Like a phantafma, or a hide ous dream : Re-enter Lucius. Luc. Sir, 'tis your brother Caffius at the door, Who doth defire to fee you. care of fafety, keep the mind in continual fluctuation and difturbance. JOHNSON. The foregoing was perhaps among the earliest notes written by Dr. Warburton on Shakspeare. Though it was not inferted by him in Theobald's editions, 1732 and 1740, (but was referved for his own in 1747) yet he had previously communicated it, with little variation, in a letter to Matthew Concanen in the year 1726. See a note on Dr. Akenfide's Ode to Mr. Edwards, and the end of this play. STEEVENS. Initead of inftruments, it should, I think, be inftrument, and explained thus: The genius, i. e. the foul or fpirit, which fhould govern; and the mortal inftrument, i. e. the man, with all his bodily, that is, earthly paffions, fuch as envy, pride, malice, and ambition, are then in council, i. e. debating upon the horrid action that is to be done, the foul and rational powers diffuading, and the mortal inftrument, man, with his bodily paffions, prompting and pushing on to the horrid deed, whereby the ftate of man, like to a little kingdom, fuffers then the nature of an infurrection,. the inferior powers rifing and rebelling against the fuperior. See this exemplified in Macbeth's foliloquy, and alfo by what King John fays, act IV: "Nay, in the body of this fleshly land, "This kingdom, this confine of blood and breath, Hoftility and civil tumult reigns Between my conscience and my cousin's death." SMITH. • A phantafma,] Suidas maketh a difference between phantafma and phantafia, faying that phantafma is an imagination, or appearance, or fight of a thing which is not, as are thofe fightes whiche men in their fleepe do thinke they fee: but that phantafia is the feeing of that only which is in very deeds." Lavaterus, 1572. HENDERSON. your brother Caffius-] Caffius married Junia, Brutus fifter, STEEVENS, Bru. Bru. Is he alone? Luc. No, fir, there are more with him. Luc. No, fir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears, And half their faces bury'd in their cloaks, That by no means I may difcover them Bru. Let them enter. They are the faction. O confpiracy! [Exit Lucius. Sham'ft thou to fhew thy dangerous brow by night, Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough, racy; Hide it in fimiles, and affability: 2 For if thou path, thy native femblance on, Not Erebus itself were dim enough To hide thee from prevention. Enter Caffius, Cafca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus, and Trebonius. Caf. I think, we are too bold upon your reft: Good morrow, Brutus; Do we trouble you? Bra. I have been up this hour; awake, all night. Know I these men, that come along with you? Caf. Yes, every man of them; and no man here, But honours you: and every one doth wish, You had but that opinion of yourself, Which every noble Roman bears of you. 1 of favour.] Any diftinction of countenance. JOHNSON. 2 For if thou path thy native femblance on,] If thou walk in thy true form. JOHNSON. The fame verb is used by Drayton in his Polyclbion, Song II: Where, from the neighbouring hills, her paffage Wey doth path." Again, in his Epiftle from Duke Humphrey to Elinor Cobham : "Pathing young Henry's unadvifed ways." STEEVENS. VOL. VIII. D This This is Trebonius. Bru. He is welcome hither: Caf. This, Cafca; this, Cinna; Bru. They are all welcome. What watchful cares do interpofe themselves Caf. Shall I entreat a word? [They whisper. Dec. Here lies the eaft: Doth not the day break here? Cafca. No. Cin. O, pardon, fir, it doth; and yon grey lines, That fret the clouds, are meffengers of day. Cafca. You fhall, confefs, that you are both de ceived. Here, as I point my fword, the fun arises; Bru. Give me your hands all over, one by one. 3 Bru. No, not an oath: If not the face of men, 3 No, not an oath. If that the face of men, &c.] Dr. War burton would read fate of men; but his elaborate emendation is, I think, erronecas. The face of men is the countenance, the regard, the efieem of the publick; in other terms, honour and reputation; or the face of men may mean the dejected look of the people. He reads, with the other modern editions: but the old reading is, if not the face, &c. JOHNSON. So, Tully in Catilinam-Nihil horum ora vultufque moverunt ? STEEVENS. 4 No, not an oath.] Shakspeare formed this fpeech on the following The fufferance of our fouls, the time's abufe,→ 5 'Till each man drop by lottery. But if thefe, To kindle cowards, and to fteel with valour That this fhall be, or we will fall for it? following paffage in fir T. North's tranflation of Plutarch "The confpirators having never taken oaths together, nor taken or given any caution or affurance, not binding themselves one to another by any religious oaths, they kept the matter fo fecret to themfelves, &c." STEEVENS. 'Till each man drop by lottery.] Perhaps the poet alluded to the custom of decimation, i. e. the selection by lot of every tenth foldier, in a general mutiny, for punishment. He fpeaks of this in Coriolanus: By decimation, and a tythed death, "Take thou thy fate." STEEVENS. • Swear priests, &c.] This is imitated by Otway: "When you would bind me, is there need of oaths?" &c. Venice Preserved. -cautelous] Is here cautious, fometimes infidious. So, in Woman is a Weathercock, 1612: "Yet warn you be as cautelous not to wound my integrity." Again, in Drayton's Miferies of Queen Margaret: اور Witty, well-fpoken, cautelous, though young." Again, in the fecond of these two fenfes in the romance of Kynge Appolyn of Thyre, 1610: 66 a fallacious polycy and cautelous wyle.” Again, in Holinfhed, p. 945-the emperor's councell thought by a cautell to have brought the king in mind to fue for a licence from the pope." STEEVENS. That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear Nor the infuppreffive mettle of our spirits, If he do break the fmalleft particle Of any promife that hath paft from him. Caf. But what of Cicero? Shall we found him? I think, he will stand very strong with us. Cafca. Let us not leave him out. Cin. No, by no means. Met. O, let us have him; for his filver hairs And buy men's voices to commend our deeds: Bru. O, name him not let us not break with him; Caf. Then leave him out. Cafta. Indeed, he is not fit. Dec. Shall no man else be touch'd, but only Cæfar? Caf. Decius, well urg'd:-I think, it is not meet, Mark Antony, fo well belov'd of Cæfar, Should out-live Cæfar: We fhall find of him Let Antony, and Cæfar, fall together. Bru. Our courfe will feem too bloody, Caius Caffius, To cut the head off, and then hack the limbs; Like wrath in death, and envy afterwards: For Antony is but a limb of Cæfar. Let us be facrificers, but not butchers, Caius. We |