Tit. All disconsolate, With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill. Mes. Is not that he, that lies upon the ground? Tit. No, this was he, Messala, But Cassius is no more.-O setting sun! Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done! 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 But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee. Tit. What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus? The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears I may say, thrusting it; Tit. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Exit MES. Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? And bid me give't thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts ? Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing. 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. [Dies. Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, young CATO, Bru. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie? Cato. He is slain. Bru. O Julius Cæsar, thou art mighty yet! Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords In our own proper entrails.. Cato. Brave Titinius! [Low alarums. Look, whe'r he have not crown'd dead Cassius! It is impossible, that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.- Lest it discomfort us.-Lucilius, come ; And come, young Cato; let us to the field.- 'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Another Part of the Field. Alarum. Enter, fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, CATO, 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. [Exit, charging the enemy. CATO is overpower- Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius ; And may'st be honour'd being Cato's son. 1 Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Luc. Only I yield to die : There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight; [Offering money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 Sold. We must not.-A noble prisoner ! 2 Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 Sold. I'll tell the news.-Here comes the general: Enter ANTONY. Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord. Ant. Where is he? 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! 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 chanc'd. SCENE V. [Exeuni. Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS. Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. Cli. 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. Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! Dar. O, Clitus ! [Whispers him. Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? That it runs over even at his eyes. Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Bru. Why, this, Volumnius: The ghost of Cæsar hath appear'd to me Two several times by night at Sardis, once; Vol. Not so, my lord. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. 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;' Hold thou my sword hilts, whilst I run on it. [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, [Alarum. Cry within; Fly, fly, fly. Cli. Fly, my lord, fly. Bru. Hence; I will follow thee. [Exe. CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMNIUS. I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thou art a fellow of a good respect; [9] So in the old translation of Plutarch: "Now, the night being farre spent, Brutus as he sate, bowed towards Clitus one of his men, and told him somewhat in his eare; the other aunswered not,but fell a weeping. Thereupon he proued Dardanus, and sayd somewhat also to him: at length he came to Volumnius him selfe, and speaking to him in Græke, prayed h m for the studies sake which brought them acquainted together, that he woulde helpe him to put his hande to his sword, to thrust it in him to kille him. Volumnius denied his request, and so did many others: and amongest the rest, one of them sayd, there was no tarrying for them there, but that they must needes flic. Then Brutus rising vp, we must flie in deede, sayd he, but it must be with our hands, not with our feete. Then taking euery man by the hand, he sayd these words vnto them with a chearfull countenance. It rejoyceth my hart that not one of my frends hath failed me at my neede, and I do not complaine of my fortune, but only for my contries sake: for, as for me, I thinke my selfe happier than they that have ouercome, considering that I leaue a perpetuall fame of our corage and m nhoode, the which our enemies the conquerors shall neuer attaine vnto by force nor money, neither can let their posteritie to say, that they have been naughtie and unjust men, haue slaine good men, to vsurpe tyrannical power not pertaining to them. Hauing sayd so, he prayed euery man to shift for them selues, and then he pent a litle aside," &c. STEEV. Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it : 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 honour 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 prefer me to you. 5 Mes. How died my master, Strato? Stra. I held the sword, and he did run on it. 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, Oct. According to his virtue let us use him, - [Exeunt. [5] To prefer seems to have been the established phrase for recommending a servant, REED. 十 |