1    Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
2    You said the enemy would not come down,
3    But keep the hills and upper regions;
4    It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
5    They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
6    Answering before we do demand of them.

7    Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
8    Wherefore they do it: they could be content
9    To visit other places; and come down
10   With fearful bravery, thinking by this face
11   To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
12   But 'tis not so.

13   Prepare you, generals:
14   The enemy comes on in gallant show;
15   Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
16   And something to be done immediately.

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

19   Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.

20   Why do you cross me in this exigent?

21   I do not cross you; but I will do so.

22   They stand, and would have parley.

23   Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.

24   Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?

25   No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
26   Make forth; the generals would have some words.

27   Stir not until the signal.

28   Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?

29   Not that we love words better, as you do.

30   Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

31   In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
32   Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
33   Crying 'Long live! hail, Caesar!'

34   Antony,
35   The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
36   But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
37   And leave them honeyless.

38   Not stingless too.

39   O, yes, and soundless too;
40   For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
41   And very wisely threat before you sting.

42   Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers
43   Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar:
44   You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
45   And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;
46   Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
47   Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!

48   Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
49   This tongue had not offended so to-day,
50   If Cassius might have ruled.

51   Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,
52   The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look;
53   I draw a sword against conspirators;
54   When think you that the sword goes up again?
55   Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
56   Be well avenged; or till another Caesar
57   Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

58   Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
59   Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

60   So I hope;
61   I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

62   O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
63   Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.

64   A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
65   Join'd with a masker and a reveller!

66   Old Cassius still!

67   Come, Antony, away!
68   Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:
69   If you dare fight to-day, come to the field;
70   If not, when you have stomachs.

71   Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
72   The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

73   Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you.

Standing forth
74    My lord?

75   Messala!

Standing forth
76    What says my general?

77   Messala,
78   This is my birth-day; as this very day
79   Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
80   Be thou my witness that against my will,
81   As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set
82   Upon one battle all our liberties.
83   You know that I held Epicurus strong
84   And his opinion: now I change my mind,
85   And partly credit things that do presage.
86   Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
87   Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
88   Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
89   Who to Philippi here consorted us:
90   This morning are they fled away and gone;
91   And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,
92   Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
93   As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
94   A canopy most fatal, under which
95   Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

96   Believe not so.

97   I but believe it partly;
98   For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
99   To meet all perils very constantly.

100  Even so, Lucilius.

101  Now, most noble Brutus,
102  The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
103  Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
104  But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
105  Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
106  If we do lose this battle, then is this
107  The very last time we shall speak together:
108  What are you then determined to do?

109  Even by the rule of that philosophy
110  By which I did blame Cato for the death
111  Which he did give himself, I know not how,
112  But I do find it cowardly and vile,
113  For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
114  The time of life: arming myself with patience
115  To stay the providence of some high powers
116  That govern us below.

117  Then, if we lose this battle,
118  You are contented to be led in triumph
119  Thorough the streets of Rome?

120  No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
121  That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
122  He bears too great a mind. But this same day
123  Must end that work the ides of March begun;
124  And whether we shall meet again I know not.
125  Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
126  For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!
127  If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
128  If not, why then, this parting was well made.

129  For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus!
130  If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
131  If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

132  Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
133  The end of this day's business ere it come!
134  But it sufficeth that the day will end,
135  And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!