Sic. Is't possible, that so short a time can alter the | Call all your tribes together, praise the gods, condition of a man? Men. There is differency between a grub, and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon: he has wings; he's more than a creeping thing. Sic. He loved his mother dearly. Men. So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother now, than an eight-year old horse. The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. When he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce a corslet with his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for Alexander. What he bids be done, is finished with his bidding. He wants nothing of a god, but eternity, and a heaven to throne in. Sic. Yes, mercy, if you report him truly. Men. I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his mother shall bring from him: There is no more mercy in him, than there is milk in a male tiger; that shall our poor city find: and all this is 'long of you. Sic. The gods be good unto us! Men. No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto us. When we banished him, we respected not them: and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us. Friend, Art thou certain this is true? Is it most certain ? A sea and land full: You have pray'd well to-day; Great cause to give great thanks. We will meet them. They are near the city? Mess. Almost at point to enter. Sic. And help the joy. Enter the Ladies, accompanied by Senators, Patricians, and People. They pass over the Stage. 1 Sen. Behold our patroness, the life of Rome : And make triumphant fires; strew flowers before them: All. Welcome, ladies! [A flourish with drums and trumpets. SCENE V.-Antium. A public Place. [Exeunt Attendants. Enter Three or Four Conspirators of Aufidius' faction 1 Con. How is it with our general ? 2 Con. As with a man by his own alms empoison'd, 3 Con. The people will remain uncertain, whilst 'Twixt you there's difference; but the fall of either Makes the survivor heir of all. Auf. When he did stand for consul, which he lost ; Auf. There was it ;- [Drums and trumpets sound, with great 1 Lord. And grieve to hear it. What faults he made before the last, I think, Might have found easy fines: but there to end, Where he was to begin, and give away The benefit of our levies, answering us With our own charge; making a treaty, where There was a yielding; This admits no excuse. Auf. He approaches, you shall hear him. Enter CORIOLANUS, with drums and colours; a crowd of Citizens with him. Cor. Hail, lords! I am return'd your soldier; Than shame to the Romans: and we here deliver, [weep. 2 Lord. Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will 3 Lord. Tread not upon him.-Masters all, be quiet; Put up your swords. Auf. My lords, when you shall know (as in this rage, But tell the traitor, in the highest degree He hath abus'd your powers. Cor. Traitor!-How now ? Auf. Cor. Ay, traitor, Marcius. Marcius! You lords and heads of the state, perfidiously THE tragedy of Coriola Ha! Myself your loyal servant, or endure Your heaviest censure. 1 Lord. Bear from hence his body, And mourn you for him: let him be regarded As the most noble corse, that ever herald Did follow to his urn. 2 Lord. His own impatience Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame. Let's make the best of it. Auf. My rage is gone, And I am struck with sorrow.-Take him up :Help, three o' the chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully: Trail your steel pikes.-Though in this city he Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury, Yet he shall have a noble memory.— Assist. [Exeunt, bearing the body of CORIOLANUS, A dead march sounded. one the most amusing of our author's performances. The old man's merriment in Menenius; the lofty lady's dignity in imnia the b-i nodesty in Virgilia, the patrician and military haughtiness in Coriolanus: the plebeian maligrity and rhia ia inso ence in Brutus and Sicinius, make a very pleasing and interesting variety: and the various revolutions of the aero s fortune fill the mind with anxious curiosity. There is. perhaps, too much bustle in the first act, and too little in the last-JOHNSON THIS tragedy was neither printed nor entered at Stationers' Hall, till 1623. It was probably composed about the year 1607. From the words of Polonius in Hamlet, who says that, when in the university," he did enact Julius Cæsar," it seems probable that an English play on this subject had appeared before Shakspeare commenced a writer for the stage. A Latin play on the death of Cæsar was acted at Christ Church, Oxford, so early as 1582, as appears from Peck's Collection of divers curious historical Pieces, &c. (appended to his Memoirs, &c of Oliver Cromwell) p. 14, and William Alexander, afterwards earl of Sterline, wrote a tragedy on the story, and with the title of Julius Cæsar. "It may be presumed," says Malone. that Shakspeare's play was posterior to his; for Lord Sterline, when he composed his Julius Cæsar, was a very young author, and would hardly have ventured into that circle, METELLUS CIMBER, CINNA, A Soothsayer. CINNA, a poet. Another Poet. DANIUS; servants to Brutus. PINDARUS, servant to Cassius. Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &c. SCENE,-during a great part of the Play, at ROME; afterwards at SARDIS; and near PHILIPPI. ACT I. SCENE I.-Rome. A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and a rabble of Citizens. Of your profession ?-Speak, what trade art thou? 1 Cit. Why, sir, a carpenter. Mar. Where 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 workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. 2 Cit. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soals. Mar. What trade, thou knave, thou naughty knave, what trade? 2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me yet, if 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. within which the most eminent dramatic writer of England had already walked. The death of Cæsar, which is not ex. hibited but related to the audience, forms the catastrophe of his piece. In the two plays many parallel passages are found, which might, perhaps, have proceeded only from the two au thors drawing from the same source." The real length of time in Julius Cæsar is as follows: About the middle of February, A. U. C. 709, a frantic festival, sacred to Pan, and called Lupercalia, was held in honour of Cæsar, when the regal crown was offered to him by Antony. On the 15th of March in the same year, he was slain. November 7, A. U.C. 710, the triumvirs met at a small island, formed by the river Rhenus, near Bononia, and there adjusted their cruel proscription.-A. U. C. 711, Brutus and Cassius were defeated near Philippi. 2 Cit. Truly, sir, all that I live by is, with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are' in great dauger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neatsleather, have gone upon my handy-work. Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 Cit. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph. [home? Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he And do you now put on your best attire ? Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault, Flav. It is no matter; let no images Be hung with Cæsar's trophies. I'll about, And drive away the vulgar from the streets : So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing feathers pluck'd from Cæsar's wing Will make him fly an ordinary pitch; Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness. [Exeunt. Casca. Bid every noise be still:-Peace yet again. [Music ceases. Ces. Who is it in the press, that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry, Cæsar: Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear. Sooth. Beware the ides of March. Cas. What man is that? Cas. He is a dreamer; let us leave him ;-pass. 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 : You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand Over your friend that loves you. Bru. Cassius, Be not deceiv'd: If I have veil'd my look, Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours: Tell me, [sion; good Brutus, can you see your face? Bru. No, Cassius: for the eye sees not itself, But by reflection, by some other things. Cas. "Tis just: And it is very much lamented, Brutus, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, (Except immortal Cæsar,) speaking of Brutus, And groaning underneath this age's yoke, Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes. Bu. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would tate me seek into myself For that which is not in me? Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: And, since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. And be not jealous of me, gentle Brutus. Were I a common laugher, 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 them; or if you know That I profess myself in banqueting To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. [Flourish, and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear, the Choose Cæsar for their king. [people Cas. Cas. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, I was born free as Cæsar; so were you: 1 And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder Is now become a god; and Cassius is A wretched creature, and must bend his body, I do not know the man I should avoid [Shout Flourish. So soon as that spare Cassius. So get the start of the majestic world, Bru. Another general shout! I do believe, that these applauses are Bru. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us. Cas. I am glad, that my weak words He reads much, He is a great observer, and he looks Bru. Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanc'd to-day, That Cæsar looks so sad? : Casca. Why you were with him, were you not? Bru. I should not then ask Casca what hath chanc'd. Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him and being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a' shouting. Bru. What was the second noise for? Casca. Why, for that too. Cas. They shouted thrice; What was the last cry for? Casca. Why, for that too. Bru. Was the crown offer'd him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other; and at every putting by, mine honest neighbours shouted. Cas. Who offer'd him the crown? Bru. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery. I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown ;-yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets ;-and, as I told you, he put it by once; but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by: and still as he refused it, the rabblement hooted, and clapped their chopped hands, Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. and threw up their sweaty night-caps and uttered Re-enter CESAR, and his Train. Bru. The games are done, and Cæsar is returning. Bru. I will do so :-But, look you, Cassius, Ant. Cæsar. Cas. Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed meu, and such as sleep o' nights: Yond' Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much such men are dangerous. Ant. Fear him not, Cæsar, he's not dangerous; He is a noble Roman, and well given. Cas. 'Would he were fatter:-But I fear him not: Yet if my name wore liable to fear, such a deal of stinking breath because Cæsar refused the crown, that it had almost choaked Cæsar; for he swooned, and fell down at it: And for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips, and receiving the bad air. [swoon? Cas. But, soft, I pray you: What? Did Cæsar Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. 'Tis very like he hath the falling sickness. Cas. No, Cæsar hath it not; but you, and I, And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness. Casca. I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, Cæsar fell down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him, and hiss him, according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the theatre, I am no true man. Bru. What said he, when he came unto himself? Casca. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet, and offered them his throat to cut.-An I had been a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues:--and so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, |