For piercing steel and darts envenoméd Tit. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Exit MESSALA. Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? Put on my brows this wreath of victory, And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts? Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing! But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 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.11 [Dies. Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, young CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS. Bru. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie? Bru. Titinius' face is upward. Cato. He is slain. Bru. O Julius Cæsar, thou art mighty yet! Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords 11 By-and-by they knew the horsemen that came towards them, and might see Titinius crowned with a garland of triumph, who came before with great speed unto Cassius. But when he perceived, by the cries and tears of his friends which tormented themselves, the misfortune that had chanced to his captain Cassius by mistaking, he drew out his sword, cursing himself a thousand times that he had tarried so long, and so slew himself presently in the field. Brutus in the meantime came forward still, and understood also that Cassius had been overthrown; but he knew nothing of his death till he came very near to his camp. - PLUTARCH, Look, whêr he have not crown'd dead Cassius ! Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these? Thou last of all the Romans, fare thee well! It is impossible that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow. - Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man than you shall see me pay. — 14 [Exeunt. 12 Brutus here strikes the proper key-note of the play. The matter is well stated by Mr. Froude: "The murderers of Cæsar, and those who had either instigated them secretly or applauded them afterwards, were included in a proscription list, drawn by retributive justice on the model of Sulla's. Such of them as were in Italy were immediately killed. Those in the provinces, as if with the curse of Cain upon their heads, came one by one to miserable ends. In three years the tyrannicides of the Ides of March, with their aiders and abettors, were all dead; some killed in battle, some in prison, some dying by their own hand." 13 So when he was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Cassius, calling him the last of all the Romans, being unpossible that Rome should ever breed again so noble and valiant a man as he, he caused his body to be buried, and sent it to the city of Thassos, fearing lest his funerals within his camp should cause great disorder.- - PLUTARCH. 14 These two men are not named among the persons of the drama, because they speak nothing. Labeo was one of the stabbers of Cæsar; and it is related that when he saw that all was lost, having dug his own grave, he enfranchised a slave, and then thrust a weapon into his hand to kill him. 15 The Poet very judiciously represents both battles as occurring the same day. They were in fact separated by an interval of twenty days. SCENE IV. - Another Part of the Field. Alarum. Enter, fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, Young CATO, LUCILIUS, and Others. Bru. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads! Cato. What bastard doth not?1 Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field: I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho! A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend; [Charges the Enemy. Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is overpowered, and falls Lucil. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; And mayst be honour'd, being Cato's son.2 1 Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Only I yield to die : Lucil. [Offering money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. Here comes the General. · 1 Meaning, of course, "Who is such a bastard as not to do so?" For another like expression, see page 138, note 4. 2 There was the son of Marcus Cato slain, valiantly fighting among the lusty youth. For notwithstanding that he was very weary and over-harried, yet would he not therefore fly, but manfully fighting and laying about him, telling aloud his name, and also his father's name, at length he was beaten down amongst many other dead bodies of his enemies which he had slain round about him.- PLUTARCH. Enter ANTONY. Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord. Ant. Where is he? Lucil. Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough: I dare assure thee that no enemy Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus : The gods defend him from so great a shame! He will be found like Brutus, like himself. Go on, Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, [Exeunt. 3 There was one of Brutus's friends called Lucilius, who seeing a troop of barbarous men going right against Brutus, determined to stay them with the hazard of his life, and, being left behind, told them that he was Brutus; and, because they should believe him, he prayed them to bring him to Antonius, for he said he was afraid of Cæsar, and that he did trust Antonius better. These barbarous men, being very glad of this good hap, carried him in the night, and sent some before unto Antonius to tell him of their coming. He was marvellous glad of it, and went out to meet them that brought him. When they came near together, Antonius stayed awhile, bethinking himself how he should use Brutus. In the meantime Lucilius was brought to him, who stoutly with a bold countenance said: "Antonius, I dare assure thee, that no enemy hath taken or shall take Marcus Brutus alive, and I beseech God keep him from that fortune: for wheresoever he be found, alive or dead, he will be found like himself. And now, for myself, I am come unto thee, having deceived these men of arms here, bearing them down that I was Brutus, and do not refuse to suffer any torment thou wilt put me to." Lucilius's words made them all amazed that heard him. Antonius on the other side, looking upon all them that had brought him, said unto them: My companions, I think ye are sorry you have failed of your purpose, and SCENE V. - Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS. Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, He came not back: he is or ta'en or slain.1 Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion.2 Hark thee, Clitus. [Whispering. that you think this man hath done you great wrong; but I assure you, you have taken a better booty than that you followed. For instead of an enemy you have brought me a friend; and, for my part, if you had brought me Brutus alive, truly I cannot tell what I should have done to him. For I had rather have such men my friends, as this man here, than mine enemies." Then he embraced Lucilius, and at that time delivered him to one of his friends in custody; and Lucilius ever after served him faithfully, even to his death. PLUTARCH. 1 Brutus thought that there was no great number of men slain in battle; and, to know the truth of it, there was one called Statilius that promised to go through his enemies, for otherwise it was impossible to go see their camp; and from thence, if all were well, that he would lift up a torch-light in the air, and then return again with speed to him. The torch-light was lift up as he had promised, for Statilius went thither. Now, Brutus seeing Statilius tarry long after that, and that he came not again, he said, "If Statilius be alive, he will come again." But his evil fortune was such that, as he came back, he lighted in his enemies' hands and was slain. — PLU TARCH. 2 The philosopher indeed renounced all confidence in his own principles. He had adopted them from reading or imitation; they were not the natural growth of instinct or genuine reflection; and, as may easily happen in such a case, his faith in them failed when they were tested by adversity. As long as there seemed a chance that the godlike stroke would be justified by success, Brutus claimed the glory of maintaining a righteous cause; but, when all hope fled, he could take leave of philosophy and life together, and exclaim, I once dreamed that virtue was a thing; I find her only a name, and the mere slave of fortune. He had blamed Cato for flying from misery by self-murder; but he learnt to justify the same desperate act when he contemplated committing it himself. - MERIVALE. |