And bring us word unto Octavius' tent
How every thing is chanc'd.

SCENE V. Another part of the field.

Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and
VOLUMNIUS.

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

rock.

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

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

[Whispering. CLITUS. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. BRUTUS. Peace then! no words.

CLITUS. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? DARDANIUS. To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates. CLITUS. Now is that noble vessel full of grief,

That it runs over even at his eyes.

BRUTUS. Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word.
VOLUMNIUS. What says my lord?
BRUTUS.

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.

VOLUMNIUS.

Not so, my lord.

BRUTUS. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.

Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;

20

Our enemies have beat us to the pit:

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves,
Than tarry till they push us.

[Low alarums.

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. VOLUMNIUS. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

[Alarum still.

CLITUS. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. 30
BRUTUS. Farewell to you; and you; and you, Volumnius.
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.

40

[Alarum. Cry within, "Fly, fly, fly!”

CLITUS. Fly, my lord, fly.

BRUTUS.

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, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato? STRATO. Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my

lord.

BRUTUS. Farewell, good Strato. [Runs on his sword.] Cæsar, now be still :

I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

50

[Dies.

Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, LUCILIUS, and the Army.

What man is that?

OCTAVIUS.

MESSALA. My master's

man. Strato, where is thy

master?

STRATO. Free from the pondage 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.

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

Brutus,

That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true.

61

OCTAVIUS. All that serv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
STRATO. Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
OCTAVIUS. Do so, good Messala.

MESSALA. How died my master, Strato?

STRATO. I held the sword, and he did run on it.
MESSALA. Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.
ANTONY. This was the noblest Roman of them all:
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.
His life was gentle, and the elements

So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, "This was a man!"
OCTAVIUS. According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect and rites of burial.

Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie,
Most like a soldier, order'd honourably.
So call the field to rest; and let's away,
To part the glories of this happy day.

70

· 80 [Exeunt.

NOTES

ACT I

66

NOTE ON THE Structure of thE ACT. The construction of this play is, on the whole, admirable. If it be the function of the first act of a drama to introduce, to give an exposition of the main situation or problem, and to make the auditors acquainted with the leading personages of the story, then the first act of Julius Cæsar splendidly fulfils its purpose. The opening scene gives us the clue to the situation. The excited mobs are rushing about to see mighty Cæsar in his triumphal progress; they are to give him a rousing welcome, and then-they are checked by the conservative spirit in the persons of the two tribunes, chiding them for their fickleness and bidding them remember Pompey. An excellent prologue is this to the second scene of the act, the brilliant procession that shows Cæsar in the full tide of glory, passing to the course. Note in this scene of Cæsar's triumph the prefiguring of the tragedy,-a soothsayer bids him beware the ides of March, and from the general crowd emerge the two baleful figures of Brutus and Cassius, hereafter the leading conspirators against Cæsar. The insinuating manner of Cassius, the doubts and perplexities of Brutus,—these are admirably brought out before Cæsar returns. And then again, observe the prevision of the end in Cæsar's

"Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look ;
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.
But I fear him not;

Yet, if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius."

Thus surely does Shakspere strike the keynote. The following talk be. tween Casca and Brutus and Cassius but carries on the same impression, of Cæsar's overweening confidence and power and the certainty tha