[IV.46] Enter Brutus ... Capell | Manet Brutus ... F1 | Manent ... F2F3F4.
[IV.47] "Now as it commonly happened in great affairs between two persons, both of them having many friends and so many captains under them, there ran tales and complaints between them. Therefore, before they fell in hand with any other matter they went into a little chamber together, and bade every man avoid, and did shut the doors to them. Then they began to pour out their complaints one to the other, and grew hot and loud, earnestly accusing one another, and at length both fell a-weeping. Their friends that were without the chamber, hearing them loud within, and angry between themselves, they were both amazed and afraid also, lest it would grow to further matter: but yet they were commanded that no man should come to them."—Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.
[IV.48] noted: marked with a stigma. North thus uses the word. See quotation from Marcus Brutus on following page, [l. 3].
[IV.49] "The next day after, Brutus, upon complaint of the Sardians, did condemn and note Lucius Pella.... This judgment much misliked Cassius, because himself had secretly ... warned two of his friends, attainted and convicted of the like offences, and openly had cleared them."—Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.
[IV.50] letters ... man, was | Letters ... man was F1 | letter ... man, was, F2F3F4 | letters ... man, were Malone.
[IV.51] was. The verb is attracted into the singular by the nearest substantive.
[IV.52] slighted off: contemptuously set aside.
[IV.53] to write: by writing. This gerundive use of the infinitive is very common in this play. Cf. 'to have' in l. 10; 'To sell and mart' in l. 11; 'To hedge me in' in l. 30, and so on. See Abbott, § 356.
[IV.54] nice: foolish, trifling.
[IV.55] his: its. The meaning of the line is, Every petty or trifling offense should not be rigidly scrutinized and censured. Cassius naturally thinks that "the honorable men whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar" should not peril their cause by moral squeamishness. "He reproved Brutus, for that he should show himself so straight and severe, in such a time as was meeter to bear a little than to take things at the worst."—Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.