70 friend. So, shortly after, Cæsar being at good leisure, he

71

72

brought Strato, Brutus' friend, unto him, and weeping said, Cæsar, behold here is he that did the last service to my Brutus. Cæsar welcomed him at that time, and afterwards he did him as faithful service, in all his affairs, as any Grecian else he had about him, until the battle of Actium."

"For Porcia, Brutus' wife, Nicolaus the philosopher and Valerius Maximus do write, that she determining to kill herself, (her friends carefully looking to her to keep her from it,) took hot burning coals, and cast them into her mouth, and kept her mouth so close that she choked herself. There was a letter of Brutus found, written to his friends, complaining of their negligence, that his wife being sick, they would not help her, but suffered her to kill herself, choosing to die rather than to languish in pain. Thus it appears that Nicolaus knew not well that time, sith the letter (at the least if it were Brutus' letter) doth plainly declare the disease and love of this lady, and also the manner of her death."

III. Extract from Plutarch's Life of Antony.

"All three met together (to wit, Cæsar, Antonius, and Lepidus) in an island* environed round about with a little river, and there remained three days together. Now, as touching all other matters, they were easily agreed, and did divide all the empire of Rome between them, as if it had been their own inheritance. But yet they could hardly agree whom they would put to death: for every one of them would kill their enemies, and save their kinsmen and friends. Yet, at length, giving place to their greedy desire to be revenged of their enemies, they spurned all reverence of blood and holiness of friendship at their feet. For Cæsar left Cicero to Antonius' will; Antonius also forsook Lucius Cæsar, who was his uncle by his mother; and both of them together suffered Lepidus to kill his own brother Paulus. Yet some writers affirm that Cæsar and Antonius requested Paulus might be slain, and that Lepidus was contented with it."

*The triumvirate between Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, was formed in an island on the river Lavinius, west of Bononia (now Bologna).

JULIUS CESAR.

. Act IV. sc. 3.

Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5.
Act II. sc. 1;
Act V. sc. 5.
Act IV. sc. 2.
. Act I. sc. 2.

. Act I. sc. 2;

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &c.

SCENE,-DURING A GREAT PART OF THE PLAY AT ROME: AFTERWARDS AT SARDIS; AND NEAR PHILIPPI.

JULIUS CESAR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Rome. A Street.

Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a rabble of Citizens.

Flav. Hence home! you idle creatures, get you home!! Is this a holiday? What! know you not,

Being mechanical2, you ought not walk3,
Upon a labouring day4, without the sign

1 Get you home.] In this idiomatic form, get means betake or remove, and governs the following pronoun in the objective. So in Act II. Sc. 4, 'I'll get me to a place;' but Portia's expression in that scene, 'get thee gone,' is still more idiomatic, the participle gone being used adverbially, and meaning to the state of being gone. 2 Being mechanical.] See Extracts from Plutarch, 21.

• You ought not walk.] It is not proper or consistent that you, &c. The insertion of the particle to before an infinitive governed by another verb is a less ancient usage than the omission. Such forms as he made me go,' 'he bids you go,' 'we heard them speak,' though exceptions now to the general rule, are examples of what was originally the general rule.

• Labouring day.] In our language a noun is often used as an adjective, having the preposition of understood. Thus, 'gold rings ' means 'rings of gold,' 'a leather apron' means 'an apron of leather;' in the present instance the meaning is 'a day of labouring,' the participle being what is called gerundial, or having the meaning of a noun, and acquiring an adjective import by of understood; for prepo

Of your profession?-Speak, what trade art thou? 1 1 Cit. Why, sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on ??—

You, sir; what trade are you?

2 Cit. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman3, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler.

Mar. But what trade art thou?

Answer me directly.1 2 Cit. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.5 Mar. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade? 6

if

2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet you be out, sir, I can mend you.

Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow?

2 Cit. Why, sir, cobble you.

Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou?

2 Cit. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I

preposition employed are very When the noun thus converted

sition phrases in which of is the generally equivalent to adjectives. into an adjective is of plural form, the plural distinction, as not appropriate to the English adjective, is dropped; thus, for 'tops of chimneys' we say 'chimney tops.'

1 What trade art thou?] For 'what art thou by trade.'

2 On.] An ellipsis for being on, or put on.

3 A fine workman.] As regards whether or not I be a fine workI am that which you say when you mean a clumsy workman. • Directly.] In a direct manner, pertinently, not evasively.

man,

5 Soles.] A quibble in allusion to souls.

• What trade, thou knave?] The old copies assign this speech to Flavius; that they do so erroneously is evident from the exclamation, 'mend me,' in the next speech of Marullus.

Out.] Be not out (of temper or humour) with me, yet if you be out (at toes or soles), &c.