The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works
Page 214
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies ready to give the ghost.
MESSALA
Believe not so.
CASSIUS I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit, and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.
BRUTUS
Even so, Lucillius.
CASSIUS (joining Brutus) Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods today stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age.
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let’s reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you then determined to do?
BRUTUS
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.
CASSIUS Then if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?
BRUTUS No, Cassius, no.
Think not, thou noble 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.
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile.
If not, why then, this parting was well made.
CASSIUS
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.
BRUTUS
Why then, lead on. O that a man might know
The end of this day’s business ere it come!
But it sufliceth that the day will end,
And then the end is known.—Come, ho, away!
Exeunt
5.2 Alarum. Enter Brutus and Messala
BRUTUS
Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills
Unto the legions on the other side.Loud alarum
Let them set on at once, for I perceive
But cold demeanour in Octavio’s wing,
And sudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Messala; let them all come down.
Exeunt ⌈severally⌉
5.3 Alarums. Enter Cassius ⌈with an ensign⌉, and Titinius
CASSIUS
O look, Titinius, look: the villains fly.
Myself have to mine own turned enemy:
This ensign here of mine was turning back;
I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
TITINIUS
O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil,
Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Enter Pindarus
PINDARUS
Fly further off, my lord, fly further off!
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord;
Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly farre off.
CASSIUS
This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius,
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
TITINIUS
They are, my lord.
CASSIUS Titinius, if thou lovest 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 assured
Whether yon troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS
I will be here again even with a thought. Exit
CASSIUS
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 shall I end.
My life is run his compass.
Enter Pindarus above
Sirrah, what news?
PINDARUS O my lord!
CASSIUS What news?
PINDARUS
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. O, he lights too.
He’s ta’en.Shout within
And hark, they shout for joy.
CASSIUS Come down; behold no more.
Exit Pindarus
O coward that I am, to live so long
To see my best friend ta’en before my face!Enter Pindarus below
Come hither, sirrah. In Parthia did I take thee prisoner,
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do
Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath.
Now be a freeman, and, with this good sword
That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer. Here, take thou the hilts,Pindarus takes the sword
And when my face is covered, as ’tis now,
Guide thou the sword.Pindarus stabs him
Caesar, thou art revenged,
Even with the sword that killed thee.
He dies
PINDARUS
So, I am free, yet would not so have been
Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!
Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
Where never Roman shall take note of him.
Exit Enter Titinius, wearing a wreath of victory, and Messala
MESSALA
It is but change, Titinius, for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power,
As Cassius’ legions are by Antony.
TITINIUS
These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA
Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS All disconsolate,
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA
Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
TITINIUS
He lies not like the living.—O my heart!
MESSALA
Is not that he?
TITINlUS No, this was he, Messala;
But Cassius is no more. O setting sun,
As in thy red rays thou dost sink tonight,
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.
MESSALA
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 conceived,
Thou never com‘st unto a happy birth,
But kill’st the mother that engendered thee.
TITINIUS
What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus?
MESSALA
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.
TITINIUS 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 give it thee? Didst thou not hear their
shouts?
Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything.
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow.
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
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.He stabs himself, and dies
Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato,
Strato, Volumnius, Lucillius, ⌈Labio, and Flavio⌉
BRUTUS
Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA
Lo yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS
Titinius’ face is upward.
CATO He is slain.
BRUTUS
O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet.
Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails.
Low Alarums
CATO
Brave Titinius,
Look whe’er he have not crowned dead Cassius.
BRUTUS
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 Thasos send his body.
His funerals shall not be in our camp,
Lest it discomfort us. Lucillius, come;
And come, young Cato. Let us to the field.
Labio and Flavio, set our battles on.
‘Tis three o’clock, and, Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight.
Exeunt ⌈with the bodies⌉
5.4 Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Lucillius, and Flavius
BRUTUS
Yet, countrymen, O yet hold up your heads.
⌈Exit with Messala and Flavius⌉
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!
Enter Soldiers, and fight
LUCILLIUS
And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I,
Brutus, my country’s friend. Know me for Brutus.Soldiers kill Cato
O young and noble Cato, art thou down?
Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius,
And mayst be honoured, being Cato’s son.
⌈FIRST⌉ SOLDIER
Yield, or thou diest.
LUCILLIUS Only I yield to die.
There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight:
Kill Brutus, and be honoured in his death.
⌈FIRST⌉ SOLDIER
We must not.—A noble prisoner.
SECOND SOLDIER
Room, ho! Tell Antony Brutus is ta’en.Enter Antony
FIRST SOLDIER
I’ll tell the news. Here comes the general.—
(To Antony) Brutus is ta‘en, Brutus is ta’en, my lord.
ANTONY Where is he?
LUCILLIUS
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.
ANTONY (to First Soldier)
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.
⌈To another Soldier⌉ Go on,
And see whe’er Brutus be alive or dead,
And bring us word unto Octavius’ tent
How everything is chanced.Exeunt ⌈the Soldier at one door, Antony, Lucillius and other Soldiers, some bearing Cato’s body, at another door⌉
5.5 Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius
BRUTUS
Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.⌈He sits. Strato rests and falls asleep⌉
CLITUS
Statillius showed the torchlight, but, my lord,
He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain.
BRUTUS
Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word:
It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
He whispers
CLITUS
What I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
BRUTUS
Peace, then, no words.
CLITUS I’ll rather kill myself.
He stands apart
BRUTUS
Hark thee, Dardanius.He whispers
DARDANIUS Shall I do such a deed?
He joins Clitus
CLITUS O Dardanius!
DARDANIUS O Clitus!
CLITUS
What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
DARDANIUS
To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
CLITUS
Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.
BRUTES
Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word.
VOLUMNIUS
What says my lord?
BRUTUS Why this, Volumnius.
The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me
Two several times by night—at Sardis once,
And this last night, here in Philippi fields.
I know my hour is come.
VOLUMNIUS
Not so, my lord.
BRUTUS
Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.
Our enemies have beat us to the pit,Low alarums
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 prithee,
Hold thou my sword hilts whilst I run on it.
VOLUMNIUS
That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.Alarun still
CLITUS
Fly, fly, my lord! There is no tarrying here.
BRUTUS
Farewell to you, and you, and you, Volumnius.—
Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep.⌈Strato wakes⌉
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 laboured to attain this hour.Alarum. Cry within: ‘Fly, fly, fly!’
CLITUS
Fly, my lord, fly!
BRUTUS Hence; I will follow.
Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius
I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.
Thou art a fellow of a good respect.
Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it.
Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
ST
RATO
Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
BRUTUS
Farewell, good Strato.
Strato holds the sword, while Brutus runs on it Caesar, now be still.
I killed not thee with half so good a will.
He dies
Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucillius, and the army
OCTAVIUS What man is that?
MESSALA
My master’s man. Strato, where is thy master?
STRATO
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 honour by his death.
LUCILLIUS
So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,
That thou hast proved Lucillius’ saying true.
OCTAVIUS
All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.
(To Strato)
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
STRATO
Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
OCTAVIUS
Do so, good Messala.
MESSALA How died my master, Strato?
STRATO
I held the sword, and he did run on it.
MESSALA
Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.
ANTONY
This was the noblest Roman of them all.
All the conspirators save only he
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.
He only in a general honest thought
And common good to all made one of them.
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him that nature might stand up
And say to all the world ‘This was a man’.
OCTAVIUS
According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
Most like a soldier, ordered honourably.
So call the field to rest, and let’s away
To part the glories of this happy day.
Exeunt [with Brutus’ body]