[V.27] [Exeunt ... their Army] | Exit ... Army Ff.
[V.28] Scene III Pope.
[V.29] [Standing forth] Camb | Lucillius and Messala stand forth Ff.
[V.30] [Brutus and ...] Ff omit.
[V.31] Messala, | Ff add to l. 72.
[V.32] 'As' is often used redundantly with definitions of time. This is still a provincialism. See Abbott, § 114. "Messala writeth, that Cassius having spoken these last words unto him, he bade him farewell, and willed him to come to supper to him the next night following, because it was his birthday."—Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.
[V.33] Alluding to the battle of Pharsalia, which took place in the year b.c. 48. Pompey was forced into that battle, against his better judgment, by the inexperienced and impatient men about him, who, inasmuch as they had more than twice Cæsar's number of troops, fancied they could easily defeat him if they could but meet him. So they tried it, and he quickly defeated them.
[V.34] I was strongly attached to the doctrines of Epicurus. "Cassius being in opinion an Epicurean, and reasoning thereon with Brutus, spake to him touching the vision thus: 'In our sect, Brutus, we have an opinion, that we do not always feel or see that which we suppose we do both see and feel, but that our senses, being credulous and therefore easily abused ... imagine they see and conjecture that which in truth they do not.'"— Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.
[V.35] former Ff | foremost Rowe.
[V.36] former: first. Cf. "former things passed away." "When they raised their camp there came two eagles, that, flying with a marvellous force, lighted upon two of the foremost ensigns, and always followed the soldiers, which gave them meat and fed them, until they came near to the city of Philippes; and there, one day only before the battle, they both flew away."—Plutarch, Marcus Brutus.