ACT

Lep. I do confent.

Octa. Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius 3 fhall not live,
Who is your fifter's ion, Mark Antony.
Ant. He fhall not live; look, with a spot I dam.. 4

Octa. Your brother too muft die; Confent you, But, Lepidus, go you to Cælar's houte;

↑ A drachma was a Greek coin of the value of feven-pence farthing. 2 A fmall ifland in little river Rhenus near Bononia, according to Hanmer. 3 Lucius, not Publius, was the perfon mean, who was uncle by the mother's fide to Mark Antony. Ccc 3

Fetch the will hither, and we fall determine
How to cut of fome charge in legacies.

Lep. What, fhall I find you here?
Ot. Or here, or at the Capitol. [Exit Lepidus.
Ant. This is a flight unmeritable man,
Meet to be fent on errands: Is it fit,

The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to thare it ?

Oga. So you thought him;

And took his voice who should be prick'd to die, A hot friend cooling: Lver note, Lustias,
In our black fentence and profcription.

Ant. Octavius, I have feen more days than you:
And though we lay thefe honours on this man,
To eale ourfelves of divers flanderous loads,
He fhall but bear them as the ais bears gold,
To groan and feat under the butineis,
Either led or riven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treature where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty afs, to fake his ears,
And graze in commons.

ca. You may do your will;

Lut he's a trval and valant foklier.

When love begins to ficken and decay,

It ufeth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and fimple fath
But hollow men, like hortes hot at hind,
Make gallant fhew and promile of their rate.
But when they should endure the bloody f
They fall their crefts, and, like decerful je,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on
Luc. They mean this night in Sards t
quarter'd;

The greater part, the horfe in general,
Are come with Cailius.

Bru. Hark, he is arriv'd:

Ant. So is my herfe, Octavius; and, for that, March gently on to meet him.

I do appoint him store of provender.

It is a creature that I teach to fight,

To wind, to stop, to run directly on;

H', corporal motion govern'd by my puit.
And, in fome tafte, is Lepidus but to;

He must be at ht, and train'd, and bid go forth:
A barren-fpirited fellow; one that feeds
On obje&t, arts, and imitations;

Which, out of ute, and ftal'd by other men,
Begin his fathion: Do not talk of him,
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Liten great things.- -Brutus and Caffus
Ace levying powers: we muit ftraight make hend :
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd, [out;
Our best friends inade, and our beft means ftretch'd
And let us prefently go fit in council,
How covert matters may be beft diclos'd,
And open perils furelt aafwered.

Ca. Let us do fo: for we are at the flake,
And bay'd about with many enemies ;
And fome, that fmile, have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischief.
[latan,

Enter Capius, and Soldieri.
Cat Stand, ho!

Bid our commanders lead their charges tỡ
A little from this ground.

Bu. Lucilius, do you the like; and let
Come to our tent, 'till we have done our cantita
Let Lucius and Titinius gu our door.

e. fmall trifling offence.

Caf. What? durf not tempt him?
Bru. For your life you durft not.
Caf. Do not prefume too much upon my love,
I may do that I thall be forry for.

Bru. You have done that you should be forry for,

For I am arm'd fo ftrong in honesty,

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March re-There is no terror, Caffius, in your threats; Did not great Julius bleed for juftice' fake ? What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, And not for juftice? What, fall one of us, That ftruck the foremost man of all this world, But for fupporting robbers; fhall we now Contaminate our fingers with bafe bribes ? And fell the mighty space of our large honours, For fo much trash, as may be grafped thus ?— I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon', Than fuch a Roman.

Caf. Brutus, bay not me,

I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in 2; I am a foldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions 3.

Bra. Go to; you are not, Caffius.
Caf. I am.

Bru. I fay, you are not.

Caf. Urge me no more, I fhall forget myfelf; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru. Away, flight man!

Caf. Is't poffible?

Bru. Hear me, for I will speak.

Muft I give way and room to your rafh choler?
Shall I be frighted when a madman ftares ?

Caf. O ye gods! ye gods! Muft I endure all this?
Bru. All thisay, more: Fret, 'till your proud
heart break;

Go, fhew your flaves how cholerick you are,
And make your bondmen tremble. Mutt I budge?
Muft I obferve you? Muft I ftand and crouch
Under your tefty humour? By the gods,
You fhall digeft the venom of your spleen,
Though it do fplit you: for, from this day forth,
I'll ufe you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

Caf. Is it come to this?

Bru. You fay, you are a better foldier:
Let it appear fo; make your vaunting true,
And it thall please me well: For mine own part,
I fhall be glad to learn of noble men. [Brutus:
Caf. You wrong me every way, you wrong me,
I faid, an elder foldier, not a better:
Did I fay, better?

That they pafs by me, as the idle wind,
Which I refpećt not. I did fend to you
For certain fums of gold, which you deny'd me ;-
For I can raife no money by vile means >
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash,
By any indirection. I did fend

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you deny'd me: Was that done like Caffius?
Should I have anfwer'd Caius Caffius fo?
When Marcus Brutus grows fo covetous,

To lock fuch rafcal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dafh him to pieces!

Caf. I deny'd you not.

Bru. You did.

Caf. I did not he was but a fool,
That brought my anfwer back.-Brutus hath riv'd
my heart:

A friend fhould bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they arc.
Bru. I do not, 'till you practise them on me.
Caf. You love me not.

B. I do not like your faults.

Caf. A friendly eye could never fee fuch faults.
Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
As huge as high Olympus.

Caf. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
Revenge yourfelves alone on Calhus,
For Caffius is aweary of the world:
Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother;
Check'd like a bondman; all his faults obferv'd,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To caft into my teeth. O, I could weap
My fpirit from mine eyes!-There is my dagger,
And here my naked breaft; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be 'it a Roman, take it forth;
I, that deny'd thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didft at Cœtar; for, I know, [better
When thou didst hate him worft, thou lov'cft him
Than ever thou lov'dit Ca.lius.

I Warburton comments on this paffage thus: "The posts and common people, who generally think and speak alike, fuppofe the dog bays the moon out of envy to its brightnets; an allusion to this notion makes the beauty of the paffage in queftion: Brutus hereby inlingates Covert accufation against his friend, that it was only envy at Cafar's glory which fet Caflius on con piring against him; and ancient hiftory feems to countenance fuch a charge. Caffius understood him in this fenfe, and with much confcious pride retorts the charge by a like infinuation: -Pratus. bay not me.' 2 i. e. to limit my authority by your dirction or cenfure. 3 That is, to know on what terms it is fit to confer the offices which are at my difpofal.

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
Bru. When I fpoke tha', I was ill-temper'd too.
Caf. Do you confefs fo much? Give me your hand
Bru. And my heart too.
Caf. O Brutus!-

Bru. What's the matter?

Caf. Have not you love enough to bear with me, When that rafh humour, which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful?

Bru. Yes, Caffius; and, from henceforth,
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you fo.
[A noife within.
Poct. [within] Let me go in to fee the generals;
There is fome grudge between them, 'tis not meet
They be alone.

Luc. [within] You fhall not come to them.
Poet. [within Nothing but death fhall stay me.
Enter Poct.

;

Caf. How now? What's the matter? [mean? Poet. For fhame, you generals; What do you Love, and be friends, as two fuch men should be For I have feen more years, I am fure, than ye. Caf Ha, ha; how vilcly doth this cynic rhime! Bru, Get you hence, firrah; faucy fellow, hence. Caf. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fathion, Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows [foolsWhat should the wars do with thefe jigging Companion, hence.

his time:

Caf. Away, away, be gone.

Enter Lucilius, and Titinius.

[Exit Port

Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commander's
Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.
Caf. And come yourfelves, and bring Meffala

with you
Immediately to us. [Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius.
Bra. Lucius, a bowl of wine.

Caf. I did not think, you could have been fo

angry.

Bru. O Caffius, I am fick of many griefs.
Caf. Of your philofophy you make no use,

If you give place to accidental evils.

That tidings came With this he fell diftract,
And, her attendants abfent, swallow'd fire 2.
Caf. And dy'd fo?

Bru. Even fo.

Caf. O ye immortal gods!

Enter Lucius, with wine, and tapers.

Bru. Speak no more of her.-Give me a bowl of wine :

In this I bury all unkindnefs, Caffius.

[Drisk.

Caf. My heart is thirfty for that noble pledge:-
Fill, Lucius, 'till the wine o'er-fwell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
Re-enter Titinius, and Meala.

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

Now fit we clofe about this taper here,
And call in question our neceflities.
Caf. Portia art thou gone?
Bru. No more, I pray you.-
Meffala, I have here received letters,
That young Octavius, and Mark Antony,
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition towards Philippi.

Mef. Myfelf have letters of the self-fame tenour.
Bru. With what addition?
Mef. That by profcription, and bills of outlawry,
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,
Have put to death a hundred fenators.

Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree;
Mine speak of seventy fenators, that dy`d
By their profcriptions, Cicero being one.
Caf. Cicero one?

Mef. Cicero is dead,

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

With meditating that the muft die once,

I have the patience to endure it now.
Mef. Even fo great men great losses should endure.
Caf. I have as much of this in art as you,

Bru. No man bears forrow better:-Portia is dead. But yet my nature could not bear it fo.
Caf. Ha! Portia ?

1 i. e. fellow.

think

Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you Of marching to Philippi presently?

Caf. I do not think it good.

Bru. Your reafon ?

Caf. This it is:

'Tis better, that the enemy feek us:

So fhall he wafte his means, weary his foldiers,
Doing himself offence; whilft we, lying ftili,
Are full of reft, defence, and nimbleness.

2 This circumftance is taken from Plutarch, and is alfo mentioned by Va Maximus. Fliny, however, reports her to have died at Rome of a lingering illness, while Brutus was abroad.

Bra

Bru. Why, I will fee thee at Philippi then.-
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest.

Il fpirit, I would hold more talk with thee.--
Boy! Lucius-Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!
Claudius!

Luc. The ftrings, my lord, are falfe.

Bru. He thinks, he ftill is at his inftrument.

[Exeunt. Lucius, awake.

Bru. Why did you fo cry out, firs, in your fleep?
Both. Did we, my lord?

Bru. Ay; Saw you any thing?
Var. No, my lord, I faw nothing.
Clau. Nor 1, my lord.

Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Caffius;
Bid him fet on his powers betimes before,
And we will follow.

Both. It shall be done, my lord.
A mace is the ancient term for a scepter.