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

honour,

Join'd with a masker and a reveller.

Ant. Old Cassius still!

Oct.

Come, Antony; away.—

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.

This is my birth-day; as this very day

Messala,

Was Cassius born. Give my thy hand, Messala: Be thou my witness, that, against my will,

As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set

7 Defiance, traitors, hurl we-] Hurl is peculiarly expressive. The challenger in judicial combats was said to hurl down his gage, when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary.

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;

8

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 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,
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,'

our former ensign-] Former is foremost.

9 The very last time we shall speak together:

What are you then determined to do?] i. e. I am resolved in such a case to kill myself. What are you determined of?

of that philosophy,] There is certainly an apparent contradiction between the sentiments which Brutus expresses in this, and in his subsequent speech; but there is no real inconsistency. Brutus had laid down to himself as a principle, to abide every chance and extremity of war; but when Cassius reminds him of the disgrace of being led in triumph through the streets of Rome,

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, 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.

he acknowledges that to be a trial which he could not endure. Nothing is more natural than this. We lay down a system of conduct for ourselves, but occurrences may happen that will force us to depart from it.

2

arming myself with patience, &c.] Dr. Warburton thinks, that in this speech something is lost; but there needed only a parenthesis to clear it. The construction is this: I am determined to act according to that philosophy which directed me to blame the suicide of Cato; arming myself with patience, &c. JOHNSON,

The same.

Alarum.

SCENE II.

The Field of Battle.

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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same.

Alarum.

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 further 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.

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.

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

Cas. What news?

Pin. Titinius is

Enclosed round about with horsemen, that
Make to him on the spur;-yet he spurs on.-
Now they are almost on him; now, Titinius!—
Now some 'light:-O, he 'lights too:-he's ta'en;-
and, hark!

They shout for joy.

Cas.

[Shout.

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 should'st attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath!