Bru. Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door. [Exeunt.

1 It having been thought that alteration was requisite In this line, it may be as well to observe Brutus charges both Cassius and his officer, Lucius Pella, with corruption; and he says to Lucilius, when he hears how he had been received by Cassius:

8 This question is far from implying that any of those who touched Caesar's body were villains. On the contrary, it is an indirect way of asserting that there was 7 This passage (says Steevens) may be easily renot one man among them who was base enough to stabduced to metre if we read :him for any cause but that of justice.

4 The old copy reads, Brutus, bait not me.' Theo

Cas. You wrong me every way, you wrong me, Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
Brutus ;
And straight is cold again.
Cas.
Hath Cassius liv'd
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill temper'd, vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill temper'd too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your
hand.

What's the matter?
Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humour, which my mother gave me,
Makes me forgetful?
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 them, 'tis not meet
They be alone.

Luc. [Within.] You shall not come to them.
Poet. Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.
Enter Poet.2

Cas. How now? What's the matter?
Poet. For shame, you generals; What do you

Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassius? Love, and be friends, as two such men should be

Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge :-
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. [Drinks.
Re-enter TITINIUS with MESSALA.

Bru. Come in, Titinius:-Welcome, good
sala.-

Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.
Cas. Portia, art thou gone?
Bru.

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;
Mes-Is bound in shallows, and in miseries."
Omitted, all the voyage of their life

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;
No more, I pray you. 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?

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.

Mes. Myself have letters of the selfsame tenour.
Bru. With what addition?

Mes. That by proscription, and bills of outlawry,
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.
Cas. Cicero one?

Mes.

Ay, Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription.-

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

Mes. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
Bru. Nothing, Messala.

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

Mes. No, my lord.

Bru. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true. Mes. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell: For certain she is dead, and by strange manner. Bru. Why, farewell, Portia.--We must die,

Messala:

With meditating that she must die once,'
I have the patience to endure it now.

Mes. Even so great men great losses should en-
dure.

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

Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you
think

Of marching to Philippi presently?
Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru.

Cas.

Your reason?

This it is:

"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.

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.

O, my dear brother!
This was an ill beginning of the night:
Never come such division 'tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.
Bru.

Every thing is well.
Cas. Good night, my lord.

Good night, good brother.

Farewell, every one.

Bru.
Tit. Mes. Good night, Lord Brutus.
Bru.

[Exeunt CAS. TIT. and MES.

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 sought 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 for-
getful.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,

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.
Cas.
Hear me, good brother.
Bru. Under your pardon.-You must note beside,
That we have try'd the utmost of our friends,
Our legions are brim full, our cause is ripe :

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 to rest.
Luc. I have slept, my lord, already.

Bru. It is well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
I will not hold thee long: if I do live,
I will be good to thee. [Music, and a Song.
This is a sleepy tune:-O, murd'rous slumber!
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace* upon my boy,

A similar sentiment is found in Chapman's Bussy d'Am

I pray thee, once to-night

Give my sweet Nan this ring."

2 In art, that is, in theory.

3 Beaumont and Fletcher have more than once imi

tated this passage, but with very little success :-
"There is an hour in each man's life appointed
To make his happiness, if then he seize it,' &c.
Custom of the Country.
Consider then, and quickly:
And like a wise man take the current with you,
Which once turn'd head will sink you.'
Bloody Brother.

There is a deep nick in time's restless wheel, For each man's good, when which nick comes, it strikes,

So no man riseth by his real merit,

But when it cries click in the raiser's spirit.'

4 A mace is the ancient term for a sceptre :

- proud Tarquinius

Rooted from Rome the sway of kingly mace."
Marius and Scylla, 1594.
Shakspeare probably remembered Spenser in his Faerie
Queene, b. i. c. iv. st. 44:

When as Morpheus had with leaden mace
Arrested all that courtly company.'

Answering before we do demand of them.

That plays thee music?-Gentle knave, good night! | They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
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 turn'd
down,

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

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;
Enter a Messenger.

[He sits down. But 'tis not so.

Enter the Ghost of CESAR.

How ill this taper burns!-Ha! who comes here?
I think, it is the weakness of mine eyes,
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me :-Art thou any thing?
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
That mak'st my blood cold, and my hair to stare?
Speak to me, what thou art.

Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
Bru.
Why com'st thou?
Ghost. To tell thee, thou shalt see me at Philippi.
Bru. Well;

Then I shall see thee again?1

Ghost.

Ay, at Philippi.
[Ghost vanishes.
Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.-
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest:
Il spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.-
Boy! Lucius!-Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!-
Claudius!

Luc. The strings, my lord, are false.

Bru. He thinks, he still is at his instrument. Lucius awake.

Luc. My lord!

Bru. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so cryd'st out?

Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

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.
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?
Make forth, the general would have some words.
Ant. No, Cæsar, we will answer on their charge.
Oct. Stir not until the signa!.

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:

Bru. Yes, that thou didst: Didst thou see any Crying, Long live! hail, Cæsar! thing?

Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart,

Luc. Nothing, my lord.

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 any thing?
Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing.
Clau.

Nor I, my lord.
Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cas-

sius;

Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
And we will follow.

Var. Clau.

It shall be done, my lord.
[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I. The Plains of Philippi. Enter Oc-
TAVIUS, 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;

Not stingless too.
Bru. O, yes, and soundless, too;
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
hounds,

And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet;
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 rul'd.

Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make

1 Shakspeare has on this occasion deserted his ori-sense, for producing fear, or terrible, it may in this inby Shakspeare and his contemporaries in an active ginal. It does not appear from Plutarch that the ghost stance bear its usual acceptation of timorous, or, as it of Cesar appeared to Brutus, but a wonderful straunge was sometimes expressed, false-hearted. Thus in a and monstrous shape of a body. This apparition could passage, cited by Steevens, from Sidney's Arcadia, lib. not be at once the shade of Cæsar and the evil genius of Her horse faire and lustie; which she rid so as Brutus. See the story of Cassius Parmensis in Vale- might show a fearful boldness, daring to do that which rius Maximus, lib. i. c. vii. Shakspeare had read the she knew that she knew not how to doe.'◄ account of this vision in Plutarch's Life of Cæsar, as well as in that of Brutus; it is there called the ghost, and it is said that the light of the lampe wared very dimme, It is more than probable that the poet would consult the Life of Cæsar, as well as that of Brutus, in search of materials for his play.

It should be is yet unknown;' but the error was proThe posture of your blows are yet unknown.' bably the poet's: more correct writers than Shakspeare have committed this error, where a plural noun immediately precedes the verb, although it be the nominative case by which it is governed. Steevens attributes the error to the transcriber or printer, and would have it corrected; but Malone has adduced several examples of similar inaccuracy in Shakspeare's writings.

5 The old copy reads, two-and-thirty wounds. Theobald corrected the error, which Beaumont and Fletcher have also fallen into in their Noble Gentleman

This is my birth-day; as this very day
Was Cassins 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,
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 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 faithful, 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 resolv'd
To meet all perils very constantly.
Bru. Even so, Lucilius.
Саз.
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.

1 Hurl is peculiarly expressive. The challenger was said to hurl down his gage when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary.

And interchangeably hurl down my gage
Upon this over-weening traitor's foot."
King Richard II.
Milton perhaps had this passage in mind, Paradise Lost,
b. i. v. 669:--

'Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heaven.'
2 Almost every circumstance in this speech is taken
from Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch.
3 i. e. fore ensign; it probably means the chief ensign.
Baret has the former teeth [i. e. fore teeth,] dentes
primores.'

4 So in King John:-

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 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

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,
And sudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. Another Part of the Field.
Alarum. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.
Cas. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy:
This ensign here of mine was turning back:
I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
Tit. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early:
Who having some advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly; his soldiers fell to spoil,
Whilst we by Antony are all enclos'd.
Enter PINDARUS.

Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord!
Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.

Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius;
Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire?
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 assur'd,
Whether yond' troops are friend or enemy.

between the sentiments Brutus expresses in this and in
his subsequent speech; but there is no real inconsistency.
Brutus had laid down to himself as a principle, to abide
every chance and extremity of war; but when Cassius
reminds him of the disgrace of being led in triumph
through the streets of Rome, he acknowledges that to
be a trial which he could not endure. Shakspeare, in
the first speech, makes that to be the present opinion of
Brutus, which in Plutarch is mentioned only as one he
of danger, he was of a contrary mind.
formerly entertained, and that, being now in the midst

phraseology of the poet's day, as might be shown by
7 This, though censured as ungrammatical, was the
numerous examples. But Dryden and Pope have used
it, and Johnson has sanctioned it in his Dictionary:-
'Begin, v. n. I began, or begun.' The fact is, that the
past tense was, in our old language, written begon o

'As doth a raven on a sick-fallen prey.' 5 i. e. I am resolved in such a case to kill myself.-begonne. What are you determined of?

6 To prevent,' is here used for to anticipate. By time is meant the full and complete time; the natural period. See note on King Henry IV. Part II. Act i. Sc. 2. It has been said that there is an apparent contradiction

old translation of Plutarch:- In the meane tyme Bru8 This and much of the subsequent scene is from the tus, that led the right winge, sent little billes to the collonels and captaines of private bandes, in which ha wrote the order of the battle.'