JULIUS. CÆSAR. THIS tragedy, there can be no reasonable doubt, was first published in the folio collection of 1623, where it is printed with, for that volume, a remarkable exemption from typographical inaccuracies. The date of its production is less certain. Malone, in his "Attempt to ascertain the order in which the Plays of Shakespeare were written," concludes that it could not have been composed before 1607; but, as his argument mainly rests upon the fact that a tragedy with the same title by William Alexander, afterwards Earl of Sterline, was printed in London that year,* from which he conjectured Shakespeare had derived one or two ideas, it cannot be regarded as satisfactory. Upon safer grounds, we think, Mr. Collier believes that Shakespeare's "Julius Cæsar" was written and acted before 1603. In Act V. Sc. 5, it will be remembered, Antony pays a beautiful tribute to the character of Brutus, "His life was gentle; and the elements So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up Referring to this passage, Mr. Collier observes, "In Drayton's 'Barons' Wars,' Book In. edit. 8vo. 1603, p. 61, we meet with the subsequent stanza. The author is speaking of Mortimer: ""Such one he was, of him we boldly say, In whose rich soul all sovereign powers did suit, In whom in peace th' elements all lay So mir'd, as none could sovereignty impute; As all did govern, yet all did obey: His lively temper was so absolute, That't seem'd, when heaven his model first began, Italic type is hardly necessary to establish that one poet must have availed himself, not only of the thought, but of the very words of the other. The question is, was Shakespeare indebted to Drayton, or Drayton to Shakespeare? We shall not enter into general probabilities, founded upon the original and exhaustless stores of the mind of our great dramatist, but advert to a few dates, which, we think, warrant the conclusion that Drayton, having heard 'Julius Cæsar' at a theatre, or seen it in manuscript, before 1603, applied to his own purpose, perhaps unconsciously, what, in fact, belonged to another poet. "Drayton's 'Barons' Wars' first appeared in 1596, 4to., under the title of Mortimeriados.' Malone had a copy without date, and he and Steevens erroneously imagined that the poem had been originally printed in 1598. In the 4to. of 1596, and in the undated edition, it is not divided into books, and is in seven-line stanzas; and what is there said of Mortimer bears no likeness whatever to Shakespeare's expressions in 'Julius Cæsar.' Drayton afterwards changed the title from 'Mortimeriados' to 'The Barons' Wars,' and remodelled the whole historical poem, altering the stanza from the English ballad form to the Italian ottava rima. This course he took before 1603, when it came out in octavo, with the stanza first quoted, which contains so marked a similarity to the lines from 'Julius Cæsar.' We apprehend that he did so, because he had heard or seen Shakespeare's tragedy before 1603; and we think that strong presumptive It was published in Scotland, of which Malone was not aware, three years before. proof that he was the borrower and not Shakespeare, is derived from the fact, that in the subsequent impressions of the 'Barons' Wars,' in 1605, 1607, 1608, 1610, and 1613, the stanza remained precisely as in the edition of 1603: but in 1619, after Shakespeare's death and before 'Julius Cæsar' was printed, Drayton made even a nearer approach to the words of his original, thus: ""He was a man, then boldly dare to say, In whose rich soul the virtues well did suit; As that it seem'd, when Nature him began, We think it will be admitted that Mr. Collier has made out a very strong case, -all but proved, indeed, that in this instance Drayton was the borrower, and, as a consequence, that Shakespeare's tragedy is of an earlier date by some years than Malone and others had supposed. The material incidents of this tragedy appear to have been derived from North's translation of Plutarch; but as there was a Latin play upon the subject of Cæsar-" Epilogus Cæsaris Interfecti," &c. - written by Dr. Richard Eedes, which was played at Christ's Church Coll., Oxford, in 1582, and an old anonymous play in English, of the same age, it is possible that Shakespeare may have incurred some obligations to one or both of these. SCENE,-During a great part of the Play at ROME; afterwards at SARDIS; and near PHILIPPI. SCENE I.-Rome. A Street. 2 CIT. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. MAR. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.b 2 CIT. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. MAR. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade? C ACT I. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS," and a rabble of Citizens. FLAV. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get Is this a holiday? What! know you not, Of your profession?-Speak, what trade art thou? 1 CIT. Why, sir, a carpenter. MAR. Where is thy leather apron and thy What dost thou with thy best apparel on ?- a MARULLUS,-] A correction first made by Theobald, the old text having throughout, Murellus. bdirectly.] Explicitly, without ambiguity. 2 CIT. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet if you be out, sir, I can mend you. MAR. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow ? 2 CIT. Why, sir, cobble you. c What trade, thou knave? &c.] In the old copies this speech is erroneously assigned to Flavius. FLAV. Thou art a cobbler, art thou? 2 CIT. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I re-cover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's-leather have gone upon my handiwork. FLAV. But wherefore art not in thy shop today? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 CIT. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Cesar, and to rejoice in his triumph. MAR. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?b What tributaries follow him to Rome, things! O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, And do you now put on your best attire? And do you now strew flowers in his way, Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, That needs must light on this ingratitude. FLAV. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this Assemble all the poor men of your sort; a I meddle with no tradesman's matters, &c.] Farmer conjectured that the true reading is, "I meddle with no trade, man's matters," &c.; and, substituting trades for trade, we incline to his opinion. b Wherefore rejoice? &c.] "This was in the beginning of B. C. 44 (A. U. c. 709), when Cæsar, having returned from Spain in the preceding October, after defeating the sons of Pompey at the Battle of Munda (fought 17 March, в. с. 45), had been appointed Consul for the next ten years, and Dictator for li'e. The festival of the Lupercalia, at which he was offered and declined the crown, CASCA. Bid every noise be still:-peace yet again! d [Music ceases. CES. Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry, Cæsar. Speak; Cæsar is turn'd to hear. SooTH. Beware the ides of March. CAS. What man is that? BRU. A soothsayer, bids you beware the ides | That you would have me seek into myself Be not deceiv'd: if I have veil'd my look, CAS. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your For that which is not in me? CAS. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to hear: And, since you know you cannot see yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. [Flourish and shout. BRU. What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Cæsar for their king. CAS. Ay, do you fear it? But wherefore do you hold me here so long? CAS. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, In awe of such a thing as I myself. And bade him follow: so, indeed, he did. "-from some other things," or, the second "by" in the old text being an accidental repetition of the compositor. d Were I a common laugher,-) Rowe's correction; the old copy having, "Laughter." As Mr. Craik remarks, neither word seems to be quite satisfactory. |