MESSALA. Seek him, t.i.tinius, whilst I go to meet The n.o.ble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears: I may say, 'thrusting' it; 75 For piercing steel and darts envenomed Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus As tidings of this sight.

t.i.tINIUS. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [_Exit_ MESSALA]

Why didst thou send me forth, brave Ca.s.sius? 80 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 every thing!

But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 85 Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace, And see how I regarded Caius Ca.s.sius.

By your leave, G.o.ds: this is a Roman's part: 89 Come, Ca.s.sius' sword, and find t.i.tinius' heart. [_Dies_]

[Note 71: /engender'd/

engendred Ff.]

[Note 79: [_Exit_ MESSALA]

Ff omit.]

[Note 67-69. Ca.s.sius is said to have been of a highly choleric or bilious temperament, and as such, predisposed to melancholy views of life.]

[Note 90: "By-and-by they knew the hors.e.m.e.n that came towards them, and might see t.i.tinius crowned with a garland of triumph, who came before with great speed unto Ca.s.sius. But when he perceived, by the cries and tears of his friends which tormented themselves, the misfortune that had chanced to his captain Ca.s.sius 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 Ca.s.sius had been overthrown; but he knew nothing of his death till he came very near to his camp."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Page 158]

_Alarum._ _Re-enter_ MESSALA, _with_ BRUTUS, _young_ CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, _and_ LUCILIUS

BRUTUS. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?

MESSALA. Lo, yonder, and t.i.tinius mourning it.

BRUTUS. t.i.tinius' face is upward.

CATO. He is slain.

BRUTUS. O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!

Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords 95 In our own proper entrails. [_Low alarums_]

CATO. Brave t.i.tinius!

Look, where he have not crown'd dead Ca.s.sius!

[Note 91: Scene VI Pope.--_Re-enter_ MESSALA, _with_ BRUTUS ...

Enter Brutus, Messala ... Ff.]

[Note 97: /where/ Ff

if Pope

whether Camb Globe

wh'er Capell

wher Dyce.]

[Note 94-96: Brutus here strikes again, full and strong, the proper keynote of the play. The facts involved are well stated by Froude: "The murderers of Caesar, 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."]

[Note 97: /where:/ whether. So in V, iv, 30. See note, p. 7, l. 63.]

[Page 159]

BRUTUS. Are yet two Romans living such as these?

The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!

It is impossible that ever Rome 100 Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe moe tears To this dead man than you shall see me pay.

I shall find time, Ca.s.sius, I shall find time.

Come, therefore, and to Thasos send his body: His funerals shall not be in our camp, 105 Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come; And come, young Cato; let us to the field.

Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on: 'T is three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night 109 We shall try fortune in a second fight. [_Exeunt_]

[Note 99: /The/ Ff

Thou Rowe.--fare

far F1.]

[Note 101: /moe/ F3 F4

mo F1 F2

more Rowe.]

[Note 104: /Thasos/ Camb Globe (Walker conj.)

Tha.s.sos Theobald

Tharsus Ff.]

[Note 108: /Labeo/ Hanmer

Labio Ff.--Flavius, F4

Flauio F1

Flavius F2 F3.]

[Note 101: /moe:/ more. See note, p. 48, l. 72. See Skeat under 'more.']

[Note 104. /Thasos./ A large island off the coast of Thrace.

"So when he was come thither, after he had lamented the death of Ca.s.sius, calling him the last of all the Romans, being unpossible that Rome should ever breed again so n.o.ble and valiant a man as he, he caused his body to be buried, and sent it to the city of Tha.s.sos, fearing lest his funerals within his camp should cause great disorder. Then he called his soldiers together, and did encourage them again."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Note 108: /Labeo and Flavius./ These two men are not named among the persons of the drama, because they speak nothing.

Labeo was one of the stabbers of Caesar; and it related that when he saw that all was lost, having dug his own grave, he enfranchised a slave, and then he thrust a weapon into his hand ordering him to kill him.]

[Note 109-110: Shakespeare with dramatic effectiveness represents both battles as occurring the same day. They were separated by an interval of twenty days. The 'three o'clock'

is from Plutarch. "He suddenly caused his army to march, being past three of the clock in the afternoon."--_Marcus Brutus._]

[Page 160]

SCENE IV. _Another part of the field._

_Alarum. Enter_ BRUTUS, _young_ CATO, LUCILIUS, _and others_

BRUTUS. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads!

CATO. What b.a.s.t.a.r.d 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; 5 I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

_Enter_ Soldiers, _and fight_

LUCILIUS. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus!

O young and n.o.ble Cato, art thou down?

Why, now thou diest as bravely as t.i.tinius; 10 And mayst be honour'd, being Cato's son.

1 SOLDIER. Yield, or thou diest.

[Note: SCENE IV Capell

Scene VII Pope.--_Another part_ ...

Capell

Ff omit.]

[Note: _Enter_ BRUTUS ...

Enter Brutus, Messala, Cato, Lucillius and Flauius Ff]

[Note 7: LUCILIUS

Bru. Rowe

Ff omit.]