When he doth run his course. Ant. Cæsar, my lord? Antonius! Cas. Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, I shall remember: Ant. Sooth. Cæsar! Cæs. Ha! who calls? [Flourish. Casca. Bid every noise be still: peace yet again! Cæs. What man is that? Cas. Set him before me; let me see his face. Cas. What say'st thou to me now? speak once 4. run his course; the course of the Luperci, or priests of Lupercus, the god of fertility, at the Lupercalia, through the streets of the city. Plutarch's description (translated by North) is: That day there are divers noble men's sons, young men (and some of them magistrates themselves that govern them), which run naked through the city, striking in sport them they meet in their way, with leather thongs, hair and all on, to IO 20 make them give place. And many noble women and gentlewomen also, go of purpose to stand in their way, and do put forth their hands to be stricken, persuading themselves that being with child they shall have good delivery, and also being barren, that it will make them to conceive with child.' 9. sterile curse, curse of sterility. 18. the ides of March, March 15. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cas. He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass. Brutus and Cassius. Cas. Will you go see the order of the course? Bru. Not I. Cas. I pray you, do. Bru. I am not gamesome: I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: Bru. I turn the trouble of my countenance Merely upon myself. Vexed I am Of late with passions of some difference, Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviours; Nor construe any further my neglect, Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried 35. bear too stubborn and too strange a hand over, keep (like a restive horse) too severely and unkindly in check. 30 40 40. passions of some difference, conflicting emotions. 42. soil, blemish. Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Cas. 'Tis just: I have heard And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you would have me seek into myself Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear: And since you know you cannot see yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. That I do fawn on men and hug them hard To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish, and shout. 73. stale, make vulgar. 50 60 70 77. profess myself, make professions of friendship. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people Choose Cæsar for their king. Cas. Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well. In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Cæsar; so were you : And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word, And bade him follow; so indeed he did. 91. favour, countenance. 90 100 I, as Æneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber Did I the tired Cæsar. And this man Is now become a god, and Cassius is A wretched creature and must bend his body, He had a fever when he was in Spain, And when the fit was on him, I did mark So get the start of the majestic world, And bear the palm alone. [Shout. Flourish. I do believe that these applauses are For some new honours that are heap'd on Cæsar. Cas. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about Men at some time are masters of their fates: I12. Eneas, regarded in Roman legend as the progenitor of the Roman people. He was Isaid to have borne his father Anchises on his shoulders from the flames of Troy (Vergil, Æn. ii.). 120 130 140 123. bend, look (i.e. the gaze bent upon a particular object). 136. Colossus, the Colossus of Rhodes; a huge figure of bronze traditionally said to have stood astride the entrance of the harbour. |