Part 17
[Note 20: /I will do so:/ I will do as I have said. Not 'I will cross you.' At this time Octavius was but twenty-one years old, and Antony was old enough to be his father. At the time of Cæsar's death, when Octavius was in his nineteenth year, Antony thought he was going to manage him easily and have it all his own way with him; but he found the youngster as stiff as a crowbar, and could do nothing with him. Cæsar's youngest sister, Julia, was married to Marcus Atius Balbus, and their daughter Atia, again, was married to Caius Octavius, a nobleman of the plebeian order. From this marriage sprang the present Octavius, who afterwards became the Emperor Augustus. He was mainly educated by his great-uncle, was advanced to the patrician order, and was adopted as his son and heir; so that his full and proper designation at this time was Caius Julius Cæsar Octavianus. The text gives a right taste of the man, who always stood firm as a post against Antony, till the latter finally knocked himself to pieces against him.]
[Page 146]
_Drum._ _Enter_ BRUTUS, CASSIUS, _and their_ Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, _and others_
BRUTUS. They stand, and would have parley.
CASSIUS. Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
OCTAVIUS. Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
ANTONY. No, Cæsar, we will answer on their charge. Make forth; the generals would have some words. 25
OCTAVIUS. Stir not until the signal.
BRUTUS. Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
OCTAVIUS. Not that we love words better, as you do. 28
BRUTUS. Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
ANTONY. In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words. Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart, Crying, 'Long live! hail, Cæsar!'
CASSIUS. Antony, The posture of your blows are yet unknown; But, for your words, they rob the Hybla bees, And leave them honeyless.
ANTONY. Not stingless too. 35
BRUTUS. O, yes, and soundless too; For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony, And very wisely threat before you sting.
[Note 21: Scene II Pope.--LUCILIUS, TITINIUS ... | Ff omit.]
[Note 33: /The posture of your blows:/ where your blows are to fall.--/are./ The verb is attracted into the plural by the nearest substantive. Cf. 'was,' IV, iii, 5. Abbott calls this idiom 'confusion of proximity.']
[Note 34: Hybla, a hill in Sicily, was noted for its thyme and its honey. So Vergil, _Eclogues_, I, 54-55: "the hedge whose willow bloom is quaffed by Hybla's bees." Cf. _1 Henry IV_, I, ii, 47: "As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle." Antony could not be so 'honey-tongued' unless he had quite exhausted thyme-flavored Hybla.]
[Page 147]
ANTONY. Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers Hack'd one another in the sides of Cæsar: 40 You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds, And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet; Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind Struck Cæsar on the neck. O you flatterers!
CASSIUS. Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself: 45 This tongue had not offended so to-day, If Cassius might have rul'd.
OCTAVIUS. Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat, The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look; 50 I draw a sword against conspirators; When think you that the sword goes up again? Never, till Cæsar's three and thirty wounds Be well aveng'd; or till another Cæsar Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors. 55
[Note 41: Two lines in Ff.--/teeth/ F3 F4 | teethes F1 F2.]
[Note 44: /Struck/ F3 F4 | Strooke F1 F2.]
[Note 50-51: One line in Ff.]
[Note 39-44: These graphic details are from Plutarch's two accounts (in _Julius Cæsar_ and _Marcus Brutus_) of the assassination of Cæsar.]
[Note 48: Octavius has been a standing puzzle and enigma to the historians, from the seeming contradictions of his character. Merivale declares that the one principle that gave unity to his life and reconciled those contradictions, was a steadfast, inflexible purpose to avenge the murder of his illustrious uncle and adoptive father.]
[Note 52: /goes up:/ is put into its sheath. Cf. _John_, XVIII, 11.]
[Note 53: The number of Cæsar's wounds, according to Plutarch, was three and twenty, and to 'three and twenty' Theobald, craving historical accuracy, changed the 'three and thirty' of the text.]
[Note 55: Till you, traitors as you are, have added the slaughtering of me, another Cæsar, to that of Julius. See note, p. 145, l. 20.]
[Page 148]
BRUTUS. Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands, Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
OCTAVIUS. So I hope; I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.
BRUTUS. O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain, Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable. 60
CASSIUS. A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour, Join'd with a masker and a reveller!
ANTONY. Old Cassius still!
OCTAVIUS. Come, Antony; away! Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth; If you dare fight to-day, come to the field; 65 If not, when you have stomachs.
[_Exeunt_ OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, _and their_ Army]
CASSIUS. Why, now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark! The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
BRUTUS. Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you.
LUCILIUS. [_Standing forth_] My lord? 70
[BRUTUS _and_ LUCILIUS _converse apart_]
[Note 66: [_Exeunt ... their_ Army] | Exit ... Army Ff.]
[Note 67: Scene III Pope.]
[Note 70: [_Standing forth_] Camb | Lucillius and Messala stand forth Ff.--[BRUTUS _and_ ...] Ff omit.]
[Note 59. /strain:/ stock, lineage, race. So in _Henry V_, II, iv, 51:
And he is bred out of that bloody strain That haunted us in our familiar paths.]
[Note 61: Shakespeare often uses 'peevish' in the sense of 'silly,' 'foolish.' So in _The Comedy of Errors_, IV, i, 93. A foolish schoolboy, joined with a masker and reveler (for Antony's reputation, see I, ii, 204; II, i, 188, 189; II, ii, 116), and unworthy even of that honor.]
[Note 66: /stomachs:/ appetite, inclination, courage. So in _Henry V_, IV, iii, 35: "He which hath no stomach to this fight."]
[Page 149]
CASSIUS. Messala!
MESSALA. What says my general?
CASSIUS. Messala, This is my birth-day; as this very day Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala: Be thou my witness that, against my will, As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set 75 Upon one battle all our liberties. You know that I held Epicurus strong, And his opinion: now I change my mind, And partly credit things that do presage. Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign 80 Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd, Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands; Who to Philippi here consorted us: This morning are they fled away and gone; And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites, 85 Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us, As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem A canopy most fatal, under which Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
[Note 71: /Messala/, | Ff add to l. 72.]
[Note 80: /former/ Ff | foremost Rowe.]
[Note 85: /steads/ F3 F4 | steeds F1 F2.]
[Note 72: 'As' is often used redundantly with definitions of time. This is still a provincialism. See Abbott, § 114. "Messala writeth, that Cassius having spoken these last words unto him, he bade him farewell, and willed him to come to supper to him the next night following, because it was his birthday."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Note 75: Alluding to the battle of Pharsalia, which took place in the year B.C. 48. Pompey was forced into that battle, against his better judgment, by the inexperienced and impatient men about him, who, inasmuch as they had more than twice Cæsar's number of troops, fancied they could easily defeat him if they could but meet him. So they tried it, and he quickly defeated them.]
[Note 77: I was strongly attached to the doctrines of Epicurus. "Cassius being in opinion an Epicurean, and reasoning thereon with Brutus, spake to him touching the vision thus: 'In our sect, Brutus, we have an opinion, that we do not always feel or see that which we suppose we do both see and feel, but that our senses, being credulous and therefore easily abused ... imagine they see and conjecture that which in truth they do not.'"--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Note 80: /former:/ first. Cf. "former things passed away." "When they raised their camp there came two eagles, that, flying with a marvellous force, lighted upon two of the foremost ensigns, and always followed the soldiers, which gave them meat and fed them, until they came near to the city of Philippes; and there, one day only before the battle, they both flew away."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Page 150]
MESSALA. Believe not so.
CASSIUS. I but believe it partly; 90 For I am fresh of spirit, and resolv'd To meet all perils very constantly.
BRUTUS. Even so, Lucilius.
CASSIUS. Now, most noble Brutus, The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may, Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age! 95 But, since the affairs of men rests still incertain, Let's reason with the worst that may befall. If we do lose this battle, then is this The very last time we shall speak together: What are you then determined to do? 100
[Note 92: /perils/ F1 | peril F2 F3 F4.]
[Note 96: /rests/ Ff | rest Rowe.]
[Page 151]
BRUTUS. 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 105 The time of life: arming myself with patience To stay the providence of some high powers That govern us below.
CASSIUS. Then, if we lose this battle, You are contented to be led in triumph Thorough the streets of Rome? 110
[Note 102: /By/ F1 | Be F2.]
[Note 110: /Thorough/ | Thorow F1 F2 | Through F3 F4 | Along Pope.--/Rome?/ Theobald | Rome Ff.]
[Note 111: Two lines in Ff.]
[Note 105-106: /prevent The time:/ anticipate the full, natural period. To the understanding of this speech, it must be observed that the sense of the words, 'arming myself,' etc., follows next after the words, 'which he did give himself.' In this passage, as Dr. Wright (Clar.) has pointed out, Shakespeare was misled by an error in North's version of Amyot's Plutarch, where we have _feis_ (= _fis_) translated as if it were from _fier_: "Brutus answered him, being yet but a young man, and not over greatly experienced in the world; 'I trust (I know not how) a certain rule of philosophy, by the which I did greatly blame ... Cato for killing himself, as being no lawful nor godly act, touching the gods; nor, concerning men, valiant: but, being now in the midst of the danger, I am of a contrary mind.'"--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_. Wright, in his note on this passage, shows how the true meaning is obscured by bad printing and punctuation. Brutus's answer begins really with, 'Being yet but a young man'; and 'I trust' is evidently a past tense (Old English 'truste') which must have been read by Shakespeare as the present.]
[Page 152]
BRUTUS. No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman, That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome; He bears too great a mind. But this same day Must end that work the Ides of March begun; And whether we shall meet again I know not. 115 Therefore our everlasting farewell take. For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius! If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then this parting was well made.
CASSIUS. For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus! 120 If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed; If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.
BRUTUS. Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know The end of this day's business ere it come! But it sufficeth that the day will end, 125 And then the end is known. Come, ho! away! [_Exeunt_]
## SCENE II. _The field of battle_
_Alarum. Enter_ BRUTUS _and_ MESSALA
BRUTUS. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills 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. 5 Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down. [_Exeunt_]
[Note 114: /the Ides/ F1 | that Ides F2 F3 F4.]
[Note: SCENE II Capell | Scene IV Pope.]
[Note 4: /Octavius'/ Pope | Octavio's Ff.]
[Note 113: "The philosopher indeed renounced all confidence in his own principles. He had adopted them from reading or imitation; they were not the natural growth of instinct or genuine reflection; and, as may easily happen in such a case, his faith in them failed when they were tested by adversity. As long as there seemed a chance that the godlike stroke would be justified by success, Brutus claimed the glory of maintaining a righteous cause; but, when all hope fled, he could take leave of philosophy and life together, and exclaim, 'I once dreamed that virtue was a thing; I find her only a name, and the mere slave of fortune.' He had blamed Cato for flying from misery by self-murder; but he learnt to justify the same desperate act when he contemplated committing it himself."--Merivale.]
[Note 1: /bills:/ written instructions, dispatches. "In the meantime Brutus, that led the right wing, sent little bills to the colonels and captains of private bands, in the which he wrote the word of the battle."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Note 2: 'The legions on the other side' are those commanded by Cassius, the left wing of the joint army of Brutus and Cassius. Brutus wants Cassius to attack the enemy at the same time that he himself does. In the next scene, Messala and his escort are met by Titinius coming from Cassius.]
[Page 153]
## SCENE III. _Another part of the field_
_Alarums. Enter_ CASSIUS _and_ TITINIUS
CASSIUS. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly! Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy. This ensign here of mine was turning back; I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
TITINIUS. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early; 5 Who, having some advantage on Octavius, Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil, Whilst we by Antony are all enclos'd.
_Enter_ PINDARUS
PINDARUS. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord: 10 Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
CASSIUS. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius; Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
[Note: SCENE III Capell | Scene continued in Pope.]
[Note 3: 'Ensign' was used in the Elizabethan time, as it is still, either for the flag (cf. V, i, 80) or for the bearer of it: here it is used for both at once. Cf. the form 'ancient,' _Othello_, I, i, 33. It was in killing the cowardly ensign that Cassius "to his own turn'd enemy."]
[Page 154]
TITINIUS. They are, my lord.
CASSIUS. Titinius, if thou lovest me, Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him, 15 Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops, And here again; that I may rest assur'd Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS. I will be here again, even with a thought. [_Exit_]
CASSIUS. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill; 20 My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius, And tell me what thou not'st about the field.
[PINDARUS _ascends the hill_]
This day I breathed first: time is come round, And where I did begin, there shall I end; My life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news? 25
PINDARUS. [_Above_] O my lord!
CASSIUS. What news?
PINDARUS. [_Above_] Titinius is enclosed round about With horsemen, that make to him on the spur; Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him. 30 Now, Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too: He's ta'en. [_Shout_] And, hark! they shout for joy.
[Note 20: /higher/ F1 | thither F2 F3 F4.]
[Note 22: [PINDARUS _ascends_...] Camb | Ff omit.]
[Note 28: [_Above_] Ff omit.]
[Note 32: /He's ta'en/ | Ff print as separate line.]
[Note 16: /yonder troops./ Messala and his escort coming from Brutus.]
[Note 19: /with a thought:/ quick as thought. Cf. _The Tempest_, IV, i, 64.]
[Note 20-21: "Cassius himself was at length compelled to fly ... into a little hill from whence they might see ... howbeit Cassius saw nothing, for his sight was very bad."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Page 155]
CASSIUS. Come down; behold no more. O, coward that I am, to live so long, To see my best friend ta'en before my face! 35
PINDARUS _descends_
Come hither, sirrah: In Parthia did I take thee prisoner; And then I swore thee, saving of thy life, That whatsoever I did bid thee do, Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath; 40 Now be a freeman; and with this good sword, That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bosom. Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts; And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now, Guide thou the sword. [PINDARUS _stabs him_] Cæsar, thou art reveng'd, 45 Even with the sword that kill'd thee. [_Dies_]
PINDARUS. So, I am free; yet would not so have been, Durst I have done my will. O Cassius! Far from this country Pindarus shall run, 49 Where never Roman shall take note of him. [_Exit_]
[Note 36: PINDARUS _descends_ Dyce | Enter Pindarus Ff.]
[Note 36-37: One line in Ff.]
[Note 45: [PINDARUS ...] | F1 omits | kills him F2 F3 F4 (after l. 46).]
[Note 46: [_Dies_] Capell | Ff omit.]
[Note 47: Two lines in Ff.]
[Note 50: [_Exit_] Rowe | Ff omit.]
[Note 38: /saving of thy life:/ when I saved thy life. The usual interpretation, but 'saving' may qualify 'Thou' in l. 40, and then the expression would mean, 'Except for endangering thy life.']
[Note 43: /hilts./ Shakespeare uses both the singular and the plural form of this word to describe a single weapon, the plural more often.]
[Note 46: It was a dagger, not a sword, that Cassius stabbed Cæsar with. But by a common figure of speech the same weapon is put for the same owner. The 'sword' is taken from Plutarch. "For he, being overcome in battle at the journey of Philippes, slew himself with the same sword with the which he strake Cæsar."--Plutarch, _Julius Cæsar_.]
[Note 50: "Cassius, thinking indeed that Titinius was taken of the enemies, he then spake these words: 'Desiring too much to live, I have lived to see one of my best friends taken, for my sake, before my face.' After that, he got into a tent where nobody was, and took Pindarus with him, one of his bondsmen whom he reserved ever for such a pinch, since the cursed battle of the Parthians, where Crassus was slain, though he notwithstanding scaped from that overthrow: but then, casting his cloak over his head, and holding out his bare neck unto Pindarus, he gave him his head to be stricken off. So the head was found severed from the body; but after that time Pindarus was never seen more."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Page 156]
_Re-enter_ TITINIUS, _with_ MESSALA
MESSALA. It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power, As Cassius' legions are by Antony.
TITINIUS. These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA. Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS. All disconsolate, 55 With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA. Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
TITINIUS. He lies not like the living. O my heart!
MESSALA. Is not that he?
TITINIUS. No, this was he, Messala, But Cassius is no more. O setting sun, 60 As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, So in his red blood Cassius' day is set; The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone; Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done! Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. 65
[Note 51: Scene V Pope.--_Re-enter_ ..., _with_ Capell | Enter ... and ... Ff.]
[Note 61: /to night/ Ff | to-night Knight.]
[Note 62: /is set/ F1 | it set F2 F3 F4.]
[Note 63: sun | Sunne F1 | Sonne F2 | Son F3 F4.]
[Note 51: /change:/ interchange of loss and gain in the fight.]
[Note 60-62: Cf. _Troilus and Cressida_, V, viii, 5-8.]
[Page 157]
MESSALA. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful error, melancholy's child, Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men The things that are not? O error, soon conceiv'd, Thou never com'st unto a happy birth, 70 But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!
TITINIUS. What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?
MESSALA. Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears: I may say, 'thrusting' it; 75 For piercing steel and darts envenomed Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus As tidings of this sight.
TITINIUS. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [_Exit_ MESSALA] Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? 80 Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they Put on my brows this wreath of victory, And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts? Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing! But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 85 Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace, And see how I regarded Caius Cassius. By your leave, gods: this is a Roman's part: 89 Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart. [_Dies_]
[Note 71: /engender'd/ | engendred Ff.]
[Note 79: [_Exit_ MESSALA] | Ff omit.]
[Note 67-69. Cassius is said to have been of a highly choleric or bilious temperament, and as such, predisposed to melancholy views of life.]
[Note 90: "By-and-by they knew the horsemen that came towards them, and might see Titinius crowned with a garland of triumph, who came before with great speed unto Cassius. But when he perceived, by the cries and tears of his friends which tormented themselves, the misfortune that had chanced to his captain Cassius by mistaking, he drew out his sword, cursing himself a thousand times that he had tarried so long, and so slew himself presently in the field. Brutus in the meantime came forward still, and understood also that Cassius had been overthrown; but he knew nothing of his death till he came very near to his camp."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
[Page 158]
_Alarum._ _Re-enter_ MESSALA, _with_ BRUTUS, _young_ CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, _and_ LUCILIUS
BRUTUS. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA. Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS. Titinius' face is upward.
CATO. He is slain.
BRUTUS. O Julius Cæsar, thou art mighty yet! Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords 95 In our own proper entrails. [_Low alarums_]
CATO. Brave Titinius! Look, where he have not crown'd dead Cassius!
[Note 91: Scene VI Pope.--_Re-enter_ MESSALA, _with_ BRUTUS ... | Enter Brutus, Messala ... Ff.]
[Note 97: /where/ Ff | if Pope | whether Camb Globe | wh'er Capell | whêr Dyce.]