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P. 73, 1. 25.

other. STEEVENS. 73, 1. 29.

once,] i. e. at some time or

in art] That is, in theory. MALONE.

P. 76, 1. 22. A mace is the ancient term for STERVENS. a sceptre.

P. 76, 1. 33. How ill this taper burns!] That lights grew dim, or burned blue, at the approach of spectres, was a belief which our author might have found examples of in almost every book of his age that treats of supernatural appearances.

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STEEVENS. 16. 78, 1. 15. They mean to warn us at Philippi here,] To warn

is to summou.

So, in K. John;

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"Who is it that hath warn'd us to the walls?" Shakspeare uses the word yet more intelligibly in King Richard III:

And sent to warn them to his royal presence. STEEVENS P. 78, 1. 20. With fearful bravery,] That is, with a gallant show of courage, carrying with it terror and dismay, Fearful is used here, as in many other places, in an active senșe — intimidating. MALONE. ducing fear P. 80, 1. 4. 5. Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind,

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Struck Caesar on the neck,] Casca struck Caesar on the neck, coming like a degenerate cur behind him. JOHNSON.

P. 80, 1. 31. Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth Hurl is

peculiarly expressive. The challenger in judicial combats was said to hurl down his gage, when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary.

HOLT WHITE,

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P. 81. 1. 19. our former ensign -] Thus the old copy, and, I suppose, rightly. Former is foremost. Shakspeare sometimes uses the comparative instead of the positive and superlative. See King Lear Act. IV. sc. iii. Either word has the same origin; ; nor do I perceive why former should be applicable to place than time. STEEVENS. Former is right; ensign. RITSON.

and the meaning

our fore

P. 82, 1. 5. What are you then determined to do?] i. e. I am resolved in such a case to kill myself. What are you determined of? WARBURTON.

P. 82, 1. 6. & fol. Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy, &c.] There is an apparent contradiction between the sentiments contained in this and the following speech which Shakspeare has put into the mouth of Brutus. In this, Brutus declares his resolution to wait patiently for the determinations of Providence; and in the next, he intimates, that though "he should survive the battle, he would never submit to be led in chains to Rome. This sentence in Sir Thomas North's Translation, is perplexed, and might be easily understood. Shakspeare, in the first speech, makes that to be the pre'sent opinion of Brutus, which in Plutarch, is "mentioned only as one he formerly entertained, though he now condemned it. STEEVENS.x

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I see no contradiction in the sentiments of BruHe would not determine to kill himself merely for the loss of one battle; but as he expresses himself, (p. 87.) would try his fortune în a second fight. Yet he would not submit to be a captive. BLACKSTONE.

I concur with Mr. Steevens.

The words of

the text by no means justify Sir W. Blackstone's solution. The question of Cassius relates solely -to the event of this battle. MALONE.

There is certainly an apparent contradiction between the sentiments which Brutus expresses in this, and im his subsequent speech; but there is no real inconsistency. Brutus had laid it down to himself as a principle, to abide every chance and extremity of war; but when Cassius reminds him of the disgrace of being led in triumph through the streets of Rome, he acknowledges that to be a trial which he could not endure. Nothing is more natural than this. We lay down a system of conduct for ourselves, but occurrences may happen that will force us to depart from it.

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M. MÁSON.

This apparent contradiction may be casily reconciled. Brutus is at firsta inclined to wait patiently for better times; but is roused by the idea of being "led in triumph," to which he will never submit. The loss of the battle would not alone have determined him to kill himself, if he "could have lived free. RITSON,TZ (soal

Dr. Warburton thinks, that in this speech something is lost but there needed only a parenthesis to clear it. The construction is this: I am determined to act according to that philosophy which directed me to blame the suicide of Gato; arming myself with patience, &c. JOHNSON. P. 82, 1. 10. 10. 11. — to prevents eint 20 The time of life:

used in a French sense
time
me is meant the full and
riod. MALONE.

] To prevent is here to anticipate. By complete time; the pe

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To prevent, I believe, has here its common signification. Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary, adduces this very instance as an example of it.

STEEVENS.

P. 84, 1. 12. get higher on that hill;] Our author perhaps wrote on this hill; for Cassius, is now on a hill. But there is no need of change. He means a hillock somewhat higher than that on which he now is. MALONE.

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P. 88, 1. 14. And may'st be honour'd being Ab Cato's son.] ise. worthy of him. WARBURTON.

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P. 88, 1. 17. There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight;] Dr. Warburton has been much inclined to find lacunae, or passages broken by omission, throughout this play I think he has been always mistaken. The soldier here says, Yield, or thou diest. Lu cilius replies yield only on this condition, that I may die; here is so much gold as thou seest in my hand, which I offer thee as a reward for speedy death. What now is there wanting 2 JOHNSON 22 P. 917/ 1. 28. —I will entertain them.] i, e. receive them into my services. So, in King Lear: "You, Sir, entertain for one of my hunJdred." STEEVENS. E edeint. - Pq 91, 1.031, if Messala will prefer me to eudi et moilovanos syou.] To prefer seems y to have been the established phrase for re for recommending a servant. REED am batarib dubs

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Of this tragedy many particular passages deserve regard, and the contention and reconcile anent of Brutus and Cassius is universally celebrated; but I have never been strongly agitated in perusing it, and think it somewhat cold and un

affecting, compared with some other of Shak speare's plays his adherence to the real story, and to Roman manners, seems to have impeded the natural vigour of his geuins. JOHNSON.

Gildon has justly observed, that this tragedy ought to have been called Marcus Brutus, Caesar being a very inconsiderable persouage in thể scene, and been killed in the third act. MALONE

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Among the entries in the books of the Stationers' Company, October 19, 1593, I find "A Booke entituled the Tragedie of Cleopatrd.” It is entered by Symon Waterson, for whom some of Daniel's works were printed; and therefore it is probably by that authors of whose Cleopatra there are several editions; and, among others, ones... in 159401 bila shqiri sif

In the same volumes, May 2,91608, Edwards Blount entered "A Booke called Antony and Cleopatra." This is the first notice I have met with concerning any edition of this play more ancient than the folio, 1623. STEEVENS.

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Antony and Cleopatra was written, imagine, in the year 1608 See An Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's plays. MALONE. Page 95, line 14, reneges kenounces. AG POPE..

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