CAS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion 7;

By means whereof, this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
BRU. No, Cassius: for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.

CAS. 'Tis just:

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors, as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæsar,) speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

BRU. Into what dangers would you lead me,
Cassius,

That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?

CAS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear:

And, since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,

7

your PASSION;] i. e. the nature of the feelings from which you are now suffering. So, in Timon of Athens: "I feel my master's passion." STEEVENS.

the EYE sees not itself,] So, Sir John Davies in his poem entitled Nosce Teipsum, 1599:

"Is it because the mind is like the eye,

"Through which it gathers knowledge by degrees; "Whose rays reflect not, but spread outwardly;

"Not seeing itself, when other things it sees?" Again, in Marston's Parasitaster, 1606:

"Thus few strike sail until they run on shelf;

8

"The eye sees all things but its proper self." STEEVENS. Again, in Sir John Davies's Poem:

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the lights which in my tower do shine,
"Mine eyes
which see all objects nigh and far,
"Look not into this little world of mine;
"Nor see my face, wherein they fixed are."

MALONE.

Will modestly discover to yourself

That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous of me*, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love1
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting

To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

[Flourish, and Shout BRU. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people

Choose Cæsar for their king.

CAS. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. BRU. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well:But wherefore do you hold me here so long? What is it that you would impart to me? If it be aught toward the general good, Set honour in one eye, and death i' the othre, And I will look on both indifferently 2: For, let the gods so speed me, as I love The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.—
I cannot tell, what you and other men

*First folio, on me.

-

9-a common LAUGHER,] Old copy-laughter. Corrected by Mr. Pope. MALONE.

To stale with ordinary oaths my love, &c.] To invite every new protester to my affection by the stale or allurement of customary oaths. JOHNSON.

2 And I will look on both indifferently:] Dr. Warburton has a long note on this occasion, which is very trifling. When Brutus first names honour and death, he calmly declares them indifferent? but as the image kindles in his mind, he sets honour above life. I not this natural? JOHNSON.

Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be, as live to be

In awe of such a thing as I myself.

I was born free as Cæsar; so were you:
We both have fed as well; and we can both
Endure the winter's cold, as well as he.
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tyber chafing with her shores,
Cæsar said to me, Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood3,
And swim to yonder point ?—Upon the word,
Accouter'd as I was, I plunged in,

And bade him follow: so indeed, he did.
The torrent roar'd; and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews; throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
But ere we could arrive the point propos'd*,
Cæsar cry'd, Help me, Cassius, or I sink.
I, as Æneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so, from the waves of Tyber
Did I the tired Cæsar: And this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

3-Dar'st thou, Cassius, now

Leap in with me into this angry flood,] Shakspeare probably recollected the story which Suetonius has told of Cæsar's leaping into the sea, when he was in danger by a boat's being overladen, and swimming to the next ship with his Commentaries in his left hand. Holland's translation of Suetonius, 1606, p. 26. So also, ibid. p. 24" Were rivers in his way to hinder his passage, cross over them he would, either swimming, or else bearing himself upon blowed leather bottles." MALONE.

4 But ere we could ARRIVE the point propos'd,] The verb arrive is used, without the preposition at, by Milton in the second book of Paradise Lost, as well as by Shakspeare in The Third Part of King Henry VI. Act V. Sc. III.:

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those powers, that the queen

"Hath rais'd in Gallia, have arriv'd our coast."

STEEVENS.

Will modestly discover to yourself

That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous of me *, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love1
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting

To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

[Flourish, and Shou BRU. What means this shouting? I do fear, t people

Choose Cæsar for their king.

CAS. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. BRU. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well: But wherefore do you hold me here so long? What is it that you would impart to me? If it be aught toward the general good, Set honour in one eye, and death i' the othre, And I will look on both indifferently 2: For, let the gods so speed me, as I love The name of honour more than I fear death.

CAS. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus As well as I do know your outward favour. Well, honour is the subject of my story.— I cannot tell, what you and other men

*First folio, on me.

9-a common LAUGHER,] Old copy-laughter. Corr by Mr. Pope. MALONE.

To stale with ordinary oaths my love, &c.] To invite new protester to my affection by the stale or allurement of cust oaths. JOHNSON.

2 And I will look on both indifferently:] Dr. Warburto long note on this occasion, which is very trifling. When first names honour and death, he calmly declares them indip but as the image kindles in his mind, he sets honour abo I not this natural ? JOHNSON.