The fufferance of our fouls, the time's abufe,
If these be motives weak, break off betimes,
And ev'ry man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-fighted tyranny range on,
'Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,
As I am fure they do, bear fire enough

To kindle cowards, and to steel with valour.
The melting fpirits of women; then, countrymen,
What need we any fpur, but our own caufe,
To prick us to redrefs? What other bond,
Than fecret Romans, that have fpoke the word,
And will not palter? and what other oath,
Than honefly to honefty engag'd,

That this fhall be, or we will fall for it?

Swear priefts, and cowards, and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions, and fuch fuffering fouls
That welcome wrongs: unto bad caufes, fwear
Such creatures as men doubt; but do not ftain
The even virtue of our enterprize,

Nor th' infuppreffive mettle of cur fpirits;

To think, that or our caufe, or our performance,
Did need an oath: When ev'ry drop of blood,

argument ftands thus, You require an oath to keep us together; but fure the strong motives that drew us into confederacy will keep us confederated. Thefe motives he enumerates; but The FACE of men not being one of thefe motives must needs be a corrupt reading. Shakespeare, without queftion,

wrote,

If that the FATE of men, Or of mankind, which, in the ideas of a Roman, was involved in the fate of their Republick. And this was the principal motive which engaged the God-like Brutus in the undertaking.

WARBURTON.

This elaborate emendation is, I think, erroneous. The face of men is the countenance, the regard, the esteem of the publick; in other terms, honour and reputation; or, the face of men may mean, the dejected look of the people.

He reads, with the other modern editions,

-If that the face of men, but the old reading is,

-if not the face, &c.

This is imitated by Otway, When you would bind me, is there need of oaths? &c.

Venice preferved.

That

That ev'ry Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a feveral bastardy,

If he doth break the smallest particle
Of any promise that hath paft from him.

Caf. But what of Cicero? fhall we found him?
I think, he will ftand very ftrong with us.
Cafca. Let us not leave him out.

Cin. No, by no means.

Met. O let us have him, for his filver hairs
Will purchase us a good opinion,

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:
It fhall be faid, his Judgment rul'd our hands;
Our youths and wildnefs fhall no whit appear,
But all be buried in his gravity.

Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him : For he will never follow any thing,

That other men begin.

Caf. Then leave him out.

Cafca. Indeed, he is not fit.

Dec. Shall no man elfe be touch'd, but only Cafar? Caf. Decius, well urg'd I think, it is not meet, Mark Antony, fo well belov'd of Cæsar,

Should out-live Cafar: we fhall find of him
A fhrewd contriver. And you know, his means,
If he improve them, may well ftretch so far,
As to annoy us all; which to prevent,

Let Antony and Cafar fall together.

Bru. Our courfe will feem too bloody, Caius Caffius,
To cut the head off, and then back the limbs,
Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards:
For Antony is but a limb of Cæfar.

Let us be facrificers, but not butchers, Caius ;
We all ftand up against the spirit of Cæfar,
And in the spirit of man there is no blood:
O, that we then could come by Cafar's fpirit,
And not difmember Cafar! but alas!
Cæfar muft bleed for it. And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

7

Let's

Let's carve him as a dish fit for the Gods,
Not hew him as a carcase fit for hounds.
And let our hearts, as fubtle mafters do,
Stir up their fervants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide them. This fhall make
Our purpofe neceffary, and not envious:
Which, fo appearing to the common eyes,
We fhall be call'd Purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Cæfar's arm,
When Cafar's head is off.

Caf. Yet I do fear him;

For in th' ingrafted love he bears to Cafar
Bru. Alas, good Caffius, do not think of him:
If he love Cafar, all that he can do

2

Is to himself; take thought, and die for Cæfar:
And that were much, he should; for he is giv'n
To sports, to wildnefs, and much company.

Treb. There is no fear in him; let him not die
For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Bru. Peace, count the clock.
Caf. The clock hath ftricken three.
Treb. 'Tis time to part.

Caf. But it is doubtful yet,

[Glock ftrikes,

If Cæfar will come forth to-day, or no:
3 For he is fuperftitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies:

2-take thought,-] That is, turn melancholy.

3 For he is fuperftitious grown
of late,
Quite from the main opinion be
held once

Of fantaly, of dreams, and ceremonies:] Cafar, as well as Caffius, was an Epicurean. By

It

main opinion Caffius intends a compliment to his fect, and means folid, fundamental opi nion grounded in truth and nature: As by fantafy is meant ominous forebodings; and by ceremonies, atonements of the Gods by means of religious rites and facrifices. A little after, where

Calpburni

It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the perfuafion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day..

Dec. Never fear that if he be fo refolv'd,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear,
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glaffes, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers..
But when I tell him, he hates flatterers,

He fays, he does; being then most flattered.
Let me work

;

For I can give his humour the true bent,
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

Caf. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. Bru. By the eighth hour. Is that the uttermoft? Cin. Be that the uttermoft; and fail not then. Met. Caius Ligarius doth bear Cafar hard, Who rated him for fpeaking well of Pompey; I wonder, none of you have thought of him. Bru. Now, good Metellus, go along to him: He loves me well; and I have giv'n him reasons; Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

Caf. The morning comes upon's. We'll leave you, Brutus ;

And, friends! difperfe yourselves; but all remember What you have faid, and fhew yourselves true Romans.

Bru. Good Gentlemen, look fresh and merrily; $ Let not our looks put on our purposes;

But bear it, as our Roman actors do,

With untir'd spirits, and formal conftancy.

And fo, good-morrow to you every one. [Exeunt.

Manet Brutus.

Boy! Lucius!-Faft afleep. It is no matter,
Enjoy the honey heavy dew of Slumber.
Thou haft no figures, nor no fantafies,
Which bufy care draws in the brains of mens
Therefore thou fleep'ft fo found.

S CENE III.

Enter Porcia.

Por. Brutus, my Lord!

Bru. Porcia, what mean you? Wherefore rife you now?

It is not for your health, thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
Por. Nor for yours neither. You've ungently,

Brutus,

Stol'n from my bed; and, yefternight at fupper,
You fuddenly arofe and walk'd about,

Mufing and fighing, with your arms a cross,
And, when I afk'd you what the matter was,
You ftar'd upon me with ungentle looks;
I urg'd you further; then
then you

scratch'd your head,
And too impatiently ftamp'd with your foot:
Yet I infifted; yet you answer'd not;
But with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave fign for me to leave you: fo I did,
Fearing to ftrengthen that impatience,

5 Let not our Looks- -] Let not our faces put on, that is, wear

or how our defigns.