Octavius.

You may do your will;

But he's a tried and valiant soldier.

Antony. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that

30I do appoint him store of provender:

It is a creature that I teach to fight,

To wind,[10] to stop, to run directly on,

His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.

And, in some taste,[11] is Lepidus but so;

35He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth:

A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds

On objects, arts,[12] and imitations,[13]

Which, out of use and stal'd[14][15] by other men,

Begin his fashion: do not talk of him

40But as a property.[16] And now, Octavius,

Listen[17] great things: Brutus and Cassius

Are levying powers: we must straight make head:[18]

Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,

Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out;[19][20]

45And let us presently go sit in council,

And bay'd about[21] with many enemies;

50And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,

Millions of mischiefs.

[Exeunt]

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

5To do you salutation from his master.

Brutus. He greets me well.[26] Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change,[27][28] 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.

10Pindarus. 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[29] he receiv'd you:[30][31] let me be resolv'd.

15Lucilius. With courtesy and with respect enough;

But not with such familiar instances,[32]

Nor with such free and friendly conference,

As he hath us'd of old.

Brutus.

Thou hast describ'd

A hot friend cooling: ever note, Lucilius,

20When 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,[33]

Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;

25But when they should endure the bloody spur,

They fall[34] their crests, and, like deceitful jades,[35]

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.

30Brutus.

Hark! he is arriv'd.

March gently on to meet him.

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?

40Cassius. 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,

45Let us not wrangle: bid them move away;

Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,[38]

And I will give you audience.

Cassius.

Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

50Brutus. Lucilius,[39] do you the like; and let no man

Come to our tent till we have done our conference.

Let Lucius[40][41] and Titinius guard our[42] door.

Cassius. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:

You have condemn'd and noted[48] Lucius Pella

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;[49]

Wherein my letters, praying on his side,

5Because I knew the man,[50] was[51] slighted off.[52]

Brutus. You wrong'd yourself to write[53] in such a case.

Cassius. In such a time as this it is not meet

That every nice[54] offence should bear his[55] comment.

Brutus. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

10Are 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 speaks this,

Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

15Brutus. The name of Cassius honours this corruption,

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cassius. Chastisement!

Brutus. Remember March, the Ides of March remember:[56]

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?

20What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,

And not for justice?[57] 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,

25And 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[58] the moon,

Than such a Roman.

Cassius.

Brutus, bait[59] not me;

I'll not endure it. You forget yourself,

30To hedge me in; I[60] am a soldier, I,

Older in practice, abler than yourself

To make conditions.[61]

Brutus.

Go to;[62][63] you are not, Cassius.[64]

Cassius. I am.

Brutus. I say you are not.

35Cassius. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;

Have mind upon your health, tempt me no farther.

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?

40Shall 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?[65]

45Must I observe[66] you? must I stand and crouch

Under your testy humour? By the gods,

You shall digest the venom of your spleen,[67]

Though[68] 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.

50Is it come to this?

Brutus. You say you are a better soldier:[69]

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[70] men.

55Cassius.[71] 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 Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me.

Brutus. Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.

60Cassius. 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.

65Brutus. 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

70For 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

75By any indirection.[72] 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,

80To[73] lock such rascal counters[74] from his friends,

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,

Dash him to pieces!

Cassius.

I denied you not.[75]

Brutus. You did.

Cassius. I did not: he was but a fool that brought[76]

85My answer back. Brutus hath riv'd 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.

90Cassius. 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,

95For Cassius is a-weary of the world;

Hated by one he loves; brav'd[77] by his brother;

Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd,

Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,

To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

100My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,

And here my naked breast; within, a heart

Dearer than Plutus'[78][79] mine, richer than gold:

If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;

I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:

105Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better

Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.

Brutus.

Sheathe your dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;

Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.[80][81]

110O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb

That carries anger as the flint bears fire;[82]

Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,

And straight is cold again.

Cassius.

Hath Cassius liv'd

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,

115When 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,

120When 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.[83]

Poet. [Within][84] Let me go in to see the generals;

125There 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.

Cassius. How now! what's the matter?

130Poet.[86] 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[87] doth[88] this cynic rhyme!

Brutus. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!

135Cassius. 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[89] fools?

Companion,[90] hence!

Cassius.

Away, away, be gone!

Brutus. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders

140Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Cassius. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you

Immediately to us.

Brutus.

Lucius, a bowl of wine!

Cassius. I did not think you could have been so angry.

Brutus. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

145Cassius.[95] 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.

150Cassius. How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so?

O insupportable and touching loss!

Upon what sickness?

Brutus.

Impatient[96] of my absence,

And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony

Have made themselves so strong,—for with her death

155That tidings came,—with this she fell distract,[97]

And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.[98]

Cassius. And died so?

Brutus.

Even so.

Cassius.

O ye immortal gods!

Brutus. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.

In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.

160Cassius. 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!

Welcome, good Messala.

Now sit we close about this taper here,

165And call in question[104] 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,

170Bending their expedition[105] toward Philippi.

Messala. Myself have letters of the selfsame tenour.[106]

Brutus. With what addition?

Messala. That by proscription and bills of outlawry,[107]

Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

175Have 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.

Cicero is dead,[108]

180And by that order of proscription[109]

Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?

Brutus. No, Messala.

Messala. Nor nothing in your letters writ[110] of her?

Brutus. Nothing, Messala.[111]

Messala.

That, methinks, is strange.

185Brutus.[112] Why ask you? hear you aught[113] 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.

190Brutus. Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:

With meditating that she must die once,[114]

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[115] as you,

195But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Brutus. Well, to our work alive.[116] What do you think

Of marching to Philippi presently?[117]

Cassius. I do not think it good.

Brutus.

Your reason?

Cassius.

This it is:

'Tis better that the enemy seek us:

200So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,

Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,

Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Brutus. Good reasons must of force[118] give place to better.

The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground

205Do stand but in a forc'd affection,

For they have grudg'd us contribution:

The enemy, marching along by them,

By them shall make a fuller number up,

Come on refresh'd, new-added,[119][120] and encourag'd;

210From 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,

215Our 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;

220Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.[121]

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose[122] our ventures.[123]

Cassius.

Then, with your will, go on;

225We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.