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NOTES TO

JULIUS CAESAR.

** It appears from Peck's Collection of divers curious Historical Pieces, &c. (appended to his Memoirs &c. of Oliver Cromwell). p. 14. that a Latin play on this subject had been written. "Epilogus Caesaris interfecti, quomodo in scenam prodiit ea res, acta, in Ecclesia Christi, Oxon. Qui Epilogus a Magistro Ricardo Eedes, et scriptus jet in proscenio ibidem dictus fuit, A. D. 1582." Meres, whose Wit's Commonwealth was published in 1598, enumerates Dr. Eedes among the best tragic writers of that time. STEEVENS.

From some words spoken by Polonius in Hamlet, I think it probable that there was an English play on this subject, before Shakspeare commenced a writer for the stage.

Stephen Gosson in his School of Abuse, 1579, mentions a play entitled The History of Caesar and Pompey.

William Alexander, afterwards Earl of Sterline, wrote a tragedy on the story and with the title of Julius Caesar. It may be presumed that Shakspeare's play was posterior to his; for lord Sterline, when he composed his Julius Caesar

was a very young author, and would hardly have ventured into that circle, within which the most eminent dramatick writer of England had already walked. The death of Caesar, which is not exhibited but related to the audience, forms the ea tastrophe of his piece. In the two plays many parallel pa-sages are found, which might, perhaps, have proceeded only from the two authors drawing from the same source. However, there are some reasons for thinking the coincidence more than ac¬ cidental.

A passage in The Tempest seems to have been copied from one in Dartus; another play of lord Sterline's, printed at Edinburgh in 1603. His Julius Caesar appeared in 1607, at a time when be was little acquainted with English writers; for both these pieces abound with scotticisins, which, in the subsequent folio edition, 1657, he corrected. But neither The Tempest nor the Julius Caesar of our author was printed till 1623.

- It should also be remembered that our author has several plays, founded on subjects which had heen previously treated by others. . Of this kind are King John, king Richard II. the two parts of K. Henry IV, King Henry V. King Richard III. King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and I believe, Hamlet, Timon of Athens, and the Second and Third Part of King Henry VI, whereas no proof has hitherto beeu produced, that any contemporary, writer ever presumed to new model a story that had already employed the pen of Shakspeare. Ou all these grounds it appears shore probable, that Shakspeare was indebted to Jord Sterline, than that lord Sterline borrowed from Shakspeare. 10.

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this reasoning be just, this play could not have appeared before the year 1607. I believe itu was produced in that year. See in Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's Plays Vol. I. MALONE..

-The real length of time in Julius Czesan is as follows: About the middle of February . U. C. 709′′ a frantick festival, sacred to Pan, and called Lupercalia, was held in honour of Caesarj when the regal crown was offered to him by An tony. On the 15th of March in the same year,. was slain. Nov. 27, A. U. C. 7ro, the triumvirs met át a small island. formed by the river Rhenus, near Bononia, and there ad used their cquel proscription. A. U. G. 718, Brutus and Cassius were defeated near Philippi. UPTON

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Page 3, tine 5. MARULLUS, ]. Old copy Marelius, I have, upon the authority of Plutarch, &c. given to his triboot his right name, Marullus. THEOBALD,

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P.4, 1. (Mar. What meanest thor by that? &o.} As the Cobler, in the preceding speech, replies to Flavius, hot to Marullustis plain, Ithak, this speech must be given to Flavius. THEOBALD.

I have replaced Marullus, who might property enough reply to a saucy sentence directed to ha colleague, and to whom the speech was probabi, given, that he might not stand too long un ployed upon the stage. JOHNSON.

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I would give the first speech to Marullus, et stead of transferring the last to Flavius. Ries, P. 4, 1. 11. 12. I meddle with no trades. matters, nor women's matters, but with aut This should be, "I meddle with no-trade, man's matters, nor woman's matters, but with? qul." >FARMERT Mod Dowolid Bodiak A16) syst VOL. XV.

15

P. 5, 1. 2. That Tiber trembled underneath her banks, As Tiber is always represented by the figure of a man, the fe minine gender is improper. Milton says, that

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STEEVENS.

Rolls o'er Elysiau flowers her amber stream." But he is speaking of the water, and not of its presiding power or genius. Drayton, in his Polyolbion, frequently describes the rivers of England as females, even when penser? he speaks of the presiding powers of the on the other hand, represents them more classically, as males. MALONE The presiding power of some of Drayton's rivers were females; like Sabrina, &e. STEEVENS. P. 5, 1. 23. 24. Disrobe the images, ban If you do find them deck'd with ceremoanies.] Ceremonies, for religious ornaments. Thus afterwards he explains them by Caesar's trophies; i. e. such as he had dedicated to the Gods. WARBURTON. Ceremonies are honorary ornaments; tokens of respect. MALONE, TN vor

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Be hung with Caesio images on so strophies. Caesar's trophies, are, I believe, the crowns which were placed on his statues 10 Sales STEEVENS. What these trophies really were, is explained by a passage in the next scene, where Casta in forms Cassius, that "Marullus and Flavins, for pulling scarfs off Caesar's images, are put to silence." M. MASON. tibie dow lots of P65 DECIUS] This person was not Decius, but Decimus Brutus. The poet (as Jeliko vybavoleus do Jusmemi

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Voltaire has done since) confounds the characters of Marius and Decimus. Decimus Brutus was the most cherished by Caesar of all his friends, white Marcus kept aloof, and declined so large a share of his favours and honours, as the other had constantly accepted. STEEVENS.

Stackspeare's mistake of Decius for Decimus, arose from the old translation of Plutarch.

FARMER. P. 6,1. 15. Antonius] The old copy generally reads Antonio, Octavio, Flavio. The players were more accustomed to Italian

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terminations on account of hersions from Italian novels, and the many Italian cha racters in dramatick pieces formed on the same originals. STEEVENSATES

P. 7, 1. &. Sennet.] I have been informed that sennet is derived from senneste, an antiquated French tune formerly used in the army; but the Dictionaries which I have consulted ex hibit no such word. Sennet may be a corruption from sonata, Ital. STERVENS.

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7, 1. 19. 20. You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand T Over your friend that loves you.] Str Strange alien, unfamiliar, such as might become a stran ger JOHNSON.

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P. 7, 1. 25. with passions of some difference,] With a fluctuation of discordant opinions and desires, JOHNSON. P. 8, 1.24 – 26. Were I a common laugher, or Adid use

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To stale with ordinary oaths my love

To every new protester] To invite every new protester to my affection by the stale or allurement of customary oaths. JOHNSON.

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