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 'tis not so.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. Prepare yon, 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 bat

tle ?

Ant. No, Cesar, we will answer on their

charge.

Make forth, the generals would have some words.
Oct. Stir not until the signal.

This tongue had not offended so to day,
If Cassius might have rul'd.

47

Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make
Jus sweat,

The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look; e 9th kem

ار

I draw a sword against conspirators;

When think you that the sword goes up again ?--
Never, till Cesar's three and twenty wounds
Be well aveng'd; or till another Cesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors,
Bru. Cesar, 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. Oh! if thou wert the noblest of thy

strain,

Young man, thou could'st not die more hon ourable.

N

Cas. A peevish school-boy, worthless of such
honour,

Join'd with a masker and a reveller.
Ant. Old Cassius still!

Oct. Come, Antony; away.-
Defiance, traitors, burl 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 bazard.
Bru. Ho!

Lucilius; hark, a word with you.

Luc. My lord.

[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart. Cas. Messala,

Mes. What says my general?

Cas. Messala,

This is my birth-day; as this very day

Was Cassins born. Give une 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 1 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

Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, country-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.

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 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,
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself-(I know not how,

Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile But I do find it cowardly and vile,

That ever Brutus will go hound 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.-Oh! 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.
SOENE II.-The same.-The 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. [Exeunt.

SCENE III-The same. Another part of
the Field.

Alarum. 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 eargerly; his soldiers fell to spoil,
Whilst we by Antony are all enclos'd.

Enter PINDARUS.

{Dies.

Pin. So, I am free; yet would not so have been,
Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!
Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
Where never Roman shall take note of him.
[Exit

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Mes. It is but change, Titinins; for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,
As Cassius' legions are by Antony.

Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius,
Mes. Where did you leave him?
Tit. All disconsolate,

With Pindarus his bondman, on this hitt.

3

Mes. Is not that he, that lies upon the

ground?

Tit. He lies not like the living. O my heaŲ
Mes. Is not that he ?

Tit. No, this was he, Messala,
But Cassius is no more.-O setung sum!
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set;
The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are
done!

Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.

Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done

this deed.

O hateful error, melancholy's child!
Why didst thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O error, soon con-
ceiv'd,

Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Thou never com'st unto a happy birth,
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord!
Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.

Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Ti-
tinius;

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 eneuty.
Tit. I will be here again, even with a thought.

Cas. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
[Exit.
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 coine round,
And where I did begin, there I shall end;
My life has 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 :-Oh! he 'lights too :-he's
ta'en;-and, hark!

[Shout.

To see my best friend ta'en before my face!

• Billets containing directions.

But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee.
Tit. What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pin-

darus ?

Mcs. Seek him, Titinius: whilst I go to nicer
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears: I may say, thrusting it:
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus,
For piercing steel, and darts envenonied,
As tidings of this sight.

Tit. Hie you, Messala,

And I will seek for Pindarus the while.

Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassitts?
[Exit MESSALA,
Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,
And bid me give't thee? Didst then not bear
their shouts ?

1

Alas! thou hast misconstrued every thing.
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 1.
Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.--
By your leave, gods :-This is a Roman's part:
Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.
[Dies.

Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS,
young CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and Lu

CILIUS.

Cli. Statilus show'd the torch-light; but, my
lord,

(Low Alarums.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. PH rather kill myself
Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius f

CH. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.
Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius; list a
word.

Vol. What says my lord?

Bru. Why, this, Volumnius :
The ghost of Cesar bath appear'd to me
Two several times by night at Sardis, once ;
And this last night, here in Philippi' fields.
I know my hour is come.

Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius."
Thou see'st the world, Volummins, 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.

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: as-Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato ?

[Exeunt.

SCENE V-Another part of the Field. Eater BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS.

Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

TINIS play is supposed to have been written in the year 1608; and some of its incidents may have been borrowed from a production of Daniel's, called "The Tragedie of Cleopatra," which was entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in the year 1593. It rapidly condenses the events of a considerable period, commencing with the triple partition of the empire at the death of Brutus, B. C. 41, and terminating with the final overthrow of the Ploicmean dynasty, B. C. 23. Its historical features are, upon the whole, accurately drawn ; and the sentiments of many of the characters are literally copied from Plutarch and other biographers.---An” touy's illicit connection with Cleopatra, his brutal treatment of the amiable Octavia, and his absurd assumption of despotic power in bequeathing the Roman provinces to a degraded progeny, were the ostensible grounds of the rupture which ended in his death, and united the whole extent of Roman conquest under one imperial sceptre. The character of Cleopatra, the fascinating, dexterous, and incontinent Egyptian, abounds in poetical beauty; and the rough soldier's description of her passage down the Cydnus, has ever been considered a luxuriant specimen of glowing oriental description. But it is in the portrait of Antony that the discriminating reader will chiefly discover the pencil of a master. It is a choice finish to the outline of his cha racter, as given in the play of Julius Cesar. He was then "a masker and a reveller," of comely person, lively wit, and insinuating address :---but the fire of youth, and the dictates of ambition, restrained his licentious cravings within tolerable bounds. In the decline of life, and in the lap of voluptuousness, with wealth at his commaud, and monarchs at his footstool, we find him alternately playing the fool, the hero, or the barbarian, triding away the treasures of the East in sensuality and indolence, and destroying a noble army by cowardice and obstinacy. Still, the rays of inherent greatness occasionally gleam through a cloud of ignoble propensities, and glimmerings of Roman greatness partially reclaim a career of the most doting effeminacy. The philosophy of his mind, and the cool superiority of maturer years, are admirably pourtrayed in the first recriminatory scene with Octavius Cesar, who, notwithstanding the flattery of historians," was deceitful, meanspirited, proud, and revengeful."---Dr. Johnson says: "This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the pas sions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one passage to another, call the mind forwards without intermission from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts (some of which are too low) which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Cesar makes to Antony."

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS,

VENTIDIUS,

EROS,

SCARUS,

PHILO,

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

Cesar.

Friends of Antony. ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELFUCUS, and DIOMEDES,

DERCETAS,

DEMETRIUS,

Attendants on Cleopatra.

A SOOTHSAYER. A CLOWN.

CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt.

OCTAVIA, Sister to Cesar, and wife to Antony.
CHARMIAN, and IRAs, Attendants on Cleopatra.

Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other
Attendants.

SCENE, changes to several Parts of the Roman Empire,

ACT 1.

Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart,
Which in the scuttles of great tights hath burst

SCENE 1-Alexandria.-A Room in CLEO-The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper;

PATRA's Palace.

Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO.
Phil. Nay, but this dotage of our general's
O'erflows the measure; those his goodly eyes,
That o'er the files and musters of the war
Have glow'd like plated Mars, now beud, now turn,
The office and devotion of their view

And is become the bellows and the fan
To cool a gypsy's lust. Look where they come
Flourish. Enter ANTONY and CLEOPATRA WI
their Truins: EUNUCHS fanning her.
Take but good note and you shall see in hi

Rengunces.