This is a sleepy tune:-O murderous slumber! Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy, That plays thee music?—Gentle knave, good night:

I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee. If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument: I'll take it from thee : and, good boy, good night. Let me see, let me see: is not the leaf turned down

Where I left reading ? Here it is, I think.

[He sits doon. How ill this taper burns!-Ha! who comes here?

SCENE 1.-The Plains of Philippi. 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 't is not so.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Prepare you, generals:
The enemy comes on in gallant show;
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
And something to be done immediately.
Ant. Octavius, lead your battle softly on
Upon the left hand of the even field.

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.

Hacked one another in the sides of Cæsar :
You shewed your teeth like apes, and fawned
like hounds,

And bowed like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet;
Whilst damnéd Casca, like a cur, behind,
Struck Cæsar on the neck. O you flatterers!
Cas. Flatterers!-Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
If Cassius might have ruled.

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?-
Never till Cæsar's three-and-twenty wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Bru. Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors'
hands,

Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

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 couldst not die more honourable. Cas. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour;

Joined 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.
Luc. My lord.

[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.

Cas. Messala,

Mes.

Cas.

What says my general?
Messala,

This is my birth-day: as this very day

Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Be thou my witness that, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compelled to set
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 perched,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us :

This morning are they fled away and gone:
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
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 resolved
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 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?

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.

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 began;
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, 't is true this parting was well made.
Bru. Why then, lead on.-O, that a man might