P. 367, c. 2, l. 71. For if thou path, thy native semblance on ] If thou walk in thy true form. P. 368, c. 1, l. 32. No, not an oath: If not the face of men, &c.] Dr. Warburton would read fate of men; but his elaborate emendation is, I think, erroneous. The face of men is the countenance, the regard, the esteem of the public; in other terms, honour and reputation; or the face of men may mean the dejected look of the people. JOHNSON.

Id l. 37. Till each man drop by lottery.] Perhaps the poet alluded to the custom of decimation, i. e. the selection by lot of every tenth soldier, in a general mutiny, for punishment. Id. l. 44. And will not palter?] And will not shuffle or fly from his engagements.

Id. I 47. - cautelous,] Is here cautious, sometimes insidious. Id. l. 51. The even virtue of our enterprize,] The calm, equable, temperate spirit that actuates

us.

opinion,] i. e. character.

Id. l. 64 Id. c. 2, l. 6. and envy afterwards :] Envy is here, as almost always in Shakspeare's plays, malice.

Id. l. 30. choly. Id. 1. 32. company.] Company is here used in a disreputable sense.

- take thought,] that is, turn melan

Id. l. 43. Quite from the main opinion he held once

Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies:] Main opinion, is nothing more than leading, fixed predominant opinion. Fantasy was in our author's time commonly used for imagination. Ceremonies means omens or signs deduced from sacrifices, or other ceremonial rites.

Id. 1. 51. That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,

And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,] Unicorns are said to have been taken by one who, running behind a tree, eluded the violent push the animal was making at him, so that his horn spent its force on the trunk, and stuck fast, detaining the beast till he was despatched by the hunter Bears are reported to have been surprised by means of a mirror, which they would gaze on, affording their pursuers an opportunity of taking the surer aim. Elephants were seduced into pitfalls, lightly covered with hurdles and turf, on which a

Id. Proper bait to tempt them, was exposed. Id. l. 73. Let not our looks-] Let not our faces put on, that is, wear or show our designs. P. 369, c. 1, l. 27. -- on your condition,] On your temper; the disposition of your mind. Id. c. 2, l. 26. Thou, like an exorcist,] Here, and

by him; that is, by his house.

in all other places where the word occurs in Shakspeare, to exorcise means to raise spirits, not to lay them; and perhaps he is singular in his acceptation of it.

SCENE II.

Id. l. 62. Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies,] i. e. I never paid a ceremonious regard to prodigies or omens.

Id. l. 71. The noise of battle hurtled in the air,] To hurtle is to clash, or move with violence and noise.

Id. l. 72. "do neigh,"-MALONE.

P. 370, c. 1, 7. 18. in shame of cowardice:] The ancients did not place courage but wisdom in the heart. JOHNSON.

Id. 1 57. "statue,"-MALONE.

11. 1. 61. "warnings and portents,"-MALONE. Id. 1. 70. For tinctures, stains, relicks, and cogni

zance.] This speech, which is intentionally pompous, is somewhat confused. There are two allusions; one to coats armorial, to which princes make additions, or give new tinctures. and new marks of cognizance; the other to martyrs, whose relicks are preserved with veneration. But Messrs. Malone and Steevens think that tincturus has no relation to heraldry, but means merely handkerchiefs, or other linen, tinged with blood. At the execution of several of our ancient nobility, martyrs, &c. we are told that handkerchiefs were tinctured with their blood, and preserved as affectionate or salutary memorials of the deceased. Id. c. 2, 1. 7. And reason, &c.] And reason, or propriety of conduct and language, is subordinate to my love..

SCENE III.

Id. l. 58. emulation.] Here, as on many other occasions, this word is used in an unfavourable sense, somewhat like-factious, envious, or malicious rivalry.

Id. l. 60. the fates with traitors do contrive.] The fates join with traitors in contriving thy destruction.

ACT III.

SCENE 1.

P. 371, c. 2, l. 14. He is address'd; i. e. he is ready.

Id. l. 25. And turn pre-ordinance,] Pre-ordinance, for ordinance already established.

Id. l. 55. -apprehensive;] i. e. intelligent, capable of apprehending.

Id. 1. 58. Unshak'd of motion:] i. e. Unshak’d by suit or solicitation.

Id. 1. 80. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.] We have

now taken leave of Casca. Shakspeare for once knew that he had a sufficient number of heroes on his hands, and was glad to lose an individual in the croud. It may be added, that the singularity of Casca's manners would have appeared to little advantage amidst the succeeding varieties of tumult and war. STEE

VENS.

P. 372, c. 1, 1. 8. Nor to no Roman else:] This use of two negatives, not to make an affirmative, but to deny more strongly, is common to Chaucer, Spenser, and other of our ancient writers. Dr. Hicks observes, that in the Saxon, even four negatives are sometimes conjoined, and still preserve a negative signification.

Id. l. 31. Stoop then, and wash,] To wash does not mean here to cleanse, but to wash over, as we say, washed with gold; for Cassius means that they should steep their hands in the blood of Cæsar.

Id. c. 2, l. 4. who else is rank:] Who else may be supposed to have overtopped his equals, and grown too high for the public safety Id. 1. 27. Our arms, in strength of malice.] i. e. To you (says Brutus) our swords have leaden points; our arms, strong in the deed of malice, they have just performed, and our hearts united like those of brothers in the action, are yet open to receive you with all possible regard. Id. l. 62.

crimson'd in thy lethe.] Lethe is used by many of the old translators of novels, for death.

P. 373, c. 1, Z. 40. in the tide of times.] that is, in the course of times.

Id. 1 56. let slip-] This is a term belonging to the chase. Slips were contrivances of lea

ther by which greyhounds were restrained till the necessary moment of their dismission. By the dogs of war, as Mr. Tollet has observed, Shakspeare probably meant fire, sword, and famine.

SCENE II.

P. 373, c. 2, l. 60. as I slew my best lover-] This term, which cannot but sound disgustingly to modern ears, as here applied, Mr. Malone considers as the language of Shakspear's time; but this opinion, from the want of contemporary examples to confirm it, may admit of a doubt.

P. 374, c. 1, 1. 69. And none so poor-] The meanest man is now too high to do reverence to Cæsar

Id. c. 2, 2.

their napkins-] i. e. their handkerchiefs. Napkin is the Northern term for handkerchief, and is still used in this sense in Scotland.

Id. 1. 51. For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:] This title of endearment is more than once introduced in Sidney's Arcadia. Id. . 59. Which all the while ran blood.] The image seems to be, that the blood of Cæsar flew upon the statue, and trickled down it. Id. l. 64. The dint of pity:] is the impression of pity.

P. 375. c. 1, 1. 11. "Neither writ," &c. MALONE. Id. l. 36. -seventy-five.] A drachma was a Greek coin, the same as the Roman denier, of the value of four sesterces, 7d. ob.

was not one man among them who was base enough to stab him for any cause but that of justice. MALONE.

Id. 1. 37. "bait not me," &c. MALONE. Id. 1. 39. To hedge me in:] That is, to limit my authority by your direction or censure.

Id. l. 41. To make conditions.] That is, to know on what terms it is fit to confer the offices which are at my disposal.

P.

377, c. 1, l. 28. Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.] The meaning is this: I do not look for your faults, I only see them, and mention them with vehemence, when you force them into my notice, by practising them on me. JOHNSON.

Id. 1.44. If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;] I think he means only, that he is so far from avarice, when the cause of his country requires liberality, that if any man would wish for his heart, he would not need enforce his desire any otherwise, than by showing that he was a Roman. JOHNSON.

Id. l. 69. chides,] i. e. is clamorous, scolds. Id. c. 2, l. 7. What should the wars do with these jigging fools?] i. e. with these silly poets. A jig signified, in our author's time, a metrical composition, as well as a dance.

Id. 1. 8. Companion,] Companion is used as a term of reproach in many of the old plays; as we at present say-fellow.

P. 378, c. 1, l. 1. - once,] i. e. at some time or other. Id. l. 4. in art-] That is, in theory. Id. c. 2, l. 20. thy leaden mace-] A mace is the ancient term for a sceptre.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Id. l. 77. warn us-] To warn is to summon. P. 379, c. 1, l. 48. "O you flatterers!" MALONE. Id. 1. 72. Defiance, traitors, hurl we-] Hurl is

peculiarly expressive. The challenger in judicial combats was said to hurl down his gage, when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary.

Id. c. 2, l. 16.

our former ensign-] Former

is foremost. Id. 1. 38. The very last time we shall speak together:

What are you then determin'd to do?] i. e. I am resolved in such a case to kill myself. What are you determined of?

Id. l. 39. of that philosophy.] There is certainly an apparent contradiction between the sentiments which Brutus expresses in this, and in his subsequent speech; but there is no real inconsistency. Brutus had laid down to himself as a principle, to abide every chance and extremity of war; but when Cassius reminds him of the disgrace of being led in triumph through the streets of Rome, he acknowledges that to be a trial which he could not endure. Nothing is more natural that this. We lay down a system of conduct for ourselves, but occurrences may happen that will force us to depart from it.

Id. l. 44.arming myself with patience, &c.] Dr. Warburton thinks, that in this speech something is lost; but there needed only a parenthesis to clear it. The construction is this: I am determined to act according to that philosophy which directed me to blame the suicide of Cato; arming myself with patience, &c. JOHNSON.

BB