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Oct. Your brother too must die: Consent you,

Lepidus?

Lep. I do consent-
Oct.

Prick him down, Antony.

Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live,

Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.

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:

Ant. He shall not live: look, with a spot I damn On objects, arts, and imitations,

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. Or here, or at the Capitol.

A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds

Which, out of use, and stal'd by other men,

Begin his fashion: Do not talk of him,

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[Exit LEPIDUS. Our best friends made, our means stretch'd;

Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man,

Meet to be sent on errands: Is it fit,
The three-fold 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.

And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclos'd,
And open perils surest answer'd.

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 mischief.

[Ereunt.

SCENE II.-Before BRUTUS' Tent, in the Camp
near Sardis.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and
Soldiers: TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them.

Bru. Stand, ho!

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

To do you salutation from his master.

[PINDARUS gives a letter to BRUTUS.

Bru. Hegreets me well. - Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

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Cas. 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?

Cas. 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.

Cas.

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 noble men.

Cas. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;

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Cas. What? durst not tempt him?
Bru.

For your life you durst net.

Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love: I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty,
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you

For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:-
For I can raise no money by vile means:
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
By any indirection! I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,
Which you denied me: Was that done like Cassins!
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
Dash him to pieces!
Cas.

Bru. You did. Cas.

I denied you not.

I did not:- he was but a fool That brought my answer back. --Brutus hath riv'd my heart:

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.
Cas. You love me not.

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As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come. Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius, For Cassius is aweary of the world: Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother; Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd, Set in a note-book, learn'd and conn'd by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep My spirit from mine eyes! - There is my dagger, And here my naked breast; within, a heart Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold: If that thou beest a Roman, take it forth; I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart: Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know, When thou didst hate him worst thou lov'dst hin

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Enter Poet.
Cas. How now? What's the matter?
Poet. For shame, you generals: What do you
mean?

Love, and be friends, as two such men should be ;
For I have seen more years, I am sure, than ye.
Cas. Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!
Bru. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!
Cas. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows his
time:

Enter LUCILius, and TitINIUS.

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

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

Bru.

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS. Lucius, a bowl of wine.

Cas. I did not think you could have been so angry.
Bru. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.
Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use,

What should the wars do with these jigging fools? If you give place to accidental evils.
Companion, hence!

Cas.

Away, away, be gone!

[Exit Poet.

Bru. No man bears sorrow better:-Portia is dead.

Cas. Ha! Portia?

Bru. She is dead.

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So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
Cas. How 'scap'd I killing when I cross'd you Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
so?-
O insupportable and touching loss!-
Upon what sickness?
Bru.

Impatient of my absence,
And grief, that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Have made themselves so strong; -for with her

death

That tidings came :- With this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.

Cas. And died so?

Bru. Even so.

Cas. O ye immortal gods!

Enter Lucius, with wine and tapers.

Bru. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl
of wine :-

In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. [Drinks.
Cas. My My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge :-
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. [Drinks.

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place
better.

The people, 'twixt Philippi and this ground,
Do stand but in a forc'd affection;

For they have grudg'd us contribution:
The enemy, marching along by them,
By them shall make a fuller number up,
Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encourag'd:
From which advantage shall we cut him off,
If at Philippi we do face him there,
These people at our back.
Cas.

Hear me, good brother.

Bru. Under your pardon. You must note be
side,

That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe :
The enemy increaseth every day,
We, at the height, are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Bru. Come in, Titinius: - Welcome, good Mes- Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
sala.-

Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.

Cas. Portia, art thou gone?
Bru.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

Cas.

Then, with your will, go on: No more, I pray you.- We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.

Messala, I have here received letters,
That young Octavius and Mark Antony
Come down upon us with a mighty power,
Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same tenor.
Bru. With what addition?

Mes. That by proscription, and bills of outlawry,
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Have put to death an hundred senators.

Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree;

Mine speak of seventy senators that died
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cas. Cicero one?

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Mes. No, my lord.

Bru. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
Mes. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

Bru. Why, farewell, Portia. We must die,
Messala:

With meditating that she must die once,
I have the patience to endure it now.

Mes. Even so great men great losses should en-
dure.

Cas. I have as much of this in art as you,

But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you think

Of marching to Philippi presently?

Cas. I do not think it good.

Bru.

Cas.

Your reason?

This it is:

'Tis better that the enemy seek us:

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Let it not, Brutus.

Cas. Good night, my lord.

Bru.

Bru.

Everything is well.

Good night, good brother.

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Tit. Mes. Good night, lord Brutus.

Bru.

Re-enter Lucius, with the gown.

Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument!

Luc. Here in the tent.
Bru.

What, thou speak'st drowsily! Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatch'd.

Call Claudius, and some other of my men:
I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
Luc. Varro, and Claudius!

Enter VARRO, and CLAUDIUS.

Var. Calls my lord?

Bru. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent, and sleep It may be, I shall raise you by and by

On business to my brother Cassius.

Var. So please you, we will stand, and watch

your pleasure.

Bru. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;

It may be, I shall otherwise bethink me.

Lo
Ip

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