swered him: Being yet but a young man, and not over greatly experienced in the world, I trust [trusted] (I know not how) a certain rule of philosophy, by the which I did greatly blame and reprove Cato for killing of himself, as being no lawful nor godly act touching the gods, nor, concerning men, valiant; not to give place and yield to divine Providence, and not constantly and patiently to take whatsoever it pleaseth him to send us, but to draw back and fly. But, being now in the midst of the danger, I am of a contrary mind. For, if it be not the will of God that this battle fall out fortunate for us, I will look no more for hope, neither seek to make any new supply for war again, but will rid me of this miserable world, and

content me with my fortune. For I gave up my life for my country in the Ides of March; for the which I shall live in another more glorious world."

This compared with the scene in the Play affords a most interesting and instructive illustration of the manner in which the great dramatist worked in such cases, appropriating, rejecting, adding, as suited his purpose, but refining or elevating everything, though sometimes by the slightest touch, and so transmuting all into the gold of poetry.

711. Must end that work the ides of March begun.— Begun is the word in the old editions. Mr. Collier has began. The three last Folios all have " that Ides of March begun."

714. Give these bills.-These billets, as we should now say; but Shakespeare takes the word which he found in North's Plutarch :-"In the meantime Brutus, that led the right wing, sent little bills to the colonels and captains of private bands, in which he wrote the word of the battle."

As in all other cases throughout the Play, the notices of the locality of what are here called the Second and Third Scenes are modern additions to the old text, in which there is no division into scenes. The stage directions in regard to alarums, entries, etc. are all in the First Folio.

714. But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing.-The original text has "Octavio's wing." In 716, however, it is Octavius.

715. This ensign here of mine was turning back.Here the term ensign may almost be said to be used with the double meaning of both the standard and the standard-bearer.

716. Took it too eagerly.-Followed his advantage too eagerly. The prosody of this line, with its two superfluous syllables, well expresses the hurry and impetuosity of the speaker.

717. Fly further off, etc.—This is the reading of the old editions. Mr. Collier, as usual, has farther. Further and farther correspond to forth and far, which, however, (Vid. 45) are only diverse forms of the same A. Saxon word, feor or forth. Accordingly here, in the next line but one, we have "Cassius, fly far off." 720. Whether yond troops.-Vid. 65.

722. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill.-This is the reading of the First Folio; all the others have "get hither.”—The stage direction "Exit Pindarus" is modern.

722. This day I breathed first.—Compare this expression with what we have in 704:-"As this very day Was Cassius born."

...

722. Time is come round. My life is run his compass.-Vid. 374.

722. Sirrah, what news?—The expressive effect of the break in the even flow of the rhythm produced by the superfluous syllable here, and the vividness with which it brings before us the sudden awakening of Cassius from his reverie, startled, we may suppose, by some sign of agitation on the part of Pindarus, will be felt if we will try how the line would read with " Sir, what news?"

725. Titinius is enclosed round about, etc.-The metrical arrangement here given is the same that we have in the First Folio. In many modern editions the following new disposition of the lines is substituted, the contrivance of Steevens or some one of the other editors of the latter part of the last century :

"Titinius is

Enclosed round about with horsemen, that
Make to him on the spur ;-yet he spurs on.-

Now they are almost on him: now, Titinius!

Now some light:-O, he lights too :-he's ta'en; and, hark!
They shout for joy."

This alteration (made without notice) improves nothing, but seriously injures nearly every line over which it extends.

725. With horsemen that make to him on the spur. -One of the applications of the verb to make which we have now lost.-Vid. 681.

725. Now, Titinius! Now some light: O he lights too.-It may be doubted whether the verb to light or alight have any connection with either the substantive or the adjective light.-The prosodical irregularity of this line is not greater than that of the "Now some light: O, he lights too:—he's ta'en; and, hark!" of the other arrangement. In the original text, "He's

ta'en" stands in a line by itself, as frequently happens in that edition with words that really belong to the preceding verse, and possibly, notwithstanding their detached position, were intended to be represented as belonging to it.

726. Take thou the hilts.-Formerly the hilts was rather more common than the hilt. Shakespeare uses both forms. Hilt is A. Saxon, and is connected, apparently, with healdan, to hold.

726. Even with the sword that killed thee.-Vid. 363. The stage directions, Dies and Exit, are modern; and for "Re-enter Titinius, with Messala" the old copies have "Enter," etc.

728. It is but change.-The battle is only a succession of alternations or vicissitudes.

735. No, this was he, Messala.-With the emphasis

on was.

735. As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night.— The to night here seems to be generally understood as meaning this night. Both Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight print "to-night." But surely a far nobler sense is given to the words by taking sink to night to be an expression of the same kind with sink to rest or sink to sleep. The colourless dulness of the coming night is contrasted with the red glow in which the luminary is descending. "O setting sun, Thou dost sink," meaning simply thou dost set, is not much in Shakespeare's manner. Besides, we hardly say, absolutely, that the sun sinks, whether we mean that it is setting or only that it is descending. And the emphasis given by the to-night to the mere expression of the time seems uncalled-for and unnatural. There is no trace of a hyphen in the old copies.

735, 736. Mistrust of my success, etc.-These two lines may show us that the word success was not yet when Shakespeare wrote quite fixed in the sense which it now bears. It is plain that success simply was not understood to imply all that was conveyed by the expression good success. By "mistrust of my success Titinius must be interpreted as meaning no more than mistrust, doubt, or apprehension of what I had met with; in conformity with what he afterwards says in apostrophizing Cassius, "Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything."-Vid. 229.

736. O hateful Error! Melancholy's child!—Error and Melancholy are personages, and the words are proper names, here.

736. To the apt thoughts of men.—Vid. 345. 739. Hie you, Messala.-Vid. 139.

739. And I will seek for Pindarus the while.—We are still familiar enough with the while, for meanwhile, or in the meantime, in poetry, in which so many phrases not of the day are preserved; but the expression no longer forms part of what can properly be called our living English.

The stage direction, "Exit Messala," is modern.

739. And bid me give it thee? etc.—This is no Alexandrine, but only a common heroic verse with two supernumerary short syllables.

739. But hold thee.-Equivalent to our modern But hold, or but stop.

739. Brutus, come apace.-Apace is literally at, or rather on, pace; that is, by the exertion of all your power of pacing. Vid. 65.

739. By your leave, gods.-Vid. 358. The stage direction that follows this speech in the original edition