Se. Is't possible, that so short a time can alter the | Call all your tribes together, praise the gods, condition of a man? Mon. There is differency between a grub, and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Mareius is grown from man to dragon: he has wings;| he's more than a creeping thing. Sie. He loved his mother dearly. Men. So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother now, than an eight-year old horse. The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. When he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce a corslet with his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for Alexander. What he bids be done, is finished with his bidding. He wants nothing of a god, but eternity, and a hea ven to throne in. Sie. Yes, mercy, if you report him truly. Men. I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his mother shall bring from him: There is no more mercy in him, than there is milk in a male tiger that shall our poor city find: and all this is 'long of you. Sic. The gods be good unto us! Men. No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto us. When we banished him, we respected not them: and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us. Mess. Good news, good news ;-The ladies have Friend, Art thou certain this is true? Is it most certain? A sea and land full: You have pray'd well to-day; Mess. Great cause to give great thanks. Sic. They are near the city? We will meet them. Enter the Ladies, accompanied by Senators, Patri- And make triumphant fres; strew flowers before them: All. SCENE V.-Antium. A public Place. [Exeunt Attendants. Enter Three or Four Conspirators of Aufidius' faction Most welcome! 1 Con. How is it with our general ? Even so, Auf. Sir, I cannot tell; 3 Con. The people will remain uncertain, whilst "Twixt you there's difference; but the fall of either Makes the survivor heir of all. Auf. Auf. 1 Con. Your native town you enter'd like a post, And had no welcomes home; but he returns, Splitting the air with noise. 2 Con. And patient fools, Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tea With giving him glory 3 Con Therefore, at your vantage, Ere he express aimse.f, or move the people With what he would say, let him feel your sword, Which we will second. When he lies along, After your way his tale pronounc'd shall bury His reasons with his body. Auf. Here come the lords. Say no more; 1 Lord. We have. And grieve to hear it. What faults he made before the last, I think, Might have found easy fines: but there to end, Where he was to begin, and give away The benefit of our levies, answering us With our own charge; making a treaty, where There was a yielding; This admits no excuse. Auf. He approaches, you shall hear him. Enter CORIOLANUS, with drums and colours; a crowd of Citizens with him. Cor. Hail, lords! I am return'd your soldier; Than shame to the Romans: and we here deliver, your voices in Corioli: Alone I did it.-Boy! Why, noble lords, Auf. Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune, Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, 'Fore your own eyes and ears? Con. Let him die for 't. [Several speak at once. Cit. [Speaking promiscuously.] Tear him to pieces, do it presently. He killed my sou ;-my daughter; He killed my cousin Marcus; - He killed my father. 2 Lord. Peace, ho ;-no outrage;-peace. Cor. O, that I had him, [weep. 2 Lord. Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will 3 Lord. Tread not upon him.—Masters all, be quiet; Put up your swords. Auf. My lords, when you shall know (as in this rage, But tell the traitor, in the highest degree Cor. Traitor!-How now ?- Cor. Ay, traitor, Marcius. Marcius! Auf. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius; Dost thou think I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name Coriolanus in Corioli ? You lords and heads of the state, perfidiously Ha! Myself your loyal servant, or endure Your heaviest censure. 1 Lord. Bear from hence his body, And mourn you for him: let him be regarded As the most noble corse, that ever herald Did follow to his urn. 2 Lord. His own impatience Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame. Let's make the best of it. Auf. My rage is gone, And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up :Help, three o' the chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully: Trail your steel pikes.-Though in this city he Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury, Yet he shall have a noble memory.Assist. [Exeunt, bearing the body of CoRIOLANUS, A dead march sounded. THE tragedy of Coriolanus one the most amusing of our author's performances. The old man's merriment in Menenius; lofty lady's dignity in amma the bed modesty in Virgilia; the patrician and military haughtiness in Coriolanasi the plebeian malignity and ribantina insolence in Brutus and Sicinius, make a very pleasing and interesting variety: and the various revolutions of the nero s fortune fill the mind with anxious curiosity. There is. perhaps, too much bustle in the first Bot, and too little in the last.-JOHNSON. THI JULIUS CÆSAR. ❤gedy was neither printed nor entered at Stationers' Hp till 1623. It was probably composed about the year 160 From the words of Polonius in Hamlet, who says that, whe. in the university," he did enact Julius Cæsar," it seems probable that an English play on this subject had appeared before Shakspeare commenced a writer for the stage. A Latin play on the death of Cmsar was acted at Christ Church. Oxford, so early as 1589, as appears from Peck's Collection of divers curious historical Pieces, &c. (appended to his Mo mera, &e. of Oliver Cromwell) p. 14, and William Alexander, afterwards earl of Sterline, wrote a tragedy on the story, and with the title of Julius Cæsar. "It may be presumed," says Malone, that Shakspeare's play was posterior to his, for Lord Sterline, when he composed his Julius Cæsar, was a very young author, and would hardly have ventured into that circle, FLAVIUS and Marullus, tribunes. A Soothsayer. CINNA, a poet. Another Poet. PINDARUS, servant to Cassius. Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &e. SCENE, during a great part of the Play, at Roma; afterwards at SARDIS; and near PHILIPPI. ACT I. SCENE I.-Rome. A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a rabble of Citizens. Of your profession ?-Speak, what trade art thou? 1 Cit. Why, sir, a carpenter. Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on?— You, sir; what trade are you? Cit. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobler. a Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 2 Cit. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soals. Mar. What trade, thou knave, thou naughty knave, what trade? 2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow ? Cit. Why, sir, cobble you. within which the most eminent dramatic writer of England had already walked. The death of Caesar, which is not ex hibited but related to the audience, forms the catastrophe his piece. In the two plays many parallel passages are found, which might, perhaps, have proceeded only from the two an thors drawing from the same source." The real length of time in Julius Cæsar is as follows: About the middle of February, A. U. C. 709, a frantic festival, sacred to Pan, and called Lupercalia, was held in honour of Cæsar, when the regal crown was offered to him by Antony. On the 15th of March in the same year, he was slain. November 7. A. U. C. 710, the triumvirs met at a small island, formed by the river Rhenus, near Bononia, and there adjusted their eruel proscription.-A. U. C. 711, Brutus and Cassius were defeated near Philippi. ↑ Cit. Truly, sir, all that I live by is, with the aw!: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neatsleather, have gone upon my handy-work. Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 Cit. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph. Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he And do you now put on your best attire! Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fauit, Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. [Ex. Citizens. If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies. You know, it is the feast of Lupercal. Flav. It is no matter; let no images Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about, And drive away the vulgar from the streets: So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing Will make him fly an ordinary pitch; Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. [Exeun Casca. Bid every noise be still:-Peace yet again. [Music ceases. Ces. Who is it in the press, that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry, Cæsar: Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cas. What man is that? Ces. He is a dreamer; let us leave him ;-pass. Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I'll leave you. Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness, And show of love, as I was wont to have: You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Over your friend that loves you. Bru. Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'd my look, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours: [sion; Cas. 'Tis just: And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, (Except immortal Cæsar,) speaking of Brutus, For that which is not in me? . Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear And, since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus · Were I a common laugher, or did use To stale with ordinary oaths my love To every new protester; if you know That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, And after scandal them; or if you know That I profess myself in banqueting To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish, and shout. Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, I was born free as Cæsar; so were you: I, as Æneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, Se get the start of the majestic world, Bru. Another general shout! I do not know the man I should avoid [Shout. Flourish. So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; I do believe, that these applauses are Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; Brutus had rather be a villager, Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us. Cas. I am glad, that my weak words Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad? Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the last ery fort Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Cas. Who offer'd him the crown? Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner ́ of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown ;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets ;--and, as I told you, he put it by once; but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. and threw up their sweaty night-caps and uttered Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Bru. I will do so:-But, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cæsar. Cas. Let me have men about me that are fat; such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? Did Cæsar Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like he hath the falling sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man. Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues:-and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, |