with his Wounds
bleeding fresh, as if he had just receiv'd the fatal Blow; he had
reproach'd him with his Ingratitude, with a _Tu Brute! tu quoque, mi
fili_: "What Thou _Brutus_! Thou, my adopted Son!" Now History seems
to agree universally, not only in the Story itself, but in the
Circumstances of it; we have only to observe that the _Devil_ had
certainly Power to assume, not a human Shape only, but the Shape of
_Julius Caesar_ in particular.

Had _Brutus_ been a timorous _Conscience-harry'd_, weak-headed Wretch,
had he been under the Horror of the Guilt, and terrify'd with the
Dangers that were before him at that time, we might suggest that he was
over-run with the Vapours, that the Terrors which were upon his Mind
disorder'd him, that his Head was delirious and prepossess'd, and that
his Fancy only plac'd _Caesar_ so continually in his Eye, that it
realiz'd him to his Imagination, and he believ'd he saw him; with many
other suggested Difficulties to invalidate the Story, and render the
Reality of it doubtful.

But the contrary, to an Extreme, was the Case of _Brutus_; his known
Character plac'd him above the Power of all Hypocondriacks, or fanciful
Delusions; _Brutus_ was of a true _Roman_ Spirit, a bold Hero, of an
intrepid Courage; one that scorn'd to fear even the _Devil_, as the
Story allows: Besides, he glory'd in the Action; there cou'd be no
Terror of Mind upon him; he valued himself upon it, as done in the
Service of Liberty, and the Cause of his Country; and was so far from
being frighted at the _Devil_ in the worst Shape, that he spoke first to
him, and ask'd him, _What art thou?_ and when he was cited to see him
again at _Philippi_, answer'd, with a Gallantry that knew no Fear, _well
I will see thee there_. Whatever the _Devil_'s Business was with
_Brutus_, this is certain, according to all the Historians who give us
the Account of it, that _Brutus_ discover'd no Fear; he did not, _like
Saul at Endor_, fall to the Ground in a Swoon, 1 _Sam._ xxviii. 20.
_Then Saul fell all along upon the Earth, and there was no Strength in
him, and was sore afraid._ In a word, I see no room to charge _Brutus_
with being over-run with the _Hyppo_, or with Vapours, or with Fright
and Terror of Mind; but he saw the _Devil_, that's certain, and with
Eyes open, his Courage not at all daunted, his Mind resolute, and with
the utmost Composure spoke to him, reply'd to his Answer, and defy'd his
Summons to Death, which indeed he