JULIUS CAESAR Act 4

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' 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' 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 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]

Julius Caesar Act 5

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