His grief has made him talk things from his Heius. Alas, my noble friend! Mar. Alas not me! [serable At which she fell, and stirr'd no more. We rubb'd her my Aecius, Mar. No more of that; be gone. Now, And as we walk together, let's pray truly 29, Ecius. That's nobly spoken. Max. Was I not wild, Aecius? Acius. Somewhat troubled. [with you; Erius, Good sir, no more, I shall be melted Of my deep lamentations here's an end. SCENE II. [Exeunt. Enter Pontius, Phidias, and Aretus. Phid. By my faith, captain Pontius, be sides pity [not; Of your fall'n fortunes, what to say I know For 'tis too true the emperor desires not, But my best master, any soldier near him. Are. And when he understands, he cast For disobedience, how can we incline him Pont. Not to please him, Aretus; for my And blushing like the sun-set, as we see her.] The latter part of this line seems a mere fill-up; but, I believe, was a noble sentiment in the original, which I hope is now restored. Lucina blushed to be looked upon by us, as shame would hide its head from ali its acquaintance. If the old reading may be thought to give this idea, and the reader thinks he could have collected it from it without the change, I am willing to subinit: so that the true sense be retained, it is of small consequence whether we read as or that. Seward. Mr. Seward reads, "that we saw her;" but we cannot think his reading conveys the sense he means to give. The only error in the old lection seems to have been sec for saw. And as we walk together, let's pray together truly] The second together seems superfiuous and erroneous, and probably was interpolated by a careless transcriber. Phid. Oh, yes, by any means. Pont. By any means then, I cannot lie, nor flatter. Are. You must swear too, If you be there. Pont. I can swear, if they move me. Are. You should procure a little too. Men's honest sayings for my truth? But women's honest actions for your trial. Pont. D' you ask me seriously, or trifle I am not so low yet, to be your mirth! Pont. Then sincerely you I tell I abhor 'em: They're ill ways, [get it. Pont. If you profess this wickedness, Because ye have been soldiers, aud borne The servants of the brave Accius, [arms, And by him put to th' emperor, give me leave, (Or I must take it else) to say ye're villains! For all your golden coats, debaush'd, base villains! Yet I do wear a sword to tell ye so. And poor enough to be preferr'd for pandars, And so inherit but your rights? I am poor, And may expect a worse; yet digging,pruning, Mending of broken ways, carrying of water, Planting of worts and onions, any thing That's honest, and a man's, I'll rather chuse, Ay, and live better on it, which is juster; Nor are we those we seem. The lord Aecius Put us good men to th' emperor, so we have serv'd him, Tho', much neglected for it; so dare be still Your curses are not ours. We've seen your fortune, But yet know no way to redeem it: Means, Such as we have, you shall not want, brave Pontius; But pray be temperate. If we can wipe out The stain of your offences 3o, we are yours, sir; And you shall live at court an honest man too. Phid. That little meat and means we have, we'll share it. Fear not to be as we are; what we told you, Were but mere trials of your truth: You're worthy, And so we'll ever bold you; suffer better, [my life, Pont. I have found two good men: Use For it is yours, and all I have to thank ye! [Exeunt. SCENE III. Enter Maximus. Max. There's no way else to do it; he must die; This friend must die, this soul of Maximus, Without whom I am nothing but my shame; This perfectness that keeps me from opinion, Must die, or I must live thus branded ever! A hard choice, and a fatal! Gods, ye have given me A way to credit, but the ground to go on Yet I must on, and thro': For, if I offer vengeance, And in mine own road sinks me. He is honest, Of a most constant loyalty to Cæsar, The way of your offences.] To wipe out the way seems a strange phrase: stain, we apprehend, will be allowed a better word: Yet we should not have substituted it, had we not been persuaded that the old text was corrupt. And when he shall but doubt I dare attempt [you Was she not yours? Did she not die to tell She was a ravish'd woman? Did not justice Nobly begin with her, that not deserv'd it? And shall he live that did it? Stay a little! Can this abuse die here? Shall not men's tongues Dispute it afterward, and say I gave Is not this certain, was not she a chaste one, And such a one, that no compare dwelt with One of so sweet a virtue, that Aecius, [her? (Ev'n he himself, this friend that holds me from it) Out of his worthy love to me, and justice, Had it not been on Cæsar, had reveng'd her? By Heav'n, he told me so! What shall I do then? Is there no way, without him, to come near Enter Ecius. Ecius. You run away well; How got you from me, friend? Max. That that leads mad men, A strong imagination, made me wander. Ecius. I thought you had been more setMax. I am well; [tled. But you must give me leave a little sometimes To have a buzzing in my brains. Acius. You're dangerous, [Aside But I'll prevent it if I can.-You told ine You'd go to th' ariny. Max. Why? to have my throat cut? Must he not be the bravest man, Aecius, That strikes me first? Ecius. You promis'd me a freedom From all these thoughts. And why should any strike you? Max. I am an enemy, a wicked one, Worse than the foes of Rome; I am a coward, A cuckold, and a coward; that's two causes Why every one should beat me! Ecius. You are neither; And durst another tell me so, he died for't. For thus far on mine honour, I'll assure you, No man more lov'd than you: and for your [follow'd. valour, And what else may be fair 33, no man more Max. A doughty man, indeed! But that's all one; The emperor, nor all the princes living, Shall find a flaw in my coat: I have suffer'd, 31 Dead sure he cuts me off.] I read dead-sure with a hyphen, and understand by it the common expression, As sure as death. Seward. We chuse to read, according to the old books, without a hyphen; because that may either convey Mr. Seward's sense, or (as the words might bear) for certain, he will cut me off by death: "Dead, sure, he cuts me off." Besides, dead-sure is a modern vulgarisın. 33 Is he not more than rumour.] Mr. Theobald and Mr. Sympson both suspect the word rumour, and think that honour was probably the original. But as honour, in this place, must signify exactly the same with rumour, the Poets seem to have judiciously ascertained the true meaning of what follows, by using rumour here. Seward. We believe honour the right word, and the whole speech confirms it. 33 —for your valour, And what ye may be, fair; no man more follow'd.] This does not seem intelligible, but the change of a monosyllable will give a sense agreeable to the context. and whatever else is fair or praise-worthy, no man is more follow'd.' For your valour, Seward. And can yet; let them find inflictions, I'll find a body for 'em, or I'll break it. 'Tis not a wife can thrust me out; some look'd for't, fing; But let 'em look 'till they are blind with lookThey are but fools! Yet there is anger in me. That I would fain disperse; and, now I think on't, [ring; You told me, friend, the provinces are stirWe shall have sport I hope thep, and what's dangerous A battle shall beat from me. Acius. Why d'you eye me With such a settled look? Mar. Pray tell me this, Do we not love extremely? I love you so. Ecius. If I should say I lov'd not you as I should do that I never durst do, lie. [truly, Max. If I should die, would it not grieve you much? Acius. Without all doubt. Max. And could you live without me? without you. Our loves and loving souls have been so us'd But to one houshold in us: But to die Because I could not make you live, were [worth, woman, Far much too weak: Were it to save your Or to redeem your name from rooting out, To quit you bravely fighting from the foe, Or fetch you off, where honour had engag'd I ought, and would die for you. [you, Max. Truly spoken!· What beast but I, that must, could hurt this man now? [paid him, 'Would he had ravish'd me! I would have I would have taught him such a trick, his eunuchs, [yet! Nor all his black-ey'd boys, e'er dreani'd of By all the gods I'm mad now! Now were Cæsar Within my reach, and on his glorious top The pile of all the world, he went to nothing! The destinies, nor all the dames of hell, That willingly would run to action: I willing to do any thing? I die 34? Are not her sins dispers'd to other women, Ecius. Now you weep. Max. Some lazy drops that stay'd behind. (And I must tell you truth) were it not hazard, 34 I willing to do any thing? I dig?] What the word dig has to do in this passage not conceive. Perhaps the Author wrote die. Maximus immediately adds, "Has not my wife been dead why then should I die? I die? two days already?” Seward. I can 36 I would win with ye.] The first folio reads wyne, and the second changes it to join, and the octavo into win. Join is good sense, but whine being nearer the trace of the old reading, and equally sense, seems the true word. For to whine, or participate with him in the same passion of grief, implies a design of joining with him in the same revenge. Seward. The first folio gives, in old spelling, whine; which alludes to the weeping of Maximus, of which they were talking. 37 One pillar failing, all must fall.] The Poet seems to have intended a repetition here, “One pillar falling, all must fall." 38 On princes that are eminent, and ours, 'Tis fit the gods should judge us.] The doctrine of passive obedience to princes, so much encouraged by King James the First, and which is cius's chief heroism in this play, evidently requires the slight change [us to 'em] I have here made. Seward. The word us is clearly right: Abroad we may revenge, but at home, and on our kings, 'tis 'fit the gods should prevent or punish us for taking vengeance.' Chi. Alas, sir! Val. Hang ye, rascals, your Ye blasters of my youth, if she be gone, 'Twere better had been fathers' caye mels, [waterGroan'd under daily weights of wood and Am I not Cæsar? Licin. Mighty, and our maker. Val. Than thus have given my pleasures to destruction! Look she be living, slaves! Licin. We are no gods, sir, If she be dead, to make her new again. I plant my love upon but common livers? Their hours, as others, told 'em? can they be Why do ye flatter a belief into me, [ashes? That I am all that is, 'The world's my creature; 'The trees bring forth their fruits when I say Summer;' [ness, The wind, that knows no limit but his wildAt my command moves not a leaf; the sea, With his proud mountain waters envying Heaven, [rors 39 ? When I say "Still, runs into crystal mirCan I do this, and she die? Why, ye bubbles, That with my least breath break, no more remember'd, VOL. II. Ye moths, that fly about my flame and perish, Ye golden canker-worms,that eat my honours, Living no longer than my spring of favour,Why do you make me god, that can do nothing? Is she not dead? Chi. All women are not with her. Val. A common whore serves ye, and far above ye, The pleasures of a body lam'd with lewdness; A mere perpetual motion makes ye happy: Am I a man to traffick with diseases? Can any but a chastity serve Cæsar? And such a one that gods would kneel to purchase? [pleasures, You think, because you've bred me up to And almost run me over all the rare ones, Your wives will serve the turn: I care not 39 When I say 'Still, run into crystal mirror.] Former editions. I Seward. |