Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? Cas. Bru. Cas. I am. Go to; you're not, Cassius. Bru. I say, you are not. Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru. Away, slight man! Cas. Is't possible? Bru. Hear me, for I will speak. Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted, when a madman stares? Cas. O ye gods! ye gods! Must I endure all this? Bru. All this? ay, more: Fret, till your proud heart break; • What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, And not for justice?] This question is far from implying that any of those who touch'd Cæsar's body, were villains. On the contrary, it is an indirect way of asserting that there was not one man among them, who was base enough to stab him for any cause but that of justice. MALONE. 5 To hedge me in;] That is, to limit my authority by your direction or censure. • To make conditions.] That is, to know on what terms it is fit to confer the offices which are at my disposal. Go, show your slaves how cholerick you are, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you: for, from this day forth, for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, I'll use you Cas. Is it come to this? Bru. You say, you are a better soldier: Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, I said, an elder soldier, not a better: I Bru. If you did, I care not. Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me. Bru. Peace, peace; you durst not so have tempted him. Cas. I durst not? Bru. No. Cas. What? durst not tempt him? Bru. your life you For your durst not. Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love, may do that I shall be sorry for. sorry Bru. You have done that you should be for. For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;- And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash, Το you for gold to pay my legions, Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, Cas. Bru. You did. Cas. I denied you not. I did not:-he was but a fool, That brought my answer back.-Brutus hath riv'd my heart: A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, Bru. I do not like your faults. Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus. Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; 7 Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.] The meaning is this: I do not look for your faults, I only see them, and mention them with vehemence, when you force them into my notice, by practising them on me. JOHNSON. If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth; When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius. Bru. Sheath your dagger: Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour. O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb That carries anger, as the flint bears fire; Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark, And straight is cold again. Cas. Hath Cassius liv'd To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him? Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too. Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. Bru. And my heart too. Cas. Bru. O Brutus! What's the matter? Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humour, which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful? Bru. Yes, Cassius; and, henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, and leave you so. [Noise within. Poet. [Within.] Let me go in to see the generals; There is some grudge between them, 'tis not meet They be alone. 8 If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;] I think he means only, that he is so far from avarice, when the cause of his country requires liberality, that if any man would wish for his heart, he would not need enforce his desire any otherwise, than by showing that he was a Roman. JOHNSON. 9 chides,] i. e. is clamorous, scolds. Luc. [Within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me. Enter Poet. Cas. How now? What's the matter? Poet. For shame, you generals What do you mean? Love, and be friends, as two such men should be; Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows his time: What should the wars do with these jigging fools?1 Companion, hence. Cas. Away, away, be gone. Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. [Exit Poet. Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night. Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you Immediately to us. Bru. [Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Cas. I did not think, you could have been so angry. If you give place to accidental evils. 'What should the wars do with these jigging fools?] i. e. with these silly poets. A jig signified, in our author's time, a metrical composition, as well as a dance. 2 Companion, -] Companion is used as a term of reproach in many of the old plays; as we at present say-fellow. |