SCENE I.-The Plains of Philippi. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. Oct. 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.

Ant. 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 't is not so.

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;
LUCINIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others.
Bru. They stand, and would have parley.
Cas. Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
Oct. Marc 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,

Hacked one another in the sides of Cæsar :
You shewed your teeth like apes, and fawned
like hounds,

And bowed like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet;
Whilst damnéd Casca, like a cur, behind,
Struck Cæsar on the neck. O you flatterers!
Cas. Flatterers!—Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
If Cassius might have ruled.

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 avenged; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Bru. Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors'
hands,

Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

Mes.

Cas.

What says my general?
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 incertain, 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 determinéd 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
That govern us below.

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 began;
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, 't is 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.

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. 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 breathéd 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 encloséd round about

Not so, my lord.

Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;
Our enemies have beat us to the pit:

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves,
Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
Thou know'st that we two went to school together:
Even for that our love of old, I pray thee
Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.
Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my
[Alarum still.

lord.

Cli. Fly, fly, my lord! there is no tarrying here.

Bru. Farewell to you ;—and you;—and you,
Volumnius.--

Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep :
Farewell to thee too, Strato.-Countrymen,
My heart doth joy that yet, in all my life,
I found no man but he was true to me.
I shall have glory by this losing day,
More than Octavius and Marc Antony
By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
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 laboured 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'y thee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord. Thou art a fellow of a good respect; Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it: Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato? Stra. Give me your hand first: fare you well, my lord.

Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be still:

I killed 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?