Let me see, let me see;-Is not the leaf turn'd down, Enter the GHOST of CÆSAR. How ill this taper burns!-Ha! who comes here? That shapes this monstrous apparition. It comes upon me:-Art thou anything? Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus. Bru. Why comest thou? [He sits down. Ghost. To tell thee, thou shalt see me at Philippi. Then I shall see thee again? Ghost. Ay, at Philippi. 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.- [GHOST vanishes. Boy! Lucius!-Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake !— Luc. The strings, my lord, are false. Bru. He thinks, he still is at his instrument. Lucius, awake. Luc. My lord! Bru. Thou didst dream, Lucius, that thou so cry'dst out? Bru. Yes, that thou didst: Didst thou see anything? Bru. Sleep again, Lucius.-Sirrah, Claudius! Fellow thou! awake. Var. My lord. Clau. My lord. Bru. Why did you so cry out, Sirs, in your sleep? Var. Clau. Did we, my lord? Bru. Ay: Saw you anything? Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing. Clau. Nor I, my lord. Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius; Bid him set on his powers betimes before, And we will follow. Var. Clau. It shall be done, my lord. ACT V. 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; [Exeunt. It proves not so; their battles are at hand; Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know With fearful bravery, thinking, by this face, Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. Prepare you, generals: 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. 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. Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, countrymen ? Bru. Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius. Cas. Antony, The posture of your blows are yet unknown; Ant. Not stingless too. Bru. O, yes, and soundless too; For you have stolen 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 hounds, Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind, Struck Cæsar on the neck. O 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, *Summon. The proof of it will turn to redder drops. I draw a sword against conspirators; When think you that the sword goes up again ?- 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, Join'd with a masker and a reveller. Ant. Old Cassius still! Oct. Come, Antony; away. Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth: 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. Cas. Messala, [BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart. Mes. What says my general? Cas. 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 compell'd to set Upon one battle all our liberties. You know, that I held Epicurus strong, Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. 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, The very last time we shall speak together: Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy, For fear of what might fall, so to prevent Cas. Then, if we lose this battle, You are contented to be led in triumph Bru. No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman He bears too great a mind. But this same day 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 The end of this day's business, ere it come! But it sufficeth, that the day will end, And then the end is known.-Come, ho! away! SCENE II.-The same. The Field of Battle. Alarum.-Enter BRUTUS and MESSALA. Bru. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills* Unto the legions on the other side: [Exeunt. [Loud Alarum. Let them set on at once; for I perceive [Exeunt. SCENE III. -The same. Another part of the Field. Cas. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly! Tit. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early; Enter PINDARUS. Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius; Cas. Titinius, if thou lovest me, Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him, [Exit. [Exit PINDARUS. This day I breathed first time is come round, Cas. What news? Pin. 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 ;-and, hark! They shout for joy. Cas. Come down, behold no more. O, coward, that I am, to live so long, To see my best friend ta'en before my face! Come hither, sirrah : Enter PINDARUS. 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! That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bosom. [Shout. Now be a freeman: and with this good sword, Stand not to answer: Here, take thou the hilts; Guide thou the sword.-Cæsar, thou art revenged, 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. |