Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same 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 endure. Cas. I have as much of this in art as you,

But yet my nature could not bear it so.

[pleasure. Var. So please you, we will stand, and watch your Bru. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs; may be, I shall otherwise bethink me.

Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru.

Cas.

Your reason?

'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.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to bet

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,
These people at our back.

Cas.

Bru.

It does, my boy:

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing. Luc. It is my duty, sir.

[ter,

I

Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy might; know, young bloods look for a time of rest. Luc. I have slept, my lord, already.

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 :
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;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows, and in miseries
On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

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,
That plays thee music ?-Gentle knave, good night;
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.

[He sits down.

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?

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.Boy! Lucius!Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!Claudius!

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 'tis not so.

Mess.

Enter a Messenger. 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? Ant. No, Cæsar, we will answer on their charge. Make forth, the generals would have some words. Oct. Stir not until the signal.

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.

[words:

Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart, Crying, Long live! hail, Cæsar!

Cas.

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

Not stingless too.

Ant.
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: [hounds,
You shew'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like
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.

[sweat,

Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make us
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 aveng'd; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Bru. Cæsar, thou can'st not die by traitors,
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
Oct.
So I hope;

I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

Bru. O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain, Young man, thou could'st not die more honourable. Cas. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour, Join'd with a masker and a reveller.

Ant. Old Cassius still! 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, The storm is up, and all is on the hazard. [bark! Bru. Ho!

Lucilius; hark, a word with you.
Luc.

[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.

My lord.

Cas. 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 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.
Two mighty eagles fell; and there they perch'd,
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
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 fatal, 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.

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,
govern us below.

That

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!

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.
Tit. I will be here again, even with a thought. [Erit.
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.-
[Eait PINDARUS.
This day I breathed first: time is come round,

In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do,

Thou should'st attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath!
Now be a freeman; and, with this good sword,
That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer: Here, take thou the hilts;
And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the sword.-Cæsar, thou art reveng'd,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.

[Dies.

Pin. So, I am free; yet would not so have been,
Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!
Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
Where never Roman shall take note of him. [Exit.
Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.
Mes. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,
As Cassius' legions are by Antony.

Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
Mes. Where did you leave him?
Tit.

All disconsolate,
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
Mes. Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
Tit. He lies not like the living. O my heart!
Mes. Is not that he?
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 men The things that are not? O error, soon conceiv'd, Thou never com'st unto a happy birth,

But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee.

Tit. What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus? Mes. Seek him, Titinius: whilst I go to meet The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears: I may say, thrusting it; For piercing steel, and darts envenomed, Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus, As tidings of this sight.

Tit.
Hie you, Messala,
And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Erit MES.
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,

And bid me giv't thee? Didst thou not hear their
Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing. [shouts?
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
Will do his bidding.-Brutus, come apace,

Look whe'r he have not crown'd dead Cassius!

Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these?—
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!
It is impossible, that ever Rome

Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man, than you shall see me pay.-
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.-
Come, therefore, and to Thassos send his body;
His funeral shall not be in our camp,
Lest it discomfort us.-Lucilius, come ;-
And come, young Cato; let us to the field.
Labeo, and Flavius, set our battles on:--
'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight.

[Exeunt.

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! Cuto. 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 Brutus. [Exit, charging the enemy. CATO is overpowered, and falls.

Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; And may'st be honour'd being Cato's son. 1 Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Luc. Only I yield to die. There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight; [Offering money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 Sold. We must not.-A noble prisoner. 2 Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1.Sold. I'll tell the news.-Here comes the general:

Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? Dar. To kill him, Clitus; Look, he meditates. Cli. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,

That it runs over even at his eyes.

Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Vol. What says my lord?

Bru.

Why, this, Volumnius : The ghost of Cæsar hath appeared to me Two several times by night: at Sardis, once; And, this last night, here in Philippi' fields. I know, my hour is come.

Vol. Not so, my lord. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. Thou see'st the world, Volumnius, how it goes, It is more worthy, to leap in ourselves, Our enemies have beat us to the pit: Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Thou know'st that we two went to school together; Even for that our love of old, I pray thee, Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it. Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my lord. [Alarum still.

Cli. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. Bru. Farewell to you-and you;-and you, Volum Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep; [nius.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 Mark 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 labour'd to attain this hour. [Alarum. Cry within; Fly, fly, fly, Cli. Fly, my lord, fly.

Bru.

Hence; I will follow thee.
[Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMNIUS.
I pr'ythee, 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 kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

[He runs on his sword, and die. Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, LUCILIUS, and their army.

Oct. What man is that?

For Brutus only overcame himself,

And no man else hath honour by his death.
Luc. So Brutus should be found.-I thank thee,
That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true. [Brutus,
Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
Stra. Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
Oct. Do so, good Messala.

Mes.
How died my master, Strato?
Stra. I held the sword, and he did run on it.
Mes. Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.

Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all:

All the conspirators, save only he,
Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar;
He, only, in a general honest thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up,
And say to all the world, This was a man!

Oct. According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect, and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie,
Most like a soldier, order'd honourably.
So, call the field to rest: and let's away,
To part the glories of this happy day.

[Exeunt.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, VENTIDIUS, EROS, SCARUS,
DERCETAS, DEMETRIUS, PHILO, friends of Antony.
MECENAS, AGRIPPA, DOLABELLA, PROCULEIUS, THY-
REUS, GALLUS, friends to Cæsar.

MENAS, MENECRATES, VARRIUS, friends of Pompey.
TAURUS, lieutenant-general to Cæsar.
CANIDIUS, lieutenant-general to Antony.
SILIUS, an officer in Ventidius's army.
EUPHRONIUS, an ambassador from Antony to Cæsar.
ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELEUCUS, and DIOMEDES ;
attendants on Cleopatra.

A Soothsayer. A Clown.
CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt.
OCTAVIA, sister to Cæsar, and wife to Antony.
CHARMIAN and IRAS, attendants on Cleopatra.
Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other Attendants.
SCENE,-dispersed; in several parts of the
Roman Empire.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Alexandria.-A Room in Cleopatra's Palace.
Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.

Phi. Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure: those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now bend, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view
Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuffles of great fights hath burst
The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper;
And is become the bellows and the fan,

To cool a gipsy's lust. Look, where they come !

Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA, with their
Trains; Eunuchs fanning her.

Take but good note, and you shall see in him
The triple pillar of the world transform'd
Into a strumpet's fool: behold and see.

Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much.
Ant. There's beggary in the love that can be reckon'd.
Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd.
Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven,
new earth.

Enter an Attendant.
Att. News, my good lord, from Rome.
Ant.
Grates me :-The sum.
Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony:
Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows
If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent
His powerful mandate to you, Do this, or this;
Take in that kingdom, and enfranchise that;
Perform't, or else we damn thee.

Ant.
How, my love!
Cleo. Perchance,-nay, and most like,
You must not stay here longer, your dismission
Is come from Cæsar; therefore hear it, Antony.—
Where's Fulvia's process? Cæsar's, I would say?—
Both ?-

Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen,
Thou blushest, Antony; and that blood of thine
Is Cæsar's homager: else so thy cheek pays shame,
When shrill-tongu'd Fulvia scolds.-The messengers.
Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt! and the wide arch
Of the rang'd empire fall! Here is my space;
Kingdoms are clay: our dungy earth alike
Feeds beasts as man: the nobleness of life
Is, to do thus; when such a mutual pair, [Embracing
And such a twain can do't, in which, I bind
On pain of punishment, the world to weet,
We stand up peerless.

Cleo.
Excellent falsehood!
Why did he marry Fulvia, and not love her?—
I'll seem the fool I am not; Antony
Will be himself.

Ant.

But stirr'd by Cleopatra.Now, for the love of Love, and her soft hours,