Titinius.

Hie you, Messala,

And I will seek for Pindarus the while.

80Why 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 every thing!

85But, 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:

90Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.

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 Cæsar, thou art mighty yet!

In our own proper entrails.[82]

Cato.

Brave Titinius!

Look, where[83][84] he have not crown'd dead Cassius!

Brutus. Are yet two Romans living such as these?

The[85] last of all the Romans, fare[86] thee well!

100It is impossible that ever Rome

Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe moe[87][88] 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[89][90] send his body:

105His funerals shall not be in our camp,

Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come;

And come, young Cato; let us to the field.

Labeo and Flavius,[91][92] set our battles on:

'T is three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night

110We shall try fortune in a second fight.[93]

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

Cato. What bastard doth not?[97] Who will go with me?

I will proclaim my name about the field.

I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

5A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend;

I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

Lucilius.[98] And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I;

Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus![99]

O young and noble Cato, art thou down?

10Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius;

And mayst be honour'd, being Cato's son.[100][101]

1 Soldier. Yield, or thou diest.

Lucilius.

Only I yield to die:

There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight;

Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death.

151 Soldier.[103] We must not. A noble prisoner!

2 Soldier. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en.

1 Soldier. I'll tell the news.[104] Here comes the general.

Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord.

Antony. Where is he?

20Lucilius. 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,

25He will be found like Brutus, like himself

Antony. This is not Brutus, friend;[106] 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.[107] Go on,

30And see where[108] Brutus be alive or dead;

And bring us word unto Octavius' tent

How every thing is chanc'd.

Brutus. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

Clitus. Statilius show'd the torch-light, but, my lord;

He came not back. He is or ta'en or slain.[111]

Brutus. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word;

5It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.

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.

Dardanius.

Shall[113] I do such a deed?

Clitus. O Dardanius!

10Dardanius. 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[114] of grief,

That it runs over even at his eyes.

15Brutus. Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word.

Volumnius. What says my lord?

Brutus.

Why, this, Volumnius:

The ghost of Cæsar hath appear'd to me[115]

Two several times by night; at Sardis once,

And, this last night, here in Philippi fields:

I know my hour is come.

Volumnius.

20Not 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

25Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,

Thou know'st that we two went to school together:[116]

Even for that our love of old, I prithee,[117]

Hold thou my sword-hilts,[118] whilst[119] I run on it.

Volumnius. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

30Clitus. 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.[120] Countrymen,

My heart doth joy that yet in[121] all my life

35I found no man but he was true to me.

I shall have glory by this losing[122] day,

More than Octavius and Mark Antony

By this vile conquest shall attain unto.

So, fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue

40Hath almost ended his life's[123] history:

Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest,

That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

Clitus. Fly, my lord, fly!

Brutus.[124]

Hence! I will follow.

I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:

45Thou art a fellow of a good respect;[126]

Thy life hath had some smatch[127] of honour in it:

Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,[128]

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][129]

50Cæsar, now be still:

I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

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:

55The conquerors can but make a fire of him;

For Brutus only overcame himself,

And no man else hath honour by his death.

Lucilius. So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,

That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true.

60Octavius. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.[131]

Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?

Strato. Ay, if Messala will prefer[132] me to you.

Octavius. Do so, good Messala.

Messala. How died my master,[133] Strato?

65Strato. 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:[134]

All the conspirators, save only he,

70Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar;[135]

He only, in[136] a general honest thought

And[137] common good to all, made one of them.

His life was gentle, and the elements

So mix'd in him,[138] that Nature might stand up

75And say to all the world, 'This was a man!'

Octavius. According to his virtue let us use him,

With all[139] respect and rites of burial.

Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie,

Most like a soldier,[140] ordered[141] honourably.

80So call the field to rest;[142] and let's away

To part[143] the glories of this happy day.