The last of all the Romans,3 fare thee well! The last of all the Romans,] From the old translation of Plutarch: " So, when he [Brutus] was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Cassius, calling him THE last of all the Romans, being impossible that Rome should ever breede againe so noble and valiant a man as he, he caused his bodie to be buried," &c. Mr. Rowe, and all the subsequent editors, read, as we should now write,-Thou last, &c. But this was not the phraseology of Shakspeare's age. See Vol. XIV. p. 195, n. 5. See also the Letter of Posthumus to Imogen, in Cymbeline, Act III. sc. ii: as you, O the dearest of creatures, would not even renew me with thine eyes." Again, in King Lear: 66 “The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes not ye jewels, as we now should write. MALone. I have not displaced Mr. Malone's restoration from the old copy, because it is of no great importance to our author's meaning; though I am perfectly convinced, that in the instances from Cymbeline and King Lear, the is merely the error of a compositor who misunderstood the abbreviations employed to express thou and ye in the original MSS. which might not have been remarkable for calligraphy. Both these abbreviations very nearly resemble the one commonly used for the; a circumstance which has proved the frequent source of similar corruption. A mistake of the same colour appears to have happened in p. 415, where (see note 9,) thee had been given instead of the. See likewise the volume above referred to by Mr. Malone, where the is again printed (and, as I conceive, through the same blunder,) instead of thou. The passage cited from Plutarch can have no weight on the present occasion. The biographer is only relating what Brutus had said. In the text, Brutus is the speaker, and is addressing himself, propria persona, to Cassius. Besides, why is not "Thou last" &c. the language of Shakspeare? Have we not in King Richard III: "Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb! "Thou loathed issue &c. "Thou rag of honour, thou detested And again, in Troilus and Cressida : "Thou great and wise" &c. Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man, than you shall see me pay.- Lest it discomfort us.-Lucilius, come ;- Again, in Hamlet: 66 know thou noble youth!" [Exeunt. And fifty more instances to the same purpose might be introduced. Suet. Objectum est Historico (Cremutio Cordo. Tacit. Ann. l.iv.34,) quod Brutum Cassiumque ultimos Romanorum dixisset. Tiber. Lib. III. c. 61. STEEVENS. 4 -and to Thassos-] Old copy-Tharsus. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. It is Thassos in Sir Thomas North's translation. STEEVENS. 5 Labeo, and Flavius,] Old copy-Flavio. Corrected by the editor of the second folio. MALONE. SCENE IV. Another Part of the Field. Alarum. Enter fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BBUTUS, CATO, LUCILIUS, and Others. BRU. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads! CATO. What bastard doth not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field:- A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend; [Charges the Enemy. BRU. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is overpowered, and falls. Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; And may'st be honour'd being Cato's son." 1 SOLD. Yield, or thou diest. I am the son of Marcus Cato,] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "There was the sonne of Marcus Cato slaine valiantly fighting, &c. telling aloud his name and his father's name," &c. STEEVENS. 7-being Cato's son.] i. e. worthy of him. WARBURTON. Luc. Only I yield to die: There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight; [Offering Money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 SOLD. We must not.-A noble prisoner! 2 SOLD. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 SOLD. I'll tell the news. Here comes the general: Enter ANTONY. Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord. ANT. Where is he? 1 Luc. Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough: Luc. Only I yield to die: There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight;] Dr. Warburton has been much inclined to find lacunæ, or passages broken by omission, throughout this play. I think he has been always mistaken. The Soldier here says, Yield, or thou diest. Lucilius replies, I yield only on this condition, that I may die; here is so much gold as thou seest in my hand, which I offer thee as a reward for speedy death. What now is there wanting? JOHNSON. • I'll tell the news.] The old copy reads: I'll tell thee news. JOHNSON. 1 Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. Safe, Antony;] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "In the mean time Lucilius was brought to him, who stowtly with a bold countenaunce sayd, Antonius, I dare assure thee, that no enemie hath taken, nor shall take Marcus Brutus aliue: and I beseech God keepe him from that fortune. For wheresoeuer he be found, aliue or dead, he will be founde like himselfe. And I dare assure thee, that no enemy Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus: The gods defend him from so great a shame! ANT. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, Go on, A prize no less in worth: keep this man safe, [Exeunt. now for my selfe, I am come vnto thee, hauing deceiued these men of armes here, bearing them downe that I was Brutus: and doe not refuse to suffer any torment thou wilt put me to. Lucilius wordes made them all amazed that heard him. Antonius on the other side, looking vpon all them that had brought him, sayd vnto them: my companions, I thinke ye are sorie you have failed of your purpose, & that you thinke this man hath done great wrong but I doe assure you, you have taken a better bootie, then that you followed. For, instead of an enemie, you have brought me a friend." STEEVENs. |