ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, and LEPIDUS, seated at a table.

ANTONY. These many, then, shall die; their names are

prick'd.

OCTAVIUS. Your brother too must die; consent you,

Lepidus ?

LEPIDUS. I do consent

OCTAVIUS.

Prick him down, Antony.

LEPIDUS. Upon condition Publius shall not live,

Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

ANTONY. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;

Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine
How to cut off some charge in legacies.
LEPIDUS. What, shall I find you here?
OCTAVIUS. Or here, or at the Capitol.
ANTONY. This is a slight unmeritable man,

Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit,

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[Exit LEPIDUS.

The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it ?

OCTAVIUS.

So you thought him, And took his voice who should be prick'd to die, In our black sentence and proscription.

ANTONY. Octavius, I have seen more days than you :
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.

OCTAVIUS.

You may do your will;

But he's a tried and valiant soldier.
ANTONY. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that
I do appoint him store of provender :
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;

He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;
A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds.

On objects, arts, and imitations,

Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius

Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
Therefore let our alliance be combin❜d,

Our best friends made, our means stretch'd;

And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclos'd,

And open perils surest answered.

OCTAVIUS. Let us do so for we are at the stake,

And bay'd about with many enemies;

And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.

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[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Camp near Sardis. Before BRUTUS's tent.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers; TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them.

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
To do you salutation from his master.

BRUTUS. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change, 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.

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 he receiv'd you, let me be resolv❜d.
LUCILIUS. With courtesy and with respect enough;
But not with such familiar instances,

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,
When 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,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle e;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

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LUCILIUS. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd ;

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

BRUTUS.

March gently on to meet him.

[Low march within..

Hark! he is arriv'd.

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THIRD SOLDIER. Stand!

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?
CASSIUS. 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,
Let us not wrangle: bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

CASSIUS.

Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.
BRUTUS. Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man

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[Exeunt.

Come to our tent till we have done our conference.
Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.

SCENE III.-BRUTUS's tent.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

CASSIUS. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this: You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;

Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

BRUTUS. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
CASSIUS. In such a time as this it is not meet

That every nice offence should bear his comment.
BRUTUS. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are 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. BRUTUS. The name of Cassius honours this corruption, And chastisement doth therefore hide his head. CASSIUS.

Chastisement !

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BRUTUS. Remember March, the ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? 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,
And 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 the moon,
Than such a Roman.

CASSIUS.

Brutus, bay not me;

I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself

To make conditions.

BRUTUS.

CASSIUS. I am.

Go to; you are not, Cassius.

BRUTUS. I say you are not.

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