As well as I do know your outward favour. In awe of fuch a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæfar; fo were you : And fwim to yonder point ?—Upon the word, And bade him follow: fo, indeed he did. Did from the flames of Troy upon his fhoulder Did I the tired Cæfar: And this man Is now become a god; and Caffius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, And, when the fit was on him, I did mark 7 But ere we could arrive the point propos'd,] The verb arrive is used, without the prepofition at, by Milton in the fecond book of Paradife Loft, as well as by Shakspeare in the third part of K. Henry VI, act V. fc. iii. See Vol. VII. p. 412. STEEVENS. *His coward lips did from their colour fly; Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans Bru. Another general shout! [Shout. I do believe, that thefe applauses are Flourish. For fome new honours that are heap'd on Cæfar. Walk under his huge legs, and peep about 8 His coward lips did from their colour fly;] A plain man would have said, 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. WARBURTON. 9 get the start of the majestick world, &c.] This image is extremely noble: it is taken from the Olympic games. The majeftick world is a fine periphrafis for the Roman empire: their 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 afked, Whether he would run the courfe at the Olympic games, replied, Yes, if the racers were kings. I WARBURTON. Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well.] A fimilar thought occurs in Heywood's Rape of Lucrece, 1638: "What Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with them, 2 When there is in it but one only man. O! you and I have heard our fathers fay, 3 There was a Brutus once, that would have brook'd The eternal devil to keep his ftate in Rome, As eafily as a king. 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 these times, I shall 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. "What diapafon's more in Tarquin's name, "More in the found, than fhould, become the name 2 That her wide walls] The old copy reads walks, which be right. STEEVENS. 3 There was a Brutus once, i.e. Lucius Junius Brutus. may STEEVENS. -eternal devil- -] I should think that our author wrote rather, infernal devil. JOHNSON. I would continue to read eternal devil. L. J. Brutus (fays Caffius) would as foon have fubmitted to the perpetual dominion of a damon, as to the lafting government of a king. STEEVENS. 'Till then, my noble friend,' chew upon this; Brutus had rather be a villager, Than to repute himself a fon 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. Re-enter Cæfar, 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; Sleek-headed men, and fuch as fleep o'nights: Yon 3-chew upon this;] Confider this at leifure; ruminate on this. JOHNSON. "Under fuch hard-] The old copy reads, thefe hard 7 STEEVENS. ? ferret] A ferret has red eyes. JOHNSON. 8 Sleek-headed men, &c.] So, in fir Thomas North's tranflation of Plutarch, 1579, " When Cæfar's friends complained unto him of Antonius and Dolabella, that they pretended fome mischief towards him; he answered, as for those fat men and fmooth-combed heads, (quoth he) I never reckon of them: but thofe pale-visaged and carrion-lean people, I fear them most, meaning Brutus and Caffius." And again: Yon Caffius has a lean and hungry look; 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 spare Caffius. He reads much; Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, [Exeunt Cafar, and his train. Manent Brutus and Caffius: Cafca to them. Cafca. You pull'd me by the cloak; Would you fpeak 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? "Cæfar had Caffius in great jealoufy, and fufpected him much; whereupon he faid on a time, to his friends, what will Caffius do, think you? I like not his pale looks." STEEVENS. 'Would he were fatter:-] Jonfon in his Bartholomew-Fair, 1614, 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, an I can, fcape thy lean moon-calf there." WARBURTON, Bru |