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As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: 50
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit
That could be moved to smile at any thing.
Such men as he never be at heart's ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.

I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd

Than what I fear, for always I am Cæsar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,51
And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
[Exeunt CESAR and his Train.

CASCA stays.

Casca. You pull'd me by the cloak would you speak

with me?

:

Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad.52

Casca. Why, you were with him, were you not?

Bru. I should not then ask Casca what had chanced.

50 The power of music is repeatedly celebrated by Shakespeare, and sometimes in strains that approximate the classical hyperboles about Orpheus, Amphion, and Arion. His own ear, no doubt, was exquisitely sensitive to "the touches of sweet harmony." What is here said of Cassius has an apt commentary in The Merchant of Venice, v. I: —

The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night,

And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted.

51 This is one of the little touches of invention that so often impart a fact-like vividness to the Poet's scenes; like that remarked in note 46.

52 Sad in its old sense of grave or serious, probably. A frequent usage, So, in Romeo and Juliet, i. 1, Benvolio says, “Tell me in sadness, who 'tis that you love"; and Romeo replies, "In sadness, cousin, I do love a wo man."

Casca. Why, there was a crown offer'd him; and, being offer'd 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.

Cass. They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too.

Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice?

Casca. Ay, marry,53 was't, and he put it by thrice, every

time gentler than other; and at every putting-by mine honest neighbours shouted.

Cass. Who offer'd him the crown?

Casca. Why, Antony.

Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.

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Casca. I can as well be hang'd, 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 54 have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loth 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 shouted, and clapp'd their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: and, for mine

53 From an old custom of appealing to the Virgin Mary, marry grew into common use as an intensive; like verily, indeed, to be sure. So the Latin often has heracle and edepol; the latter from swearing by Castor and Pollux.

54 Fain is glad or gladly; much used in the Poet's time. So in St. Luke, xv. 16: "He would fain have filled his belly with the husks," &c.

own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips and receiving the bad air.55

Cass. But, soft !56 I pray you. What, did Cæsar swoon? Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foam'd at mouth, and was speechless.

Bru. "Tis very like he hath the falling-sickness.

:

Cass. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I,

And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness.57

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.58

55 Cæsar sat to behold that sport upon the pulpit for orations, in a chain of gold, apparelled in triumphant manner. Antonius, who was Consul at that time, was one of them that ran this holy course. So when he came into the market-place the people made a lane for him to run at liberty, and he came to Cæsar, and presented him a diadem wreathed about with laurel. Whereupon there rose a certain cry of rejoicing, not very great, done only by a few appointed for the purpose. But when Cæsar refused the diadem, then all the people together made an outcry of joy. Then Antonius offering it him again, there was a second shout of joy, but yet of a few. But when Cæsar refused it again the second time, then all the whole people shouted. Cæsar having made this proof, found that the people did not like of it, and thereupon rose out of his chair, and commanded the crown to be carried unto Jupiter in the Capitol. - PLUTARCH.

56 Soft! was much used as an exclamation for arresting or retarding the speed of a person or thing; meaning about the same as hold! stay! or not too fast! So in Othello, v. 2: Soft you! a word or two before you go." 57 Meaning the disease of "standing prostrate " before Cæsar. Fallingsickness or falling-evil was the English name for epilepsy. Cæsar was subject to it, especially in his later years, as Napoleon also is said to have been. See page 50, note 28.

58" True man" is honest man. Often used in that sense, but especially as opposed to thief. So in Cymbeline, ii. 3: ""Tis gold which makes the true man kill'd, and saves the thief; nay, sometimes hangs both thief and true man." Also in Venus and Adonis: "Rich preys make true men thieves."

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 pluck'd me ope his doublet,59 and offer'd them his throat to cut an I had been a man of any occupation,60 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, if he had done or said any thing amiss, he desired their Worships to think it was his infirmity.61 Three or four wenches, where I stood, cried, Alas, good soul! and forgave him with all their hearts. But there's no heed to be taken

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of them if Cæsar had stabb'd their mothers, they would have done no less.

Bru. And, after that, he came thus sad away?

Casca. Ay.

Cass. Did Cicero say any thing?

Casca. Ay, he spoke Greek.

Cass. To what effect?

Casca. Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i̇' the face again but those that understood him smiled at one

59 Doublet was the common English name of a man's upper outward garment. In this clause, me is simply redundant; as in Falstaff's speech in praise of sack: "It ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish and dull and crudy vapours which environ it."

60 "A man of occupation" probably means not only a mechanic or user of cutting-tools, but also a man of business and of action, as distinguished from a gentleman of leisure, or an idler. - An, in this clause, is an old equivalent for if. Often used thus by the Poet. See Hamlet, page 89,

note 34.

61 Thereupon Cæsar rising departed home to his house; and, tearing open his doublet-collar, making his neck bare, he cried out aloud to his friends, that his throat was ready to offer to any man that would come and cut it. Notwithstanding it is reported that, afterwards, to excuse his folly, he imputed it to his disease, saying that their wits are not perfect which have this disease of the falling-evil.- PLUTARCH.

another, and shook their heads ; 62 but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.63 I could tell you more news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Cæsar's images, are put to silence.64 Fare you well. There was more foolery yet,

if I could remember it.

Cass. Will you sup with me to-night, Casca?

Casca. No, I am promised forth.65

Cass. Will you dine with me to-morrow?

Casca. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the eating.

Cass. Good; I will expect you.

Casca. Do so: farewell both.

[Exit CASCA.

Bru. What a blunt 66 fellow is this grown to be!

He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Cass. So is he now in execution

Of any bold or noble enterprise,

62 A charming invention. Cicero had a long, sharp, agile tongue, and was mighty fond of using it; and nothing was more natural, supposing him to have been present, than that he should snap off some keen sententious sayings; prudently veiling them however in a foreign language from all but those who might safely understand them.

63 The phrase "it is Greek to me" is still in common use for any thing that is not understood.

64 There were set up images of Cæsar in the city, with diadems upon their heads like kings. Those the two tribunes, Flavius and Marullus, went and pulled down, and furthermore, meeting with them that first saluted Cæsar as king, they committed them to prison. The people followed them rejoicing at it, and called them Brutuses, because of Brutus who had in old times driven the kings out of Rome. Cæsar was so offended withal, that he deprived Marullus and Flavius of their tribuneships. — PLUTARCH.

65 Shakespeare has forth very often with the sense of out or abroad. 66 Blunt here means, apparently, dull or slow; alluding to the "tardy form" Casca has just "put on " in winding so long about the matter before coming to the point.-"He was quick mettle" means, He was of a lively spirit. Mettlesome is still used of spirited horses. See page 46, note 6; also, Hamlet, page 51, note 27.

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