SCENE V.

1

Another Part of the Field.

Enter Brutus, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO,

and VOLUMNIUS.

Bro. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this

rock. Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light;} but, my

lord,

Statilius Show'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 otherwise it was impossible 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 speed to him. The torche-light was lift vp as he had promised, for Statilius went thither. Nowe Brutus seeing Statilius tarie long after, and that he came not again, he lay'd: if Statilius be aliue, he will come againe. But his euil fortune was suche, that as he came backe, he lighted in his enemies hands, and was flaine. Now, the night being farse spent, Brutus as he late, bowed towards Clitus one of his men, and told him somewhat in his eare; the other aunswered him not, but fell a weeping, Thereupon he proued Dardanus, and fayd somewhat also to him: at length he came to Volumnius him selfe, and speaking to him in Græke, prayed him for the studies sake which brought them acquainted together, that he woulde helpe him to put his hande to his sword, to thrust it in him to kill him. Volumnius denied his request, and so did many others : and amongest the rest, one of them sayd, 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 Vol. XVI.

Ee

He came not back; he is or ta’en, or slain.

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, Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! [Whispers him. DAR.

I do such a deed ?3 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 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?

:

feete. Then taking euery man by the hand, he fayd these words ynto 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 selfe happier than they that have ouercome, considering that I leaue a perpetuall fame of our corage and manhoode, the which our enemies the conquerors shall neuer attaine ynto by force nor money, neither can let their posteritie to say, that they have been naughtie and unjust men, haue slaine good men, to vsurpe tyrannical power not pertaining to them. Hauing fayd so, he prayed euery man to shift for them selues, and then he went a litle afide," &c.

STEEVENS. 3 I do such a deed ?] Old copy-Shall I do &c.

STEEVENS,

BRU.

Why, this, Volumnius : 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. VOL.

Not so, my lord. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius, Thou see'st the world, Volumnius, how it goes ; Our enemies have beat us to the pit : It is more worthy tò leap in ourselves, Than tarry till they puth us. Good Volumnius, Thou know'st, that we two went to school toge

ther;

Even for that our love of old, I pray thee,
Hold thou my sword-hilts,4 whilft I run on it.
Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

[Alarum ftill. Cli. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying

here. Bru, Farewell to you ;-and you ;-and you, Vo

. lumnius.

- my sword-hilts,] So in the old copy, and rightly. So before, p. 409 :

with this good sword, “ That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bosom.

“ Stand not to answer ; here, take thou the hilts.” Again, in The Mirror for Magistrates, 1587 :

a naked sword he had, “ 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 sword's hilt. Malone. Thus also, in King Henry V :

“ And hides a sword from hilts unto the point” &c. Falstaff also, in King Henry IV, P. I. says: “Seven, by these hilts; I am a villain else." STEEVENS.

a

Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;
Farewell to thee too, Strato.5-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.

[Alarum. Cry within ; Fly, fly, fly, Cur. Fly, my lord, fly. BRU.

Hence; I will follow thee. [Exeunt Clitus, DARDANIUS, and VOLUM

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

Stra. Give me your hand first : 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 supplied, for the sake of metre, by Sir Thomas Hanmer. So, in Hamlet : “ Go on, I'll follow thee.”.

STEEVENS.

Brü. Farewell, good Strato.-Cæsar, now be ftill: Í kill'd not thee with half so 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 master's man.--Strato, where is thy

master ?
STRA. Free from the bondage you are in, Mef-

sala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him; For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honour by his death. Luc. 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. 8 Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?

Stra. Ay, if Meslala will prefer me to you.9

66

9

? That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true.] See p. 416:

STEEVENS. entertain them.] i. e. receive them into

my

service. So, in King Lear : You, fir, I entertain for one of

my

hundred.” STEEVENS.

ody, if Melala will prefer me to you.] To prefer seems to have been the establithed phrase for recommending a servant. So, in The Merchant of Venice, Act III. sc. ï :

“ Shylock thy master, fpoke with me this day,

“ And hath preferr'd thee;" — Again, in the Countess of Dorset's Memoirs : « - Wher he & his daughter preferd William Pond to searve my lady." Seward's Anecdotes, Vol. IV. p. 316. REED.

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