to change the opinion or the
determination of someone else.

"True-fixed and resting quality"; quality of always remaining true or
fixed to the one spot in the heavens.

"So in the world"; as all the unnumbered stars shine in the heavens and
all move but one, thus in the world.

"Holds on his rank unshak'd of motion"; is fixed in his ideas and
unmoved by prayers and petitions.

"And that I am he"; and I am that one immovable man.

"Let me a little show it"; let me give a little proof.

C. _Sentences._ The first sentence means: If I could beg others to
change their purposes, I could be induced to change mine; but I am as
fixed in my conclusions as the north star is fixed in the heavens. The
second sentence says: As there are unnumbered movable stars in the
heavens and only one that is fixed, so in the world there are unnumbered
changeable men and only one who is fixed in his determination; that I am
the one determined man let me prove a little by saying that, as I was
persistent in banishing Cimber so will I continue to keep him in
banishment.

D. _The paragraph._ The whole speech is a refusal on Caesar's part to
grant the petition of the conspirators who plead that Cimber may be
brought back from banishment. The words are well calculated to stir up
resentment and to fix the plotters in their plan to murder Caesar. Even
Brutus would be convinced by such sentiments that Caesar was a dangerous
man; if the great Roman thought himself the only man with such
determination, might he not think himself the one man of the world in
all respects? The conspirators were looking for an excuse for killing
Caesar, and they might find it in this speech; Brutus was being led to
believe that Caesar was too ambitious and here was the final argument to
convince him.

CHAPTER X

CLOSE READING--(Concluded)

_The Author--Figures of Speech_

Real appreciation of literature is dependent on effort, and each
acquired impression aids all others in proportion to its intensity. We
can interpret only by what our minds already contain, so that the
earlier years of one's reading are largely devoted to the acquirement of
material for future use. In this way the myths and folk stories with
which children fill their minds become the touchstones that enable them
in later years to read with interest and judge accurately the literature
that falls within their reach. The later one begins his reading, the
more difficult it is for him to m