Ib. And yet further, there was seen a marvellous number of fowls of prey, that feed upon dead carcases; and bee-hives also were found, where bees were gathered together in a certain place within the trenches of the camp: the which place the soothsayers thought good to shut out of the precinct of the camp, for to take away the superstitious fear and mistrust men would have of it. The which began somewhat to alter Cassius' mind from Epicurus' opinions,, and had put the soldiers also in a marvellous fear.' (Plutarch, ed. Skeat, p. 138.)

86. As, as if. See iii. 1. 99, and Abbott, § 107. Ib. sickly prey. Compare King John, iv. 3. 153: 'But confusion waits,

As doth a raven on a sick-fall'n beast.'

89. I but believe it partly, that is, I but partly believe it. For this position of 'but' in the sentence see i. 3. 144: 'Where Brutus may but find it,' where 'but' does not qualify the verb next which it stands. See also,

i. 1. 44:

'And when you saw his chariot but appear ';

that is, and when you saw only his chariot appear. Again, v. 5. 42, and Troilus and Cressida, iii. 3. 155:

For honour travels in a strait so narrow,

Where one but goes abreast';

that is, only one goes. And The Merchant of Venice, i. 1. 153:

'You know me well, and herein spend but time,

To wind about my love with circumstance';

that is, you only spend time.

91. very constantly, with great firmness. See constant,' iii. 1. 22; and 'constancy,' ii. 1. 299.

92. Brutus ends the conversation with Lucilius which they had held apart.

94. Lovers. See iii. 2. 13.

95. rest.

The folios have 'rests,' a printer's blunder, and not a plural inflection as Abbot, § 333.

Ib. incertain, uncertain, doubtful. Compare All's Well that Ends Well,

iii. 1. 15:

'Since I have found

Myself in my incertain grounds to fail

As often as I guess'd.'

97 &c. See Preface.

100, then, in that case, if we lose the battle.

101-108. The construction appears to be that the words I know not how... The time of life' are parenthetical. Cassius asks, 'What are you then determined to do?' To which Brutus replies Even by the rule of that philosophy, &c., arming myself with patience (I am determined) To stay

the providence,' &c. There is a discrepancy between this and the following speech in which Brutus declares his resolution never to be led in triumph through the streets of Rome. The thought of this disgrace appears to have overcome his philosophic objection to suicide. The passage in North's Plutarch from which this speech is taken is obscured by being badly printed, and Shakespeare was misled by it. What Brutus there really says is that when a young man and inexperienced in the world he trusted to a certain rule of philosophy by which he blamed Cato for killing himself, but that now being in the midst of danger he was of a contrary mind. But the passage as it is printed stands thus: Brutus answered him, being but a young man, and not over greatly experienced in the world; I trust (I know not how) a certain rule of philosophy,' &c., as if the speech began with 'I trust,' which moreover, although evidently a past tense (Old English truste), must have been read by Shakespeare as the present. See the whole passage in the Preface.

105. of what might fall, of what might happen. See iii. 1. 146.

Ib. to prevent, to anticipate. See iii. 1. 35.

106. The time of life, the natural period of existence, the time when life naturally comes to an end.

107. To stay, to await. Compare Macbeth, iv. 3. 142:

That stay his cure.'

109. Thorough. The first and second folios have 'Thorow,' the others "Through.' See iii. 1. 137.

Ib. Cassius' speech is not marked as an interrogation in the folios. 113. begun is used by Shakespeare for the past tense generally when the rhyme requires it. Compare Venus and Adonis, 462:

'Or like the deadly bullet of a gun,

His meaning struck her ere his words begun.'

Dr. Schmidt (Shakespeare Lexicon) says that it is only so used, and he takes 'begun' in the present instance as the participle, reading the passage as if it were that work begun on the ides of March.' In truth both 'began' and 'begun' are found for the preterite at an early period of the language. See for example Old English Homilies (Early English Text Society, ed. Morris), first series, p. 59: Alle pe scafte þe he bi-gon'; all the creatures that he began. And again, p. 43: 'Nu bi-gon paul to wepen wunderliche'; now began Paul to weep wonderfully. Again in Lazamon's Brut (ed. Madden), 1. 25765, the earlier version has & bi-gon him to speken,' while the later reads and bi-gan him to speke.' And in l. 28354, the earlier version has 'Modred bi-gon to fleon,' Modred began to flee; while in the later it is 'Modred gan to fleonde.' Similarly, Shakespeare uses 'shrunk' for the preterite of shrink,' while in the Authorised Version we find shrank'; of 'drink' the preterite is both drank' and 'drunk'; and the preterite of

་

'swim' is either swam' or 'swom' in the folios; and 'sing' makes both 'sang' and 'sung.'

118. If not, why then this parting was well made. For the construction compare Troilus and Cressida, i. 3. 372-4:

If he were foil'd,

Why then, we did our main opinion crush

In taint of our best man.'

Scene II.

1. Messala. According to Plutarch (ed. Skeat, p. 140), Cassius gave up the command of the right wing to Brutus, and willed that Messala (who had charge of one of the warlikest legions they had) should be also in that wing with Brutus.'

Ib. these bills, these notes, these written instructions. Plutarch (ed. Skeat, p. 141) says, 'In the meantime Brutus, that led the right wing, sent little bills to the colonels and captains of private bands, in the which he wrote the word of the battle.'

3. set on, advance, make the onset. See i. 2. II, and iv. 3. 305.

Scene III.

1. See the passage from Plutarch in the Preface.

2. Myself. See iv. 3. 169.

3. ensign, standard-bearer.

4. it, that is, the ensign or standard which he carried.

6. some advantage on. Compare Venus and Adonis, 405:

6

To take advantage on presented joy.'

7. his soldiers fell to spoil, as Prince Rupert's troopers at Naseby, where Cromwell was the Antony of the day.

11. far off. It may be that 'far' is here the comparative and equivalent to 'further' just above. Compare Winter's Tale, iv. 4. 442: Far than Deucalion off.' In the same way 'near' is used for 'nearer.' See Richard II, V. I. 88:

Better far off than near, be ne'er the near ';

that is, to be never the nearer.

18. yond. See i. 2. 194.

6

19. with a thought, as quick as thought. Compare The Tempest, iv. 1. 164: 'Come with a thought'; and 1. 43 of the same scene, · Ay, with a twink'; that is, in the twinkling of an eye. Again, Antony and Cleopatra, iv. 14. 9:

Even with a thought

The rack dislimns.'

20. higher. So the first folio. The others have 'hither.'

21. My sight was ever thick. See Plutarch quoted in the Preface. 'Thick' in the sense of dim' is applied to sight in 2 Henry IV, iii. 2. 336: 'His dimensions to any thick sight were invincible.'

22. Pindarus ascends the hill. This stage direction is omitted in the folios. Hanmer put Exit Pindarus,' and Dyce Pindarus goes up.' Pindarus did not leave the stage, but probably went up something which represented rising ground at the back, and when he speaks next the folios have 'Pind. above.'

23. See v. I. 71.

Ib. Steevens quotes from King Lear, v. 3. 174, Edmund's speech just before his death, The wheel is come full circle.'

25. his compass, its course; here a circular one, ending where it began. Compare Othello, iii. 4. 71:

'A sibyl, that had number'd in the world

The sun to course two hundred compasses.'
See iii. 1. 18.

29. make to him.

Compare Richard II, i. 1. 82:

And when I mount, alive may I not light,
If I be traitor or unjustly fight!'

31. light, alight.

32. He's ta'en.

In a separate line in the folios. 38. I swore thee, I made thee swear.

See ii. 1. 129.

Ib. saving of thy life. 'Saving' is here a verbal substantive, and the full phrase was 'in saving of thy life': the preposition 'in' first degenerated into ‘a,' as in a hunting,' 'a fishing,' &c., and then disappeared altogether. See notes on King Lear, ii. 1. 41, As You Like It, ii. 4. 44, and Abbott, § 178. Also King Lear, v. 3. 274:

'I kill'd the slave that was a-hanging thee.'

In John ii. 20 the Authorised Version has, 'Forty and six years was this temple in building,' where Tyndale gives a building.'

41. this good sword. Furthermore, of all the chances that happen unto men upon the earth, that which came to Cassius above all other, is most to be wondered at: for he, being overcome in battle at the journey of Philippes, slew himself with the same sword with the which he strake Cæsar.' (Plutarch, ed. Skeat, p. 103.)

42. search, pierce; elsewhere used by Shakespeare in the sense of 'probe.' See As You Like It, ii. 4. 44:

·

Alas, poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,
I have by hard adventure found my own.'

And Troilus and Cressida, ii. 2. 16:

'The tent that searches

To the bottom of the worst.'

Perhaps Cassius intentionally uses the word with this surgical meaning, his sword being the tent or probe which searched the wound of his grief.

43. the hilts, used of a single weapon, as in Henry V, ii. 1. 68: He that strikes the first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier.'

45. Pindarus stabs him. The first folio has no stage direction but a dash in the middle of the line. The later folios put, 'Kills him' after line 106, where Capell has simply 'Dies.'

51. change, the vicissitude of war, alternation of fortune. What they had lost on the one side they had gained on the other.

60. O setting sun. It appears from 1. 109 that it was only three o'clock. 61. to night. Hyphened by Knight and Collier.

66. good success. In Shakespeare's time 'success' was a neutral word, used in the sense of 'issue, result,' and generally qualified by some adjective. In present usage the prosperous issue is implied, and 'good success' is a redundant phrase. Compare Coriolanus, i. 1. 264: Tickled with good success.' See ii. 2. 6.

68. apt, susceptible, ready to receive impressions. See Venus and Adonis, 354:

'As apt as new-fall'n snow takes any dint.'

And Coriolanus, iii. 2. 29:

'I have a heart as little apt as yours.'

71. Like the brood of the adder, according to a popular belief. Compare Gosson, The Schoole of Abuse (ed. Arber), p. 46: 'The Adders death, is her own broode.'

79. Exit Messala. Added by Pope.

86. bid. Shakespeare uses both 'bid' and 'bade' for the past tense. See As You Like It, iv. 3. 7: My gentle Phebe bid me give you this.'

88. how I regarded Caius Cassius, what respect I paid him. Compare Coriolanus, v. 6. 144:

'Let him be regarded

As the most noble corse that ever herald

Did follow to his urn.'

89. a Roman's part. See Macbeth, v. 8. I:

'Why should I play the Roman fool, and die
On mine own sword?'

And Hamlet, v. 2. 352.

90. Kills himself. The folios have simply 'Dies.' 92. and. See iii. 2. 118.

96. In, into. See Richard III, i. 2. 261:

But first I'll turn yon fellow in his grave.'

Ib. own proper, emphatic; 'proper' being equivalent to own.' See All's Well that Ends Well, iv. 2. 49:

'Thus your own proper wisdom

Brings in the champion Honour on my part.'

97. whether, a monosyllable; printed where' in the folios. See i. 1. 62,