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 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.

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,

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 determinéd 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?

Bru. 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 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, '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.

[Exeunt

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:

[Loud alarum. Let them set on at once; for I perceive But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing,

Tit. They are, my lord. Cas.

Titinius, if thou lov'st me,
Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops,
And here again: that I may rest assured
Whether yond' troops are friend or enemy.
Tit. I will be here again even with a thought.
[Exit.
Cas. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill:
My sight was ever thick: regard Titinius,
And tell me what thou not'st about the field.—
[Exit PINDARUS.

This day I breathed first; time is come round,
And where I did begin, there I shall end:
My life is run his compass,-Sirrah, what news?
Pin. [above]. O my lord!

Cas. What news?

Pin. Titinius is encloséd round about

Tit.

No: this was he, Messala;

But Cassius is no more.-O setting sun!
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to-night,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set:
The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come: our deeds are
done!

Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.

Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.

O hateful error, melancholy's child!

Why dost thou shew to the apt thoughts of

SCENE IV. 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. Bru. And I am Brutus; Marcus Brutus, I: Brutus, my country's friend: know me for

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 Marc 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 laboured to attain this hour.
[Alarum. Cry within; “Fly, fly, fly!”
Cli. Fly, my lord, fly!

Bru. Hence: I will follow. [Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMNIUS. I pr'y thee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord. Thou art a fellow of a good respect;

Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it: Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato? Stra. Give me your hand first: fare you well, my lord.

Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be still:

I killed 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?