The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

SCENE II. The field of battle

Alarum. Enter Brutus and Messala.

  BRUTUS. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills    Unto the legions on the other side. Loud alarum.    Let them set on at once, for I perceive    But cold demeanor in Octavia's wing,    And sudden push gives them the overthrow.    Ride, ride, Messala. Let them all come down. Exeunt.

SCENE III. Another part of the field

Alarums. Enter Cassius and Titinius.

  CASSIUS. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!    Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy.    This ensign here of mine was turning back;    I slew the coward, and did take it from him.  TITINIUS. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,    Who, having some advantage on Octavius,    Took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil,    Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.

Enter Pindarus.

  PINDARUS. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;    Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord;    Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.  CASSIUS. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius:    Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?  TITINIUS. They are, my lord.  CASSIUS. Titinius, if thou lovest me,    Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him,    Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops    And here again, that I may rest assured    Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.  TITINIUS. I will be here again, even with a thought. Exit.  CASSIUS. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;    My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius,    And tell me what thou notest about the field.                                      Pindarus ascends the hill.    This day I breathed first: time is come round,    And where I did begin, there shall I end;    My life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news?  PINDARUS. [Above.] O my lord!  CASSIUS. What news?  PINDARUS. [Above.] Titinius is enclosed round about    With horsemen, that make to him on the spur;    Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.    Now, Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too.    He's ta'en [Shout.] And, hark! They shout for joy.  CASSIUS. Come down; behold no more.    O, coward that I am, to live so long,    To see my best friend ta'en before my face!                                              Pindarus descends.    Come hither, sirrah.    In Parthia did I take thee prisoner,    And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,    That whatsoever I did bid thee do,    Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath;    Now be a freeman, and with this good sword,    That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this bosom.    Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts;    And when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,    Guide thou the sword. [Pindarus stabs him.] Caesar, thou art      revenged,    Even with the sword that kill'd thee. Dies.  PINDARUS. So, I am free, yet would not so have been,    Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!    Far from this country Pindarus shall run,    Where never Roman shall take note of him. Exit.

Re-enter Titinius with Messala.

  MESSALA. It is but change, Titinius, for Octavius    Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,    As Cassius' legions are by Antony.  TITINIUS. These tidings would well comfort Cassius.  MESSALA. Where did you leave him?  TITINIUS. All disconsolate,    With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.  MESSALA. Is not that he that lies upon the ground?  TITINIUS. He lies not like the living. O my heart!  MESSALA. Is not that he?  TITINIUS. No, this was he, Messala,    But Cassius is no more. O setting sun,    As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night,    So in his red blood Cassius' day is set,    The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;    Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!    Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.  MESSALA. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.    O hateful error, melancholy's child,    Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men    The things that are not? O error, soon conceived,    Thou never comest unto a happy birth,    But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!  TITINIUS. What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus?  MESSALA. Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet    The noble Brutus, thrusting this report    Into his ears. I may say "thrusting" it,    For piercing steel and darts envenomed    Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus    As tidings of this sight.  TITINIUS. Hie you, Messala,    And I will seek for Pindarus the while. Exit Messala.    Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?    Did I not meet thy friends? And did not they    Put on my brows this wreath of victory,    And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?    Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything!    But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;    Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I    Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,    And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.    By your leave, gods, this is a Roman's part.    Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.                                                  Kills himself.Alarum. Re-enter Messala, with Brutus, young Cato, and others  BRUTUS. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?  MESSALA. Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.  BRUTUS. Titinius' face is upward.  CATO. He is slain.  BRUTUS. O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!    Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords    In our own proper entrails. Low alarums.  CATO. Brave Titinius!    Look whe'er he have not crown'd dead Cassius!  BRUTUS. Are yet two Romans living such as these?    The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!    It is impossible that ever Rome    Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe moe tears    To this dead man than you shall see me pay.    I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.    Come therefore, and to Thasos send his body;    His funerals shall not be in our camp,    Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come,    And come, young Cato; let us to the field.    Labio and Flavio, set our battles on.    'Tis three o'clock, and Romans, yet ere night    We shall try fortune in a second fight. Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Another part of the field

Alarum. Enter, fighting, Soldiers of both armies; then Brutus, young Cato, Lucilius, and others.

  BRUTUS. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads!  CATO. What bastard doth not? 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.    I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!  BRUTUS. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I;    Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus! Exit.  LUCILIUS. O young and noble Cato, art thou down?    Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius,    And mayst be honor'd, being Cato's son.  FIRST SOLDIER. Yield, or thou diest.  LUCILIUS. Only I yield to die.    [Offers money.] There is so much that thou wilt kill mestraight:    Kill Brutus, and be honor'd in his death.  FIRST SOLDIER. We must not. A noble prisoner!  SECOND SOLDIER. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en.  FIRST SOLDIER. I'll tell the news. Here comes the general.

Enter Antony.

    Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord.  ANTONY. Where is he?  LUCILIUS. 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!    When you do find him, or alive or dead,    He will be found like Brutus, like himself.  ANTONY. This is not Brutus, friend, but, I assure you,    A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe,    Give him all kindness; I had rather have    Such men my friends than enemies. Go on,    And see wheer Brutus be alive or dead,    And bring us word unto Octavius' tent    How everything is chanced. Exeunt.

SCENE V. Another part of the field

Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius.

  BRUTUS. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.  CLITUS. Statilius show'd the torchlight, but, my lord,    He came not back. He is or ta'en or slain.  BRUTUS. Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word:    It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. Whispers.  CLITUS. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.  BRUTUS. Peace then, no words.  CLITUS. I'll rather kill myself.  BRUTUS. Hark thee, Dardanius. Whispers.  DARDANIUS. Shall I do such a deed?  CLITUS. O Dardanius!  DARDANIUS. O Clitus!  CLITUS. What ill request did Brutus make to thee?  DARDANIUS. To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.  CLITUS. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,    That it runs over even at his eyes.  BRUTUS. Come hither, good Volumnius, list a word.  VOLUMNIUS. What says my lord?  BRUTUS. Why, this, Volumnius:    The ghost of Caesar hath appear'd to me    Two several times by night; at Sardis once,    And this last night here in Philippi fields.    I know my hour is come.  VOLUMNIUS. Not so, my lord.  BRUTUS. Nay I am sure it is, Volumnius.    Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;    Our enemies have beat us to the pit; Low alarums.    It is more worthy to leap in ourselves    Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,    Thou know'st that we two went to school together;    Even for that our love of old, I prithee,    Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.  VOLUMNIUS. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.                                                   Alarum still.  CLITUS. Fly, fly, my lord, there is no tarrying here.  BRUTUS. Farewell to you, and you, and you, Volumnius.    Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;    Farewell to thee too, Strato. Countrymen,    My heart doth joy that yet in all my life    I found no man but he was true to me.    I shall have glory by this losing day,    More than Octavius and Mark Antony    By this vile conquest shall attain unto.    So, fare you well at once, for Brutus' tongue    Hath almost ended his life's history.    Night hangs upon mine eyes, my bones would rest    That have but labor'd to attain this hour.                            Alarum. Cry within, "Fly, fly, fly!"  CLITUS. Fly, my lord, fly.  BRUTUS. Hence! I will follow.                        Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius.    I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.    Thou art a fellow of a good respect;    Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it.    Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,    While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?  STRATO. Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.  BRUTUS. Farewell, good Strato. Runs on his sword.    Caesar, now be still;    I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. Dies.Alarum. Retreat. Enter Octavius, Antony, Messala, Lucilius, and the Army  OCTAVIUS. What man is that?  MESSALA. My master's man. Strato, where is thy master?  STRATO. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala:    The conquerors can but make a fire of him;    For Brutus only overcame himself,    And no man else hath honor by his death.  LUCILIUS. So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,    That thou hast proved Lucilius' saying true.  OCTAVIUS. All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.    Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?  STRATO. Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.  OCTAVIUS. Do so, good Messala.  MESSALA. How died my master, Strato?  STRATO. I held the sword, and he did run on it.  MESSALA. Octavius, then take him to follow thee    That did the latest service to my master.  ANTONY. This was the noblest Roman of them all.    All the conspirators, save only he,    Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;    He only, in a general honest thought    And common good to all, made one of them.    His life was gentle, and the elements    So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up    And say to all the world, "This was a man!"  OCTAVIUS. According to his virtue let us use him    With all respect and rites of burial.    Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,    Most like a soldier, ordered honorably.    So call the field to rest, and let's away,    To part the glories of this happy day. Exeunt.

THE END