Julius Caesar
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o’erswell the cup.
I cannot drink too much of Brutus’ love.
[_Drinks._]
[_Exit Lucius._]
Enter Titinius and Messala.
BRUTUS.
Come in, Titinius!
Welcome, good Messala.
Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.
CASSIUS.
Portia, art thou gone?
BRUTUS.
No more, I pray you.
Messala, I have here received letters,
That young Octavius and Mark Antony
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi.
MESSALA.
Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.
BRUTUS.
With what addition?
MESSALA.
That by proscription and bills of outlawry
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus
Have put to death an hundred Senators.
BRUTUS.
Therein our letters do not well agree.
Mine speak of seventy Senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
CASSIUS.
Cicero one!
MESSALA.
Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription.
Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
BRUTUS.
No, Messala.
MESSALA.
Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
BRUTUS.
Nothing, Messala.
MESSALA.
That, methinks, is strange.
BRUTUS.
Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?
MESSALA.
No, my lord.
BRUTUS.
Now as you are a Roman, tell me true.
MESSALA.
Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell,
For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.
BRUTUS.
Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala.
With meditating that she must die once,
I have the patience to endure it now.
MESSALA.
Even so great men great losses should endure.
CASSIUS.
I have as much of this in art as you,
But yet my nature could not bear it so.
BRUTUS.
Well, to our work alive. What do you think
Of marching to Philippi presently?
CASSIUS.
I do not think it good.
BRUTUS.
Your reason?
CASSIUS.
This it is:
’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.
BRUTUS.
Good reasons must of force give place to better.
The people ’twixt Philippi and this ground
Do stand but in a forced 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.
CASSIUS.
Hear me, good brother.
BRUTUS.
Under your pardon. You must note besides,
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;
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.
CASSIUS.
Then, with your will, go on:
We’ll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.
BRUTUS.
The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity,
Which we will niggard with a little rest.
There is no more to say?
CASSIUS.
No more. Good night:
Early tomorrow will we rise, and hence.
Enter Lucius.
BRUTUS.
Lucius! My gown.
[_Exit Lucius._]
Farewell now, good Messala.
Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
Good night, and good repose.
CASSIUS.
O my dear brother!
This was an ill beginning of the night.
Never come such division ’tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.
Enter Lucius with the gown.
BRUTUS.
Everything is well.
CASSIUS.
Good night, my lord.
BRUTUS.
Good night, good brother.
TITINIUS and MESSALA.
Good night, Lord Brutus.
BRUTUS.
Farewell, everyone.
[_Exeunt Cassius, Titinius and Messala._]
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?
LUCIUS.
Here in the tent.
BRUTUS.
What, thou speak’st drowsily?
Poor knave, I blame thee not, thou art o’er-watch’d.
Call Claudius and some other of my men;
I’ll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
LUCIUS.
Varro and Claudius!
Enter Varro and Claudius.
VARRO.
Calls my lord?
BRUTUS.
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.
VARRO.
So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.
BRUTUS.
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._]
LUCIUS.
I was sure your lordship did not give it me.
BRUTUS.
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?
LUCIUS.
Ay, my lord, an’t please you.
BRUTUS.
It does, my boy.
I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
LUCIUS.
It is my duty, sir.
BRUTUS.
I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
I know young bloods look for a time of rest.
LUCIUS.
I have slept, my lord, already.
BRUTUS.
It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again;
I will not hold thee long. If I do live,
I will be good to thee.
[_Lucius plays and sings till he falls asleep._]
This is a sleepy tune. O murd’rous slumber,
Layest 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.
Enter the Ghost of Caesar.
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 anything?
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.
BRUTUS.
Why com’st thou?
GHOST.
To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.
BRUTUS.
Well; then I shall see thee again?
GHOST.
Ay, at Philippi.
BRUTUS.
Why, I will see thee at Philippi then.
[_Ghost vanishes._]
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest.
Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
Boy! Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!
LUCIUS.
The strings, my lord, are false.
BRUTUS.
He thinks he still is at his instrument.
Lucius, awake!
LUCIUS.
My lord?
BRUTUS.
Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?
LUCIUS.
My lord, I do not know that I did cry.
BRUTUS.
Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see anything?
LUCIUS.
Nothing, my lord.
BRUTUS.
Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!
Fellow thou, awake!
VARRO.
My lord?
CLAUDIUS.
My lord?
BRUTUS.
Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
VARRO. CLAUDIUS.
Did we, my lord?
BRUTUS.
Ay. Saw you anything?
VARRO.
No, my lord, I saw nothing.
CLAUDIUS.
Nor I, my lord.
BRUTUS.
Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
And we will follow.
VARRO. CLAUDIUS.
It shall be done, my lord.
[_Exeunt._]
ACT V
SCENE I. The plains of Philippi.
Enter Octavius, Antony and their Army.
OCTAVIUS.
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.
ANTONY.
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.
Enter a Messenger.
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.
ANTONY.
Octavius, lead your battle softly on
Upon the left hand of the even field.
OCTAVIUS.
Upon the right hand I. Keep thou the left.
ANTONY.
Why do you cross me in this exigent?
OCTAVIUS.
I do not cross you; but I will do so.
[_March._]
Drum. Enter Brutus, Cassius and their Army; Lucilius, Titinius, Messala
and others.
BRUTUS.
They stand, and would have parley.
CASSIUS.
Stand fast, Titinius; we must out and talk.
OCTAVIUS.
Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
ANTONY.
No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
Make forth; the generals would have some words.
OCTAVIUS.
Stir not until the signal.
BRUTUS.
Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
OCTAVIUS.
Not that we love words better, as you do.
BRUTUS.
Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
ANTONY.
In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words;
Witness the hole you made in Caesar’s heart,
Crying, “Long live! Hail, Caesar!”
CASSIUS.
Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.
ANTONY.
Not stingless too.
BRUTUS.
O yes, and soundless too,
For you have stol’n their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.
ANTONY.
Villains, you did not so when your vile daggers
Hack’d one another in the sides of Caesar:
You show’d your teeth like apes, and fawn’d like hounds,
And bow’d like bondmen, kissing Caesar’s feet;
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!
CASSIUS.
Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself.
This tongue had not offended so today,
If Cassius might have rul’d.
OCTAVIUS.
Come, come, the cause. If arguing makes us sweat,
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 Caesar’s three and thirty wounds
Be well aveng’d; or till another Caesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
BRUTUS.
Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors’ hands,
Unless thou bring’st them with thee.
OCTAVIUS.
So I hope.
I was not born to die on Brutus’ sword.
BRUTUS.
O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.
CASSIUS.
A peevish school-boy, worthless of such honour,
Join’d with a masker and a reveller.
ANTONY.
Old Cassius still!
OCTAVIUS.
Come, Antony; away!
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth.
If you dare fight today, come to the field;
If not, when you have stomachs.
[_Exeunt Octavius, Antony and their Army._]
CASSIUS.
Why now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
BRUTUS.
Ho, Lucilius! Hark, a word with you.
LUCILIUS.
My lord?
[_Brutus and Lucilius talk apart._]
CASSIUS.
Messala.
MESSALA.
What says my General?
CASSIUS.
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.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch’d,
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.
MESSALA.
Believe not so.
CASSIUS.
I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv’d
To meet all perils very constantly.
BRUTUS.
Even so, Lucilius.
CASSIUS.
Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods today stand friendly, that we may,