JULIUS

CÆSA R.

VOL. VII.

SCENE, for the three firft As, at Rome: afterwards, at an lle near Mutina; at Sardis; and Philippi.

Of this play there is no copy earlier than that of 1623. Folio.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Street in Rome.

Enter Flavius, Marullus, and certain Commoners.

H

FLAVIUS.

ENCE; home, you idle creatures. Get you home.

Is this a holiday

? What! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the fign

Of your profeffion? Speak, what trade art thou?
Car. Why, Sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule?
What doft thou with thy beft apparel on?
-You, Sir, what trade are you?

Cob. Truly, Sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would fay, a cobler.

Mar. But what trade art thou? Anfwer me di

rectly.

Cob. A trade, Sir, that, I hope, I may use with a fafe confcience; which is indeed, Sir, a mender of bad foals.

' Murellus,] I have, upon the authority of Plutarck, &c. given

to this tribune, his right name, Marullus.

B 2

THEOBALD.

Flav.

Flav. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade?

Cob. Nay, I beseech you, Sir, be not out with me; yet if you be out, Sir, I can mend you.

Mar. What mean'ft thou by that?

thou faucy fellow ?

Cob. Why, Sir, cobble you.

Flav. Thou art a cobler, art thou?

Mend me,

Cob. Truly, Sir, all, that I live by, is the awl. I meddle with no tradefman's matters, nor woman's matters; but with-all, I am, indeed, Sir, a furgeon to old fhoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neats-leather have gone upon my handy-work.

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy fhop to-day? Why doft thou lead thefe men about the streets?

Cob. Truly, Sir, to wear out their fhoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, Sir, we make holiday to fee Cafar, and to rejoice in his triumph. Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conqueft brings he

home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome.

To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you ftones, you worfe than fenfelefs
things!

O you hard hearts! you cruel men of Rome!
Knew you not Pompey? many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have fate

2 Mar. What mean'st thou by that?] As the Cobler, in the preceding speech, replies to Flavius, not to Marullus; 'tis plain, I think, this fpeech must be given to Flavius. THEOBALD,

I have replaced Marullus, who

might properly enough reply to a faucy fentence directed to his colleague, and to whom the fpeech was probably given, that he might not ftand too long uuemployed upon the ftage.

The