The gods defend him from so great a shame! Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, [Exeunt. SCENE V. Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS. Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, He came not back: he is or ta'en, or slain. Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. [Whispering. Cli. What! I, my lord? No, not for all the world. Bru. Peace then! no words. Cli. Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! Dar. Cli. O, Dardanius! Dar. O, Clitus! I'll rather kill myself. [Whispers him. Shall I do such a deed? Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? That it runs over even at his eyes. Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Bru. Why, this, Volumnius. Vol. It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, [Low Alarums. Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Hold thou my sword-hilts whilst I run on it. [Alarum still. Cli. Fly, fly, my lord! there is no tarrying here. Bru. Farewell to you;-and you ;-and you, Volum nius. Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep; 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. [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: 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 dies. Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, LUCILIUS, and their Army. Oct. What man is that? Mes. My master's man. - Strato, where is thy master? Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala: The conquerors can but make a fire of him; For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honour by his death. Luc. So Brutus should be found.-I thank thee, Brutus, That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true. Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them. 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: Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar; So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up, Oct. According to his virtue let us use him, [Exeunt. 3 And say to all the world, "This was a man!"] This passage bears a striking resemblance to a portion of a stanza in Drayton's "Barons' Wars," first printed under that title, and in that form of stanza, in 1603. The point is more particularly illustrated in the "Introduction" to this tragedy. Drayton commenced his poetical career in 1591: at least such is the date of his earliest known work, "The Harmonie of the Church," reprinted by the Percy Society; and in Mr. P. Cunningham's interesting volume, (printed for the Shakespeare Society,) "Extracts from the Revels' Accounts," is stated the novel fact, in connection with Drayton's history, that he was in the pay of Prince Henry, being allowed an annuity of 107. per annum. Sylvester, we learn on the same authority, was paid 201. per annum. |