SCENE V. Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS. BRU. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. CLI. Statilius fhow'd the torch-light; but, my lord, ;2 2 Statilius fhow'd the torch-light; &c.] So, in the old tranflation of Plutarch: "Furthermore, Brutus thought that there was no great number of men flaine in battell, and to know the trueth of it, there was one called Statilius, that promised to goe through his enemies (for otherwife it was impoffible to goe fee their campe,) and from thence if all were well, that he woulde lift vp a torch-light in the ayer, and then returne againe with fpeed to him. The torche-light was lift vp as he had promifed, for Statilius went thither. Nowe Brutus feeing Statilius tarie long after, and that he came not again, he fay'd: if Statilius be aliue, he will come againe. But his euil fortune was fuche, that as he came backe, he lighted in his enemies hands, and was flaine. Now, the night being farre fpent, Brutus as he fate, bowed towards Clitus one of his men, and told him fomewhat in his eare; the other aunfwered him not, but fell a weeping. Thereupon he proued Dardanus, and fayd fomewhat alfo to him: at length he came to Volumnius him felfe, and speaking to him in Græke, prayed him for the studies fake which brought them acquainted together, that he woulde helpe him to put his hande to his fword, to thruft it in him to kill him. Volumnius denied his requeft, and fo did many others and amongeft the reft, one of them fayd, there was no tarrying for them there, but that they must needes flie. Then Brutus rising vp, we must flie in deede, fayd he, but it must be with our hands, not with our He came not back; he is or ta'en, or flain. BRU. Sit thee down, Clitus: Slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. [Whispering. CLI. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. BRU. Peace then, no words. CLI. I'll rather kill myself. I do fuch a deed ? 3 BRU. Hark thee, Dardanius! [Whispers him. DAR. CLI. O, Dardanius! DAR. O, Clitus! CLI. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? DAR. To kill him, Clitus: Look, he meditates. CLI. Now is that noble veffel full of grief, That it runs over even at his eyes. BRU. Come hither, good Volumnius lift a word. VOL. What fays my lord? feete. Then taking euery man by the hand, he fayd these words vnto them with a chearfull countenance. It rejoyceth my hart that not one of my frends hath failed me at my neede, and I do not complaine of my fortune, but only for my contries fake for, as for me, I thinke my felfe happier than they that have ouercome, confidering that I leaue a perpetuall fame of our corage and manhoode, the which our enemies the conquerors fhall neuer attaine ynto by force nor money, neither can let their pofteritie to fay, that they have been naughtie and unjust men, haue flaine good men, to vfurpe tyrannical power not pertaining to them. Hauing fayd fo, he prayed euery man to fhift for them felues, and then he went a litle afide," &c. STEEVENS. 3 I do fuch a deed ?] Old copy-Shall I do &c. STEEVENS. 4 BRU. Why, this, Volumnius : The ghoft of Cæfar hath appear'd to me Two feveral times by night at Sardis, once; And, this last night, here in Philippi' fields. I know, my hour is come. VOL. Not fo, my lord. BRU. Nay, I am fure it is, Volumnius. Thou see'st the world, Volumnius, how it goes; Our enemies have beat us to the pit : It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, Than tarry till they puth us. Good Volumnius, Thou know'ft, that we two went to school together; Even for that our love of old, I pray thee, [Alarum ftill. CLI. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. BRU, Farewell to you ;-and you ;—and you, Volumnius. my fword-hilts.] So in the old copy, and rightly. So before, p. 409 : 66 with this good fword, "That ran through Cæfar's bowels, fearch this bofom. "Stand not to answer; here, take thou the hilts." Again, in The Mirror for Magiftrates, 1587: "That to the hilts was all with blood imbrued." Mr. Rowe and the other modern editors read, agreeably to the language of the present time,-my fword's hilt. MALONE. Thus alfo, in King Henry V: "And hides a fword from hilts unto the point" &c. Falstaff also, in King Henry IV. P. I. fays: "Seven, by these hilts; I am a villain elfe." STEEVENS. Strato, thou haft been all this while afleep; Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would reft, That have but labour'd to attain this hour. [Alarum. Cry within; Fly, fly, fly. CLI. Fly, my lord, fly. BRU. Hence; I will follow thee." [Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUM NIUS. I pr'ythee, Strato, ftay thou by thy lord : STRA. Give me your hand firft: Fare you well, my lord. Farewell to thee too, Strato.] Thus the modern editions : I think, rightly. The old folio reads: Farewell to thee, to Strato, countrymen. JOHNSON. The correction was made by Mr. Theobald. MALONE. 6 Hence; I will follow thee.] Thee, which is wanting in the old copy, was fupplied, for the fake of metre, by Sir Thomas Hanmer. So, in Hamlet: "Go on, I'll follow thee." STEEVENS. BRU. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæfar, now be ftill: I kill'd not thee with half fo good a will. [He runs on his Sword, and dies. Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, LUCILIUS, and their Army. OCT. What man is that? MES. My mafter's man.-Strato, where is thy mafter? STRA. Free from the bondage you are in, Meffala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him; And no man elfe hath honour by his death. Luc. So Brutus fhould be found.-I thank thee, Brutus, That thou haft prov'd Lucilius' faying true." OCT. All that ferv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.8 Fellow, wilt thou beftow thy time with me? 7 That thou haft prov'd Lucilius' faying true.] See p. 416: 8 STEEVENS. entertain them.] i. e. receive them into my fervice. So, in King Lear: " You, fir, I entertain for one of my hundred." STEEVENS. 9 Ay, if Meffala will prefer me to you.] To prefer seems to have been the established phrafe for recommending a fervant. So, in The Merchant of Venice, A&t III. fc. ii: 66 Shylock thy mafter, spoke with me this day, "And hath preferr'd thee;' Again, in the Countefs of Dorfet's Memoirs: "wher he & his daughter preferd William Pond to fearve my lady." Seward's Anecdotes, Vol. IV. p. 316. REED. Ee 3 |