'Tis better, that the enemy seek us :
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 forc'd 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 encourag'd;
From which advantage shall we cut him off,
If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.

Cas.
Hear me, good brother.
Bru. Under your pardon. You must note be-
side,

That we have try'd the utmost of our friends,
Our legions are brim-full, 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 along 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?

Good night;

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

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

Cas.

Farewell, every one.

[Exeunt Cas. TIT. and Mrs.

Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown.

Give me the gown.

Where is thy instrument?

Luc. Here in the tent. Bru. What, thou speak'st drowsily? Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd. Call Claudius, and some other of my men : I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent. Luc. Varro, and Claudius!

Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS.

Var. Calls my lord?

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 sougia 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.

It does, my boy:

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
Luc. It is my duty, sir.

Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
I know, young bloods look for a time of rest.
Luc. I have slept, my lord, already.

Bru. It is well done; and thou shalt sleep agan;

O my dear brother!

This was an ill beginning of the night: Never come such division 'tween our souls!

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!

-

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.

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, 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.

your

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

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

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

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 aveng'd; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Bru. Cæsar, thou can'st not die by traitors,
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
So I hope;

Oct.

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. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,

Cas.

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 fight 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.
Bru. Ho!

Lucilius; hark, a word with you.

My lord.

[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.

Luc.

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 and
away,
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

gone;

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.
Cas.

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 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?

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?

Bra. 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.
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

Come down, behold no more. —
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face!
Enter PINDARUS.

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 should'st attempt it. Come now, keep thine

oath!

Now be a freeman; and, with this good sword, That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this

bosom. Stand not to answer: Here, take thou the hilts; And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now, Guide thou the sword. Cæsar, thou art reveng d, Even with the sword that kill'd thee. [Dies.

Pin. 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.

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Mes. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius

Vol.

Not so, my lord.
Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou see'st 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-bilts, 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 labour'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 VOLUMNIUS.

I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:
Thou art a fellow of a good respect;

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.
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.
Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie,
Most like a soldier, order'd honourably.
So, call the field to rest: and let's away,
To part the glories of this happy day.

[Exeunt