Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds,
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide them.

SLEEP.

* Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of flumber:
Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,
Which busy care draws in the brains of men ;
Therefore thou sleep'ít so found.

Scene III Portia's Speech to Brutus.

† You've ungently, Brutus,
Stole from my bed : and yesternight at supper,
You suddenly arose and walk'd about,
Musing and fighing, with your arms a cross :
And, when I ask'd you what the matter was,
You ftar'd upon me with ungentle looks.
I urg'd you further; then you scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot:
Yet I infifted, yet you

answer'd not;
But with an angry wafture with your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did,
Fearing to strengthen that impatience,
Which seem'd too much inkindled ; and, withal,
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometimes hath his hour with every man:
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep ;

1

* See p. 17 of this volume, and the isoth page of vol. 1. I See the 5th page of this volume,

And

F%

And could it work so much upon your shape,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus, Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Scene IV. Calphurnia to Cæsar, on the Prodi.

gies seen the Night before his Death.
Cæsar, I never stood on * ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me : there is one within,
(Besides the things that we have heard and seen)
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets,
And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead.
Fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons, and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the capitol :
'The noise of battle hurtled in the air ;
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan;
And ghosts did shriek, and squeal about the streets.
O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Cal. What can be avoided,
Whose end is purpos'd by the mighty gods ?
Yet Cæsar shall go forth: for these predictions
Are to the world in general, as to Cæsar.

Cal. When beggars die, there are no conets seen ; The beav'ns themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Against the Fear of Death Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once:

The reader be agreeably entertained, if he turns to the beginning of Hamlet, where he will find an account of these prodigies from our author, Virgil, and Ovid,

of

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange, that men should fear :
(7) Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come, when it will come.

DA NG E R.

Danger knows full well,
That Cæsar is more dangerous than he.
(8) We are two licns litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible.

SCENE VII. ENVY.

(9) My heart laments, that virtue cannot live Out of the teeth of emulation.

ACT III. SCENE IV.

REVENGE.
(10) Cæsar's fpirit, ranging for revenge,
With Até by his fide, come hot from hell,

Shall (7) Seeing, &c.]

The term of life is limited,
Ne may a man prolong nor shorten it,
The soldier may noť move from watchful sted,

Nor leave his stand, until his captaine bed. Spenser.
(8) We are, &c.] The old folios read'Wee beare, which Mr.
Tbeobald, ingeniously enough, altered to we were; and Mr. Upton to
we are, which is not only nearer the traces of the letters, but
more agreeable to the sense of the passage: for Cæfar speaks all
thro' in the prefent tense : Danger knows, that Cæfar is more dan-
gerous than he: we are two lions, twins, litter'd in one day, and
I am the elder and more terrible.

(9) See p. 70, foregoing, and n. 13.

(10) Cæsar's, &c.] Mr. Seward observes, that in those terrible graces spoken of just now (note 5.) no followers of Shakespear approach so near him as Beaumont and Fletcher ; of which he adds the Lines here quoted as a strong proof :

Fix

F 3

Shall in these confines, with a monarch's voice,
Cry, havock, and let slip the dogs of war.

SCENE. V. Brutus's Speech to the People. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæiar's, to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cæfar was no less than his. If then that friend demand, why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer ; not that I lov'd Cæsar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and dye all flaves : than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free-men ? As Cæfar lov’d me, I weep for him ; as he was forturate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him ; but as he was ambitious, 'I flew him. · There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who's here so base, that would be a bond-man ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here fo vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended.

Fix not your Empire
Upon the tomb of him, will shake all Ægypt :
Whose warlike groans will raise ten thousand spirits,
Great as himself, in every hand a thunder.
Destructions darting from their looks.

The False One, A. F. S. L. There is something very great and astonishing in the following paffage from Ben Johnson, tho' not very famous for such daring fights. Catiline says to his soldiers,

Methinks I fee death, and the furies waiting
What we will do, and all the heaven at leisure
For the great spectacle. Draw then your swords, &c.

See Catiline, Act 5.

SCENE

SCENE VI. Antony's Funeral Oration.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears
I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones ;
So let it be with Cæsar! noble Brutus
Hath told

you

Cæsar was ambitious ; If it were fo, it was a grievous fault ; And grievously hath Cæsar answer'd it. Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest, (For Brutus is an honourable man, So are they all, all honourable men) Come 1 to speak in Cæsar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me ; But Brutus says, he was ambitious ; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill ; Did this in Cæfar seem ambitious ? When that the poor have cry'd, Cæsar hath wept ; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious ; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did fee, that on the Lupercal, I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says, he was ambitious, And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus fpoke; But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause with-holds you then to mourn for him? O judgment ! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

F4

And