CAS. Cowards die many times before their deaths;9 The valiant never taste of death but once. as if they were the summoners of God to call princes to the seat of judgment. The surest way to shake their painted bulwarks of experience is, by making plaine, that neyther princes always dye when comets blaze, nor comets ever [i. e. always] when princes dye." Defensative against the Poison of supposed Prophecies, by Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, 1583. Again, ibid: "Let us look into the nature of a comet, by the face of which it is supposed that the same should portend plague, famine, warre, or the death of potentates." MALONE. 9 Cowards die many times before their deaths;] So, in the ancient translation of Plutarch, so often quoted: "When some of his friends did counsel him to have a guard for the safety of his person; he would never consent to it, but said, it was better to die once, than always to be affrayed of death." STEEVENS. So, in Marston's Insatiate Countess, 1613: "Fear is my vassal; when I frown, he flies, "A hundred times in life a coward dies." Lord Essex, probably before any of these writers, made the same remark. In a letter to Lord Rutland, he observes, "that as he which dieth nobly, doth live for ever, so he that doth live in fear, doth die continually." MALONE. 1 that I yet have heard,] This sentiment appears to have been imitated by Dr. Young in his tragedy of Busiris, King of Egypt: 2 66 Didst thou e'er fear? "Sure 'tis an art; I know not how to fear: "'Tis one of the few things beyond my power; "And if death must be fear'd before 'tis felt, "Thy master is immortal." STEEVENS. death, a necessary end, &c.] This is a sentence derived from the stoical doctrine of predestination, and is therefore improper in the mouth of Cæsar. JOHNSON. Re-enter a Servant. What say the augurers? SERV. They would not have you to stir forth to-day. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, CES. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:* in shame of cowardice:] The ancients did not place courage but wisdom in the heart. JOHNSON. We were-] In old editions: We heare The copies have been all corrupt, and the passage, of course, unintelligible. But the slight alteration I have made, [We were] restores sense to the whole; and the sentiment will neither be unworthy of Shakspeare, nor the boast too extravagant for Cæsar in a vein of vanity to utter: that he and danger were two twinwhelps of a lion, and he the elder, and more terrible of the two. THEOBALD. Mr. Upton recommends us to read: We are This resembles the boast of Otho: Experti invicem sumus, Ego et Fortuna. Tacitus. STEEVENS. It is not easy to determine, which of the two readings has the best claim to a place in the text. If Theobald's emendation be adopted, the phraseology, though less elegant, is perhaps more Shakspearian. It may mean the same as if he had written-We two lions were litter'd in one day, and I am the elder and more terrible of the two. MALONE. And Cæsar shall go forth.5 CAL. That keeps you in the house, and not your own, CES. Mark Antony shall say, I am not well; And, for thy humour, I will stay at home. Enter DECIUS. Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so. I come to fetch you to the senate-house. CES. And you are come in very happy time, To bear my greeting to the senators, And tell them, that I will not come to-day: Cannot, is false; and that I dare not, falser; I will not come to-day: Tell them so, Decius. 5 Cæsar shall go forth.] Any speech of Cæsar, throughout this scene, will appear to disadvantage, if compared with the following sentiments, put into his mouth by May, in the seventh Book of his Supplement to Lucan: 66 Plus me, Calphurnia, luctus "Et lachrymæ movere tuæ, quam tristia vatum STEEVENS. CAL. Say, he is sick. CES. Shall Cæsar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far, To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth? Decius, go tell them, Cæsar will not come. DEC. Most mighty Cæsar, let me know some cause, Lest I be laugh'd at, when I tell them so. 6 CES. The cause is in my will, I will not come; That is enough to satisfy the senate. But, for your private satisfaction, Because I love you, I will let you know. Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home: She dreamt to-night she saw my statua, Which like a fountain, with a hundred spouts, Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it. And these does she apply for warnings, portents," And evils imminent; and on her knee Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to-day. 8 DEC. This dream is all amiss interpreted; Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, 6 my statua,] See Vol. IV. p. 274, n. 8; and Vol. XIV. p. 413, n. 4. STEEVENS. 7-warnings, portents,] Old copy, unmetrically-warnings and portents. STEEVENS. * And evils imminent ;] The late Mr. Edwards was of opinion that we should read: The alteration proposed by Mr. Edwards is needless, and tends to weaken the force of the expressions, which form, as they now stand, a regular climax. HENLEY. Reviving blood; and that great men shall press For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cognizance.9 This by Calphurnia's dream is signified. CES. And this way have you well expounded it. DEC. I have, when you have heard what I can say: And know it now; The senate have concluded When Casar's wife shall meet with better dreams. and that great men shall press For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cognizance.] This speech, which is intentionally pompous, is somewhat confused. There are two allusions; one to coats armorial, to which princes make additions, or give new tinctures, and new marks of cognizance; the other to martyrs, whose reliques are preserved with veneration. The Romans, says Decius, all come to you as to a saint, for reliques, as to a prince, for honours. JOHNSON. I believe tinctures has no relation to heraldry, but means merely handkerchiefs, or other linen, tinged with blood. Bullokar, in his Expositor, 1616, defines it "a dipping, colouring or staining of a thing." So, in Act III. sc. ii:" "And dip their napkins," &c. MALONE. I concur in opinion with Mr. Malone. At the execution of several of our ancient nobility, martyrs, &c. we are told that handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as affectionate or salutary memorials of the deceased. STEEVENS. 1 When Cæsar's wife shall meet with better dreams.] So, in Lord Sterline's Julius Cæsar, 1607: "How can we satisfy the world's conceit, "Whose tongues still in all ears your praise proclaims? "Or shall we bid them leave to deal in state, "Till that Calphurnia first have better dreams?" VOL. XVI. Y MALONE. |