Bru.

Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth, When

you are over-earnest with your Brutus, He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

[Noise within. [ Poet. [Within] Let me go in to see the

generals: There is some grudge between 'em; 't is not

meet They be alone. Lucil. [Within] You shall not come to

them. Poet. [Within] Nothing but death shall stay

me. ]

Love, and be friends, as two such men should

be; For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than

ye. Cass. Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic

rhyme! Bru. Get you hence, sirrah! saucy fellow, hence!

Enter Lucius, with a jar of wine, a goblet, and

a taper.

3

Cass. Bear with him, Brutus; 't is his

fashion.1 Bru. I'll know his humour when he knows

his time. What should the wars do with these jigging?

fools! Companion, hence! Cass.

Away! away! be gone!

[Exit Poet. ] Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the com

manders Prepare to lodge their companies to-night. Cass. And come yourselves, and bring Mes

sala with you, Immediately to us.

[Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius. Bru.

Lucius!

141

171

Enter Lucius.
A bowl of wine.

[Exit Lucius. Cass. I did not think you could have been

so angry. Bru. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs! Cass. Of your philosophy you make no

use, If you give place4 to accidental evils. Bru. No man bears sorrow better:-Portia

is dead. Cass. Ha! Portia ? Bru. She is dead. Cass. How scap'd I killing, when I cross'd

150 O insupportable and touching loss!— Upon what sickness ? Bru.

Impatient of my absence, And grief that young Octavius with Mark

Antony Have made themselves so strong;—for with

her death That tidings came.— With this she fell dis

tract;6
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

Cass. And died so?
Bru.
Cass.

O ye immortals gods!

Enter Titinits, with MESSALA.
Bru. Come in, Titinius. Welcome, good

Messala.--
Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.

[Titinius and Messala sit.
Cass. [Aside] Portia, art thou gone?
Bru.

No more, I pray you.[Brutus and Cassius sit at the table. Messala, I have here received letters, That young Octavius and Mark Antony Come down upon us with a mighty power," Bending their expedition toward Philippi. Mess. Myself have letters of the selfsame

tenour. Bru. With what addition? Mess. That by proscription and bills of out

lawry, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus Have put to death an hundred senators.

Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree;
Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cass. Cicero one?
Mess.

Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription. 8—
Had

you your letters from your wife, my lord ? Bru. No, Messala.

Mess. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

Bru. Nothing, Messala.
Mess.

That, methinks, is strange. Bru. Why ask you? Hear you aught of her

in yours?

you so?

190

Even so.

Call in question, consider, discuss. 7 Power, force, army. 8 Proscription, pronounced as a quadrisyllable.

190

For certain she is dead, and by strange manner. Bru. Why, farewell, Portia. [All rise and advance.] We must die, Messala: With meditating that she must die once, I have the patience to endure it now. Mess. Even so great men great losses should endure.

Cass. I have as much of this in art1 as you, But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Bru. Well, to our work alive.
you think

Of marching to Philippi presently 73

What do

199

"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;

Hear me, good brother.

Bru. Under your pardon.-You must note beside

That we have tried 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

220

Cass. Early to-morrow will we rise and hence. Bru. Lucius, my gown.-[Exit Lucius.] Farewell, good Messala!—

Good night, Titinius!-Noble, noble Cassius, Good night, and good repose!

Cass.

O my dear brother! [Embracing Brutus.

260

272

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 was well done, and thou shalt sleep

again;
I will not hold thee long: if I do live,
I will be good to thee. —

[Lucius sits, and begins to play, but

soon falls asleep. This is a sleepy tune.—O murderous slumber, Lay'st thou thy leaden macel 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 [Takes lute from Lucius

and lays it down); and, good boy, good

night.Let me see, let me see;--is not the leaf turn'd

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

[He sits down. Enter the Ghost of Cæsar. Howill this taper burns!—Ha! who comes here? I think it is the weakness of mine eyes That shapes this monstrous apparition.”

[Ghost approaches.

2 Apparition; metrically five syllables.

Enter a Messenger.

SCENE I. 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 battles3 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 face7 To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;

11