Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Drum. Enter Brutus, Caffius, and their army.

Bru. They ftand, and would have parley. Caf. Stand faft, Titinius, we muft out and talk. Octa. Mark Antony, fhall we give fign of battle? Ant. No, Cafar, we will anfwer on their charge. Make forth, the Generals would have fome words. Oca. Stir not until the fignal..

Bru. Words before blows: is it fo, countrymen ? Octa. Not that we love words better, as you do. Bru. Good words are better than bad ftrokes, O&avius. Ant. In your bad ftrokes, Brutus, you give good words. Witness the hole you made in Cajar's heart, Crying, "long live! hail, Cafar!"

Caf. Antony,

The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Ant. Not ftinglefs too.

Bru. O yes, and foundlefs too:

For you have ftol'n their buzzing, Antony;
And very wifely threat, before you fting.

Ant. Villains! you did not fo, when your
vile daggers
Hack'd one another in the fides of Cæfar.
You fhew'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
And bow'd like bond-men, kifling Cefar's feet;
Whilft damned Cafca, like a cur behind,

Struck Cafar on the neck. O flatterers!

Caf. Flatterers! now Brutus, thank yourself; This tongue had not offended fo to-day,

If Caffius might have rul'd.

Octa. Come, come, the caufe. If arguing make us fweat, The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Behold, I draw a fword against conspirators; When think you, that the fword goes up again? Never, 'till Cafar's three and twenty wounds (17)

Be

(17) Three and thirty wounds.] Thus all the Editions implicitly; but I have ventured to reduce this Number to three and eventy from

Be well aveng'd; or till another Cafar

Have added flaughter to the fword of traitors.

Bru. Cæfar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands, Unless thou bring'ft them with thee.

Octa. So I hope;

I was not born to die on Brutus' fword.

Bru. O, if thou wert the nobleft of thy ftrain, Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable. Caf. A peevish fchool-boy, worthlefs of fuch honour, Join'd with a masker and a reveller.

Ant. Old Caffius ftill!

Octa. Come, Antony, away;

Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth : you dare fight to-day, come to the field;

If

If not, when you have ftomachs.

[Exe. Octavius, Antony, and army.

Caf.Why,now blow wind, fwell billow, and fwim bark!

The ftorm is up, and all is on the hazard.

Bru. Lucilius,

[blocks in formation]

-hark, a word with you.

[Lucilius and Meffala ftand forth. [Brutus Speaks apart to Lucilius.

Me. What fays my General ?

Caf. Meffala,

This is my birth-day; as this very day

Was Caffius born. Give me thy hand, Meffala;
Be thou my witness, that, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to fet
Upon one battle all our liberties.

You know, that I held Epicurus ftrong,
And his opinion; now I change my mind;
And partly credit things, that do prefage.
Coming from Sardis, on our foremost enfign
Two mighty eagles fell; and there they perch'd;
Gorging and feeding from our foldiers' hands,
Who to Philippi here conforted us:

from the joint Authorities of Appian, Plutarch, and Suetonius: and, I am perfuaded, the Error was not from the Poet but his Tranfcribers.

VOL. VII.

D

This

This morning are they fled away and gone,
And, in their fteads, do ravens, crows and kites
Fly o'er our heads; and downward look on us,
As we were fickly prey; their fhadows feem
A canopy most fatal, under which

Our army lies ready to give the ghoft.
Mef. Believe not fo.

Caf. I but believe it partly;

For I am fresh of spirit, and refolv'd
To meet all peril very conftantly.
Bru. Even fo, Lucilius.

Caf. Now, moft noble Brutus,`

The Gods to-day ftand friendly; that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But fince th' affairs of men reft ftill incertain,
Let's reafon with the worst that may befall.
If we do lofe this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you then determined to do?

Bru. Ev'n by the rule of that philofophy,
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himfelf; I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly, and vile,

For fear of what might fall, fo to prevent
The time of life; arming myself with patience,
To stay the providence of fome high powers,
That govern us below.

Caf. Then, if we lose this battle,

You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?

Bru. No, Caffius, no; think not, thou noble Roman, That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;

He bears too great a mind. But this fame day
Muft end that work, the ides of March begun;
And, whether we fhall meet again, I know not;
Therefore our everlasting farewel` take;
For ever, and for ever, farewel, Caffius!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why, then this parting was well made.
Caf. For ever, and for ever, farewel, Brutus!

If

If we do meet again, we'll fmile 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 fufficeth, that the day will end;

And then the end is known. Come, ho, away.

Alarm. Enter Brutus and Meffala.

[Exeunt.

Bru. Ride, ride, Meffala; ride, and give these bills Unto the legions, on the other fide.

[Loud alarm.

Let them fet on at once; for I perceive
But cold demeanor in Octavius' wing;
And fudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Meffala; let them all come down.

[Exe.

Alarm. Enter Caffius and Titinius.
Caf. O look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
Myfelf have to mine own turn'd enemy;
This enfign here of mine was turning back,
I flew the coward, and did take it from him.
Tit. O Caffius, Brutus gave the word too early;
Who, having fome advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly; his foldiers fell to spoil,
Whilft we by Antony were all inclos'd.

Enter Pindarus.

Pin. Fly further off, my Lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your tents, my Lord;

Fly therefore, noble Caffius, fly far off.

Caf. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius,

Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire?

Tit. They are, my Lord.

Caf. Titinius, if thou lov'ft me,

Mount thou my horse, and hide thy fpurs in him,
'Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops,
And here again; that I may reft affur'd,
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

Tit. I will be here again, ev'n with a thought. [Exit.
D 2

Caf

Caf. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill,
My fight was ever thick; regard Titinius,
And tell me what thou not'ft about the field.
This day I breathed firft; time is come round;
And, where I did begin, there fhall I end;
My life is run its compafs. Now, what news?
Pind. above. Oh, my Lord!

Caf. What news?

Pind. Titinius is enclofed round about
With horsemen, that make to him on the fpur;
Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him;
Titinius now fome 'light-oh, he 'lights too-
He's ta'en--and hark, they fhout for joy.
Caf. Come down, behold no more;
Oh, coward that I am, to live fo long,
To fee my best friend ta'en before

Enter Pindarus.

Come hither, firrah;

my

face!

In Parthia did I take thee prifoner;
And then I fwore thee, faving of thy life,
That whatfoever I did bid thee do,

[Shout.

Thou shouldft attempt it. Come, now keep thine oath,
Now be a freeman; and, with this good fword,
That ran through Cefar's bowels, fearch this bofom.
Stand not to answer; here, take thou the hilt;
And when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the fword- Cefar, thou art reveng'd,
Ev'n with the fword that kill'd thee- [Kills himself.
Pind. So, I am free; yet would not fo have been,
Durft I have done my will. Oh, Caffius!
Far from this country Pindarus fhall run,
Where never Roman fhall take note of him.

Enter Titinius, and Meffala.

Mef. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,

As Caffius' legions are by Antony.

Tit. Thefe tidings will well comfort Caffius,
Me, Where did you leave him?

[Exit.

« ZurückWeiter »