Cass. Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Cæsar. Cas. What say'st thou to me now? speak once again. Sooth. Beware the Ides of March. Cæs. He is a dreamer; let us leave him. · Pass. [Sennet.* Exeunt all but BRUTUS and CASSIUS. Cass. Will you go see the order of the course? Bru. Not I. Cass. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: 5 I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; I'll leave you. Cass. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: 4 Sennet is an old musical term occurring repeatedly in Shakespeare; of uncertain origin, but denoting a peculiar succession of notes on a trumpet, used, as here, to signal the march of a procession. 5 Gamesome is fond of sport, or sportively inclined. Repeatedly so. 6 Quick for lively or animated. So we have it in the phrases, “quick recreation," and "quick and merry words." - Spirit, in Shakespeare, is often pronounced as one syllable, and sometimes spelt so,- sprite, spright. 7 The demonstratives this, that, and such, and also the relatives which, that, and as, were often used indiscriminately. So a little later in this scene: "Under these hard conditions as this time is like to lay on us." 8 This man, Caius Cassius Longinus, had married Junia, a sister of Brutus. Both had lately stood for the chief Prætorship of the city, and Brutus, through Cæsar's favour, had won it; though Cassius was at the same time elected one of the sixteen Prætors or judges of the city. This is said to have produced a coldness between Brutus and Cassius, so that they did not speak to each other, till this extraordinary flight of patriotism brought them together. Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Of late with passions of some difference,10 Conceptions only proper to myself, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours ; 11 Nor construe 12 any further my neglect, Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Cass. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; 13 By means whereof 14 this breast of mine hath buried Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face? But by reflection from some other thing.15 9 Merely, here, is altogether or entirely. A frequent usage. 10 That is, conflicting passions; such as his love to Cæsar personally, and his hatred of Cæsar's power in the State. 11 "Which blemish or tarnish the lustre of my manners." The Poet repeatedly uses the plural, behaviours, for the particular acts which make up what we call behaviour. And so of several other words. 12 In Shakespeare, and, I think, in all other poetry, construe always has the accent on the first syllable. How or whence the present vulgar pronunciation of it came into use, I cannot say. The same, too, of misconstrue, which always has the accent on con. 13 The Poet uses mistook and mistaken indiscriminately. He also sometimes uses passion for any feeling, sentiment, or emotion, whether painful or pleasant. So he has "more merry tears the passion of loud laughter never shed," and "free from gross passion or of mirth or anger." 14 Means was sometimes used in the sense of cause or reason. Whereof refers to the preceding clause. 15 By an image or "shadow" reflected from a mirror, or from water, or some polished surface. Cass. 'Tis just : 16 And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you have no such mirror as will turn That you might see your shadow. I have heard, Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, For that which is not in me? Cass. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear: Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. 16 'Tis just is the same as our phrase, “That's so," or "Exactly so." 17 The sense probably is, "I have been present where many of the highest repute, or held in the highest consideration." Respect was often used so.In what follows, "Except immortal Cæsar!" is very emphatic, and intensely ironical. 18 on and of were used indifferently in such cases. Jealous, also, for doubtful or suspicious. So a little further on: "That you do love me, I am nothing jealous." 19 To stale a thing is to make it common or cheap by indiscriminate use. So in iv. I, of this play: "Out of use, and staled by other men."— Laugher, if it be the right word, must mean jester or buffoon. See Critical Notes. 20 To protest occurs frequently in the sense of to profess, to declare, or to vow. The passage is well explained by one in Hamlet, i. 3: "Do not dull thy palm with entertainment of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade." That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, To all the rout,21 then hold me dangerous. [Flourish and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cass. Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so. Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well. I cannot tell what you and other men 21 The order, according to the sense, is, "if you know that, in banqueting, I profess myself to all the rout."- To make his flattery work the better, Cassius here assures the "gentle Brutus" that he scorns to flatter, that he never speaks any thing but austere truth, and that he is extremely select in his friendships. 22 Here, as often, toward is two syllables, with the accent on the last. 23 To speed for to prosper or bless; a frequent usage. So in The Merry Wives, iii. 4: Heaven so speed me in my time to come!" 24 Favour for look, aspect, or appearance, was very common. 25 Lief or lieve is an old word for glad or willing, gladly or willingly; the opposite of loth or loath. Its original sense was about the same as dear. In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæsar; so were you : We both have fed as well; and we can both The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, And bade him follow: so indeed he did. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain;28 I 26 That is, with opposing or contending hearts; heart being put for courage. The Poet has many like expressions, as, “mind of love" for loving mind, “thieves of mercy" for merciful thieves, “time of scorn" for scornful time, &c. 27 Shakespeare uses both arrive and aspire as transitive verbs, and in the sense of reach or attain. So in 3 Henry the Sixth, v. 3: "Those powers that the Queen hath raised in Gallia have arrived our coast." Also Milton, in Paradise Lost, ii. 409: "Ere he arrive the happy isle." 28 Fever appears to have been used for sickness in general, as well as for what we call a fever. Cæsar had three several campaigns in Spain at |