This is my birth-day; as this very day This morning are they fled away, and gone; Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. Now, most noble Brutus, Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy, By which I did blame Cato for the death Which he did give himself:-I know not how, But I do find it cowardly and vile, For fear of what might fall, so to prevent. The time of life:-arming myself with patience, To stay the providence of some high powers, That govern us below. Cas. Then, if we lose this battle, You are contented to be led in triumph Thorough the streets of Rome? Bru. No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome; (1) Throw, (2) Foremost. (3) Accompanied. Unto the legions on the other side: [Loud alarum. Let them set on at once; for I perceive But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing, And sudden push gives them the overthrow. Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. Another part of the Tit. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early; Enter Pindarus. Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titi nius; Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire? Cas. Cas. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill; My sight was ever thick: regard Titinius, And tell me what thou not'st about the field.[Exit Pindarus. This day I breathed first: time is come round, And where I did begin, there I shall end; My life is run his compass.-Sirrah, what news? Pin. [Above.] O my lord! Cas. What news? Pin. Titinius is Enclosed round about with horsemen, that Make to him on the spur;-Yet he spurs on.Now they are almost on him; now, Titinius!Now some 'light:-0, he lights too :-he's ta'en ;and, hark! [Shout. They shout for joy. Cas. Come down, behold no more.O, coward, that I am, to live so long, To see my best friend ta'en before my face! Enter Pindarus. Come, hither, sirrah: In Parthia did I take thee prisoner: Thou should'st attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath: (4) Directions for the officers, Now be a freeman; and, with this good sword, Re-enter Titinius with Messala. The last of all the Romans, fare thee well! It is impossible, that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man, than you shall see me pay.I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.Come, therefore, and to Thassos send his body; His funeral shall not be in our camp, Lest it discomfort us.-Lucilius, come;And come, young Cato; let us to the field.[Ex. Labeo, and Flavius, set our battles on:'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night We shall try fortune in a second fight. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Another part of the field. Alarum. Enter fighting, Soldiers of both armies, then Brutus, Cato, Lucilius, and others. Bru. Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads! Mes. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius. All disconsolate, done! Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. [Charges the enemy. Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the enemy. Cato is overpowered, and falls. Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius; deed. And may'st be honour'd, being Cato's son. 1 Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Luc. O hateful error, melancholy's child! Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men, Only I yield to die: The things that are not ? O error, soon conceiv'd,There is so much that thou wilt kill me straght; Thou never com'st unto a happy birth, But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee. Tit. What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus? The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Tit. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [Ex. Mes. And bid me give't thee? Didst thou not hear their Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing. [Dies. [Offering money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death." A prize no less in worth: keep this man safe, Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this Cli. Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord, Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: Slaying is the word, Cli. I'll rather kill myself. Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius! [Whispers him. Dar. Cli. O, Dardanius! Dar. O, Clitus! I do such a deed? Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Why, this, Volumnius; Vol. Not so, my lord. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my lord. Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep; Cli. Fly, my lord, fly. Bru. Hence; I will follow thee. [Exeunt Clitus, Dardaníus, and Volumnius. I pr'ythee, 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? Stra. Give me your hand first: Fare you well, my lord. Oct. What man is that? Mes. My master's man.-Strato, where is thy master? Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; And no man else hath honour by his death. That thou hast prov'd Lucilius' saying true. Mes. Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all: Oct. According to his virtue let us use him, [Exeunt. Of this tragedy many particular passages deserve regard, and the contention and reconcilement of Brutus and Cassius is universally celebrated; but I have never been strongly agitated in perusing it, and think it somewhat cold and unaffecting, com pared with some other of Shakspeare's plays: his adherence to the real story, and to the Roman manners, seems to have impeded the natural vigour of JOHNSON. (1) Receive into my service. (2) Recommend. This genius. SCENE I-Alexandria. A room in Cleopatra's palace. Enter Demetrius and Philo. Philo. NAY, but this dotage of our general's, Take but good note, and you shall see in him Cleo. If it be love indeed, tell me how much. Cleo. I'll set a bourn how far to be belov'd. Ant. Then must thou needs find out new heaven, new earth. Enter an Attendant. Att. News, my good lord, from Rome. Ant. Grates' me:-The Cleo. Nay, hear them, Antony: Fulvia, perchance, is angry; Or, who knows Renounces. (2) Bound or limit. Offends, (4) Subdue, conquer. If the scarce-bearded Cæsar have not sent Ant. How, my love! Call in the messengers.-As I am Egypt's queen, Ant. Let Rome in Tyber melt! and the wide arch [Embracing 6 And such a twain can do't, in which I bind Cleo. Ant. But stirr by Cleopatra. -- To weep; whose every passion fully strives [Exeunt Ant. and Cleo. with their train. Dem. I'm full sorry, That he approves the common liar,' who Thus speaks of him at Rome: But I will hope Of better deeds to-morrow. Rest you happy! [Exeunt. Char. Even as the o'erflowing Nilus presageth famine. Iras. Go, you wild bedfellow, you cannot soothsay. Char. Nay, if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication, I cannot scratch mine ear.-Pr'ythee, tell her but a worky-day fortune. Sooth. Your fortunes are alike. Iras. But how, but how? give me particulars. Iras. Am I not an inch of fortune better than she? Char. Our worser thoughts heavens mend!-Alexas,-come, his fortune, his fortune.-O, let him marry a woman that cannot go, sweet Isis, I beseech thee! And let her die too, and give him a worse! and let worse follow worse, till the worst of all follow him laughing to his grave, fifty-fold a cuckold! Good Isis, hear me this prayer, though thou deny me a matter of more weight; good Isis, beseech thee! I Iras. Amen. Dear goddess, hear that prayer of the people! for, as it is a heart-breaking to see a handsome man loose-wived, so it is a deadly sorrow to behold a foul knave uncuckolded; Therefore, dear Isis, keep decorum, and fortune him accordingly! Char. Amen. Sooth. You shall be yet far fairer than you are. Char. Pray then, foresee me one. Char. He means, in flesh. Iras. No, you shall paint when you are old. Alex. Vex not his prescience; be attentive. Sooth. You shall be more beloving, than beloved. Char. Good now, some excellent fortune! Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all: let me have a child at fifty, to whom Herod of Jewry may do homage: find me to marry me with Octavius Cæsar, and companion me with my mistress. Sooth. You shall outlive the lady whom you serve. Char. O excellent! I love long life better than figs. Sooth. You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach. Char. Then, belike, my children shall have no names: Pr'ythee, how many boys and wenches must I have? Sooth. If every of your wishes had a womb, And fertile every wish, a million. Char. Out, fool! I forgive thee for a witch. Alex. You think, none but your sheets are privy to your wishes. Char. Nay, come, tell Iras hers. Eno. Mine, and most of our fortunes, to-night, Cleo. Saw you my lord? Cleo. He was dispos'd to mirth; but on the sud den A Roman thought hath struck him.-Enobarbus,— Eno. Madam. Cleo. Seck him, and bring him hither. Where's Alexas? Alex. Here, madam, at your service.—My lord approaches. Enter Antony, with a Messenger and Attendants. Cleo. We will not look upon him: Go with us. [Exeunt Cleopatra, Enobarbus, Alexas, Iras, Charmian, Soothsayer, and Attendants. Mess. Fulvia thy wife first came into the field. Ant. Against my brother Lucius? Mess. Ay: But soon that war had end, and the time's state Whose better issue in the war, from Italy, Well, |