ACT V

SCENE I

The Plains of Philippi

Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army
Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hill and upper regions;
It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
Answering before we do demand of them.

Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
Wherefore they do it: they could be content
To visit other places; and come down

With fearful bravery, thinking, by this face,
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 'tis not so.

10

The enemy comes on in gallant show;

Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,

And something to be done immediately.

Ant. Octavius, lead your battle softly on, Upon the left hand of the even field.

Oct. Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.
Ant. Why do you cross me in this exigent?

20 Oct. I do not cross you; but I will do so. [March.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others

Bru. They stand, and would have parley.
Cas. Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
Oct. Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
Ant. No, Cæsar, we will answer on their charge.
Make forth; the generals would have some words.
Oct. Stir not until the signal.

Bru. Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
Oct. Not that we love words better, as you do.
Bru. Good words are better than bad strokes,
Octavius.

Ant. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good 30 words:

Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart,
Crying, "Long live! Hail Cæsar!"

Cas.

Antony,

The posture of your blows are yet unknown;

But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees
And leave them honeyless.

Ant.

Not stingless too.

Bru. O, yes, and soundless too;

For you have stolen their buzzing, Antony,

And, very wisely, threat before you sting.

Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers

Hacked one another in the sides of Cæsar:

You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like

hounds,

And bowed like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet;
Whilst damnèd Casca, like a cur, behind,

Struck Cæsar on the neck. O flatterers!

Cas. Flatterers! - Now, Brutus, thank yourself: This tongue had not offended so to-day,

If Cassius might have ruled.

Oct. Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,

The proof of it will turn to redder drops.

Look, I draw a sword against conspirators:

When think you that the sword goes up again?·
Never, till Cæsar's three-and-thirty wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

40

50

Bru. Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands, Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

Oct.

I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

So I hope;

Bru. O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain, Young man, thou couldst not die more honorable. 60 Cas. A peevish school-boy, worthless of such honor, Joined with a masker and a reveller!

Ant. Old Cassius still!

Oct.

Come, Antony; away.

Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:

If you dare fight to-day, come to the field;

If not, when you have stomachs.

[Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army.

Cas. Why now, blow, wind; swell, billow; and swim, bark!

The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

Bru. Ho! Lucilius; hark, a word with you.

70 This is my birthday; as this very day

Messala,

Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala

Be thou my witness that against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compelled to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell; and there they perched,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us;

This morning are they fled away, and gone;
And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites
Fly o'er our heads, and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey; their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which

Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
Mes. Believe not so.

Cas.

I but believe it partly;

For I am fresh of spirit, and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

Bru. Even so, Lucilius.

Cas.

80

90

[Advancing.

Now, most noble Brutus,

The gods to-day stand friendly; that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!

But, since the affairs of men rest still incertain,