Cas. "Tis better that the enemy seek us; This it is. So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers, Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness. Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to better. For they have grudged us contribution. By them shall make a fuller number up, Come on refreshed, new added, and encouraged; If at Philippi we do face him there, These people at our back. Cas. Hear me, good brother. Bru. Under your pardon.-You must note beside, That we have tried 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 flood, leads on to fortune; Is bound in shallows, and in miseries. And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. Cas. Then, with your will, go on; We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi. Which we will niggard with a little rest. There is no more to say? Cas. No more. Good night; Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence. Bru. Lucius, my gown. [Exit LUCIUS.] Farewell, 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: Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument? Bru. What, thou speak'st drowsily Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatched. Call Claudius, and some other of my men; I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent. 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 forgetful. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, And touch thy instrument a strain or two? It does, my boy Luc. It is my duty, sir. Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy might; 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 murderous slumber! Lay'st thou thy leaden mace1 upon my boy, That plays thee music?-Gentle knave, good night! Let me see, let me see.-Is not the leaf turned down, Enter the Ghost of CÆSAR. [He sits down. How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here? That shapes this monstrous apparition. It comes upon me.-Art thou any thing? Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, 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?2 Ghost. Ay, at Philippi. [Ghost vanishes. 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. 1 A mace is the ancient term for a sceptre. 2 Shakspeare has on this occasion deserted his original. It does not appear from Plutarch that the ghost of Cæsar appeared to Brutus, but “a wonderful straunge and monstrous shape of a body." In Plutarch's Life of Cæsar, it is called the ghost, and it is said that "the light of the lampe waxed very dimme.” 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. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so cried'st out? Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry. Bru. Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see any thing? 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? Nor I, my lord. Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing. Clau. Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius ; Bid him set on his powers betimes before, Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered. They mean to warn1 us at Philippi here, Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know With fearful bravery,2 thinking, by this face, Mess. Enter a Messenger. Prepare you, generals. The enemy comes on in gallant show; Ant. Octavius, lead your battle softly on, Oct. Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left. 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? Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart, 1 To warn is to summon. 266 Fearful bravery." Fearful may in this instance bear its usual acceptation of tumorous. |