Cæs.
What man is that?1
Bru. A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
Cas. Set him before me; let me see his face.

Cas. Fellow, come from the throng: Look upon Cæsar.
Cas. What sayest thou to me now? Speak once again.
Sooth. Beware the ides of March.

Cæs. He is a dreamer: let us leave him ;

pass.

[Sennet. Exeunt all but BRU. and CAS.

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;

I'll leave you.

Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness, And show of love, as I was wont to have:

2

find they were ware of it,' and in 2 Tim. iv. 15, of whom be thou ware also.' The Idus, or Ides, of a month denoted the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of each of the other months. On the Ides of February, Antony offered the crown to Cæsar, and on the next Ides, in March, that meeting of the senate took place at which Cæsar's elevation to royalty was to be proposed, but at which his life was terminated by assassination.

1 What man is that?]

That is nominative to the verb is, and

man is a nominative complement to is.

2 As I was wont.] That gentleness which I was wont to have. As is allowed in some instances of modern usage to perform the office of a relative pronoun, especially when the word such or same is antecedent. But it is essentially the conjunction used elliptically: that gentleness as a thing which I was wont to have. If we parse it here as a relative, it is objective to have.

Wont is the perfect participle of the old Saxon verb to won, which signified 'to be used to,' 'to have accustomed residence,' 'to dwell.'

You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand1
Over your friend that loves you.

Be not deceived2; if I have veiled my look3,

I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am",

Of late, with passions of some difference",
Conceptions only proper to myself7,

Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours:
But let not therefore my good friends be grieved 3,
(Among which number, Cassius, be you one,)

Nor construe any further my neglect,

Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; By means whereof 10, this breast of mine 11 hath buried

3 Veiled my look.]

Shaded my face with gloom.

I turn.] I direct the look of dissatisfaction.

5 Vexed I am.]

Continual uneasiness is expressed by this phrase, though, in strict propriety, am should be have been.

Passions of some difference.] Feelings somewhat discordant. "Conceptions.] Sentiments that pertain to, or concern, myself only, but which perhaps sully in some degree the exterior of my conduct.

8 Be grieved.] Feel hurt.

• I have mistook.] Formerly it was very common to use mistook, broke, spoke, wrote, and such like preterite forms as perfect participles. I have much mistaken the nature of your feelings.

10 By means whereof.] And through that erroneous notion I have been induced to keep concealed in my own mind thoughts of momentous importance, considerations of great dignity. Whereof, used for of which, is here a pronominal adjective or possessive to

means.

11 Of mine.] Mine is here in the objective case; so is his in the

Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?1
Bru. No, Cassius: for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things2,

Cas. "T is just :

I have heard 5,

And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye3,
That you might see your shadow.
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
(Except immortal Cæsar,) speaking of Brutus,
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes.

corresponding expression, 'that tongue of his,' p. 17. The meaning is of my having, of his having, that is, that I have, that he has. According to what is called Analysis of Sentences, of mine is an adjective complement to breast. See note 3, p. 85.

1 Can you see your face.] Cassius is now proceeding to move Brutus to conspiracy. Observe how artfully he employs the considerations of his affection for Brutus; of the respect in which Brutus is held by others, and in which he should hold his own honour; of the republican principles which Brutus cherishes; and of his being a descendant of that Brutus who drove Tarquin from the throne: and then observe the result which manifests itself in the speech, That you do love me,' &c.

2 By some other things.] There should not be a comma preceding this expression; the meaning is, through reflection by means of some other things, as water, a mirror, or some polished surface.

3 Turn your hidden worthiness.] Reflect to your mind's eye your worthiness of mind which you do not seem to recognise.

4 Shadow.] The image of your inward self.

5 Heard.] Intransitive verb. I have been an auditor or listener. 6 Best respect.] Highest rank. See Extracts from Plutarch, 21. Cassius excepts 'immortal Cæsar,' that he may move Brutus to indignation at the thought that one man 'should so get the start of the majestic world.'

Bru. Into what dangers would you lead That you would have me seek into myself For that which is not in me?1

me, Cassius,

Cas. Therefore 2, good Brutus, be prepared to hear: And since you know you cannot see yourself

So well as by reflection, I, your glass,

3

Will modestly discover to yourself

That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus1;
Were I a common laugher 5, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men, and hug them hard,
And after scandal them7; or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting

1 That which is not in me.] That which I am not conscious of having in me.

2 Therefore.] This word here signifies the readiness of Cassius to answer the inquiry of Brutus; it is equivalent to well then, or that you may be informed.

3 Modestly.] Fairly, without flattery or exaggeration.

• Jealous on me.] Actuated by suspicion towards me; doubtful of my affection. Brutus afterwards says, 'That you do love me I am nothing jealous.' Some modern editors substitute of for on.

5 Common laugher.] One who is ever ready to laugh, or to seem pleased with those who talk to him. But, perhaps, laugher was not Shakspeare's word here.

To stale.] Or if it were my usual practice to prostitute my love by expressing it in the trite forms of asseveration to every new comer who desires assurance of my regard for him. A protester here means one who calls for evidence, one, as it might be, who says, 'Are you really my friend?'

' And after scandal them.] And afterwards malign them.

To all the rout1, then hold me dangerous.2

[Flourish and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear the people

Choose Cæsar for their king.

Ay, do

Cas. you fear it? 4 Then must I think you would not have it so.5

:

Bru. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well :·
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,

Set honour in one eye, and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently:

For, let the gods so speed me, as I love

The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,

To all the rout.] Speak my thoughts without reserve to the promiscuous company.

2 Then hold me dangerous.] Then think that I might lead you into danger. This is in answer to the words, 'Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius?'

3 What means this shouting?] During the celebration of the Lupercalia, to which Brutus had declined to go with Cassius, Antony begged Cæsar's acceptance of a kingly crown, and the shouting now heard was in applause of Cæsar for declining the offer.

4

Ay, do you fear it?] Brutus, in using the word fear, has given Cassius an opportunity, which is immediately taken advantage of, to speak in direct terms against Cæsar's supremacy.

5 Have it so.] Consent that the thing be such as it is. So might be regarded as either an adjective, a noun, or an adverb, in this place.

Set honour.] Place honour and death together in my view, and I will look on both with equal steadiness; for I pray that the gods prosper no undertaking of mine, in which I am not more desirous of promoting the honour of my country than fearful of incurring death. That virtue.] The love of acting honourably.