1    That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
2    You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
3    For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
4    Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
5    Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

6    You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

7    In such a time as this it is not meet
8    That every nice offence should bear his comment.

9    Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
10   Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
11   To sell and mart your offices for gold
12   To undeservers.

13   I an itching palm!
14   You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
15   Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

16   The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
17   And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

18   Chastisement!

19   Remember March, the ides of March remember:
20   Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
21   What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
22   And not for justice? What, shall one of us
23   That struck the foremost man of all this world
24   But for supporting robbers, shall we now
25   Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
26   And sell the mighty space of our large honours
27   For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
28   I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
29   Than such a Roman.

30   Brutus, bay not me;
31   I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
32   To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
33   Older in practise, abler than yourself
34   To make conditions.

35   Go to; you are not, Cassius.

36   I am.

37   I say you are not.

38   Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
39   Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

40   Away, slight man!

41   Is't possible?

42   Hear me, for I will speak.
43   Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
44   Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

45   O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?

46   All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;
47   Go show your slaves how choleric you are,
48   And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
49   Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch
50   Under your testy humour? By the gods
51   You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
52   Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
53   I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
54   When you are waspish.

55   Is it come to this?

56   You say you are a better soldier:
57   Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
58   And it shall please me well: for mine own part,
59   I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

60   You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
61   I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
62   Did I say 'better'?

63   If you did, I care not.

64   When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.

65   Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.

66   I durst not!

67   No.

68   What, durst not tempt him!

69   For your life you durst not!

70   Do not presume too much upon my love;
71   I may do that I shall be sorry for.

72   You have done that you should be sorry for.
73   There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,
74   For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
75   That they pass by me as the idle wind,
76   Which I respect not. I did send to you
77   For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:
78   For I can raise no money by vile means:
79   By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
80   And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
81   From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
82   By any indirection: I did send
83   To you for gold to pay my legions,
84   Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
85   Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
86   When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
87   To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
88   Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;
89   Dash him to pieces!

90   I denied you not.

91   You did.

92   I did not: he was but a fool that brought
93   My answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:
94   A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
95   But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

96   I do not, till you practise them on me.

97   You love me not.

98   I do not like your faults.

99   A friendly eye could never see such faults.

100  A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
101  As huge as high Olympus.

102  Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
103  Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
104  For Cassius is aweary of the world;
105  Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
106  Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
107  Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
108  To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
109  My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
110  And here my naked breast; within, a heart
111  Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
112  If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;
113  I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
114  Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
115  When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
116  Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

117  Sheathe your dagger:
118  Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
119  Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
120  O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
121  That carries anger as the flint bears fire;
122  Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
123  And straight is cold again.

124  Hath Cassius lived
125  To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
126  When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?

127  When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.

128  Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

129  And my heart too.

130  O Brutus!

131  What's the matter?

132  Have not you love enough to bear with me,
133  When that rash humour which my mother gave me
134  Makes me forgetful?

135  Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,
136  When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
137  He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

Within
138   Let me go in to see the generals;
139  There is some grudge between 'em, 'tis not meet
140  They be alone.

Within
141   You shall not come to them.

Within
142   Nothing but death shall stay me.

143  How now! what's the matter?

144  For shame, you generals! what do you mean?
145  Love, and be friends, as two such men should be;
146  For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye.

147  Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!

148  Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!

149  Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

150  I'll know his humour, when he knows his time:
151  What should the wars do with these jigging fools?
152  Companion, hence!

153  Away, away, be gone.

154  Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
155  Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

156  And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
157  Immediately to us.

158  Lucius, a bowl of wine!

159  I did not think you could have been so angry.

160  O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

161  Of your philosophy you make no use,
162  If you give place to accidental evils.

163  No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.

164  Ha! Portia!

165  She is dead.

166  How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so?
167  O insupportable and touching loss!
168  Upon what sickness?

169  Impatient of my absence,
170  And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
171  Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death
172  That tidings came;--with this she fell distract,
173  And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

174  And died so?

175  Even so.

176  O ye immortal gods!

177  Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
178  In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.

179  My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
180  Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
181  I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

182  Come in, Titinius!
Exit LUCIUS
Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA
183  Welcome, good Messala.
184  Now sit we close about this taper here,
185  And call in question our necessities.

186  Portia, art thou gone?

187  No more, I pray you.
188  Messala, I have here received letters,
189  That young Octavius and Mark Antony
190  Come down upon us with a mighty power,
191  Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

192  Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.

193  With what addition?

194  That by proscription and bills of outlawry,
195  Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,
196  Have put to death an hundred senators.

197  Therein our letters do not well agree;
198  Mine speak of seventy senators that died
199  By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

200  Cicero one!

201  Cicero is dead,
202  And by that order of proscription.
203  Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?

204  No, Messala.

205  Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

206  Nothing, Messala.

207  That, methinks, is strange.

208  Why ask you? hear you aught of her in yours?

209  No, my lord.

210  Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.

211  Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
212  For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

213  Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
214  With meditating that she must die once,
215  I have the patience to endure it now.

216  Even so great men great losses should endure.

217  I have as much of this in art as you,
218  But yet my nature could not bear it so.

219  Well, to our work alive. What do you think
220  Of marching to Philippi presently?

221  I do not think it good.

222  Your reason?

223  This it is:
224  'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
225  So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
226  Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
227  Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.

228  Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
229  The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
230  Do stand but in a forced affection;
231  For they have grudged us contribution:
232  The enemy, marching along by them,
233  By them shall make a fuller number up,
234  Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encouraged;
235  From which advantage shall we cut him off,
236  If at Philippi we do face him there,
237  These people at our back.

238  Hear me, good brother.

239  Under your pardon. You must note beside,
240  That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
241  Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe:
242  The enemy increaseth every day;
243  We, at the height, are ready to decline.
244  There is a tide in the affairs of men,
245  Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
246  Omitted, all the voyage of their life
247  Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
248  On such a full sea are we now afloat;
249  And we must take the current when it serves,
250  Or lose our ventures.

251  Then, with your will, go on;
252  We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.

253  The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
254  And nature must obey necessity;
255  Which we will niggard with a little rest.
256  There is no more to say?

257  No more. Good night:
258  Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.

259  Lucius!
Enter LUCIUS
260  My gown.
Exit LUCIUS
261  Farewell, good Messala:
262  Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
263  Good night, and good repose.

264  O my dear brother!
265  This was an ill beginning of the night:
266  Never come such division 'tween our souls!
267  Let it not, Brutus.

268  Every thing is well.

269  Good night, my lord.

270  Good night, good brother.

271  Good night, Lord Brutus.

272  Farewell, every one.
Exeunt all but BRUTUS
Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown
273  Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?

274  Here in the tent.

275  What, thou speak'st drowsily?
276  Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd.
277  Call Claudius and some other of my men:
278  I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

279  Varro and Claudius!

280  Calls my lord?

281  I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;
282  It may be I shall raise you by and by
283  On business to my brother Cassius.

284  So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.

285  I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;
286  It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
287  Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
288  I put it in the pocket of my gown.

289  I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

290  Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
291  Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
292  And touch thy instrument a strain or two?

293  Ay, my lord, an't please you.

294  It does, my boy:
295  I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

296  It is my duty, sir.

297  I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
298  I know young bloods look for a time of rest.

299  I have slept, my lord, already.

300  It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
301  I will not hold thee long: if I do live,
302  I will be good to thee.
Music, and a song
303  This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber,
304  Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
305  That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
306  I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:
307  If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
308  I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
309  Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down
310  Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
Enter the Ghost of CAESAR
311  How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
312  I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
313  That shapes this monstrous apparition.
314  It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?
315  Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
316  That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare?
317  Speak to me what thou art.

318  Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

319  Why comest thou?

320  To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

321  Well; then I shall see thee again?

322  Ay, at Philippi.

323  Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.
Exit Ghost
324  Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:
325  Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
326  Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!

327  The strings, my lord, are false.

328  He thinks he still is at his instrument.
329  Lucius, awake!

330  My lord?

331  Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

332  My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

333  Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?

334  Nothing, my lord.

335  Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!
To VARRO
336  Fellow thou, awake!

337  My lord?

338  My lord?

339  Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

340  Did we, my lord?

341  Ay: saw you any thing?

342  No, my lord, I saw nothing.

343  Nor I, my lord.

344  Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
345  Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
346  And we will follow.

347  It shall be done, my lord.