Brutus is quick to suffer but slow to act ;
and when he does act it is with a reluctance
almost as hesitant as the reluctance of Ham-
let. Looking upon the world with the wide,
intuitive gaze of the philosopher, seeing all
sides of all subjects, and making allowance
and finding excuse for all, it is difficult for
that wise, imaginative, gentle creature to
strike the fatal blow, which yet he believes
to be necessary and right. Many concur-
rent forces drive him to the pitch of action ;
but, from the hour when Caesar falls be-
neath his dagger, down to the ghastly day
which **ends the work the Ides of March
begun," his mind is darkly overshadowed
with a sense of impending doom — so keen



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328 LIFE AND ART OF EDWIN BOOTH.
is his spiritual perception of Nature's in-
exorable vigilance to punish the shedder of
human blood. This nature and experience
require excessive poetical sensibility in the
delineation. The representative of Brutus
must entice affection by his personal quality.
With Cassius the conquest is of admiration
more than affection, and this is made by
means more obviously alert, expeditious,
and aggressive. Cassius must be beauti-
fully refined, in his frosty age and intellec-
tual exaltation ; but, beyond that, he is the
more directly appreciable because he is a
fountain of action. His disturbing force
is felt by all persons around him. Even
Caesar admits that he should fear Cassius if
he could fear anybody. His tremendous
will and his intense, passionate purpose
move the many-sided and equipoised mind
of Brutus, and give it heat and direction.
All things bend to his inveterate ability.
