The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

1 Enter Octavius, Antony and their Army.
2 OCTAVIUS.
3 Now, Antony, our hopes are answered.
4 You said the enemy would not come down,
5 But keep the hills and upper regions.
6 It proves not so; their battles are at hand,
7 They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
8 Answering before we do demand of them.
9 ANTONY.
10 Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
11 Wherefore they do it. They could be content
12 To visit other places, and come down
13 With fearful bravery, thinking by this face
14 To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
15 But ’tis not so.
16 Enter a Messenger.
17 MESSENGER.
18 Prepare you, generals.
19 The enemy comes on in gallant show;
20 Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
21 And something to be done immediately.
22 ANTONY.
23 Octavius, lead your battle softly on
24 Upon the left hand of the even field.
25 OCTAVIUS.
26 Upon the right hand I. Keep thou the left.
27 ANTONY.
28 Why do you cross me in this exigent?
29 OCTAVIUS.
30 I do not cross you; but I will do so.
31 [_March._]
32 Drum. Enter Brutus, Cassius and their Army; Lucilius, Titinius, Messala
33 and others.
34 BRUTUS.
35 They stand, and would have parley.
36 CASSIUS.
37 Stand fast, Titinius; we must out and talk.
38 OCTAVIUS.
39 Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
40 ANTONY.
41 No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
42 Make forth; the generals would have some words.
43 OCTAVIUS.
44 Stir not until the signal.
45 BRUTUS.
46 Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
47 OCTAVIUS.
48 Not that we love words better, as you do.
49 BRUTUS.
50 Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
51 ANTONY.
52 In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words;
53 Witness the hole you made in Caesar’s heart,
54 Crying, “Long live! Hail, Caesar!”
55 CASSIUS.
56 Antony,
57 The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
58 But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
59 And leave them honeyless.
60 ANTONY.
61 Not stingless too.
62 BRUTUS.
63 O yes, and soundless too,
64 For you have stol’n their buzzing, Antony,
65 And very wisely threat before you sting.
66 ANTONY.
67 Villains, you did not so when your vile daggers
68 Hack’d one another in the sides of Caesar:
69 You show’d your teeth like apes, and fawn’d like hounds,
70 And bow’d like bondmen, kissing Caesar’s feet;
71 Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
72 Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!
73 CASSIUS.
74 Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself.
75 This tongue had not offended so today,
76 If Cassius might have rul’d.
77 OCTAVIUS.
78 Come, come, the cause. If arguing makes us sweat,
79 The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
80 Look, I draw a sword against conspirators.
81 When think you that the sword goes up again?
82 Never, till Caesar’s three and thirty wounds
83 Be well aveng’d; or till another Caesar
84 Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
85 BRUTUS.
86 Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors’ hands,
87 Unless thou bring’st them with thee.
88 OCTAVIUS.
89 So I hope.
90 I was not born to die on Brutus’ sword.
91 BRUTUS.
92 O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
93 Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.
94 CASSIUS.
95 A peevish school-boy, worthless of such honour,
96 Join’d with a masker and a reveller.
97 ANTONY.
98 Old Cassius still!
99 OCTAVIUS.
100 Come, Antony; away!
101 Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth.
102 If you dare fight today, come to the field;
103 If not, when you have stomachs.
104 [_Exeunt Octavius, Antony and their Army._]
105 CASSIUS.
106 Why now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark!
107 The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
108 BRUTUS.
109 Ho, Lucilius! Hark, a word with you.
110 LUCILIUS.
111 My lord?
112 [_Brutus and Lucilius talk apart._]
113 CASSIUS.
114 Messala.
115 MESSALA.
116 What says my General?
117 CASSIUS.
118 Messala,
119 This is my birth-day; as this very day
120 Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
121 Be thou my witness that against my will
122 As Pompey was, am I compell’d to set
123 Upon one battle all our liberties.
124 You know that I held Epicurus strong,
125 And his opinion. Now I change my mind,
126 And partly credit things that do presage.
127 Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
128 Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch’d,
129 Gorging and feeding from our soldiers’ hands,
130 Who to Philippi here consorted us.
131 This morning are they fled away and gone,
132 And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites
133 Fly o’er our heads, and downward look on us,
134 As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
135 A canopy most fatal, under which
136 Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
137 MESSALA.
138 Believe not so.
139 CASSIUS.
140 I but believe it partly,
141 For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv’d
142 To meet all perils very constantly.
143 BRUTUS.
144 Even so, Lucilius.
145 CASSIUS.
146 Now, most noble Brutus,
147 The gods today stand friendly, that we may,
148 Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
149 But, since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
150 Let’s reason with the worst that may befall.
151 If we do lose this battle, then is this
152 The very last time we shall speak together:
153 What are you then determined to do?
154 BRUTUS.
155 Even by the rule of that philosophy
156 By which I did blame Cato for the death
157 Which he did give himself, I know not how,
158 But I do find it cowardly and vile,
159 For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
160 The time of life, arming myself with patience
161 To stay the providence of some high powers
162 That govern us below.
163 CASSIUS.
164 Then, if we lose this battle,
165 You are contented to be led in triumph
166 Thorough the streets of Rome?
167 BRUTUS.
168 No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
169 That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
170 He bears too great a mind. But this same day
171 Must end that work the Ides of March begun;
172 And whether we shall meet again I know not.
173 Therefore our everlasting farewell take.
174 For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius.
175 If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
176 If not, why then this parting was well made.
177 CASSIUS.
178 For ever and for ever farewell, Brutus.
179 If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed;
180 If not, ’tis true this parting was well made.
181 BRUTUS.
182 Why then, lead on. O, that a man might know
183 The end of this day’s business ere it come!
184 But it sufficeth that the day will end,
185 And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!
186 [_Exeunt._]