Julius Caesar
Act IV.
Scene i. A house in Rome.
- Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table
- Antony: These many, then, shall die; their names are prick'd.
- Octavius: Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus?
- Lepidus: I do consent—
- Octavius: Prick him down, Antony.
- Lepidus: Upon condition Publius shall not live,
- Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.
- Antony: He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.
- But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar's house;
- Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine
- How to cut off some charge in legacies.
- Lepidus: What, shall I find you here?
- Octavius: Or here, or at the Capitol.
- Exit Lepidus
- Antony: This is a slight unmeritable man,
- Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit,
- The three-fold world divided, he should stand
- One of the three to share it?
- Octavius: So you thought him;
- And took his voice who should be prick'd to die,
- In our black sentence and proscription.
- Antony: Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
- And though we lay these honours on this man,
- To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,
- He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
- To groan and sweat under the business,
- Either led or driven, as we point the way;
- And having brought our treasure where we will,
- Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
- Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
- And graze in commons.
- Octavius: You may do your will;
- But he's a tried and valiant soldier.
- Antony: So is my horse, Octavius; and for that
- I do appoint him store of provender:
- It is a creature that I teach to fight,
- To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
- His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
- And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;
- He must be taught and train'd and bid go forth;
- A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds
- On abjects, orts and imitations,
- Which, out of use and staled by other men,
- Begin his fashion: do not talk of him,
- But as a property. And now, Octavius,
- Listen great things:—Brutus and Cassius
- Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
- Therefore let our alliance be combined,
- Our best friends made, our means stretch'd
- And let us presently go sit in council,
- How covert matters may be best disclosed,
- And open perils surest answered.
- Octavius: Let us do so: for we are at the stake,
- And bay'd about with many enemies;
- And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
- Millions of mischiefs.
- Exeunt
Scene ii. Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus's tent.
- Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Lucius, and Soldiers; Titinius and Pindarus meeting them
- Brutus: Stand, ho!
- Lucilius: Give the word, ho! and stand.
- Brutus: What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near?
- Lucilius: He is at hand; and Pindarus is come
- To do you salutation from his master.
- Brutus: He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,
- In his own change, or by ill officers,
- Hath given me some worthy cause to wish
- Things done, undone: but, if he be at hand,
- I shall be satisfied.
- Pindarus: I do not doubt
- But that my noble master will appear
- Such as he is, full of regard and honour.
- Brutus: He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius;
- How he received you, let me be resolved.
- Lucilius: With courtesy and with respect enough;
- But not with such familiar instances,
- Nor with such free and friendly conference,
- As he hath used of old.
- Brutus: Thou hast described
- A hot friend cooling: ever note, Lucilius,
- When love begins to sicken and decay,
- It useth an enforced ceremony.
- There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;
- But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
- Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
- But when they should endure the bloody spur,
- They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
- Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?
- Lucilius: They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd;
- The greater part, the horse in general,
- Are come with Cassius.
- Brutus: Hark! he is arrived.
- Low march within
- March gently on to meet him.
- Enter Cassius and his powers
- Cassius: Stand, ho!
- Brutus: Stand, ho! Speak the word along.
- First Soldier: Stand!
- Second Soldier: Stand!
- Third Soldier: Stand!
- Cassius: Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.
- Brutus: Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies?
- And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?
- Cassius: Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs;
- And when you do them—
- Brutus: Cassius, be content.
- Speak your griefs softly: I do know you well.
- Before the eyes of both our armies here,
- Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
- Let us not wrangle: bid them move away;
- Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
- And I will give you audience.
- Cassius: Pindarus,
- Bid our commanders lead their charges off
- A little from this ground.
- Brutus: Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man
- Come to our tent till we have done our conference.
- Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.
- Exeunt
Scene iii. Brutus's tent.
- Enter Brutus and Cassius
- Cassius: That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
- You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
- For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
- Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
- Because I knew the man, were slighted off.
- Brutus: You wronged yourself to write in such a case.
- Cassius: In such a time as this it is not meet
- That every nice offence should bear his comment.
- Brutus: Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
- Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
- To sell and mart your offices for gold
- To undeservers.
- Cassius: I an itching palm!
- You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
- Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
- Brutus: The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
- And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
- Cassius: Chastisement!
- Brutus: Remember March, the ides of March remember:
- Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
- What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
- And not for justice? What, shall one of us
- That struck the foremost man of all this world
- But for supporting robbers, shall we now
- Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
- And sell the mighty space of our large honours
- For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
- I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
- Than such a Roman.
- Cassius: Brutus, bay not me;
- I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
- To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
- Older in practise, abler than yourself
- To make conditions.
- Brutus: Go to; you are not, Cassius.
- Cassius: I am.
- Brutus: I say you are not.
- Cassius: Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
- Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.
- Brutus: Away, slight man!
- Cassius: Is't possible?
- Brutus: Hear me, for I will speak.
- Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
- Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?
- Cassius: O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?
- Brutus: All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;
- Go show your slaves how choleric you are,
- And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
- Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch
- Under your testy humour? By the gods
- You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
- Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
- I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
- When you are waspish.
- Cassius: Is it come to this?
- Brutus: You say you are a better soldier:
- Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
- And it shall please me well: for mine own part,
- I shall be glad to learn of noble men.
- Cassius: You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
- I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
- Did I say 'better'?
- Brutus: If you did, I care not.
- Cassius: When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.
- Brutus: Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.
- Cassius: I durst not!
- Brutus: No.
- Cassius: What, durst not tempt him!
- Brutus: For your life you durst not!
- Cassius: Do not presume too much upon my love;
- I may do that I shall be sorry for.
- Brutus: You have done that you should be sorry for.
- There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,
- For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
- That they pass by me as the idle wind,
- Which I respect not. I did send to you
- For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:
- For I can raise no money by vile means:
- By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
- And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
- From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
- By any indirection: I did send
- To you for gold to pay my legions,
- Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
- Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
- When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
- To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
- Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;
- Dash him to pieces!
- Cassius: I denied you not.
- Brutus: You did.
- Cassius: I did not: he was but a fool that brought
- My answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:
- A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
- But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
- Brutus: I do not, till you practise them on me.
- Cassius: You love me not.
- Brutus: I do not like your faults.
- Cassius: A friendly eye could never see such faults.
- Brutus: A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
- As huge as high Olympus.
- Cassius: Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
- Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
- For Cassius is aweary of the world;
- Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
- Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
- Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
- To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
- My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
- And here my naked breast; within, a heart
- Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
- If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;
- I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
- Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
- When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
- Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.
- Brutus: Sheathe your dagger:
- Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
- Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
- O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
- That carries anger as the flint bears fire;
- Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
- And straight is cold again.
- Cassius: Hath Cassius lived
- To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
- When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
- Brutus: When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
- Cassius: Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.
- Brutus: And my heart too.
- Cassius: O Brutus!
- Brutus: What's the matter?
- Cassius: Have not you love enough to bear with me,
- When that rash humour which my mother gave me
- Makes me forgetful?
- Brutus: Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,
- When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
- He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
- Poet: [Within] Let me go in to see the generals;
- There is some grudge between 'em, 'tis not meet
- They be alone.
- Lucilius: [Within] You shall not come to them.
- Poet: [Within] Nothing but death shall stay me.
- Enter Poet, followed by Lucilius, Titinius, and Lucius
- Cassius: How now! what's the matter?
- Poet: For shame, you generals! what do you mean?
- Love, and be friends, as two such men should be;
- For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye.
- Cassius: Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!
- Brutus: Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!
- Cassius: Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.
- Brutus: I'll know his humour, when he knows his time:
- What should the wars do with these jigging fools?
- Companion, hence!
- Cassius: Away, away, be gone.
- Exit Poet
- Brutus: Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
- Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.
- Cassius: And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
- Immediately to us.
- Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius
- Brutus: Lucius, a bowl of wine!
- Exit Lucius
- Cassius: I did not think you could have been so angry.
- Brutus: O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.
- Cassius: Of your philosophy you make no use,
- If you give place to accidental evils.
- Brutus: No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.
- Cassius: Ha! Portia!
- Brutus: She is dead.
- Cassius: How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so?
- O insupportable and touching loss!
- Upon what sickness?
- Brutus: Impatient of my absence,
- And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
- Have made themselves so strong:—for with her death
- That tidings came;—with this she fell distract,
- And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.
- Cassius: And died so?
- Brutus: Even so.
- Cassius: O ye immortal gods!
- Re-enter Lucius, with wine and taper
- Brutus: Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
- In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
- Cassius: My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
- Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
- I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
- Brutus: Come in, Titinius!
- Exit Lucius
- Re-enter Titinius, with Messala
- Welcome, good Messala.
- Now sit we close about this taper here,
- And call in question our necessities.
- Cassius: Portia, art thou gone?
- Brutus: No more, I pray you.
- Messala, I have here received letters,
- That young Octavius and Mark Antony
- Come down upon us with a mighty power,
- Bending their expedition toward Philippi.
- Messala: Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.
- Brutus: With what addition?
- Messala: That by proscription and bills of outlawry,
- Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,
- Have put to death an hundred senators.
- Brutus: Therein our letters do not well agree;
- Mine speak of seventy senators that died
- By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
- Cassius: Cicero one!
- Messala: Cicero is dead,
- And by that order of proscription.
- Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
- Brutus: No, Messala.
- Messala: Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
- Brutus: Nothing, Messala.
- Messala: That, methinks, is strange.
- Brutus: Why ask you? hear you aught of her in yours?
- Messala: No, my lord.
- Brutus: Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
- Messala: Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
- For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.
- Brutus: Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
- With meditating that she must die once,
- I have the patience to endure it now.
- Messala: Even so great men great losses should endure.
- Cassius: I have as much of this in art as you,
- But yet my nature could not bear it so.
- Brutus: Well, to our work alive. What do you think
- Of marching to Philippi presently?
- Cassius: I do not think it good.
- Brutus: Your reason?
- Cassius: This it is:
- 'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
- So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
- Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
- Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.
- Brutus: Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
- The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
- Do stand but in a forced affection;
- For they have grudged us contribution:
- The enemy, marching along by them,
- By them shall make a fuller number up,
- Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encouraged;
- From which advantage shall we cut him off,
- If at Philippi we do face him there,
- These people at our back.
- Cassius: Hear me, good brother.
- Brutus: Under your pardon. You must note beside,
- That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
- Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe:
- The enemy increaseth every day;
- We, at the height, are ready to decline.
- There is a tide in the affairs of men,
- Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
- Omitted, all the voyage of their life
- Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
- On such a full sea are we now afloat;
- And we must take the current when it serves,
- Or lose our ventures.
- Cassius: Then, with your will, go on;
- We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.
- Brutus: The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
- And nature must obey necessity;
- Which we will niggard with a little rest.
- There is no more to say?
- Cassius: No more. Good night:
- Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.
- Brutus: Lucius!
- Enter Lucius
- My gown.
- Exit Lucius
- Farewell, good Messala:
- Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
- Good night, and good repose.
- Cassius: O my dear brother!
- This was an ill beginning of the night:
- Never come such division 'tween our souls!
- Let it not, Brutus.
- Brutus: Every thing is well.
- Cassius: Good night, my lord.
- Brutus: Good night, good brother.
- Titinius and Messala: Good night, Lord Brutus.
- Brutus: Farewell, every one.
- Exeunt all but Brutus
- Re-enter Lucius, with the gown
- Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?
- Lucius: Here in the tent.
- Brutus: What, thou speak'st drowsily?
- Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd.
- Call Claudius and some other of my men:
- I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
- Lucius: Varro and Claudius!
- Enter Varro and Claudius
- Varro: Calls my lord?
- Brutus: I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;
- It may be I shall raise you by and by
- On business to my brother Cassius.
- Varro: So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.
- Brutus: I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;
- It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
- Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
- I put it in the pocket of my gown.
- Varro and Claudius lie down
- Lucius: I was sure your lordship did not give it me.
- Brutus: Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
- Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
- And touch thy instrument a strain or two?
- Lucius: Ay, my lord, an't please you.
- Brutus: It does, my boy:
- I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
- Lucius: It is my duty, sir.
- Brutus: I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
- I know young bloods look for a time of rest.
- Lucius: I have slept, my lord, already.
- Brutus: It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
- I will not hold thee long: if I do live,
- I will be good to thee.
- Music, and a song
- This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber,
- Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
- That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
- I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:
- If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
- I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
- Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down
- Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
- Enter the Ghost of Caesar
- How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
- I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
- That shapes this monstrous apparition.
- It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?
- Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
- That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare?
- Speak to me what thou art.
- Ghost: Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
- Brutus: Why comest thou?
- Ghost: To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.
- Brutus: Well; then I shall see thee again?
- Ghost: Ay, at Philippi.
- Brutus: Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.
- Exit Ghost
- Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:
- Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
- Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!
- Lucius: The strings, my lord, are false.
- Brutus: He thinks he still is at his instrument.
- Lucius, awake!
- Lucius: My lord?
- Brutus: Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?
- Lucius: My lord, I do not know that I did cry.
- Brutus: Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?
- Lucius: Nothing, my lord.
- Brutus: Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!
- To Varro
- Fellow thou, awake!
- Varro: My lord?
- Claudius: My lord?
- Brutus: Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
- [Varro] [Claudius]: Did we, my lord?
- Brutus: Ay: saw you any thing?
- Varro: No, my lord, I saw nothing.
- Claudius: Nor I, my lord.
- Brutus: Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
- Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
- And we will follow.
- [Varro] [Claudius]: It shall be done, my lord.
- Exeunt
- --oOo-- -