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 be'st a Roman, take it forth;
I, that deny'd thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him

better

Than ever thon lov'dst Cassius.

Bru. Sheath your dagger:

Be augry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour,
O Cassins, you are yoked with a lamb
That carries anger, as the flint bears fire;
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

Cas. Hath Cassins liv'd

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus, When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him. Bra. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too. Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

1

Bru. And my heart too.

Cas. O Brutus!

Bru. What's the matter?

Cas. Have you not love enough to bear with me,

When that rash humour, which my mother gave

Makes me forgetful?

me,

Bru. Yet, Cassius; and, henceforth,
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,

He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

[Noise within.

Poet. [within.] Let me go in to see the generals; There is some grudge between then, 'tis not meet Luc. [within.] You shall not come to them. Poet. [within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.

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 cynick rhime! 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

১

time:

What should the wars do with such jigging fools? Companion, hence.

Cas. Away, away, be gone.

[Exit Poet.

Enter LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the cominanders

Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala

with you

Immediately to us.

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS.

Bru. 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,

If you give place to accidental evils.

:

Bru. No man bears sorrow better: - Portia is

Cas, Ha! Portia?

dead.

Bru. She is dead.

Cas. How scap'd I killing, when I cross'd you

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?

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 unkinduess, Cassius. [Drinks.
Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge:-
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'er-swell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

elva M

ada

[Drinks.

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA.

Bru, Come in, Titinius: - Welcome, good

Messala.

Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.
Cas. Tortia! art thon gone?

Bru. No more, I pray you. -
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

*Bru. With what addition?

of the

self-same tengur.

Mes. That by proscription, and bills of outlawry,

Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Have put to death an hundred senators.

છછછછછછછછ

Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree

Mine speak of seventy senators, that died it

By their proscriptions, Cicero being

Cas. Cicero one?,

Mes. Ay, Cicero is dead,

And by that order of proscription.

Had you your letters from your wife, my Lord?

Bru. No, Messala.

Mes. Nor nothing in your letters writ of
Bru. Nothing, Messala.

Mes. That, methinks, is strange 191

her?

her in

Bru. Why ask you? Hear you aught of h

Mes. No, my lord.

yours?

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. We must die,

Bru. Why, farewell, Portia.

1

Messala:

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

Mes. Even so great men great losses should

endure.

Cas. I have as much of this in art as yourov

But yet my nature could uot bear it

it s
80160

STA

Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do

think

Of marching to Philippi presently?

you

Cas. I do not thing it good.

Bru. Your reason?

Cas. This it isماء مر

C

wed

1

74

'Tis better, that the enemy seek us:

So shall be waste his means, weary his soldiers,

Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place

to better.

The people, 'twixt Philippi and this ground,
Do stand but in a forç'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. Uuder your pardon. - You must note

beside,

That we have try'd 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
Is bound in shallows, and in miseries.
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;
We'll along ourselves, and meet them at. Philippi.
Bru. The deep of night is crept upon our talk,

And nature must obey necessity;
Which we will niggard with a little rest.
There is no more to say?

Cas. No more. Good night;