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,

bark!

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

699. Bru. Ho! Lucilius; hark, a word with you. Lucil. My lord!

703.

705.

707.

Cas. Messala,

[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.

-

Mes. What says my general?

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 compelled 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.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perched,
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 resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

Bru. Even so, Lucilius.

Cas. Now, most noble Brutus,

The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But, since the affairs of men rest still uncertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this

The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do?
708. 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 term of life; -arming myself with patience,
To stay the providence of those high powers

That govern us below.

Cas. Then, if we lose this battle,

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

710. 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. —

know

-O that a man might

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!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. - The same. The Field of Battle.

Alarum. Enter BRUTUS and MESSAla.

713. Bru. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills Unto the legions on the other side.

Let them set on at once: for I perceive

But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing,

[Loud alarum.

And sudden push gives them the overthrow.

Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same.

Another part of the Field.

Alarums. - Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.

714. Cas. O, look, Titinius, look; the villains fly!
Myself have to mine own turned 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 enclosed.

715.

Enter PINDarus.

716. Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord!

719.

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 assured,

Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

Tit. I will be here again even with a thought. [Exit. 721. 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.

[Exit PINDARUS.

This day I breathed first: time is come round,
And, where I did begin, there shall I end;
My life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news?
Pin. [Above.] O my lord!

Cas. What news?

724. Pin. Titinius is enclosed round about

With horsemen, that make to him on the spur;

-

Now they are almost on him.

Now some light: - O, he lights too:

He's ta'en; and, hark!

They shout for joy.

[Shout.

725. Cas. Come down; behold no more.
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face!

Enter PINDARUS.

Come hither, sirrah!

In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That, whatsoever I did bid thee do,
Thou shouldst 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 covered, as 'tis now,

Guide thou the sword. - Cæsar, thou art revenged,

Even with the sword that killed 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.

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

734.

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.

735. Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful Error! Melancholy's child!

Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O Error, soon conceived,
Thou never com'st unto a happy birth,

But kill'st the mother that engendered 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.

738. Tit. Hie you, Messala,

And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Exit MESSALA.
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 give it thee? Didst thou not hear their

shouts?

Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything.

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,

And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.

By your leave, gods: - this is a Roman's part:

Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart. [Dies.

Alarum.

· Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, young CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS.

Bru. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie? 740. Mes. Lo, yonder; and Titinius mourning it. Bru. Titinius' face is upward.

Cato. He is slain.

743. Bru. O Julius Cæsar, thou art mighty yet! Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords In our own proper entrails.

744. Cato. Brave Titinius!

[Low alarums.

Look, whe'r he have not crowned dead Cassius!

745. 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 moe tears