s just creeping into use at the
close of the sixteenth century. It does not occur once in the
King James version of the Bible as originally printed; it
occurs ten times in the First Folio, generally in the form
'it's'; it occurs only three times in Milton's poetry. See
Masson's _Essay on Milton's English_; Abbott, Sect. 228;
Sweet's _New English Grammar_, Sect. 1101.]

[Note 129: /temper:/ temperament, constitution. "The lean and
wrinkled Cassius" venting his spite at Caesar, by ridiculing
his liability to sickness and death, is charmingly
characteristic. The mighty Caesar, with all his electric
energy of mind and will, was of a rather fragile and delicate
make; and his countenance, as we have it in authentic busts,
is of almost feminine beauty. Cicero, who did not love him at
all, in one of his _Letters_ applies to him the Greek word
that is used for 'miracle' or 'wonder' in the New Testament;
the English of the passage being, "This miracle (monster?) is
a thing of terrible energy, swiftness, diligence."]

[Page 18-19]

CASSIUS. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men 136
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 140
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar?'
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; 145
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
'Brutus' will start a spirit as soon as 'Caesar.'
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd! 150
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was fam'd with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walks encompass'd but one man? 155
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham'd! 150
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!