And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
Take up the body.

2 Cit. Go, fetch fire.

3 Cit. Pluck down benches.

4 Cit. Pluck down forms, windows, anything.

Ant. Now let it work!

[Exeunt Citizens, with the body. Mischief, thou art afoot,

Take thou what course thou wilt!-How now, fellow?

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

Ant. Where is he?"

Serv. He and Lepidus are at Cæsar's house. Ant. And thither will I straight to visit him: He comes upon a wish.1 Fortune is merry, And in this mood will give us anything.

Serv. I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius Are rid2 like madmen through the gates of Rome. Ant. Belike they had some notice of the people3, How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The same. A Street.

Enter CINNA, the Poet.

Cin. I dreamt to-night that I did feast with Cæsar,

And things unlikely charge my fantasy:

I have no will to wander forth of doors5,

Yet something leads me forth.

1 Upon a wish.] Because I have just been wishing that he should come. Fortune is in a merry mood.

2 Are rid.] Are fled on horseback.

3 Notice of the people.] Some information about the state of the people.

4 Unlikely.] The old reading is unluckily.

5 Forth of doors.] Out beyond doors. The adverb forth modifies the preposition phrase of doors.

Enter Citizens.

1 Cit. What is your name?

2 Cit. Whither are you going?

3 Cit. Where do you dwell?

4 Cit. Are you a married man or a bachelor? 2 Cit. Answer every man directly.1

1 Cit. Ay, and briefly.

4 Cit. Ay, and wisely.

3 Cit. Ay, and truly, you were best.2

Cin. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to answer every man directly, and briefly, wisely, and truly; wisely, I say, I am a bachelor.

2 Cit. That's as much as to say they are fools that marry: You'll bear me a bang4 for that, I fear. Proceed; directly. Cin. Directly, I am going5 to Cæsar's funeral.

1 Cit. As a friend, or an enemy ?

Cin. As a friend.

2 Cit. That matter is answered directly. 4 Cit. For your dwelling,-briefly?

1 Directly.] See note 4, p. 4.

2 You were best.] This phrase is not much more anomalous than 'if you please;' both phrases are really elliptical, the one meaning 'for you it were best,' that is, 'it would be best for you,' and the other, if it please you.' See the Editor's 'Text Book of Grammar,' p. 94, § 11.

3 Wisely, I say.] To answer you in the first place, wisely, I say I am a bachelor. The adverb wisely here implies showing wisdom, not in the manner of answering, but in the fact of not having married.

* Bear me a bang.] The me is expletive, as in the expression 'plucked me ope his doublet.'

5

Directly, I am going.] Directly is here, by a quibble, used to signify as regards the direction of my course.

Cin. Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol. 3 Cit. Your name, sir, truly?

Cin. Truly, my name is Cinna.

1 Cit. Tear him to pieces, he's a conspirator.

Cin. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

4 Cit. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad

verses.

Cin. I am not Cinna the conspirator.1

2 Cit. It is no matter, his name 's Cinna; pluck but his name2 out of his heart, and turn him going.

3 Cit. Tear him, tear him! Come, brands, ho! firebrands! To Brutus', to Cassius'; burn all ! Some to Decius' house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius': away; go! [Exeunt.

The conspirator's name was Cornelius Cinna; that of the poet was Helvius Cinna.

2 Pluck but his name.] Punish him so far as to make his name hateful to his own heart and be no longer cherished there, and then

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-A room in Antony's House.

ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, seated at a table. Ant. These many then shall die; their names are pricked.1 Oct. Your brother too must die; Consent you, Lepidus? Lep. I do consent

Oct.

Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live,

Who is your sister's son 2, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live: look, with a spot3 I damn him. But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;

Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine

How to cut off some charge in legacies.

Lep. What, shall I find you here?
Oct. Or here, or at the Capitol.

Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man1,
Meet to to be sent on errands: Is it fit,

The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it?

1 Are pricked.] Are marked off for proscription.

[Exit LEP.

2 Your sister's son.] 'This,' as Craik observes, 'is a mistake. The person meant is Lucius Cæsar.' Mark Antony was his sister's son. See Extr. from Plutarch, 42 and 72.

3 With a spot.] By making a mark against his name; by pricking off his name.

4 Slight unmeritable man.] A weak man, that cannot achieve anything meritorious. Marcus Æmilius Lepidus, who had been the Dictator's master of the horse, was a person of very little mental vigour or energy.

Oct.

So you thought him;
And took his voice1 who should be pricked to die,
In our black sentence and proscription.

Ant. Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,

And graze in commons.

Oct.

You may do your

will;

But he's a tried and valiant soldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and, for that2,

I do appoint him store of provender,

It is a creature that I teach to fight,

To wind, to stop, to run directly on;

His corporal motion governed by my spirit.
And, in some taste3, is Lepidus but so;
He must be taught, and trained, and bid go
A barren-spirited4 fellow; one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations,

Which, out of use, and staled by other men,
Begin his fashion: Do not talk of him,

1 Took his voice.] Took his opinion or vote,

forth:

2 For that.] In order that I may have him in that capacity. 3 In some taste.] In some sort. A taste is a small portion, as a specimen or proof, to show of what sort anything is.

4 Barren-spirited.] Having no genius of his own; one whose mind is not of itself productive, but which feeds on such objects, arts, and imitations, as have gone out of fashion and been worn out amongst other people, but have the charm of novelty for him.