Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy, Enter the Ghost of CESAR. [He sits down. How ill this taper burns!-Ha! who comes here? Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus. Bru. Why com'st thou ? Ghost. To tell thee, thou shalt see me at Philippi. Bru. Well; Then I shall see thee again? Ghost. Ay, at Philippi. [Ghost vanishes. Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi then.— Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.- Luc. The strings, my lord, are false. Bru. He thinks, he still is at his instrument.-— Lucius, awake. Luc. My lord! Bru. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so cry'dst out? 5 thy leaden mace - A mace is the ancient term for a sceptre. Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry. Bru. Yes, that thou didst: Didst thou see any thing? Luc. Nothing, my lord. Bru. Sleep again, Lucius.-Sirrah, Claudius! Fellow thou! awake. Var. My lord. Clau. My lord. Bru. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep? Bru. Ay; Saw you any thing? Nor I, my lord. Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing. Clau Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius; Bid him set on his powers betimes before, Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered : 6 Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know Wherefore they do it: they could be content To visit other places; and come down. warn us -] To warn is to summon. With fearful bravery, thinking, by this face, To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage; Enter a Messenger. Mess. Prepare you, generals: The enemy comes on in gallant show: Oct. Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left. Ant. Why do you cross me in this exigent? Oct. I do not cross you; but I will do so. [March. Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and Others. Bru. They stand, and would have parley. Cas. Stand fast, Titinius: We must out and talk. Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, countrymen ? Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words: Cas. Antony, The posture of your blows are yet unknown; Ant. Not stingless too. Bru. O, yes, and soundless too; For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony, Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers Hack'd one another in the sides of Cæsar: You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds, And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet; Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind, Struck Cæsar on the neck. O flatterers +! Cas. Flatterers!-Now, Brutus, thank yourself: This tongue had not offended so to-day, If Cassius might have rul'd. Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make us sweat, The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look ; I draw a sword against conspirators; When think you that the sword goes up again?— Oct. So I hope; I was not born to die on Brutus' sword. Bru. O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain, Young man, thou could'st not die more honourable. Cas. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour, Join'd with a masker and a reveller. Ant. Old Cassius still! Oct. Come, Antony; away.— Defiance, traitors, hurl we' in your teeth: If you dare fight to-day, come to the field; If not, when you have stomachs. +"O you [Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army. flatterers!"-MALONE. 7 Defiance, traitors, hurl we —] Hurl is peculiarly expressive. The challenger in judicial combats was said to hurl down his gage, when he threw his glove down as a pledge that he would make good his charge against his adversary. Cas. Why now, blow, wind; swell, billow; and swim, bark! The storm is up, and all is on the hazard. This is my birth-day; as this very day Messala, Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala: 8 You know, that I held Epicurus strong, This morning are they fled away, and gone; Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. Mes. Believe not so. Cas. I but believe it partly; For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv'd To meet all perils very constantly. Bru. Even so, Lucilius. Cas. Now, most noble Brutus, The gods to-day stand friendly; that we may, 8 our former ensign —] former is foremost. VOL. VII. G |