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SCENE III.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge:Fill, Luctus, till the wine o'erswell the cup;

I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. Drinks.

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Good-night, and good repose.
Good-night, Titinius:-Noble, noble Cassius,

O my dear brother
Cus.
This was an ill beginning of the night:
Never come such division 'tween our souls!

Every thing is well.
Bru.
Bru. Come in, Titinius:-Welcome, good Mes- Let it not, Brutus.
Cus. Good-night, my lord.
sala.-
Bru.

Now sit we close about this taper here,

And call in question our necessities.
Cas. Portia, art thou gone?
Bru.

No more, I pray you.-
Messala, I have here received letters,

That young Octavius, and Mark Antony,
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same tenor.
Bru. With what addition?

Mes. That by proscription, and bills of outlawry,
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Have put to death a hundred senators.

Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree:
Mine speak of seventy senators, that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
Cas. Cicero one?

Mes.

Ay, Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription.-

Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
Bru. No, Messala.

Mes. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
Bru. Nothing, Messaia.
MES.

That, methinks, is strange. Bru. Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours!

Mes. No, my lord.

Bru. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true. Mes. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell: For certain she is dead, and by strange manner. Bru. Why, farewell, Portia. - We must die,

Messala:

With meditating that she must die once,
I have the patience to endure it now.

Mes. Even so great men great losses should en-
dure.

Cas. I have as much of this in art as you;
But yet my nature could not bear it so.
Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you think
Of marching to Philippi presently?
Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru.

Cas.

Your reason?

Tis better that the enemy seek us:

This it is:

So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to
better.

The people, 'twixt Philippi and this ground,
Do stand but in a forced affection;

For they have grudg'd us contribution:
The enemy, marching along by them,

By them shall make a fuller number up,

Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encouraged;
From which advantage shall we cut him off,
If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.
Hear me, good brother.
Cas.
Bru. Under your pardon.-You must note be-
side,

That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
Our legions are brimfull, our cause is ripe:
The enemy increaseth every day,

We, at the height, are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
is bound in shallows, and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

Cas.

Then, with your will, go on:
We'll on ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.
Bru. The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity;
Which we will niggard with a little rest.
There is no more to say?

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No more. Good-night;
Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.
Bru. Lucius, my gown. [Exit LUCIUS.] Fare-
w, good Messala :-

• Theory.

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Bru. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent, and sleep;
It may be, I shall raise you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.

Var. So please you, we will stand, and watch
your pleasure."

Bru. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;
It may be, I shall otherwise bethink me.
Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
I put it in the pocket of my gown.

[Servants lie down. Luc. I was sure your lordship did not give it me. Bru. Bear with me, good boy. I am much forgetful.

Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
And touch thy instrument a strain or two?
Luc. Ay, my lord, an it please you.
Bru.

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Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
[He sits dow

Enter the Ghost of CESAR.
How ill this taper burns!-Ha! who comes here
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes,
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me:-Art thou any thing?
Art thou some god, some angef, or some devil,
That mak'st my blood cold, and my hair to sta
Speak to me, what thou art.

Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
Bru.

Why com'st th
Ghost. To tell thee, thou shalt see me at Phili
Bru. Well;

Then I shall see thee again?
Ghost.

Ay, at Philippi
[Ghost vani
Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest:
Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.-
Boy! Lucius!-Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awal
Claudius!

Luc. The strings, my lord, are false.

Bru. He thinks, he still is at his instrumen Lucius, awake.

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Oct.

SCENE I.-The Plains of Philippi.
Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army.
Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions;
It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
Answering before we do demand of them.

Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know,
Wherefore they do it: they could be content
To visit other places; and come down
With fearful bravery, thinking, by this face,
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 'tis not so.

Mess.

Enter a Messenger.

Prepare you, generals: The enemy comes on in gallant show; Their bloody sign of battle is hung out, And something's to be done immediately.

Ant. Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
Upon the left hand of the even field.

Oct. Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left.
Ant. Why do you cross me in this exigent?
Oct. I do not cross you; but I will do so.

[March.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army;
LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others.
Bru. They stand, and would have parley.
Cas. Stand fast, Titinius: We must out and talk.
Oct. Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
Ant. No, Cæsar, we will answer on the charge.
Make forth, the generals would have some words.
Oct. Stir not until the signal.

Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, country-
men?

Oct. Not that we love words better, as you do.
Bru. Good words are better than bad strokes,
Octavius.

Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good
words:

Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart,
Crying, Long live! hail, Cæsar!

Cas.

Antony,

The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Ant.

Not stingless too.
Bru. O, yes, and soundless too;

For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
And, very wisely, threat before you sting.

So I hope;

I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.
Bru. O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more hu-

norable.

Cas. A peevish school-boy, worthless of such honor,

Join'd with a masker and a reveller.

Ant. Old Cassius still!
Oct.
Come, Antony; away.-
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:
If you dare tight to-day, come to the field;
If not, when you have stomachs.

[Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. Cas. Why now, blow, wind; swell, billow; and swim, bark!

The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

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Mes.

Cas.

What says my general!

Messala,
This is my birth-day; as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set
Be thou my witness, that, against my will,
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know, that I held Epicurus strong.
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us;
This morning are they fled away, and gone;
And in their steads, do ravens, crows, and kites,
Fly o'er our heads, and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey; their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
Mes. Believe not so.
Cas.
I but believe it partly;
For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv'd
To meet all perils very constantly.
Bru. Even So, Lucilius.

Cae.
Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly; that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But, since the affairs of men rest still uncertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may be tail.

Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile If we do lose this battle, then is this

daggers

Hack'd one another in the sides of Cæsar:

You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like
hounds,

And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet,
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind,
Struck Cæsar on the neck. O flatterers!

Cas. Flatterers!-Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
If Cassius might have ruled.

Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make us
sweat,

The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look;

I draw a sword against conspirators;
When think you that the sword goes up again?—
Never till Cæsar's three and twenty wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Bru. Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
Uniess thou bring'st them with thee.

• Summon.

The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do!

Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy,
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself:-I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life:-arming myself with patience,
To stay the providence of some high powers
That govern us below.

Cas.
Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?
Bru. No, Cassius, no: think not, thou no
Roman,

That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work the ides of March begun;
And whether we shall meet again, I know not
Therefore our everlasting farewell take
For ever, and for ever, farewell Cassius!
▾ Foremost.
■ Accompanied

If we do meet again, why we shall smile;
If not, why then this parting was well made.
Cas. For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus !
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed:

If not, 'tis true, this parting was well made.
Bru. Why then, lead on.--O, that a man might
know

The end of this day's business, ere it come!
But it sufficeth, that the day will end,
And then the end is known.-Come, ho! away!

[Exeunt.

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Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your tents, my lo d! Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off. Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius; Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire? Tu. They are, my lord. Сая. Titinius, if thou lov'st me, Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him, Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops, And here again; that I may rest assur'd, Whether yond' troops are friend or enemy. Tu. I will be here again, even with a thought. [Exit. Cas. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;" My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius, And tell me what thou not'st about the field.[Exit PINDARUS. This day I breathed first: time is come round, And where I did begin, there I shall end; My life is run his compass.-Sirral, what news? Pin. [Above.] O my lord!

Cus. What news!

Pin. Titinius is

Enclosed round about with horsemen, that Make to him on the spur:-yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him; now, Titinius!Now some 'light:-0, he 'lights too-he's ta'enand, hark! [Shout. They shout for joy. Cas. Come down, behold no more.0, coward that I am, to live so long, To see my best friend ta'en before my face!

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Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
Mes. Where did you leave him?
Til.

All disconsolate
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
Mes. Is not that he, that lies upon the ground?
Tit. He lies not like the living. O my heart!
Mes. Is not that he?
Tit.
No, this was he, Messala,

But Cassius is no more.-O setting sun!
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to-night,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set;
The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are
done;

Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.

Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful error, melancholy's child!

Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O error. soon conceiv'd,
Thou never com'st unto a happy birth,
But kill'st the mother that engender d thee.

Tit. What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus?
Mes. Seek him, Titinius: whilst I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears: I may say thrusting it;
For piercing steel, and darts envenomed,
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus,
As tidings of this sight.

Tit.
Hie you, Messala,
And I will seek for Pindarus the while.

[Exit MESSALA.
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
Did I not meet thy friends, and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,
And bid me giv't thee? Didst thou not hear their

shouts!

Alas! thou hast misconstrued every thing.
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;
Will do his bidding.-Brutus, come apace,
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.-
By your leave, gods.-This is a Roman's part
Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.

[Dies

Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, young
CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS.
Bru. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
Mes. Lo, yonder; and Titinius mourning it.
Bru. Titinius' face is upward.

Cato.
He is slain.
Bru. O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails. [Low Alarums.
Brave Titinius!

Cato. Look, whe'r he have not crown'd dead Cassius! Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these?The last of all the Romans, fare thee well! It is impossible that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more

tears

To this dead man, than you shall see me pay.-
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.-
Come, therefore, and to Thassos send his body;
His funeral shall not be in our camp,
Lest it discomfort us.-Lucilius, come;
And come, young Cato, let us to the field.-
Labeo, and Flavius, set our battles on:-
'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight. [Exeunt

SCENE IV. Another Part of the Field. Alarum. Enter, fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, ČATO, LUCILIUS, and others.

Bru. Yet, countrymen, O yet hold up your heads! Cato. What bastard doth not? Who will go with

me?

I will proclaim my name about the field:
I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!
A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend;
I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

[Charges the Enemy. Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is over. powered, and falls.

Luc. O young and noble Čato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; And may'st be honor', being Cato's son.

1 Sold. Yield, or tu diest.

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Luc. Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough;
I dare assure thee, that no enemy
Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus:
The gods defend him from so great a shame!
When you do find him, or alive, or dead,
He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you,
A prize no less in worth keep this man safe,
Give him all kindness: I had rather have
Such men my friends than enemies. Go on,
And see whe'r Brutus be alive, or dead:
And bring us word, unto Octavius' tent,
How every thing is chanced.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.-Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS.

Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

Ch. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, He came not back; he is or ta'en, or slain.

Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.[Whispering. Cli. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. Bru. Peace, then, no words. Cli.

I'll rather kill myself. [Whispers him. I do such a deed?

Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! Dar.

Cli. O, Dardanius!

Dar. Ó, Clitus!

Chi. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? Dar. To kill him, Clitus: Look, he meditates. Cli. Now is that noble vessel full of grief, That it runs over even at his eyes. Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Vol. What says my lord? Bru.

Why, this, Volumnius: The ghost of Cæsar hath appear'd to me Two several times by night: at Sardis, once; And, this last night, here in Philippi' fields. I know my hour is come.

Not so, my lord.

Vol. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes; Our enemies have beat us to the pit: It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Thou know'st, that we two went to school together; Even for that our love of old I pray thee, Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it. Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my lord. [Alarum still.

Cli. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here.
Bru. Farewell to you;-and you; and you,
Volumnius.-

Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;
Farewell to thee, too, Strato.-Countrymen,
My heart doth joy, that yet in all my life,
I found no man, but he was true to me.
I shall have glory by this losing day,
More than Octavius, and Mark Antony,
By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
So fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue
Hath almost ended his life's history:
Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest.
That have but labor'd to attain this hour.
[Alarum. Cry within; Fly, fly, fly.
Cli. Fly, my lord, fly.

Bru.

Hence; I will follow thee. [Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMSIUS. I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thou art a fellow of a good respect; Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it: Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato! Stra. Give me your hand first: Fare you well, my lord.

Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be still, I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

[He runs on his Sword, and dies. Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, LUCILIUS, and their Army. Oct. What man is that?

Mes. My master's man.-Strato, where is thy master?

Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala;

The conquerors can but make a fire of him;
For Brutus only overcame himself,
And no man else hath honor by his death.

Luc. So Brutus should be found. I thank thee,
Brutus,

That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true.

Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.' Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me! Stra. Ay, if Messala will preter2 me to you. Oct. Do so, Messala. Mes.

How died my master, Strato! Stra. I held the sword, and he did run on it. Mes. Octavius, then take him to follow thee, That did the latest service to my master.

Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all:
All the conspirators, save only he,
Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar;
He only, in a general honest thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, This was a man!

Oct. According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect and rites of burial.
Most like a soldier, order'd honorably.-
Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie,
So, call the field to rest: and let's away.
To part the glories of this happy day.
Receive into my service.

[Exeunt

• Recommerd

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GALLUS,

MENAS,

MENECRATES, Friends of Pompey.
VARRIUS,

TAURUS, Lieutenant-General to Cæsar.
CANIDIUS, Lieutenant-General to Antony.

SILIUS, an Officer in Ventidius's Army.

EUPHRONIUS, an Ambassador from Antony

Cæsar.

ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, and DIOMEDES, At tendants on Cleopatra.

A Soothsayer.

A Clown.

CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt.

OCTAVIA, Sister to Cæsar, and Wife to Antony. CHARMIAN,

IRAS,

Attendants on Cleopatra.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, dispersed; in several parts of the Roman Empire.

ACT I.

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SCENE I-Alexandria. A Room in Cleopatra's Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.

Palace.

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's, O'erflows the measure: Those his goodly eyes, That o'er the tiles and musters of the war Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn, The office and devotion of their view Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart, Which in the scuffles of great tights had burst The buckles on his breast, reneges! all temper; And is become the bellows and the fan, To cool a gipsy's lust. Look, where they come! Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their Trains; Eunuchs fanning her. Take but good note, and you shall see in him The triple pillar of the world transform'd nto a strumpet's fool: behold and see. Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.

Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth.

Enter an Attendant.

Att. News, my good lord, from Rome. Ant. Grates3 me:-The sum? Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony. Fulvia, perchance, is angry: Or, who knows If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this ; Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that; Perform't, or else we damn thee. Ant. How, my love!

Cleo. Pe.chance,-nay, and most like, You must not stay here longer, your dismission

Renounces.

Offends.

a Bourd or limit.

4 Subdue, conquer.

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There's not a minute of our lives should stretch
Without some pleasure now: What sport to-night?
Cleo. Hear the ambassadors.
Ant.

Fye, wrangling queen!
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admir'd!
No messenger; but thine and all alone,
To-night, we'll wander through the streets, and note
The qualities of people. Come, my queen;
Last night you did desire it :-Speak not to us.
[Exeunt ANT. and CLEOP. with their Train.
Dem. Is Cæsar with Antonius priz'd so slight?
Summons.
• Know.
↑ Consumie

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