ACT 4.SC.

3
161 Julius Caesar

CASSIUS

Ididnot think you could have been so angry.

BRUTUS
O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. 165
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. 170
CASSIUS
How 'scaped I killing when I crossed you so?
O insupportable and touching loss!
Upon what sickness?
BRUTUS Impatient of my absence,
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony 175
Have made themselves so strong-for with her
death
That tidings came with this she fell distract
And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire.
CASSIUS And died so? 180
BRUTUS Even so.
CASSIUS O you immortal gods!

Enter Lucius with wine and tapers.

BRUTUS
Speak no more of her.Give me a bowl of wine.
In this Ibury all unkindness, Cassius. (He drinks.
CASSIUS
185
My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup:
Icannot drink too much of Brutus' love. He drinks.1
Lucius exits.1
Enter Titinius and Messala.
 ACT 4. SC.3
163 Julius Caesar

BRUTUS

Come in, Titinius. Welcome, good Messala.

Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities. They sit.l 190
CASSIUS

Portia, art thou gone?

BRUTUS No more, I pray you.
Messala, I have here receivèd letters
That young Octavius and Mark Antony
195
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,
200
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? 205
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? 210
BRUTUS Nothing, Messala.
MESSALA That methinks is strange.
BRUTUS
Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?
MESSALA No, my lord.
 ACT 4, SC. 3
165 Julius Caesar

BRUTUS
215
Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
MESSALA
Then likea 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,
Ihave the patience to endure it now. 220
MESSALA

Even so great men great losses should endure.

CASSIUS

Ihave 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
225
Of marching to Philippi presently?
CASSIUSs Ido 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, 230
Doing himself offense, 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 235
Do stand but in a forced aftection,
For they have grudged us contribution.
The enemy, marching along by them,
By them shall make a fuller number up,
Come on refreshed, new-added, and encouraged,
240
From which advantage shall we cut him off
Ifat Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.
CASSIUS Hear me, good brother
 167 ACT 4. SC. 3
Julius Caesar

BRUTUS
Under your pardon. You must note besides
That we have tried the utmost of our friends, 245
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; 250
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. 255
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. 260
There is no more to say.
CASSIUS No more. Good night.
They stand.)
Early tomorrow will we rise and hence.
BRUTUS
Lucius.

Enter Lucius.

My gown. 'Lucius exits. 265

Farewell, good Messala.
Good night, Titinius.-Noble, noble Cassius,
Good night and good repose.
CASSIUS O my dear brother,
This was an illbeginning of the night. 270
Never come such division 'tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.

Enter Lucius with the gown.

 ACT 4. SC. 3
169 Julius Caesar

BRUTUS Everything is well.

CASSIUS Good night, my lord.
BRUTUS Good night, good brother. 275
TITINIUSMESSALA
Good night, Lord Brutus.
BRUTUS Farewell, everyone.
Al but Brutus and Lucius exit.
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?
LUCIUS
Here in the tent.
BRUTUS What, thou speak'st drowsily? 280
Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatched.
Call Claudius and some other of my men;
I'Ilhave them sleep on cushions in my tent.
LUCIUS Varro and Claudius.

Enter Varro and Claudius.

VARRO Calls my lord? 285

BRUTUS

I prayyou, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep.

It may be Ishall raise you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.
VARRO

So please you, we will stand and watch your

pleasure. 290
BRUTUS
Iwill not have it so. Lie down, good sirs.
It may be Ishall otherwise bethink me.
fThey lie down.l
Look, Lucius, here's the bookI sought for so.
Iput it in the pocket of my gown.
LUCIUS

Iwas sure your Lordship did not give it me.

BRUTUS
295

Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.

 ACT 4. SC. 3
171 Julius Caesar

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. 300
Itrouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
LUCIUS It is my duty, sir.
BRUTUS

Ishouldnot urge thy duty past thy might.

Iknow young bloods look for a time of rest.
LUCIUS
BRUTUS
I haveslept, my lord, already. 305

It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again.

Iwill not hold thee long. If I do live,
I willbe good to thee.
Music anda song. Lucius then falls asleep.
This is a sleepy tune. O murd'rous slumber,
Layest thou thy leaden mace upon my boy, 310
That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night.
I willnot do thee so much wrong to wake thee.
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument.
I'ltakeit from thee and, good boy, good night.
He moves the instrument.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down 315
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
How ill this taper burms.
Enter the Ghost of Caesar.

Ha, who comes here?

Ithink it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition. 320
It comes upon me.-Art thou any thing?
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare?
Speak to me what thou art.
 ACT 4 SC. 3
173 Julius Caesar

GHOST
325
Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
BRUTUS Why com'st thou?
GHOST
To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.
BRUTUS Well, then I shall see thee again?
GHOST Ay, at Philippi.
BRUTUS
rGhost exits.1 330
Why, Iwill see thee at Philippi, then.
Now Ihave taken heart, thou vanishest.
Illspirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
Boy, Lucius!-Varro, Claudius, sirs, awake!
Claudius!
335
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
340
My lord, Ido not know that I did cry.
BRUTUS
Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see anything?
LUCIUS Nothing, my lord.
BRUTUS
Sleep again, Lucius.-Sirrah Claudius!
To Varro. Fellow thou, awake! (They rise up.1
345
VARRO My lord?
CLAUDIUS My lord?
BRUTUS
Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
BOTH
Did we, my lord?
BRUTUS Ay. Saw you anything?
350
VARRO No, my lord, I saw nothing.
 175 Julius Caesar ACT 4. SC. 3

CLAUDIUs Nor L, my lord.

BRUTUs
Go and commend me to my brother Cassius.
Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
And we will follow.
It shall be done, my lord. 35
BOTH
They exit.
 ACT5

Scene 1
Enter Octavius, Antony, and their army.
OCTAVIUS
Now, Antony, our hopes are answerèd.
You said the enemy would not come down
But keep the hills and upper regions.
Itproves not so; their battles are at hand.
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
Answering before we do demand of them.
ANTONY

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 10
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage.
But 'tis not so.

Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER
Prepare you, generals.
The enemy comes on in gallant show.
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out, 15
And something to be done immediately.
ANTONY
Octavius, lead your battle softly on
Upon the left hand of the even field.
179
 ACT S. SC. 1
181 Julius Caesar

OCTAVIUS
Upon the right hand, I; keep thou the left.
ANTONY

Why do you cross me in this exigent? 20

OCTAVIUS
Ido not cross you, but I will do so. March.

Drum. Enter Brutus,Cassius, and their army including

Lucilius, Titinius, and Messala.1

BRUTUS They stand and would have parley.

CASSIUS
Stand fast, Titinius. We must out and talk.
OCTAVIUS
Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
ANTONY

No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge. 25

Make forth. The Generals would have some words.
oCTAVIUS, to his Officers Stir not until the signal.
(The Generals step forward)
BRUTUS
Words before blows; is it so, countrymen?
OCTAVIUS

Not that we love words better, as you do.

BRUTUS
Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius. 30
ANTONY

In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words.

Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying "Long live, hail, Caesar!"
CASSIUS Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown, 35
But, for your words, they rob the Hybla bees
And leave them honeyless.
ANTONY Not stingless too.
BRUTUS O
yes, and soundless too,