Lo, Caesar is afraid? Pardon me, Cæsar; for my dear, dear love CES. How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia? I am ashamed I did yield to them.- Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS, and CINNA. And look where Publius is come to fetch me. CES. Welcome, Publius.- As that same ague which hath made you lean. BRU. Cæsar, 'tis strucken eight. CES. I thank you for your pains and courtesy. Enter ANTONY. See! Antony, that revels long o'nights, Is notwithstanding up :-- Good-morrow, Antony. ANT. So to most noble Cæsar. CES. Bid them prepare within :— * And reason &c.] And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love. JOHNSON. I am to blame to be thus waited for.- I have an hour's talk in store for you; TREB. Cæsar, I will :—and so near will I be, with me; And we, like friends, will straightway go together. BRU. That every like is not the same, O Cæsar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon! [Exeunt. SCENE III. The same. A Street near the Capitol. Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a Paper. ART. Cæsar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Cæsar. If thou be'st not immortal, look about you: Security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover,3 3 Artemidorus. Thy lover,] See p. 219, n. 6. MALONE. Here will I stand, till Cæsar pass along, If thou read this, O Cæsar, thou may'st live; SCENE IV. The same. Another Part of the same Street, before the House of Brutus. Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS. POR. I pr'ythee, boy, run to the senate-house; Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone: Why dost thou stay? LUC. To know my errand, madam. POR. I would have had thee there, and here again, Ere I can tell thee what thou should'st do there. emulation,] Here, as on many other occasions, this word is used in an unfavourable sense, somewhat like-factious, envious, or malicious rivalry. So, in Troilus and Cressida: 9 "Whilst emulation in the army crept." STEEVENS. the fates with traitors do contrive] The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction." JOHNSON. 6 • Why dost thou stay? &c.] Shakspeare has expressed the perturbation of King Richard the Third's mind by the same incident: “ Dull, unmindful villain! "Why stay'st thou here, and go'st not to the duke?"Cat. First, mighty liege, tell me your highness' pleasure, "What from your grace I shall deliver to him.' STEEVENS. O constancy, be strong upon my side! Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue! Luc. Madam, what should I do? Run to the Capitol, and nothing else? POR. Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well, For he went sickly forth: And take good note, What Cæsar doth, what suitors press to him. Hark, boy! what noise is that? Luc. I hear none, madam. POR. Pr'ythee, listen well: I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray, SOOTH. About the ninth hour, lady. POR. Is Cæsar yet gone to the Capitol? "Enter Soothsayer.] The introduction of the Soothsayer here is unnecessary, and, I think, improper. All that he is made to say, should be given to Artemidorus; who is seen and accosted by Portia in his passage from his first stand, p. 323, to one more convenient, p. 326. TYRWHITT. SOOTH. Madam, not yet; I go to take my stand, To see him pass on to the Capitol. POR. Thou hast some suit to Cæsar, hast thou not? SOOTH. That I have, lady: if it will please Cæsar To be so good to Cæsar, as to hear me, I shall beseech him to befriend himself. POR. Why, know'st thou any harm's intended towards him? SOOTH. None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance. 8 Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow : [Exit. POR. I must go in.-Ah me! how weak a thing The heart of woman is! O Brutus! The heavens speed thee in thine enterprize! Sure, the boy heard me :-Brutus hath a suit," That Cæsar will not grant.-O, I grow faint :Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord; Say, I am merry: come to me again, And bring me word what he doth say to thee. [Exeunt. * None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.] Sir Thomas Hanmer, very judiciously in my opinion, omitsmay chance, which I regard as interpolated words; for they render the line too long by a foot, and the sense is complete without them. STEEVENS. Brutus hath a suit, &c.] These words Portia addresses to Lucius, to deceive him, by assigning a false cause for her present perturbation. MALONE. |