Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails.

Cato.

Low alarums.

Brave Titinius!

Look whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!

Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these?
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!
It is impossible that ever Rome

96

100

104

Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man than you shall see me pay.—
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.-
Come therefore, and to Thasos send his body:
His funerals shall not be in our camp,
Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come;
And come, young Cato;-let us to the field.
Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on:

'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight.

108

Exeunt.

Scene Four

[Another part of the Field]

Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, Cato, Lucilius, and Flavius.

Bru. Yet, countrymen, O yet hold up your heads! Cato. What bastard 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!

96 proper: individual

104 Thasos: isle near Thrace 109, 110 three o'clock

...

101 fellow: equal

106 discomfort: dishearten

second fight; cf. n.

2 What. not: Who is so base-born as not to do so?

...

Enter Soldiers, and fight.

[Bru.] And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus! [Exit Brutus, fighting. Cato is slain.]

Lucil. O young and noble Cato, art thou down?
Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius,
And may'st be honour'd being Cato's son.
First Sold. Yield, or thou diest.

Lucil.
Only I yield to die:
There is so much, that thou wilt kill me straight:
Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death.

9

12

First Sold. We must not. A noble prisoner!
Sec. Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is

ta'en.

16

First Sold. I'll tell the news: here comes the general.

Enter Antony.

Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord.

Ant. Where is he?

I dare assure thee that no enemy

Lucil. Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough:

20

Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus:

The gods defend him from so great a shame!

24

When you do find him, or alive or dead,
He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

Go on,

28

Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe, Give him all kindness: I had rather have Such men my friends than enemies. And see whether Brutus be alive or dead; And bring us word, unto Octavius' tent, How everything is chanc'd.

7 [Bru.]; cf. n.

12 Only... die: I yield only in order that I may die

Exeunt.

13, 14 Cf. n.

Scene Five

[Another part of the Field]

Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and
Volumnius.

Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, He came not back: he is or ta'en or slain.

Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; 4 It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.

[Whispers.] Cli. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. Bru. Peace, then: no words.

Cli.

Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius.
Dar.

Cli. O, Dardanius!

Dar. O, Clitus!

I'll rather kill myself. [Whispers.]

Shall I do such a deed? 8

Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
Dar. To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
Cli. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.

Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word.
Vol. What says my lord?

Bru.

13

Why this, Volumnius: 16

The ghost of Cæsar hath appear'd to me

Two several times by night; at Sardis once,
And this last night here in Philippi fields.

I know my hour is come.

Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;

Our enemies have beat us to the pit:

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves,

Low alarums.

24

Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
Thou know'st that we two went to school together:
Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
Hold thou my sword-hilts whilst I run on it.
Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

28

Alarum still.

Cli. Fly, fly, my lord: there is no tarrying here! Bru. Farewell to you; and you; and you, Volum

nius.

Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;
Farewell to thee too, Strato. Countrymen,
My heart doth joy that yet, in all my life,
I found no man but he was true to me.
I shall have glory by this losing day
More than Octavius and Mark Antony
By this vile conquest shall attain unto.

So fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue
Hath almost ended his life's history:

Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest,
That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

32

36

40

Alarum. Cry within, 'Fly, fly, fly!'

Cli. Fly, my lord, fly!

Bru.

Hence: I will follow.

[Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius.]

I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:
Thou art a fellow of a good respect;
Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it:
Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,

23 pit: brink of destruction

39 at once: once for all; or, all of you

39, 40 Brutus'

speech, almost

42.Cf. Psalm 90. 10

44

history: Brutus' life will end with this very

46 smatch: smack, flavor

While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?

48

Stra. Give me your hand first: fare you well, my lord.

Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be still; I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

Dies.

Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius, and the Army.

Oct. What man is that?

52

Mes. My master's man. Strato, where is thy master?

Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him;

For Brutus only overcame himself,

And no man else hath honour by his death.

56

Lucil. So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,

That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true.

Oct. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain

them.

Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
Stra. Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
Oct. Do so, good Messala.

60

Mes. How died my master, Strato?

64

Stra. I held the sword, and he did run on it.

Mes. Octavius, then take him to follow thee

Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all;

68

That did the latest service to my master.

All the conspirators save only he

Did that they did in envy of great Cæsar;
He only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them.

72

60 entertain: employ

71, 72 Cf. n.