And now, Octavius,
Listen44 great things. Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers. We must straight make head45:
Therefore let our alliance be combined46,
Our best friends made, our means stretched47,
And let us presently go sit in counsel48,
How covert matters may be best disclosed49,
And open perils surest50 answerèd.
OCTAVIUS Let us do so, for we are at the stake51
And bayed about52 with many enemies,
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs54.
Exeunt
running scene 9
Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius and the army. Titinius and Pindarus meet them
BRUTUS Stand ho1.
LUCILIUS Give the word, ho2, and stand.
BRUTUS What now, Lucilius, is Cassius near?
LUCILIUS He is at hand, and Pindarus is come
To do you salutation from his master5.
BRUTUS He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change, or by ill officers7,
Hath given me some worthy8 cause to wish
Things done, undone: but if he be at hand
I shall be satisfied10.
PINDARUS I do not doubt
But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard13 and honour.
BRUTUS He is not doubted.— A word, Lucilius.
Brutus and Lucilius speak apart
How he received you: let me be resolved15.
LUCILIUS With courtesy and with respect enough,
But not with such familiar instances17,
Nor with such free and friendly conference18
As he hath used of old.
BRUTUS Thou hast described
A hot friend, cooling: ever21 note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay
It useth an enforced ceremony23.
There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand25,
Make gallant show, and promise of their mettle26:
Low march within
But when they should endure the bloody27 spur,
They fall their crests, and like deceitful jades28
Sink in the trial29. Comes his army on?
LUCILIUS They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered30:
The greater part, the horse in general31,
Are come with Cassius.
Enter Cassius and his powers
BRUTUS Hark, he is arrived:
March gently34 on to meet him.
CASSIUS Stand ho.
BRUTUS Stand ho. Speak the word along.
FIRST SOLDIER Stand.
SECOND SOLDIER Stand.
THIRD SOLDIER Stand.
CASSIUS Most noble brother40, you have done me wrong.
BRUTUS Judge me, you gods; wrong I mine enemies?
And if not so, how should42 I wrong a brother?
CASSIUS Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs,
And when you do them—
BRUTUS Cassius, be content.
Speak your griefs46 softly. I do know you well:
Before the eyes of both our armies here —
Which should perceive nothing but love from us —
Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away:
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge50 your griefs,
And I will give you audience51.
CASSIUS Pindarus,
Bid our commanders lead their charges off53
A little from this ground.
BRUTUS 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. Brutus and Cassius remain
CASSIUS That you have wronged me doth appear in this:
They enter the tent
You have condemned and noted59 Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying61 on his side
Because I knew the man, was slighted off62.
BRUTUS You wronged yourself to write in such a case.
CASSIUS In such a time as this it is not meet64
That every nice offence should bear his comment65.
BRUTUS Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm67,
To sell and mart your offices68 for gold
To undeservers.
CASSIUS I, an itching palm?
You know that you are Brutus that speaks this71,
Or by the gods, this speech were else your last.
BRUTUS The name of Cassius honours73 this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head74.
CASSIUS Chastisement?
BRUTUS Remember March, the Ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?
What villain touched his body, that did stab
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers81: shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes?
And sell the mighty space of our large honours83
For so much trash84 as may be graspèd thus?
I had rather be a dog and bay85 the moon,
Than such a Roman.
CASSIUS Brutus, bait not me,
I’ll not endure it: you forget yourself
To hedge me in89. I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions91.
BRUTUS Go to92, you are not Cassius.
CASSIUS I am.
BRUTUS I say you are not.
CASSIUS Urge me no more, I shall forget myself95.
Have mind upon96 your health: tempt me no further.
BRUTUS Away, slight97 man!
CASSIUS Is’t possible?
BRUTUS Hear me, for I will speak.
Must I give way and room to your rash choler100?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?
CASSIUS O ye gods, ye gods, must I endure all this?
BRUTUS All this? Ay, more: fret till your proud heart break.
Go show your slaves how choleric you are
And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge105?
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch106
Under your testy humour107? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen108
Though it do split you. For, from this day forth,
I’ll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.
CASSIUS Is it come to this?
BRUTUS You say you are a better soldier:
Let it appear so; make your vaunting114 true
And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of116 noble men.
CASSIUS You wrong me every way: you wrong me, Brutus.
I said, an elder soldier, not a better.
Did I say ‘better’?
BRUTUS If you did, I care not.
CASSIUS When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have121
moved me.
BRUTUS Peace, peace, you durst not so have tempted him.
CASSIUS I durst not?
BRUTUS No.
CASSIUS What? Durst not tempt him?
BRUTUS For your life you durst not.
CASSIUS Do not presume127 too much upon my love:
I may do that I shall be sorry for.
BRUTUS You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,
For I am armed so strong in honesty
That they pass by me as the idle132 wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me,
For I can raise no money by vile means135:
By heaven, I had rather coin136 my heart
And drop my blood for drachmas137, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile138 trash
By any indirection139. I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters144 from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!
CASSIUS I denied you not.
BRUTUS You did.
CASSIUS I did not. He was but a fool that brought
My answer back. Brutus hath rived150 my heart:
A friend should bear his friend’s infirmities151;
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
BRUTUS I do not, till you practise them on me.
CASSIUS You love me not.
BRUTUS I do not like your faults.
CASSIUS A friendly eye could never see such faults.
BRUTUS A flatterer’s would not, though they do appear
As huge as high Olympus.
CASSIUS Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is aweary of the world:
Hated by one he loves, braved162 by his brother,
Checked163 like a bondman, all his faults observed,
Set in a notebook, learned and conned by rote164
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast: within, a heart
Dearer than Pluto’s mine168, richer than gold.
If that thou be’st a Roman, take it forth169.
I that denied thee gold will give my heart:
Strike as thou didst at Caesar, for I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov’dst him better
Than ever thou lov’dst Cassius.
BRUTUS Sheathe your dagger.
Be angry when you will, it shall have scope:
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour176.
O Cassius, you are yokèd with a lamb177
That carries anger as the flint bears fire,
Who, much enforcèd, shows a hasty179 spark
And straight is cold again.
CASSIUS Hath Cassius lived
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief and blood ill-tempered183 vexeth him?
BRUTUS When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.
CASSIUS Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.
BRUTUS And my heart too.
They embrace
CASSIUS O Brutus!
BRUTUS What’s the matter?
CASSIUS Have not you love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humour190 which my mother gave me
Makes me forgetful191?
BRUTUS Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He’ll think your mother chides, and leave you so194.
Enter a Poet [with Lucilius and Titinius]
POET Let me go in to see the generals.
There is some grudge between ’em, ’tis not meet
They be alone.
LUCILIUS You shall not come to them.
POET Nothing but death shall stay me.
CASSIUS How now? What’s the matter?
POET For shame, you generals; what do you mean201?
Love and be friends, as two such men should be,
For I have seen more years, I’m sure, than ye.
CASSIUS Ha, ha, how vilely doth this cynic204 rhyme!
BRUTUS Get you hence, sirrah. Saucy205 fellow, hence.
CASSIUS Bear with him, Brutus, ’tis his fashion206.
BRUTUS I’ll know his humour when he knows his time207:
What should the wars do with these jigging208 fools?
Companion209, hence.
CASSIUS Away, away, be gone.
Exit Poet
BRUTUS Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
Prepare to lodge their companies tonight.
CASSIUS And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
Immediately to us.
[Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius]
BRUTUS Lucius, a bowl of wine.
Calls
CASSIUS I did not think you could have been so angry.
BRUTUS O Cassius, I am sick of217 many griefs.
CASSIUS Of your philosophy218 you make no use,
If you give place to accidental evils219.
BRUTUS No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.
CASSIUS Ha? Portia?
BRUTUS She is dead.
CASSIUS How scaped I killing when I crossed223 you so?
O, insupportable and touching224 loss!
Upon225 what sickness?
BRUTUS Impatient of my absence,
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Have made themselves so strong — for with her228 death
That tidings came — with this she fell distract229,
And — her attendants absent — swallowed fire230.
CASSIUS And died so?
BRUTUS Even so.
CASSIUS O ye immortal gods!
Enter Boy [Lucius] with wine and tapers
BRUTUS Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
Drinks
CASSIUS My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o’erswell237 the cup:
Drinks
I cannot drink too much of Brutus’ love.
[Exit Lucius]
Enter Titinius and Messala
BRUTUS Come in, Titinius. Welcome, good Messala.
Now sit we close about this taper here
And call in question241 our necessities.
They sit
CASSIUS Portia, art thou gone?
BRUTUS No more, I pray you.—
Messala, I have here receivèd letters,
Shows letters
That young Octavius and Mark Antony
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi247.
MESSALA Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor248.
BRUTUS With what addition?
MESSALA That by proscription and bills of outlawry250,
Octavius, Antony and Lepidus
Have put to death an hundred senators.
BRUTUS Therein our letters do not well agree:
Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
CASSIUS Cicero one?
MESSALA Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription.
Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
BRUTUS No, Messala.
MESSALA Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
BRUTUS Nothing, Messala.
MESSALA That, methinks, is strange.
BRUTUS Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?
MESSALA No, my lord.
BRUTUS Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
MESSALA Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell,
For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.
BRUTUS Why, farewell, Portia: we must die, Messala:
With meditating that she must die once270,
I have the patience to endure it now.
MESSALA Even so272 great men great losses should endure.
CASSIUS I have as much of this in art273 as you,
But yet my nature could not bear it274 so.
BRUTUS Well, to our work alive275. What do you think
Of marching to Philippi presently?
CASSIUS I do not think it good.
BRUTUS Your reason?
CASSIUS This it is:
’Tis better that the enemy seek us,
So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
Doing himself offence282, whilst we, lying still,
Are full of rest, defence and nimbleness.
BRUTUS Good reasons must of force give place284 to better:
The people ’twixt Philippi and this ground
Do stand but in a forced affection286,
For they have grudged us contribution287.
The enemy, marching along by them,
By them shall make a fuller number up289,
Come on refreshed, new-added290 and encouraged,
From which advantage shall we cut him off
If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back293.
CASSIUS Hear me, good brother.
BRUTUS Under your pardon295. You must note beside
That we have tried296 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 flood301, leads on to fortune:
Omitted302, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows303 and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures306.
CASSIUS Then with your will go on:
We’ll along308 ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.
BRUTUS The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity,
Which we will niggard311 with a little rest.
There is no more to say.
CASSIUS No more. Goodnight.
Early tomorrow will we rise, and hence.
Enter Lucius
BRUTUS Lucius. My gown315.—
[Exit Lucius]
Farewell, good Messala.—
Goodnight, Titinius.— Noble, noble Cassius,
Goodnight, and good repose.
CASSIUS O my dear brother,
This was an ill beginning of the night:
Never come such division ’tween our souls.
Let it not, Brutus.
Enter Lucius with the gown
BRUTUS Everything is well.
CASSIUS Goodnight, my lord.
BRUTUS Goodnight, good brother.
TITINIUS andMESSALA Goodnight, Lord Brutus.
BRUTUS Farewell, every one.
Exeunt [Cassius, Titinius and Messala]
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument327?
LUCIUS Here in the tent.
BRUTUS What, thou speak’st drowsily?
Poor knave, I blame thee not: thou art o’er-watched330.
Call Claudio and some other of my men.
I’ll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
LUCIUS Varrus and Claudio!
Calls
Enter Varrus and Claudio
VARRUS Calls my lord?
BRUTUS I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep.
It may be I shall raise336 you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.
VARRUS So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure338.
BRUTUS I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs,
It may be I shall otherwise bethink me340.
They lie down
Look, Lucius, here’s the book I sought for so:
I put it in the pocket of my gown.
LUCIUS I was sure your lordship did not give it me.
BRUTUS Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile
And touch346 thy instrument a strain or two?
LUCIUS Ay, my lord, an’t347 please you.
BRUTUS It does, my boy.
I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
LUCIUS It is my duty, sir.
BRUTUS I should not urge thy duty past thy might351.
I know young bloods look for352 a time of rest.
LUCIUS I have slept, my lord, already.
BRUTUS It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again.
I will not hold355 thee long. If I do live,
I will be good to thee.
Music, and a song
Lucius falls asleep
This is a sleepy tune:— O murderous357 slumber!
Lay’st thou thy leaden mace358 upon my boy,
That plays thee music?— Gentle knave, goodnight.
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.
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