Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy, That plays thee musick? - Gentle knave, good night; I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night. Enter the Ghost of CÆSAR. [He sits down. How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here? Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus. Bru. Why com'st thou ? Ghost. To tell thee, thou shalt see me at Philippi. Bru. Well; Then I shall see thee again? Ghost. Ay, at Philippi. [Ghost vanishes. 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, awake! — Claudius ! Luc. The strings, my lord, are false. Bru. He thinks, he still is at his instrument. Lucius, awake. Luc. My lord! Bru. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so cry'dst out? 5 thy leaden mace-] A mace is the ancient term for a sceptre. Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry. Bru. Yes, that thou didst: Didst thou see any thing? Luc. Nothing, my lord. Bru. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah, Claudius! Fellow thou! awake. Var. My lord. Clau. My lord. Bru. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep? Var. Clau. Did we, my lord? Bru. Ay; Saw you any thing? Nor I, my lord. Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius; Bid him set on his powers betimes before, And we will follow. Var. Clau. It shall be done, my lord. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.-The Plains of Philippi. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered: 6 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 warn us] To warn is to summon. With fearful bravery, thinking, by this face, To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage; Mess. Enter a Messenger. Prepare you, generals: The enemy comes on in gallant show: 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 their charge. Make forth, the generals would have some words. Oct. Stir not until the signal. Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, countrymen? Oct. Not that we love words better, as you do. Bru. Good words are better than bad strokes, Oc tavius. 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; Ant. Not stingless too. Bru. O, yes, and soundless too; For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony, Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile 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 rul'd. 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?- Oct. 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 could'st not die more honourable. Cas. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour, Join'd with a masker and a reveller. Ant. Old Cassius still! Oct. Come, Antony; away. If you dare fight to-day, come to the field; If not, when you have stomachs. 66 [Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. + O you flatterers!" MALONE. 7 Defiance, traitors, hurl we-] Hurl is peculiarly expressive. The challenger in judicial combats was said to hurl down his gage, when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary. Cas. Why now, blow, wind; swell, billow; and swim, bark! The storm is up, and all is on the hazard. This is my birth-day; as this very day Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala: You know, that I held Epicurus strong, This morning are they fled away, and gone; Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. Cas. I but believe it partly; For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv'd To meet all perils very constantly. Cas. Now, most noble Brutus, The gods to-day stand friendly; that we may, 8 VOL. VII. our former ensign-] Former is foremost. G |