The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Part 10

See Murray.]

[Note 101: /chafing./ See Skeat for the interesting development of the meanings of the verb 'chafe (Fr.

_chauffer_),' which Shakespeare uses twenty times, sometimes transitively, sometimes intransitively.]

[Note 109: /hearts of controversy:/ controversial hearts, emulation. In Shakespeare are many similar constructions and expressions. Cf. 'pa.s.sions of some difference,' l. 40, and 'mind of love' for 'loving mind,' _The Merchant of Venice_, II, viii, 42.]

[Note 110: /arrive the point./ In sixteenth and early seventeenth century literature the omission of the preposition with verbs of motion is common. Cf. 'pa.s.s the streets' in I, i, 44.]

[Note 119: In Elizabethan literature 'fever' is often used for sickness in general as well as for what is now specifically called a fever. Caesar had three several campaigns in Spain at different periods of his life, and the text does not show which of these Shakespeare had in mind. One pa.s.sage in Plutarch indicates that Caesar was first taken with the 'falling-sickness' during his third campaign, which closed with the great battle of Munda, March 17, B.C. 45. See note, p. 25, l. 252, and quotation from Plutarch, p. 26, l. 268.]

[Note 122: The image, very bold, somewhat forced, and not altogether happy, is of a cowardly soldier running away from his flag.]

[Note 123: /bend:/ look. So in _Antony and Cleopatra_, II, ii, 213: "tended her i' the eyes, And made their bends adornings."

In Shakespeare the verb 'bend,' when used of the eyes, has usually the sense of 'direct,' as in _Hamlet_, II, i, 100: "bended their light on me"; III, iv, 117: "That you do bend your eye on vacancy."]

[Note 124: /his:/ its. 'Its' was just creeping into use at the close of the sixteenth century. It does not occur once in the King James version of the Bible as originally printed; it occurs ten times in the First Folio, generally in the form 'it's'; it occurs only three times in Milton's poetry. See Ma.s.son's _Essay on Milton's English_; Abbott, -- 228; Sweet's _New English Grammar_, -- 1101.]

[Note 129: /temper:/ temperament, const.i.tution. "The lean and wrinkled Ca.s.sius" venting his spite at Caesar, by ridiculing his liability to sickness and death, is charmingly characteristic. The mighty Caesar, with all his electric energy of mind and will, was of a rather fragile and delicate make; and his countenance, as we have it in authentic busts, is of almost feminine beauty. Cicero, who did not love him at all, in one of his _Letters_ applies to him the Greek word that is used for 'miracle' or 'wonder' in the New Testament; the English of the pa.s.sage being, "This miracle (monster?) is a thing of terrible energy, swiftness, diligence."]

[Page 18-19]

Ca.s.sIUS. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men 136 Walk under his huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 140 But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar?'

Why should that name be sounded more than yours?

Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; 145 Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, 'Brutus' will start a spirit as soon as 'Caesar.'

Now, in the names of all the G.o.ds at once, Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd! 150 Rome, thou hast lost the breed of n.o.ble bloods!

When went there by an age, since the great flood, But it was fam'd with more than with one man?

When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome, That her wide walks encompa.s.s'd but one man? 155 Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough, When there is in it but one only man.

O, you and I have heard our fathers say There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd! 150 Rome, thou hast lost the breed of n.o.ble bloods!

When went there by an age, since the great flood, But it was fam'd with more than with one man?

When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome, That her wide walks encompa.s.s'd but one man? 155 Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough, When there is in it but one only man.

O, you and I have heard our fathers say There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome 160 As easily as a king.

[Note 155: /walks/ F4 Walkes F1 F2 F3 walls Rowe.]

[Note 135: Observe the force of 'narrow' here; as if Caesar were grown so enormously big that even the world seemed a little thing under him. Some while before this, the Senate had erected a bronze statue of Caesar, standing on a globe, and inscribed to "Caesar the DemiG.o.d," but this inscription Caesar erased.]

[Note 136: It is only a legend that the bronze Colossus of Rhodes bestrode the entrance to the famous harbor. The story probably arose from the statement that the figure, which represented Helios, the national deity of the Rhodians, was so high that a s.h.i.+p might sail between its legs.]

[Note 140: In Shakespeare are many such allusions to the tenets of the old astrology and the belief in planetary influence upon the fortunes and characters of men which Scott describes in the Introduction to _Guy Mannering_ and makes the atmosphere of the story.]

[Note 142: /should be:/ can be. So in _The Tempest_, I, ii, 387: "Where should this music be? i' the air or the earth?"]

[Note 146-147: The allusion is to the old custom of muttering certain names, supposed to have in them "the might of magic spells," in raising or conjuring up spirits.]

[Note 152: /the great flood./ By this an ancient Roman would understand the universal deluge of cla.s.sical mythology, from which only Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha escaped alive. The story is told in Ovid's _Metamorphoses_, I. Shakespeare mentions Deucalion twice.]

[Note 155: /walks./ The reasons why Rowe's emendation, 'walls,' is almost universally accepted, are that 'walls'

would be easily corrupted into 'walks' from the nearness of 'talk'd,' and that there is a disagreeable a.s.sonance in 'talk'd' and 'walks' in successive lines. But 'walks' is picturesque and poetical; compared with it, 'walls' is commonplace and obvious. Cf. _Paradise Lost_, IV, 586.]

[Note 156: A play upon 'Rome' and 'room,' which appear to have been sounded more alike in Shakespeare's time than they are now. So again in III, i, 289-290: "A dangerous Rome, No Rome of safety for Octavius yet." Cf. also _King John_, III, i, 180.]

[Note 159: The allusion is to Lucius Junius Brutus, who bore a leading part in driving out the Tarquins and in turning the kingdom into a republic. Afterwards, as consul, he condemned his own sons to death for attempting to restore the kingdom.

The Marcus Junius Brutus of the play, according to Plutarch, supposed himself to be descended from him. His mother, Servilia, also derived her lineage from Servilius Ahala, who slew Spurius Maelius for aspiring to royalty. Merivale remarks that "the name of Brutus forced its possessor into prominence as soon as royalty began to be discussed."--/brook'd:/ endured, tolerated. See Murray for the history of this word.]

[Note 160: /eternal./ Johnson suggested 'infernal.' Dr. Wright (Clar.) points out that in three plays printed in 1600 Shakespeare uses 'infernal,' but subst.i.tutes 'eternal' in _Julius Caesar_, _Hamlet_, and _Oth.e.l.lo_, in obedience probably to the popular Puritan agitation against profanity on the stage. This has been used as evidence to determine dates of composition. See Introduction, page xx. Cf. with this use of 'eternal' the old Yankee term 'tarnal' in such expressions as 'tarnal scamp,' 'tarnal shame,' etc.]

[Page 20]

BRUTUS. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; What you would work me to, I have some aim: How I have thought of this and of these times, I shall recount hereafter; for this present, 165 I would not, so with love I might entreat you, Be any further mov'd. What you have said I will consider; what you have to say I will with patience hear, and find a time Both meet to hear and answer such high things. 170 Till then, my n.o.ble friend, chew upon this: 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. 175

[Note 166: /not, so with ... you/ not so (with ... you) Ff.]

[Note 162: /am nothing jealous:/ do not doubt. Cf. l. 71.

'Jealous' and 'zealous' are etymologically the same word. See Skeat.]

[Note 163: /work me to:/ prevail upon me to do. Cf. _Hamlet_, IV, vii, 64.--/aim:/ guess. Cf. _The Two Gentlemen of Verona_, III, i, 28. Similarly with the verb in _Romeo and Juliet_, I, i, 211; _Oth.e.l.lo_, III, iii, 223.]

[Note 171: 'To chew' is, literally, in the Latin equivalent, 'to ruminate.' Cf. _As You Like It_, IV, iii, 102: "Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy." In Bacon's Essays, _Of Studies_, we have, with reference to books: "Some few are to be chewed and digested." So in Lyly's _Euphues_: "Philantus went into the fields to walk there, either to digest his choler, or chew upon his melancholy."]

[Note 174: /these ... as./ See note, l. 34; Abbott, ---- 112, 280.]

[Page 21]

Ca.s.sIUS. I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

_Enter_ CaeSAR _and his train_

BRUTUS. The games are done, and Caesar is returning.

Ca.s.sIUS. As they pa.s.s by, pluck Casca by the sleeve; And he will, after his sour fas.h.i.+on, tell you 180 What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

BRUTUS. I will do so. But, look you, Ca.s.sius, The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow, And all the rest look like a chidden train: Calpurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero 185 Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes As we have seen him in the Capitol, Being cross'd in conference by some senators.

[Note 178: Scene IV Pope.]

[Note 178-179: Four lines in Ff.]

[Note 177: In _Troilus and Cressida_, III, iii, 256, Thersites says of the wit of Ajax: "It lies as coldly in him as fire in a flint, which will not show without knocking." The same figure is found in the description which Brutus gives of his unimpa.s.sioned nature, IV, iii, 112-114.]

[Note 181: /proceeded:/ happened, come to pa.s.s. So in _All's Well that Ends Well_, IV, ii, 62.--/worthy note./ Cf. _All's Well that Ends Well_, III, v, 104. For the ellipsis of the preposition, see Abbott, -- 198 a.]

[Note 186: One of the marked physical characteristics of the albinotic ferret is the red or pink eye. Shakespeare turns the noun 'ferret' into an adjective. The description of Cicero is purely imaginary; but the angry spot on Caesar's brow, Calpurnia's pale cheek, and Cicero with fire in his eyes when kindled by opposition in the Senate, make an exceedingly vivid picture.]

[Page 22]

Ca.s.sIUS. Casca will tell us what the matter is.