks fo fad.

Cafca. Why, you were with him, were you not?
Bru. I fhould not then ask Cafca what had chanc'd.

6 'Would he were fatter;-] Johnfon, in his Bartholomewfair, unjustly fneers at this paffage, in Knockham's speech to the Pig-woman. Come, there's no malice in fat folks; I never fear thee, and I can 'fcape thy lean moon-calf there.

Cafca.