Imatges de pàgina
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Oa. So you thought him;

And took his voice, who fhould be prickt to die
In our black sentence and profcription.

Ant. Octavius, I have feen more days than you:
And though we lay thefe honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers flanderous loads,
He shall but bear them as the afs bears gold,
To groan and fweat under the business,
" Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in P commons.

OЯ. You may do your will;

But he's a try'd and valiant foldier.

Ant. So is my horfe, Octavius, and for that,
I do appoint him store of provender:
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And in fome tafte, is Lepidus but fo;

He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;
A barren-fpirited fellow; one that feeds

On abject orts, and imitations,.

Which, out of use, and ftal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him,

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But as a property. And now, Odavius,

Liften great things. Brutus and Caffius

Are levying powers: we muft ftraight make head;
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,

Our best friends made,' and our best means stretch'd 'out ¡

And let us presently go fit in council,

How covert matters may be beft difclos'd,

And open perils furest answered,

Oa. Let us do fo; for we are at the stake,

And bay'd about with many enemies;

And fome that fmile have in their hearts, I fear,

Millions of mifchiefs,

[Exeunt

SCENE II.

In the Camp near Sardis; before Brutus's Tent.

• Drum. Enter Brutus and Soldiers to them Lucilius, and his Soldiers marching, Titinius and Pindarus,

Bru. Stand, ho!

Lucil. Give the word, ho! and ftand.

Bru. What now, Lucilius is Caffius near à

Lugil

The firft f. J. and C. omit and &

C. omits drum. The fo's direct Dram. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, and the

No defcription of the scene in the Army. Titinius and Pindarus meet them, So all after (except G.), bating that they read

Lucil. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you falutation from his mafter ".

Bru. He greets me well. Your mafter, Pindarus, In his own change, or by ill officers,

x

Hath given me fome worthy caufe to wish

Things done, undone; but if he be at hand,
I fhall be fatisfied.

read foldiers for the army, and meeting for Lucilius conveys these orders to his off

meet.

In C. Lucilius, Titinius and Pindarus do not enter until Brutus has faid Stand, do! and a direction is given that these words should be spoken to bis (Brutus's) officers, entering. Then Lu.ilius (entering with his foldiers, and Pindarus and Titinius) fays to his party, Give the word, bo, and ftand. By thus ordering the fcene, C. feems to understand that Brutus and Lucilius, with their feveral bodies of foldiers, being upon their march meet; and then each of them gives the word of command to ftand, or halt, to their feparate parties. Now this would have been proper enough had not Brutus erected his tent. But the fcene is before Brutus's tent, and he must have arrived, before he could have erected it. Therefore he and his foldiers have done marching, have erected the tent, and are expecting the other companies at the place appointed. Here the scene opens; Lu

us, being upon the march, and having arrived where Brutus is, Brutus (as generaliffimo of the forces) bids him Band;

cers, and bids them give the word of command to the foldiers. By thus un derstanding the feene, it appears confiftent with itself, the dignity of Brutus is kept up, and the fubordination, of general to generalisimo, officers to their general, and common foldiers to their officers, is painted in a very few, fimple, but expreffive words.

w Here C. directs [prefenting Pindarus, zubo gives a letter. But it is very strange that Caffius fhould fend a letter when he was at band, and just at the heels af the messenger. C.'s reafon for giving this direction is, I suppose, because (Lu cilius having presented Pindarus to Bru tus, as bringing a falutation from Caffius) Pindarus makes no falutation by word of mouth to Brutus, and therefore the falutation must be contained in a letter, But I fhould rather think that Sbakefpeare wrote a hort speech for Pindarus, in this place, fuch as, Caffius fends bealth to Brutus, which is loft.

■ H. W. and C. charge for change.
7 J. propofes offices for officers.

Pin. I do not doubt

But that my noble mafter will appear

Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius;
How he receiv'd you, let me be refolv'd.

Lucil. With courtesy, and with respect enough;
But not with fuch familiar inftances,

Nor with fuch free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru, Thou haft defcrib'd

A hot friend cooling: Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to ficken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and fimple faith;
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant fhew and promife of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,

a

They fall their crefts, and like deceitful jades,

Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

:

Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd;

The greater part, the horfe in general,

Are come with Caffius.

Bru. Hark, he is arriv'd:

March gently on to meet him.

[March within,

&c.

z H. reads, Hear, a word, Lucilius→→→

All but C. direct [Low March within ; and the fo's and R. place this direc

a So the xft f, and C; the reft, creft tion in Brutus's last speech after the

for crefts.

word mettle.

Enter

C Enter Caffius and Soldiers.

Caf. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Caf. Moft noble brother, you have done me wrong.
Bru. Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies?
And if not fo, how fhould I wrong' a brother?

Caf. Brutus, this fober form of yours hides wrongs;
And when you do them-

Bru. Caffius, be content,

Speak your griefs foftly, I do know you well:
Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Y

Which should perceive nothing but love from us,

Let us not wrangle: Bid them move aways!!

Then in my tent, Caffius, enlarge your griefs, I.
And I will give you audience.

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Caf. Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

In all editions but C. this entrancee C. omits bo! and directs this speech is directed immediately after Lucilius's last speech.

d Here C. directs [to bis officers, en tering. Which is right enough, but not very neceffary, as the reader cannot well

miftake to whom the words are spoken,

to be spoken to bis, that is to Brutus's foldiers; but he must be certainly wrong here; for Brutus's foldiers cannot be in this place fuppofed marching, but standing; and therefore the word of command, ftand, is to them unneceffary and abfurd.

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