Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-05-21
AN HISTORICAL STUDY.
Tho Conspiracy Against Caesar and Shake
pcnre's veracity.

Tho Conspiracy Against Caesar and Shakes
pcare's veracity.
The conspiracy against Cesar was
a coalition between two separate
parties OF malcontents---th remnant
of the old conservatives, who found
II practically impossible. despite all
their efforts. to adapt themselves to IL
state of personal subserviency and
civic inaction. and the ambitious Cen
erals who had accompanied Caesar on
his campaigns, and were not satisfied
with their share of the spoil. Our old
acquaintance, Caius Cassius, whom we
first encountered fighting gallanty in
Cilicia. but Of whom we learned, so TO
speak in infancy that the fault OF In
feriority sis not in our stars. but In
ourselves, may be regarded as the
type OF the second class of conspir,-
tors, rs Marcus Brutus was the great
oxemplar Of the first Early in the
year zoe before the death OF Tullia,
there had been particularly lively
Interchange OF letters between Cassius
and Cicero, Who it appears, had known
each other from boyhood. For the
most part, think the deeper we dip
into authentic Roman history and the
contemporary writer's OF Cesar's time,
the more striking do we find the main
veracity of that great Shakesperean
drama from which most of us derived
our first clear Impressions Of the year
81 Il. G. The author OF the tragedy of
Julius Caesar not only knew all that
was 10 be known in his time about the
men OF that great year, but he came
much nearer than some scholars will
admit TO knowing all that IL now TO be
known. Not even the stupendous labors
OF Mommsen have availed materially TO
modify the outlines of his Brutus. his
Antony. nor yet his Caesar. But the
real Cassius. II not positively misrep-
resented. appears to have been more,
aud in some respects other, than the
instigator OF Brutus in the play. For
one thing. he was decidedly literary
and more speculative in his turn, and
had lately suffered conversion from
Stoicism 10 Epicureanism. whcreon
Cicero comments Ia the letters aforc-
said with abundance OF pleasant ban
tor. He employs n pompous profusion
OF philosophical terms, both Latin
and Greek. appending, in parentheses,
las your new friends say. "You
are. OF course, aware that Catius In
snber. the Epicureau. bestowed the
name of spectra on those Qnvisiblo
images) (which Gargettius and
Democritus before him had called
esdoid Now, even supposing Il
man 10 DO able to conjure
up those specters before his
eyes when he pleases, fail to see how
they can can touch the mind You
will have to enlighten me when you
come. as TO whether your specter Is so
far subject TO my control as to come
rushing at me the moment think OF
you (Which would not be so remark
able, indeed, in your case, who are
ensconced in my heart OF hearts,; but
will the eidolon, say, OF the island of
Britain fly TO my arms when ! begin
thinking of thatp'
~ II hNfuiS posStpiS, tlpSTo say =
In another letter, Ito DO In earnest
about any thing without running some
risk Then lei us have n good laugh.
methinks ! hear you say. BY Heaven,
II Is not SO easy Still. what other
distraction have we from our present
annoyancesP Whore, then, is phi
losophyP We'll, mine is in the gym
nasium. and yours is in the kitchenv'
Harriet Waters Preston. in Atlantic