Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. The taper burneth in your closet, sir. Searching the window for a flint, I found This paper, thus seal'd up; and, I am sure, It did not lie there when I went to bed. Bru. Get you to bed again, it is not day. Bru. Look in the calendar, and bring me word. Bru. The exhalations, whizzing in the air, [Exit. [Opens the Letter, and reads. Brutus, thou sleep'st; awake, and see thyself. Such instigations have been often dropp'd Shall Rome, &c. Thus must I piece it out; Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What! Rome? My ancestors did from the streets of Rome The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king. To speak, and strike? O Rome! I make thee promise, Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus! Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. Bru. 'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. [Knock within. [Exit LUCIUS. † Mr. Malone omits then. Since Cassius first did whet me against Cæsar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing Re-enter LUCIUS. Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, Who doth desire to see you. Bru. Is he alone? Luc. No, sir, there are more with him. Bru. Do you know them? Luc. No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears, And half their faces buried in their cloaks, That by no means I may discover them By any mark of favour. Bru. Let them enter. [Exit LUCIUS. They are the faction. O conspiracy! Sham'st thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free? O, then, by day, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy; Hide it in smiles, and affability: For if thou path, thy native semblance on", Not Erebus itself were dim enough To hide thee from prevention. † "state of a man,"-MALOne. 8 any mark of favour.] Any distinction of countenance. For if thou path, thy native semblance on,] If thou walk in thy true form. Enter CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS. Cas. I think we are too bold upon your rest: Good morrow, Brutus ; Do we trouble you? Bru. I have been up this hour; awake, all night. Cas. Yes, every man of them; and no man here, Which every noble Roman bears of you. Bru. He is welcome hither. He is welcome too. Cas. This, Decius Brutus. Cas. This, Casca; this, Cinna; And this, Metellus Cimber. Bru. What watchful cares do interpose themselves Betwixt your eyes and night? They are all welcome. [They whisper. Cas. Shall I entreat a word? Dec. Here lies the east: Doth not the day break here? Casca. No. Cin. O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. Casca. You shall confess, that you are both deceiv'd. Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises; Which is a great way growing on the south, Some two months hence, up higher toward the north Stands, as the Capitol, directly here. Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one. Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face of men 1, 1 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, The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,- That this shall be, or we will fall for it? Swear priests, and cowards, and men cautelous*, Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits, If he do break the smallest particle Of any promise that hath pass'd from him. erroneous. The face of men is the countenance, the regard, the esteem of the publick; in other terms, honour and reputation; or the face of men inay mean the dejected look of the people. JOHNSON. 2 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. 3 And will not palter?] And will not shuffle or fly from his engagements. 4 cautelous,] Is here cautious, sometimes insidious. 5 The even virtue of our enterprize,] The calm, equitable, temperate spirit that actuates us. Cas. But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him? I think, he will stand very strong with us. Casca. Let us not leave him out. Cin. No, by no means. And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: Bru. O, name him not; let us not break with him; For he will never follow any thing That other men begin. Cas. Then leave him out. Casca. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd but only Cæsar? Cas. Decius, well urg'd:-I think it is not meet, Mark Antony, so well belov'd of Cæsar, Should outlive Cæsar: We shall find of him As to annoy us all which to prevent, Let Antony, and Cæsar, fall together. Bru. Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, Let us be sacrificers, but no butchers, Caius. Cæsar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends, 6 7 opinion,] i. e. character. and envy afterwards :] Envy is here, as almost always in Shakspeare's plays, malice. |