Oct.

Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live,

Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him. But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;

Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine

How to cut off some charge in legacies.
Lep. What, shall I find you here?

Oct.

The Capitol.

Or here, or at

[Exit Lepidus.

Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man,
Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit,

The threefold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it?

Oct.
So you thought him;
And took his voice who should be prick'd to die,
In our black sentence and proscription.

Ant. Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.

Oct.

You may do your will: But he's a tried and valiant soldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that

I do appoint him store of provender:

It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;

He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;
A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds

On abject orts and imitations,

Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him

But as a property. And now, Octavius,
Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius

Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,

Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out; And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclos'd,

And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake,

And bay'd about with many enemies;

And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Before BRUTUS' tent, in the camp near Sardis.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, and Soldiers; PINDARUS meeting them; Lucrus at some distance.

Bru. Stand, ho!

Lucil. Give the word, ho! and stand.
Bru. What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near?
Lucil. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come

To do you salutation from his master.

[Pindarus gives a letter to Brutus.

Bru. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

Hath given me some worthy cause to wish

Things done, undone: but, if he be at hand,

But that my noble master will appear

Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

Bru. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius;

How he receiv'd you, let me be resolv'd.

Lucil. With courtesy and with respect enough;

But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru.

Thou hast describ'd

A hot friend cooling: ever note, Lucilius,
When Love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith:
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd; The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

Bru.

[March within.

Hark! he is arriv'd:

Enter CASSIUS and Soldiers.

March gently on to meet him.

Cass. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Cass. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies? And if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cass. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them

Bru.

Speak your griefs softly,

Cassius, be content;

I do know you well:

Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing but love from us,
Let us not wrangle: bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucius, do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent till we have done our conference.

Lucilius and Titinius guard the door.

SCENE III. Within the tent of Brutus.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

[Exeunt.

Cass. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this, You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
Cass. In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.
Bru. And let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold

To undeservers.

Cass.

I an itching palm!

You know that you are Brutus that speaks this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember: Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, And not for justice? What, shall one of us, That struck the foremost man of all this world But for supporting robbers, shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, And sell the mighty space of our large honours For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

Cass.
Brutus, bay not me,
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

Bru.

Cass. I am.

Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Bru. I say you are not.

Cass. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further. Bru. Away, slight man!

Cass. Is 't possible?

Bru.

Hear me, for I will speak.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Cass. O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?

Bru. All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;

Go show your slaves how choleric you are,

And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humour? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.

Cass.

Is it come to this?

Bru. You say you are a better soldier:

Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,

And it shall please me well: for mine own part,

I shall be glad to learn of abler men.

Cass. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus; I said, an elder soldier, not a better:

Did I

say "better"?

Bru.

If you did, I care not.

Cass. When Cæsar liv'd he durst not thus have mov'd me.