[Note: _Enter_ BRUTUS ... Capell

Manet Brutus ... F1

Manent ... F2 F3 F4.]

[Note 4-5: /letters ... man, was/

Letters ... man was F1

letter ... man, was, F2 F3 F4

letters ... man, were Malone.]

[Note: SCENE III. Dowden points out that this scene was already celebrated in Shakespeare's own day, Leonard Digges recording its popularity, and Beaumont and Fletcher imitating it in _The Maid's Tragedy_. "I know no part of Shakespeare that more impresses on me the belief of his genius being superhuman than this scene between Brutus and Ca.s.sius."--Coleridge.]

[Note 1: "Now as it commonly happened in great affairs between two persons, both of them having many friends and so many captains under them, there ran tales and complaints between them. Therefore, before they fell in hand with any other matter they went into a little chamber together, and bade every man avoid, and did shut the doors to them. Then they began to pour out their complaints one to the other, and grew hot and loud, earnestly accusing one another, and at length both fell a-weeping. Their friends that were without the chamber, hearing them loud within, and angry between themselves, they were both amazed and afraid also, lest it would grow to further matter: but yet they were commanded that no man should come to them."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Note 2: /noted:/ marked with a stigma. North thus uses the word. See quotation from _Marcus Brutus_ on following page, l.

3.]

[Note 3: "The next day after, Brutus, upon complaint of the Sardians, did condemn and note Lucius Pella.... This judgment much misliked Ca.s.sius, because himself had secretly ... warned two of his friends, attainted and convicted of the like offences, and openly had cleared them."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Note 5: /was./ The verb is attracted into the singular by the nearest substantive.--/slighted off/: contemptuously set aside.]

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BRUTUS. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.

Ca.s.sIUS. In such a time as this it is not meet That every nice offence should bear his comment.

BRUTUS. Let me tell you, Ca.s.sius, you yourself Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm, 10 To sell and mart your offices for gold To undeservers.

Ca.s.sIUS. I an itching palm!

You know that you are Brutus that speaks this, Or, by the G.o.ds, this speech were else your last.

BRUTUS. The name of Ca.s.sius honours this corruption, And chastis.e.m.e.nt doth therefore hide his head. 16

[Note 6: /to write:/ by writing. This gerundive use of the infinitive is very common in this play. Cf. 'to have' in l.

10; 'To sell and mart' in l. 11; 'To hedge me in' in l. 30, and so on. See Abbott, --356.]

[Note 8: /nice:/ foolish, trifling.--/his:/ its. The meaning of the line is, Every petty or trifling offense should not be rigidly scrutinized and censured. Ca.s.sius naturally thinks that "the honorable men whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar"

should not peril their cause by moral squeamishness. "He reproved Brutus, for that he should show himself so straight and severe, in such a time as was meeter to bear a little than to take things at the worst."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Page 125]

Ca.s.sIUS. Chastis.e.m.e.nt!

BRUTUS. Remember March, the Ides of March remember: Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?

What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, 20 And not for justice? What! shall one of us, That struck the foremost man of all this world But for supporting robbers, shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, And sell the mighty s.p.a.ce of our large honours 25 For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than such a Roman.

Ca.s.sIUS. Brutus, bait not me; I'll not endure it. You forget yourself, To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I, 30 Older in practice, abler than yourself To make conditions.

[Note 27: /bay/ F1

baite F2

bait F3 F4.]

[Note 28: /bait/ F3 F4

baite F1 F2

bay Theobald Delius Staunton.]

[Note 30: /I/, Ff

ay, Steevens.]

[Note 18: "Brutus in contrary manner answered that he should remember the Ides of March, at which time they slew Julius Caesar, who neither pilled[A] nor polled[B] the country, but only was a favourer and suborner of all them that did rob and spoil, by his countenance and authority. And if there were any occasion whereby they might honestly set aside justice and equity, they should have had more reason to have suffered Caesar's friends to have robbed and done what wrong and injury they had would[C] than to bear with their own men."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Note A: i.e. robbed, pillaged.]

[Note B: i.e. taxed, spoiled.]

[Note C: i.e. wished (to do).]

[Note 20-21: "Who was such a villain of those who touched his body that he stabbed from any other motive than justice?"--Clar.]

[Note 28-32: "Now Ca.s.sius would have done Brutus much honour, as Brutus did unto him, but Brutus most commonly prevented him, and went first unto him, both because he was the elder man as also for that he was sickly of body. And men reputed him commonly to be very skilful in wars, but otherwise marvellous choleric and cruel, who sought to rule men by fear rather than with lenity: and on the other side, he was too familiar with his friends and would jest too broadly with them."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Page 126]

BRUTUS. Go to; you are not, Ca.s.sius.

Ca.s.sIUS. I am.

BRUTUS. I say you are not.

Ca.s.sIUS. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; 35 Have mind upon your health, tempt me no farther.

BRUTUS. Away, slight man!

Ca.s.sIUS. Is't possible?

BRUTUS. Hear me, for I will speak.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I be frighted when a madman stares? 40

Ca.s.sIUS. O ye G.o.ds, ye G.o.ds! must I endure all this?

BRUTUS. All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break; Go show your slaves how choleric you are, And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?

Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch 45 Under your testy humour? By the G.o.ds, You shall digest the venom of your spleen, Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, When you are waspish.

[Note 32: /Go to/

Go too F1.--/not, Ca.s.sius/ Hanmer

not Ca.s.sius Ff.]

[Note 44: /budge/ F4

bouge F1

boudge F2 F3.]

[Note 48: /Though/ F1

Thought F2.]

[Note 32: 'Go to' is a phrase of varying import, sometimes of reproof, sometimes of encouragement. 'Go till' is its earliest form.]

[Note 45: /observe:/ treat with ceremonious respect or reverence.]

[Note 47: The spleen was held to be the special seat of the sudden and explosive emotions and pa.s.sions, whether of mirth or anger. Cf. _Troilus and Cressida_, I, iii, 178; _1 Henry IV_, V, ii, 19.]

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