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Latin impersonal constat, and not unknown to consto. Vid. 310.

263. I have a man's mind, but a woman's might.—That is, but only a woman's might.

263. How hard it is for women to keep counsel.Counsel in this phrase is what has been imparted in consultation. In the phrases To take counsel and To hold counsel it means simply consultation. The two words

Counsel and Council have in some of their applications got a little intermingled and confused, although the Latin Consilium and Concilium, from which they are severally derived, have no connexion. A rather perplexing instance occurs in a passage towards the conclusion of Bacon's Third Essay, entitled Of Unity in Religion, which is commonly thus given in the modern editions:- -"Surely in counsels concerning religion, that counsel of the apostle would be prefixed; Ira hominis non implet justitiam Dei." But as published by Bacon himself, if we may trust Mr Singer's late elegant reprint, the words are,-" in Councils concerning Religion, that Counsel of the Apostle-." What are we to say, however, to the Latin version, executed under Bacon's own superintendence ?-" Certe optandum esset, ut in omnibus circa Religionem consiliis, ante oculos hominum præfigeretur monitum illud Apostoli." I quote from the Elzevir edition of 1662; p. 20. Does this support Councils or Counsels concerning Religion? Other somewhat doubtful instances occur in the 20th Essay, entitled "Of Counsel," and in the 29th, "Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates."

66

267. I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray.—Mr Knight has by mistake "I hear."- Rumour is here (though not generally in Shakespeare) only a noise; a fray is a fight, from the French; bustle is apparently connected with busy, which is an Original English word, and may perhaps be the same with the German böse, wicked. This, if it be so, might lead us to suspect that

quick is also wicked. And is weak (in Chaucer wikke or wicke) another variation of the same etymon?

268. Sooth, madam.-Sooth, when used at all, may still mean either truth or true. We see that in Shakespeare's time it also meant truly. The Original English sóth is in like manner used in all these different ways. It may be doubted whether this word has any connexion either with our modern verb to soothe, or with sweet (anciently sot), the süss of the modern German.

269. Come hither, fellow; which way hast thou been ?The line, which stands thus in the original edition, and makes a perfect verse, is commonly cut up into two hemistichs. But "Which way hast thou been" is not a possible commencement of a verse, unless we were to lay an emphasis on thou, which would be absurd. Our been, it may be noted, is here, and commonly elsewhere, bin in the old text, as the word is still pronounced. Tyrwhitt would substitute Artemidorus for the Soothsayer in this scene; but the change is not necessary. It is to be observed that we have both Artemidorus and the Soothsayer in the next scene (the First of the Third Act). Nevertheless, there is some apparent want of artifice in what may be almost described as the distribution of one part between two dramatis persona; and there may possibly be something wrong.

271. What is't o'clock ?-In the original text a clocke. Vid. 65.

277. Why, knowest thou any harm's intended towards him?-Any harm that is intended. As in 34 and 214.

278. None that I know, etc.— Hanmer and Steevens object to the may chance here, as at once unnecessary to the sense and injurious to the prosody. We should not have much missed the two words, certainly; but they may be borne with. The line is bisected in the original edition; but, if it is to be accepted, it is better, perhaps, to consider it as a prolonged verse. In this somewhat

doubtful instance the rhythm will be certainly that of an Alexandrine. Let the three words know will be, and also the three fear may chance, at any rate, be each and all emphatically enunciated.

278. I'll get me.-Compare this with get thee gone in 261, and also with get you home in 1.

279. Ay me! how weak a thing.-This (written Aye me) is the reading of all the old copies. That of the modern editions, Mr Collier's one-volume included, is “Ah me!” The readers of Milton will remember his "Ay me! I fondly dream, Had we been there," and, again, "Ay me! whilst thee the shores and sounding seas Wash far away," &c. (Lycidas 56 and 154). So also in Comus 511, and Samson Agonistes 330. Even in Paradise Lost we have "Ay me! they little know How dearly I abide that boast so vain" (iv. 86), and “Ay me! that fear Comes thundering back with dreadful revolution,”although in the latter passage ah has been substituted in many of the modern editions. Ah me is a form which he nowhere uses.

279. The heart of woman is! etc.-The broken lines here seem to require to be arranged as I have given them. We do not get a complete verse (if that were an object) by the incongruous annexation of the "O Brutus" to the previous exclamation.

279. Brutus hath a suit, etc.-This she addresses in explanation to the boy, whose presence she had for a moment forgotten.

279. Commend me to my lord. In this idiomatic or formal phrase the word commend has acquired a somewhat peculiar signification. The resolution would seem to be, Give my commendation to him, or Say that I commend myself to him, meaning that I commit and recommend myself to his affectionate remembrance. So we have in Latin Me totum tuo amori fideique commendo" (Cicero, Epist. ad Att. iii. 20); and "Tibi me totum

commendo atque trado" (Id., Epist. Fam. ii. 6). At the same time, in considering the question of the origin and proper meaning of the English phrase the custom of what was called Commendation in the Feudal System is not to be overlooked: the vassal was said to commend himself to the person whom he selected for his lord. Commend is etymologically the same word with command; and both forms, with their derivatives, have been applied, in Latin and the modern tongues more exclusively based upon it, as well as in English, in a considerable variety of ways.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-The same. The Capitol; the Senate sitting. A Crowd of People in the Street leading to the Capitol; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the SOOTHSAYER. Flourish. Enter CESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others.

Cæs. The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone.

Art. Hail, Cæsar, read this schedule.

283. Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o’er-read,

At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Art. O, Cæsar, read mine first; for mine's a suit That touches Cæsar nearer: Read it, great Cæsar. 285. Cæs. That touches us?

Ourself shall be last served.

Art. Delay not, Cæsar; read it instantly.

Caes. What, is the fellow mad?

Pub. Sirrah, give place.

289. Cas. What, urge you your petitions in the street ?

Come to the Capitol.

CESAR enters the Capitol, the rest following. All the
SENATORS rise.

Pop. I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.

Cas. What enterprise, Popilius?

292. Pop. Fare you well.

[Advances to CÆSAR.

Bru. What said Popilius Lena?

Cas. He wished to-day our enterprise might thrive. I fear our purpose is discovered.

295. Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæsar: Mark him. 296. Cas. Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Cassius on Cæsar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

297. Bru. Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Cæsar doth not change. 298. Cas. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS. CESAR and the SENATORS take their seats.

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,

And presently prefer his suit to Cæsar.

300. Bru. He is addressed: press near and second him. 301. Cin. Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. 302. Casca. Are we all ready?

Cæs. What is now amiss,

That Cæsar, and his senate, must redress?

304. Met. Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Cæsar, Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart :

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305. Cæs. I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These crouchings, and these lowly courtesies,
Might fire the blood of ordinary men;
And turn pre-ordinance, and first decree,
Into the law of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæsar bears such rebel blood,

That will be thawed from the true quality

With that which melteth fools; I mean sweet words,
Low-crouched curt'sies, and base spaniel fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished;

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him,

I

spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Cæsar doth not wrong; nor without cause

Will he be satisfied.

306. Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Cæsar's ear
For the repealing of my banished brother?

307. Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæsar;
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

[Kneeling.

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