a marvellous force, lighted upon two of the foremost ensigns, and always followed the soldiers, which gave them meat and fed them, until they came near to the city of Philippes: and there, one day only before the battle, they both flew away."

82. Who to Philippi here consorted us : On the unnecessary here, cf. on line 5, above. Who See iv, 3, 110-1: "The flint who," etc. Consorted accompanied. 84. In their steads: Is the plural usual here? See on behaviours, i, 2, 42; cf. Plutarch, Life of Brutus (ed. Skeat, p. 138): "And yet further, there was seen a marvellous number of fowls of prey, that feed upon dead carcases. The which began somewhat

to alter Cassius' mind from Epicurean opinions, and had put the soldiers also in a marvellous fear."

86. As we were: See Introduction, § 33.

92. Now, most noble Brutus:

What makes this one of the noblest scenes in the play, from a dramatic and purely poetical standpoint?

95. Incertain: The in and un prefixes were far from being settled in Shakspere's day. Cf. on unfirm, i, 3, 4.

100. Even by the rule of that philosophy: On Shakspere's indebtedness to Plutarch for the substance of this speech, see Introduction, p. xix. He follows a misprint in the North translation, which makes Brutus say precisely the opposite of what he actually says in the Greek.

104. Fall Cf. on iii, 1, 244.

104-5. So to prevent The time of life: So to anticipate (or come before—prævenio) the time of the end of life.

113. Begun for began is less elegant to-day. See Introduction, § 16.

SCENE II

In the Folio the only indication of a change of scene is in the stage direction, Exeunt. Alarum. Enter Brutus and Messala.

1. These bills of command or direction.

2. The legions on the other side are, of course, those of Cassius.

SCENE III

The Folio has merely the direction, Exeunt. Enter Cassius and Titinius.

2. Myself: Explain the reflexive form.

4. It exceedingly vague. Cassius means, of course, that he slew

the ensign-bearer and took the standard (or ensign in the other sense) from him.

6. Some advantage on : For the preposition, see Introduction, § 30. 18. Whether here a dissyllable, and printed thus in the Folio. 18. Yond troops: Cf. "Yonder troops" (line 16, above) and see on "Yond Cassius" (i, 2, 194).

19. With a thought: quick as thought. Cf. The Tempest (iv, 1, 164) : "Come with a thought."

25. My life is run his compass. The reader will now have no difficulty in accounting for the form his. For is run cf. is ascended (iii, 2, 11).

25. Sirrah: Ordinarily this form of address is applied only to inferiors. Cf. (iv. 3, 297-8): “Sirrah Claudius!"

35. My best friend : Titinius well merits this description. Note his grief in the scene immediately following the death of Cassius, and his subsequent suicide.

38. Swore thee: made thee swear.

38. Saving of thy life: the idiom ?

Cf. Introduction, § 40.

40. Thou shouldst attempt it: How is the shouldst to be justified here? See Introduction, § 21.

42. Search this bosom: Pierce, or probe, this bosom.

43. Hilts Used in this play, as elsewhere in Shakspere, for the hilt of a single weapon.

45. Pindarus stabs him: not in the Folio.

48. Durst: See Introduction, § 16.

56. Bondman: How does this word differ in meaning from bondsman?

60. O setting sun, etc.: Note the difference of effect between the words of Titinius and those of Messala, immediately following. In spite of the fact that genuine grief rarely indulges at the outset in similes so elaborate as this of the setting sun, there is, nevertheless, a touch of the sincerest sorrow in the lamentation of this "best friend" of Cassius; on the other hand, the apostrophe of Messala to "hateful error, melancholy's child" seems little short of bombastic under the circumstances-philosophical, perhaps, but hardly sympathetic. Messala, it should be remembered, is rather the friend of Brutus than of Cassius. It is possible that Shakspere meant the difference in effect between the two speeches to indicate this difference in the relationship of the two men to Cassius.

66. Good success: In Shakspere's day, success was a neutral word, frequently needing a qualifying adjective.

86. Bid: See Introduction, § 16.

89-90. Part

heart: Account for the rhyme here.

94. O Julius Cæsar, thou art mighty yet: See Introduction, p. xxiv.

97. Look, whether he have not crown'd: How is the second word to be pronounced? See on i, 1, 64.

99. The last of all the Romans: This title was commonly bestowed upon Marcus Cato. For the scene here, see North's Plutarch, Life of Marcus Brutus (ed. Skeat, p. 144): "So when he was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Cassius, calling him the last of all the Romans, being unpossible that Rome should ever breed again so noble and valiant a man as he, he caused his body to be buried, and sent it to the city of Thassos, fearing lest his funerals within his camp should cause great disorder."

101. Moe: more, as in ii, 1, 72.

104. Thasos: an island in the Ægean. The Folio reads Tharsus. 105. His funerals: Cf. hilts, line 43, above; Shakspere more frequently uses the singular, funeral.

106. It: Unless funerals was singular to Shakspere, this it must have almost an impersonal force.

107. Young Cato: What was his relationship to Brutus ?

108. Labeo and Flavius: The Folio has Labio and Flavio.

108. Set our battles on: Battles here probably means battle lines, or battle array, as in v, 1, 4.

SCENE IV

The Folio, as usual, makes no indication of a change of scene. The stage direction here is practically Capell's.

12. Only I yield to die: For the position of only, compare i, 2, 157: "but one only man."

17. I'll tell the news: Pope's correction for the Folio "I'll tell thee news."

SCENE V

5. Whispering: This stage direction is not found in the Folio.

13-4. Full of grief That it runs: Account for the omission of so before full.

22. Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes: a beautiful

redundancy here. Cf. note on 'Belike they had some notice of the people, How I had mov'd them" (iii, 2, 272–3).

31-2. Farewell to you; and you; and you

Strato, thou

hast been For this change from the plural to the singular, see Introduction, § 4. What have you noticed in regard to Shakspere's use of the second person singular in your reading of this play?

34-5. My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man but he was true to me: It is a curious fact that these most musical and touching lines are made up of one-syllabled words; curious, because ordinarily such composition, unrelieved by longer words, leads to the baldest monotony. But, after all, it depends on the artist. For Shakspere's indebtedness to Plutarch for the idea, see Introduction, p. xix.

35. No man but he no man that was not. An interesting essay could be written on the various uses of but in this play.

46. Smatch: smack.

47. Hold then my sword: Suetonius, Life of Julius Cæsar, lxxxix: "Scarcely any of those who were accessory to his murder survived him more than three years, or died a natural death. They were all condemned by the Senate: some were taken off by one accident, some by another. Part of them perished at sea, others fell in battle; and some slew themselves with the same poinard with which they had stabbed Cæsar." This last refers to Brutus and Cassius, of whom the same fact is related by Plutarch and Dio.

56. For Brutus only overcame himself: This only is a good example of the so-called " squinting" construction; does it modify

Brutus or overcome?

60. Entertain: take into service.

69. Save only he: See Introduction, § 1.

70. Did that they did: See Introduction, § 9.

71-2. In a general honest thought And common good to all: Pleonastic and involved; the meaning, of course, is, in an honest thought for the good of all, or for the general (or common) good. Or is it a general, honest thought?

80. The field

the embattled hosts.

81. To part: to divide.

In considering the general effect of the close of this play, compare the end of Hamlet, after the entry of young Fortinbras.

QUESTIONS

1. Which of the figures in this final act do you follow with most interest throughout the battle? 2. Is there the actual excitement of battle in the working out of the situation? 3. What seems to you the most important scene in the act? 4. What decided the fate of the conflict? 5. Do you agree with Antony's opinion of Brutus at the close of the play? 6. Are you satisfied with the way the tragedy ends? 7. Should you have been pleased to have Brutus and Cassius win and live happily after the battle?

8. What is your opinion of the play as a whole? 9. Does it seem to you more or less interesting than the modern books you are accustomed to read? 10. Do you think you would care to read the play again in a year or two? Why?