Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Have 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 one!

CASSIUS.

MESSALA.

Cicero is dead,

And by that order of proscription.

Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
No, Messala..

BRUTUS.

MESSALA.

Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

BRUTUS. Nothing, Messala.

MESSALA..`

180

That, methinks, is strange.

BRUTUS. Why ask you? hear you aught 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.

BRUTUS. Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
With meditating that she must die once

I have the patience to endure it now.

190

MESSALA. Even so great men great losses should endure. CASSIUS. I have as much of this in art as you,

But yet my nature could not bear it so. BRUTUS. Well, to our work alive.

What do you think

Of marching to Philippi presently?

CASSIUS. I do not think it good.
BRUTUS.
CASSIUS.

Your reason?

This it is:

"Tis better that the enemy seek us :

So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

200

BRUTUS. Good reasons must of force give place to better. The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground

Do 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, and encourag'd;
From 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.

Our 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;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

CASSIUS.

Then, with your will, go on;
We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.

BRUTUS. The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity;

Which we will niggard with a little rest.

There is no more to say ?

Good night:

Early to-morrow will we rise and hence.

212

220

BRUTUS. Lucius! [Enter LUCIUS.] My gown. [Exit

LUCIUS.] Farewell, good Messala:

Good night, Titinius; noble, noble Cassius,
Good night, and good repose.

CASSIUS.

O my dear brother!

This was an ill beginning of the night:

230

Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument? LUCIUS. Here in the tent.

BRUTUS.

What, thou speak'st drowsily?

240

Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatch'd.
Call Claudius and some other of my men ;

I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
Varro and Claudius !

LUCIUS.

VARRO.

BRUTUS.

Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS.

Calls my lord?

I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;

It may be I shall raise you by and by

On business to my brother Cassius.

VARRO. So please you, we will stand and watch your

pleasure.

BRUTUS. I will not have it so lie down, good sirs;

It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.

Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so; 250 I put it in the pocket of my gown.

[VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down. LUCIUS. I was sure your lordship did not give it me. BRUTUS. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,

And touch thy instrument a strain or two? LUCIUS. Ay, my lord, an 't please you.

BRUTUS.

It does, my boy :

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

LUCIUS. It is my duty, sir.

BRUTUS. I should not urge thy duty past thy might;

I know young bloods look for a time of rest.

LUCIUS. I have slept, my lord, already.

260

BRUTUS. It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again; I will not hold thee long: if I do live,

I will be good to thee.
This is a sleepy tune.

[Music, and a song.

O murderous slumber,

Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,

That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night ;
I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee :
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night. 270
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think. [Sits down.

Enter the Ghost of CESAR.

How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?

Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,

That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare ?
Speak to me what thou art.

GHOST. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

BRUTUS.

Why com'st thou ? 280

GHOST. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

BRUTUS. Well; then I shall see thee again?

GHOST. Ay, at Philippi.

BRUTUS.

Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.

[Exit Ghost.

Now I have taken heart thou vanishest :
Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.

Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!
Claudius!

LUCIUS. The strings, my lord, are false.

BRUTUS. He thinks he still is at his instrument.

290

Lucius, awake!

LUCIUS. My lord?

BRUTUS. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst

out?

LUCIUS. My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

BRUTUS. Yes, that thou didst : didst thou see any thing?

LUCIUS. Nothing, my lord.

BRUTUS. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!

[TO VARRO] Fellow thou, awake!

VARRO. My lord?

CLAUDIUS. My lord?

BRUTUS. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep? VARRO. CLAUDIUS. Did we, my lord?

BRUTUS.

300

Ay saw you any thing?

Nor I, my lord.

VARRO. No, my lord, I saw nothing.
CLAUDIUS.

BRUTUS. Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;

Bid him set on his powers betimes before,

And we will follow.

VARRO. CLAUDIUS. It shall be done, my lord. [Exeunt.