Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

Therefore our everlasting farewel take;
For ever, and for ever, farewel, Caffius!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why, then this parting was well made.
Caf For ever, and for ever, farewel, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we'll fmile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

Bru. Why then, lead on. O, that a man might know The end of this day's bufinefs ere it come!

But it fufficeth, that the day will end;

And then the end is known. Come, ho, away. [Exeunt.

Alarum. Enter Brutus and Meffala.

[Loud alarum.

Bru. Ride, ride, Messala; ride, and give these bills
Unto the legions, on the other fide.
Let them fet on at once; for I perceive
But cold demeanor in Octavius' wing;
A fudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Mejala, let them all come down.

Alarum. Enter Caffius and Titinius.
Caf. O look, Titinius, look, the villains By!
My felf have to mine own turn'd enemy;
This enfign here of mine was turning back,
I flew the coward, and did take it from him.
Tit. O Caffius, Brutus gave the word too early;
Who having fome advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly; his foldiers fell to spoil,
Whilft we by Antony were all inclos'd.

Enter Pindarus.

Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your Tents, my lord;

Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.

[Exte

Caf. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius, Are thofe my Tents, where I perceive the fire?

Tit. They are, my lord.

Caf. Titinius. if thou lov'ft me,

Mount thou my horfe, and hide thy fpurs in him,
Til he have brought thee up to yonder troops,

And

And here again; that I may rest assur'd,
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

Tit. I will be here again, ev'n with a thought. [Exit. Caf. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill, My fight was ever thick; regard Titinius, And tell me what thou note'ft about the field. This day I breathed firft; time is come round; And where I did begin, there shall I end; My life is run its compafs. Now, what news? Pind above. Oh, my lord!

Caf. What news?

Pind. Titinius is inclosed round about
With horsemen that make to him on the fpur;
Yet he fpurs on. Now they are almost on him;
Titinius now fome light-oh, he lights too-
He's ta'en and hark they fhout for joy.

Caf. Come down, behold no more;
Oh, coward that I am, to live fo long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face!
Enter Pindarus.

Come hither, firrah;

In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;
And then I fwore thee, faving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do,

[Shout

Thou shouldst attempt it. Come, now keep thine oath,
Now be a freeman; and with this good fword,
That ran through Cafar's bowels, fearch this bofom.
Stand not to answer; here, take thou the hilt;
And when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,

Guide thou the sword- -Cefar, thou art reveng'd,
Ev'n with the fword that kill'd thee.- [Kills himself.
Pind. So, I am free; yet would not fo have been,
Durft I have done my will. Oh, Caffius!
Far from this country Pindarus fhall run,
Where never Roman fhall take note of him.

Enter Titinius, and Meffala.

Mef. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavias Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,

[Exit

D. 4

[ocr errors]

As Caffius' legions are by Antony.

Tit. Thefe tidings will well comfort Caffius
Mef. Where did you leave him ?

Tit. All difconfolate,

With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.

Mef. Is not that he, that lies upon the ground? Tit. He lies not like the living. Oh my heart! Mef. Is not that he?

Tit. No, this was he, Messala;

But Caffius is no more! Oh, fetting Sun!
As in thy red rays thou doft fink to-night,
So in his red blood Caffius' day is fet;

The Sun of Rome is fet! our day is gone;

Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are dones Miftruft of my fuccefs hath done this deed.

Me Miftruft of good fuccefs hath done this deed.

Oh! hateful Error, Melancholy's child!

Why dost thou fhew to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? Error, foon conceiv'd,
Thou never com'ft unto a happy birth,

But kill'ft the mother that engender'd thee.

Tit. What, Pindarus? where art thou, Pindarus? Mef. Seek him Titinius; whilft I go to meet

The nahi D.........

Robie Bruins, thruking this report

Into his ears; I may fay, thrufting it;
For piercing fteel, and darts invenomed,
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus,
As tidings of this fight.

Tit. Hie you, Messala,

And I will feek for Pindarus the while.

[Exit Mef.

Why didft thou fend me forth, brave Caffius!
Did I not meet thy friends, and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,

[fhouts?

And bid me give it thee? didft thou not hear their
Alas, thou haft mifconftru'd ev'ry thing.
But 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 fee how I regarded Caius Caffius.

By

By your leave, Gods- —This is a Roman's part.

[Stabs himself

Come, Caffius' fword, and find Titinius' heart. [Dies.

Alarum. Enter Brutus, Meffala, young Cato, Strato,
Volumnius, and Lucilius.

Bru. Where, where, Meffala, doth his body lie?
Mef. Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
Bru. Titinius' face is upward.

Cato. He is flain.

Bru. Oh Julius Cæfar, thou art mighty yet! Thy Spirit walks abroad, and turns our fwords In our own proper entrails. [Low alarums

Cato. Brave Titinius!

Look, if he have not crown'd dead Caffius !

Bru. Are yet two Romans living, fuch as these? Thou laft of all the Romans! fare thee well;

It is impoffible, that ever Rome

Should breed thy fellow. (33) Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man, than you shall fee me pay.

I fhall find time, Caffius, I fhall find time

Come, therefore, (34) and to Thaos fend his body:

(33)

Friends, I owe more tears

To this dead man.] This paffage (but why, I know not) feems twice to have been fneer'd in Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the Burning Peftle. Lucé crying over Jasper, her sweetheart, suppos'ddead, fays;

Good friends, depart a little, whilft I take
My leave of this dead man, that once I lov'd,

And Mafter Humphry, before, fays to Lucé,

I care not at what price; for, on my word, it
Shall be repaid again, although it coft me
More than I'll fpeak of now..

(34)—and to Tharfus fend bis body.] Thus all the editions hitherto, very ignorantly. But the whole tenor of hiftory warrants as to write, as I have reftored the text, Thaffos.-Tharfos was a town of Cilicia, in Afia Minor: and is it probable, Brutus could think of fending Caffius's body thither out of Thrace, where they were now incamp'd? Thaos, on the contrary, was a little ifle lying close upon Thrace, and at but a small distance from Philippi, to which the body might very commodiously be transported. Vid. Plutarch, Appian, Dion Caffius, n

1

His funeral fhall not be in our Camp,
Left it difcomfort us. Lucilius, come;
And come, young Cato; let us to the field.
Labio, and Flavius, fet our battles on.
'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night
We fhall try fortune in a fecond fight.

[Exeunt Alarum. Enter Brutus, Meffala, Cato, Lucilius, and Flavius.

Bru, Yet, Countrymen, oh yet, hold up your heads: Cato. What baftard doth not? who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field.

I am the Son of Marcus Cato, ho!

A foe to tyrants, and my Country's friend.
I am the Son of Marcus Cato, ho!

Enter Soldiers and fight.

Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my Country's friend; know me for Brutus.

[Exite
Luc. Oh young and noble Cato, art thou down?
Why, now thou dieft as bravely as Titinius ;
And may't be honour'd, being Cato's Son.
Sold. Yield, or thou diest.
Luc. Only I yield to die;

There is fo much, that thou wilt kill me ftraight;
Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death.
Sold. We must not. A noble Prifoner!

Enter Antony.

2 Sild Room, ho! tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 Sold. I'll tell thee news, here comes the General Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my Lord.

Ant, Where is he?

Luc. Safe, Antony; Brutus is fafe enough. Idare affure thee, that no enemy

'Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus:

The Gods defend him from fo great a fhame!
When you do find him or alive, or dead,

will be found like Brutus, like himself.

« ElőzőTovább »