Enter a Messenger.

Mess.

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.

Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:

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.

Ant.

Not stingless too.

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 :

You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,

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.

Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make 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 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 ho

nour,

Join'd with a masker and a reveller.

Ant. Old Cassius still!

Come, Antony: away.

Oct.
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, bark!

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

Bru. Ho!

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.
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.
Mes. Believe not so.

I but believe it partly;

Cas.
For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv'd
To meet all perils very constantly.
Bru. Even so, Lucilius.

Now, most noble Brutus,

Cas.
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, i
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?

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,
+ Accompanied.

* Foremost.

That govern us below.

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!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The same. A field of battle.

Alarum. Enter Brutus and Messala.

Bru. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills*

Unto the legions on the other side: [Loud alarum.
Let them set on at once; for I perceive
But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing,
And sudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down.

* Directions for the officers.

[Exeunt.

The same.

Alarum.

SCENE III.

Another part of the field.

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 farther 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. [Exit. 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?

Pin. Titinius is