Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare [top ten books of all time txt] 📗

and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard. Brutus Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you. Lucilius Standing forth. My lord? Brutus and Lucilius converse apart. Cassius Messala! Messala Standing forth. What says my general? Cassius

Messala,
This is my birth-day; as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Be thou my witness that against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compell’d to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch’d,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers’ hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
This morning are they fled away and gone;
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,
Fly o’er our heads and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

Messala Believe not so. Cassius

I but believe it partly;
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

Brutus Even so, Lucilius. Cassius

Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let’s reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do?

Brutus

Even by the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself, I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life: arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high powers
That govern us below.

Cassius

Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?

Brutus

No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work the ides of March begun;
And whether we shall meet again I know not.
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
Forever, and forever, farewell, Cassius!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why then, this parting was well made.

Cassius

Forever, and forever, farewell, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed;
If not, ’tis true this parting was well made.

Brutus

Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
The end of this day’s business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away! Exeunt.

Scene II

The same. 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 demeanour in Octavius’ 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 will 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’