the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies:
It may be these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers, 200
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

[Note 194: /Whether./ So in the Folios. Cf. the form 'where'
in I, i, 63.]

[Note 196: For 'from' without a verb of motion see Abbott,
Sect. 158. 'Main' is often found in sixteenth century
literature in the sense of 'great,' 'strong,' 'mighty.' Caesar
was, in his philosophy, an Epicurean, like most of the
educated Romans of the time. Hence he was, in opinion,
strongly skeptical about dreams and ceremonial auguries. But
his conduct, especially in his later years, was characterized
by many gross instances of superstitious practice.]

[Note 198: /apparent prodigies:/ evident portents. 'Apparent'
in this sense of 'plainly manifest,' and so 'undeniable,' is
found more than once in Shakespeare. Cf. _King John_, IV, ii,
93; _Richard II_, I, i, 13.]

[Page 57]

DECIUS. Never fear that: if he be so resolv'd,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, 205
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers:
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Let me work;
For I can give his humour the true bent, 210
And I will bring him to the Capitol.

CASSIUS. Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.

BRUTUS. By the eighth hour; is that the uttermost?

CINNA. Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.

METELLUS. Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard, 215
Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey:
I wonder none of you have thought of him.

[Note 213: /eighth/ F4 | eight F1 F2 F3.]

[Note 215: /hard/ F1 | hatred F2 F3 F4.]

[Note 204: So in Spenser, _The Faerie Queene_, II, v, 10:

Like as a Lyon, whose imperiall powre
A prowd rebellious Unicorn defyes,
T' avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre
Of his fiers foe, him to a tree applyes,
And when him ronning in full course he spyes,
He slips aside; the whiles that furious beast
His precious home sought of his enimyes,
Strikes in the stocke ne thence can be releast,
But to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast.]

[Note 205: Bears are said to have been caught by putting
looking-glas