Wherein hath Cæsar thus deserv'd your loves? CIT. Most true;-the will;-let's stay, and hear the will. ANT. Here is the will, and under Cæsar's seal. To every Roman citizen he gives, To every several man, seventy-five drachmas." 2 CIT. Most noble Cæsar!-we'll revenge his death. 3 CIT. O royal Cæsar! ANT. Hear me with patience. CIT. Peace, ho! ANT. Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbours, and new-planted orchards, On this side Tyber; he hath left them you, 7-seventy-five drachmas.] A drachma was a Greek coin, the same as the Roman denier, of the value of four sesterces, 7d. ob. STEEVENS. On this side Tyber;] The scene is here in the Forum near the Capitol, and in the most frequented part of the city; but Cæsar's gardens were very remote from that quarter; "Trans Tiberim longe cubat is, prope Cæsaris hortos." says Horace: and both the Naumachia and gardens of Cæsar were separated from the main city by the river; and lay out wide, on a line with Mount Janiculum. Our author therefore certainly wrote: On that side Tyber;· and Plutarch, whom Shakspeare very diligently studied, in The Life of Marcus Brutus, speaking of Caesar's will, expressly says, That he left to the publick his gardens, and walks, beyond the Tyber. THEOBALD. This emendation has been adopted by the subsequent editors; but hear the old translation, where Shakspeare's study lay: "He bequeathed unto every citizen of Rome seventy-five drachmas a man, and he left his gardens and arbours unto the people, which he had on this side of the river Tiber." FARMER. And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures, 1 CIT. Never, never :-Come, away, away: We'll burn his body in the holy place, And with the brands fire the traitors' houses." 2 CIT. Go, fetch fire. 3 CIT. Pluck down benches. 4 CIT. Pluck down forms, windows, any thing. [Exeunt Citizens, with the Body. ANT. Now let it work: Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!-How now, fellow? Enter a Servant. SERV. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome. ANT. Where is he? SERV. He and Lepidus are at Cæsar's house. ANT. And thither will I straight to visit him: He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry, And in this mood will give us any thing. SERV. I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome. 9 fire the traitors' houses.] Thus the old copy. The more modern editors read-fire all the traitor's houses; but fire was then pronounced, as it was sometimes written, fier. So, in Humors Ordinary, a collection of Epigrams: "Oh rare compound, a dying horse to choke, "Of English fier and of Indian smoke!" STEEVENS. ANT. Belike, they had some notice of the people, How I had mov'd them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt. SCENE III.1 The same. A Street. Enter CINNA, the Poet. CIN. I dreamt to-night, that I did feast with And things unluckily charge my fantasy:3 Enter Citizens. 1 CIT. What is your name? 4 CIT. Are you a married man, or a bachelor? 1 Scene III.] The subject of this scene is taken from Plutarch. STEEVENS. I dreamt to-night, that I did feast &c.] I learn from an old black letter treatise on Fortune-telling &c. that to dream " of being at banquets, betokeneth misfortune" &c. STEEVENS. 3 things unluckily charge my fantasy:] i. e. circumstances oppress my fancy with an ill-omened weight. his dream was that he feasted with resar who were dead. I have no will to wander forth of doors, &c.] Thus, Shy lock: "I have no mind of feasting forth to-night: STEEVENS 2 CIT. Answer every man directly. 1 CIT. Ay, and briefly, 4 CIT. Ay, and wisely. 3 CIT. Ay, and truly, you were best. CIN. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? Am I a married man, or a bachelor? Then to answer every man directly, and briefly, wisely, and truly. Wisely I say, I am a bachelor. 2 CIT. That's as much as to say, they are fools that marry:-You'll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed; directly. CIN. Directly, I am going to Cæsar's funeral. 1 CIT. As a friend, or an enemy? CIN. As a friend. 2 CIT. That matter is answered directly. 4 CIT. For your dwelling,-briefly. CIN. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol. 1 CIT. Tear him to pieces, he's a conspirator. CIN. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet. 4 CIT. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses. 2 CIT. It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going. 3 CIT. Tear him, tear him. Come, brands, ho! fire-brands. To Brutus', to Cassius'; burn all. Some to Decius' house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius' away; go. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. The same. A Room in Antony's House.5 ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, seated at a Table. 5 ANT. These many then shall die; their names are prick'd. — Antony's House.] Mr. Rowe, and Mr. Pope after him, have mark'd the scene here to be at Rome. The old copies say nothing of the place. Shakspeare, I dare say, knew from Plutarch, that these triumvirs met, upon the proscription, in a little island; which Appian, who is more particular, says, lay near Mutina, upon the river Lavinius. THEOBALD. A small island in the little river Rhenus near Bononia. HANMER. So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "Thereuppon all three met together (to wete, Cæsar, Antonius, & Lepidus,) in an island enuyroned round about with a little river, & there remayned three dayes together. Now as touching all other matters, they were easily agreed, & did deuide all the empire of Rome betwene them, as if it had bene their owne inheritance. But yet they could hardly agree whom they would put to death: for euery one of them would kill their enemies, and saue their kinsmen and friends. Yet at length, giving place to their greedy desire to be reuenged of their enemies, they spurned all reuerence of blood and holines of friendship at their feete. For Cæsar left Cicero to Antonius' will, Antonius also forsooke Lucius Cæsar, who was his vncle by his mother: and both of them together suffred Lepidus to kill his own brother Paulus." That Shakspeare, however, meant the scene to be at Rome, may be inferred from what almost immediately follows: Lep. What, shall I find you here? Oct. Or here, or at the Capitol." STEEVENS. |