Julius Caesar

Actus Quartus

Enter Antony, Octauius, and Lepidus.

  Ant. These many then shall die, their names are prickt

  Octa. Your Brother too must dye: consent you Lepidus?

  Lep. I do consent

Octa. Pricke him downe Antony

   Lep. Vpon condition Publius shall not liue,

Who is your Sisters sonne, Marke Antony

   Ant. He shall not liue; looke, with a spot I dam him.

But Lepidus, go you to Caesars house:

Fetch the Will hither, and we shall determine

How to cut off some charge in Legacies

   Lep. What? shall I finde you heere?

  Octa. Or heere, or at the Capitoll.

Exit Lepidus

  Ant. This is a slight vnmeritable man,

Meet to be sent on Errands: is it fit

The three-fold World diuided, he should stand

One of the three to share it?

  Octa. So you thought him,

And tooke his voyce who should be prickt to dye

In our blacke Sentence and Proscription

   Ant. Octauius, I haue seene more dayes then you,

And though we lay these Honours on this man,

To ease our selues of diuers sland'rous loads,

He shall but beare them, as the Asse beares Gold,

To groane and swet vnder the Businesse,

Either led or driuen, as we point the way:

And hauing brought our Treasure, where we will,

Then take we downe his Load, and turne him off

(Like to the empty Asse) to shake his eares,

And graze in Commons

   Octa. You may do your will:

But hee's a tried, and valiant Souldier

   Ant. So is my Horse Octauius, and for that

I do appoint him store of Prouender.

It is a Creature that I teach to fight,

To winde, to stop, to run directly on:

His corporall Motion, gouern'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 Obiects, Arts, and Imitations.

Which out of vse, and stal'de by other men

Begin his fashion. Do not talke of him,

But as a property: and now Octauius,

Listen great things. Brutus and Cassius

Are leuying Powers; We must straight make head:

Therefore let our Alliance be combin'd,

Our best Friends made, our meanes stretcht,

And let vs presently go sit in Councell,

How couert matters may be best disclos'd,

And open Perils surest answered

   Octa. Let vs do so: for we are at the stake,

And bayed about with many Enemies,

And some that smile haue in their hearts I feare

Millions of Mischeefes.

Exeunt.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucillius, and the Army. Titinius and Pindarus meete them.

Bru. Stand ho

Lucil. Giue the word ho, and Stand

   Bru. What now Lucillius, is Cassius neere?

  Lucil. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you salutation from his Master

   Bru. He greets me well. Your Master Pindarus

In his owne change, or by ill Officers,

Hath giuen me some worthy cause to wish

Things done, vndone: But if he be at hand

I shall be satisfied

   Pin. I do not doubt

But that my Noble Master will appeare

Such as he is, full of regard, and Honour

   Bru. He is not doubted. A word Lucillius

How he receiu'd you: let me be resolu'd

   Lucil. With courtesie, and with respect enough,

But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly Conference

As he hath vs'd of old

   Bru. Thou hast describ'd

A hot Friend, cooling: Euer note Lucillius,

When Loue begins to sicken and decay

It vseth an enforced Ceremony.

There are no trickes, in plaine and simple Faith:

But hollow men, like Horses hot at hand,

Make gallant shew, and promise of their Mettle:

Low March within.

But when they should endure the bloody Spurre,

They fall their Crests, and like deceitfull Iades

Sinke in the Triall. Comes his Army on?

  Lucil. They meane this night in Sardis to be quarter'd:

The greater part, the Horse in generall

Are come with Cassius.

Enter Cassius and his Powers.

  Bru. Hearke, he is arriu'd:

March gently on to meete him

Cassi. Stand ho

   Bru. Stand ho, speake the word along.

Stand.

Stand.

Stand

Cassi. Most Noble Brother, you haue done me wrong

   Bru. Iudge me you Gods; wrong I mine Enemies?

And if not so, how should I wrong a Brother

   Cassi. Brutus, this sober forme of yours, hides wrongs,

And when you do them-

  Brut. Cassius, be content,

Speake your greefes softly, I do know you well.

Before the eyes of both our Armies heere

(Which should perceiue nothing but Loue from vs)

Let vs not wrangle. Bid them moue away:

Then in my Tent Cassius enlarge your Greefes,

And I will giue you Audience

   Cassi. Pindarus,

Bid our Commanders leade their Charges off

A little from this ground

   Bru. Lucillius, do you the like, and let no man

Come to our Tent, till we haue done our Conference.

Let Lucius and Titinius guard our doore.

Exeunt.

Manet Brutus and Cassius.

  Cassi. That you haue wrong'd me, doth appear in this:

You haue condemn'd, and noted Lucius Pella

For taking Bribes heere of the Sardians;

Wherein my Letters, praying on his side,

Because I knew the man was slighted off

Bru. You wrong'd your selfe to write in such a case

   Cassi. In such a time as this, it is not meet

That euery nice offence should beare his Comment

   Bru. Let me tell you Cassius, you your selfe

Are much condemn'd to haue an itching Palme,

To sell, and Mart your Offices for Gold

To Vndeseruers

   Cassi. I, an itching Palme?

You know that you are Brutus that speakes this,

Or by the Gods, this speech were else your last

   Bru. The name of Cassius Honors this corruption,

And Chasticement doth therefore hide his head

   Cassi. Chasticement?

  Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remeber:

Did not great Iulius bleede for Iustice sake?

What Villaine touch'd his body, that did stab,

And not for Iustice? What? Shall one of Vs,

That strucke the Formost 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 Honors

For so much trash, as may be grasped thus?

I had rather be a Dogge, and bay the Moone,

Then such a Roman

   Cassi. Brutus, baite not me,

Ile not indure it: you forget your selfe

To hedge me in. I am a Souldier, I,

Older in practice, Abler then your selfe

To make Conditions

Bru. Go too: you are not Cassius

Cassi. I am

Bru. I say, you are not

   Cassi. Vrge me no more, I shall forget my selfe:

Haue minde vpon your health: Tempt me no farther

Bru. Away slight man

   Cassi. Is't possible?

  Bru. Heare me, for I will speake.

Must I giue way, and roome to your rash Choller?

Shall I be frighted, when a Madman stares?

  Cassi. O ye Gods, ye Gods, Must I endure all this?

  Bru. All this? I more: Fret till your proud hart break.

Go shew your Slaues how Chollericke you are,

And make your Bondmen tremble. Must I bouge?

Must I obserue you? Must I stand and crouch

Vnder your Testie Humour? By the Gods,

You shall digest the Venom of your Spleene

Though it do Split you. For, from this day forth,

Ile vse you for my Mirth, yea for my Laughter

When you are Waspish

   Cassi. Is it come to this?

  Bru. You say, you are a better Souldier:

Let it appeare so; make your vaunting true,

And it shall please me well. For mine owne part,

I shall be glad to learne of Noble men

   Cass. You wrong me euery way:

You wrong me Brutus:

I saide, an Elder Souldier, not a Better.

Did I say Better?

  Bru. If you did, I care not

Cass. When Caesar liu'd, he durst not thus haue mou'd me

Brut. Peace, peace, you durst not so haue tempted him

Cassi. I durst not

Bru. No

   Cassi. What? durst not tempt him?

  Bru. For your life you durst not

   Cassi. Do not presume too much vpon my Loue,

I may do that I shall be sorry for

   Bru. You haue 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 passe by me, as the idle winde,

Which I respect not. I did send to you

For certaine summes of Gold, which you deny'd me,

For I can raise no money by vile meanes:

By Heauen, I had rather Coine my Heart,

And drop my blood for Drachmaes, then to wring

From the hard hands of Peazants, their vile trash

By any indirection. I did send

To you for Gold to pay my Legions,

Which you deny'd me: was that done like Cassius?

Should I haue answer'd Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus growes so Couetous,

To locke such Rascall Counters from his Friends,

Be ready Gods with all your Thunder-bolts,

Dash him to peeces

Cassi. I deny'd you not

Bru. You did

   Cassi. I did not. He was but a Foole

That brought my answer back. Brutus hath riu'd my hart:

A Friend should beare his Friends infirmities;

But Brutus makes mine greater then they are

Bru. I do not, till you practice them on me

Cassi. You loue me not

Bru. I do not like your faults

Cassi. A friendly eye could neuer see such faults

   Bru. A Flatterers would not, though they do appeare

As huge as high Olympus

   Cassi. Come Antony, and yong Octauius come,

Reuenge your selues alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is a-weary of the World:

Hated by one he loues, brau'd by his Brother,

Check'd like a bondman, all his faults obseru'd,

Set in a Note-booke, learn'd, and con'd by roate

To cast into my Teeth. O I could weepe

My Spirit from mine eyes. There is my Dagger,

And heere my naked Breast: Within, a Heart

Deerer then Pluto's Mine, Richer then Gold:

If that thou bee'st a Roman, take it foorth.

I that deny'd thee Gold, will giue my Heart:

Strike as thou did'st at Caesar: For I know,

When thou did'st hate him worst, y loued'st him better

Then euer thou loued'st Cassius

   Bru. Sheath your Dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall haue scope:

Do what you will, Dishonor, shall be Humour.

O Cassius, you are yoaked with a Lambe

That carries Anger, as the Flint beares fire,

Who much inforced, shewes a hastie Sparke,

And straite is cold agen

   Cassi. Hath Cassius liu'd

To be but Mirth and Laughter to his Brutus,

When greefe and blood ill temper'd, vexeth him?

  Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill temper'd too

Cassi. Do you confesse so much? Giue me your hand

Bru. And my heart too

   Cassi. O Brutus!

  Bru. What's the matter?

  Cassi. Haue not you loue enough to beare with me,

When that rash humour which my Mother gaue me

Makes me forgetfull

   Bru. Yes Cassius, and from henceforth

When you are ouer-earnest with your Brutus,

Hee'l thinke your Mother chides, and leaue you so.

Enter a Poet.

  Poet. Let me go in to see the Generals,

There is some grudge betweene 'em, 'tis not meete

They be alone

Lucil. You shall not come to them

Poet. Nothing but death shall stay me

   Cas. How now? What's the matter?

  Poet. For shame you Generals; what do you meane?

Loue, and be Friends, as two such men should bee,

For I haue seene more yeeres I'me sure then yee

   Cas. Ha, ha, how vildely doth this Cynicke rime?

  Bru. Get you hence sirra: Sawcy Fellow, hence

Cas. Beare with him Brutus, 'tis his fashion

   Brut. Ile know his humor, when he knowes his time:

What should the Warres do with these Iigging Fooles?

Companion, hence

Cas. Away, away be gone.

Exit Poet

  Bru. Lucillius and Titinius bid the Commanders

Prepare to lodge their Companies to night

   Cas. And come your selues, & bring Messala with you

Immediately to vs

Bru. Lucius, a bowle of Wine

Cas. I did not thinke you could haue bin so angry

Bru. O Cassius, I am sicke of many greefes

   Cas. Of your Philosophy you make no vse,

If you giue place to accidentall euils

Bru. No man beares sorrow better. Portia is dead

   Cas. Ha? Portia?

  Bru. She is dead

   Cas. How scap'd I killing, when I crost you so?

O insupportable, and touching losse!

Vpon what sicknesse?

  Bru. Impatient of my absence,

And greefe, that yong Octauius with Mark Antony

Haue made themselues so strong: For with her death

That tydings came. With this she fell distract,

And (her Attendants absent) swallow'd fire

   Cas. And dy'd so?

  Bru. Euen so

   Cas. O ye immortall Gods!

Enter Boy with Wine, and Tapers.

  Bru. Speak no more of her: Giue me a bowl of wine,

In this I bury all vnkindnesse Cassius.

Drinkes

  Cas. My heart is thirsty for that Noble pledge.

Fill Lucius, till the Wine ore-swell the Cup:

I cannot drinke too much of Brutus loue.

Enter Titinius and Messala.

  Brutus. Come in Titinius:

Welcome good Messala:

Now sit we close about this Taper heere,

And call in question our necessities

   Cass. Portia, art thou gone?

  Bru. No more I pray you.

Messala, I haue heere receiued Letters,

That yong Octauius, and Marke Antony

Come downe vpon vs with a mighty power,

Bending their Expedition toward Philippi

Mess. My selfe haue Letters of the selfe-same Tenure

Bru. With what Addition

   Mess. That by proscription, and billes of Outlarie,

Octauius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Haue put to death, an hundred Senators

   Bru. Therein our Letters do not well agree:

Mine speake of seuenty Senators, that dy'de

By their proscriptions, Cicero being one

   Cassi. Cicero one?

  Messa. Cicero is dead, and by that order of proscription

Had you your Letters from your wife, my Lord?

  Bru. No Messala

   Messa. Nor nothing in your Letters writ of her?

  Bru. Nothing Messala

Messa. That me thinkes is strange

   Bru. Why aske you?

Heare you ought of her, in yours?

  Messa. No my Lord

Bru. Now as you are a Roman tell me true

   Messa. Then like a Roman, beare the truth I tell,

For certaine she is dead, and by strange manner

   Bru. Why farewell Portia: We must die Messala:

With meditating that she must dye once,

I haue the patience to endure it now

Messa. Euen so great men, great losses shold indure

   Cassi. I haue as much of this in Art as you,

But yet my Nature could not beare it so

   Bru. Well, to our worke aliue. What do you thinke

Of marching to Philippi presently

Cassi. I do not thinke it good

   Bru. Your reason?

  Cassi. This it is:

'Tis better that the Enemie seeke vs,

So shall he waste his meanes, weary his Souldiers,

Doing himselfe offence, whil'st we lying still,

Are full of rest, defence, and nimblenesse

   Bru. Good reasons must of force giue place to better:

The people 'twixt Philippi, and this ground

Do stand but in a forc'd affection:

For they haue grug'd vs Contribution.

The Enemy, marching along by them,

By them shall make a fuller number vp,

Come on refresht, new added, and encourag'd:

From which aduantage shall we cut him off.

If at Philippi we do face him there,

These people at our backe

Cassi. Heare me good Brother

   Bru. Vnder your pardon. You must note beside,

That we haue tride the vtmost of our Friends:

Our Legions are brim full, our cause is ripe,

The Enemy encreaseth euery day,

We at the height, are readie to decline.

There is a Tide in the affayres of men,

Which taken at the Flood, leades on to Fortune:

Omitted, all the voyage of their life,

Is bound in Shallowes, and in Miseries.

On such a full Sea are we now a-float,

And we must take the current when it serues,

Or loose our Ventures

   Cassi. Then with your will go on: wee'l along

Our selues, and meet them at Philippi

   Bru. The deepe of night is crept vpon our talke,

And Nature must obey Necessitie,

Which we will niggard with a little rest:

There is no more to say

   Cassi. No more, good night,

Early to morrow will we rise, and hence.

Enter Lucius.

  Bru. Lucius my Gowne: farewell good Messala,

Good night Titinius: Noble, Noble Cassius,

Good night, and good repose

   Cassi. O my deere Brother:

This was an ill beginning of the night:

Neuer come such diuision 'tweene our soules:

Let it not Brutus.

Enter Lucius with the Gowne.

Bru. Euery thing is well

Cassi. Good night my Lord

Bru. Good night good Brother

Tit. Messa. Good night Lord Brutus

Bru. Farwell euery one.

Exeunt.

Giue me the Gowne. Where is thy Instrument?

  Luc. Heere in the Tent

   Bru. What, thou speak'st drowsily?

Poore knaue I blame thee not, thou art ore-watch'd.

Call Claudio, and some other of my men,

Ile haue them sleepe on Cushions in my Tent

   Luc. Varrus, and Claudio.

Enter Varrus and Claudio.

  Var. Cals my Lord?

  Bru. I pray you sirs, lye in my Tent and sleepe,

It may be I shall raise you by and by

On businesse to my Brother Cassius

   Var. So please you, we will stand,

And watch your pleasure

   Bru. I will it not haue it so: Lye downe good sirs,

It may be I shall otherwise bethinke me.

Looke Lucius, heere's the booke I sought for so:

I put it in the pocket of my Gowne

Luc. I was sure your Lordship did not giue it me

   Bru. Beare with me good Boy, I am much forgetfull.

Canst thou hold vp thy heauie eyes a-while,

And touch thy Instrument a straine or two

Luc. I my Lord, an't please you

   Bru. It does my Boy:

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing

Luc. It is my duty Sir

   Brut. I should not vrge thy duty past thy might,

I know yong bloods looke for a time of rest

Luc. I haue slept my Lord already

   Bru. It was well done, and thou shalt sleepe againe:

I will not hold thee long. If I do liue,

I will be good to thee.

Musicke, and a Song.

This is a sleepy Tune: O Murd'rous slumber!

Layest thou thy Leaden Mace vpon my Boy,

That playes thee Musicke? Gentle knaue good night:

I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:

If thou do'st nod, thou break'st thy Instrument,

Ile take it from thee, and (good Boy) good night.

Let me see, let me see; is not the Leafe turn'd downe

Where I left reading? Heere it is I thinke.

Enter the Ghost of Caesar.

How ill this Taper burnes. Ha! Who comes heere?

I thinke it is the weakenesse of mine eyes

That shapes this monstrous Apparition.

It comes vpon me: Art thou any thing?

Art thou some God, some Angell, or some Diuell,

That mak'st my blood cold, and my haire to stare?

Speake to me, what thou art

   Ghost. Thy euill Spirit Brutus?

  Bru. Why com'st thou?

  Ghost. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi

   Brut. Well: then I shall see thee againe?

  Ghost. I, at Philippi

   Brut. Why I will see thee at Philippi then:

Now I haue taken heart, thou vanishest.

Ill Spirit, I would hold more talke with thee.

Boy, Lucius, Varrus, Claudio, Sirs: Awake:

Claudio

Luc. The strings my Lord, are false

   Bru. He thinkes he still is at his Instrument.

Lucius, awake

Luc. My Lord

   Bru. Did'st thou dreame Lucius, that thou so cryedst

out?

  Luc. My Lord, I do not know that I did cry

   Bru. Yes that thou did'st: Did'st thou see any thing?

  Luc. Nothing my Lord