Act IV
Scene I
A house in Rome.
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table. | |
Antony | These many, then, shall die; their names are prick’d. |
Octavius | Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus? |
Lepidus | I do consent— |
Octavius | Prick him down, Antony. |
Lepidus |
Upon condition Publius shall not live,
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Antony |
He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.
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Lepidus | What, shall I find you here? |
Octavius | Or here, or at the Capitol. Exit Lepidus. |
Antony |
This is a slight unmeritable man,
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Octavius |
So you thought him;
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Antony |
Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
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Octavius |
You may do your will;
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Antony |
So is my horse, Octavius; and for that
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Octavius |
Let us do so: for we are at the stake,
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Scene II
Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus’s tent.
Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Lucius, and Soldiers; Titinius and Pindarus meeting them. | |
Brutus | Stand, ho! |
Lucilius | Give the word, ho! and stand. |
Brutus | What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near? |
Lucilius |
He is at hand; and Pindarus is come
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Brutus |
He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,
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Pindarus |
I do not doubt
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Brutus |
He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius;
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Lucilius |
With courtesy and with respect enough;
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Brutus |
Thou hast described
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Lucilius |
They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter’d;
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Brutus |
Hark! he is arrived. Low march within.
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Enter Cassius and his powers. | |
Cassius | Stand, ho! |
Brutus | Stand, ho! Speak the word along. |
First Soldier | Stand! |
Second Soldier | Stand! |
Third Soldier | Stand! |
Cassius | Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. |
Brutus |
Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies?
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Cassius |
Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs;
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Brutus |
Cassius, be content;
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Cassius |
Pindarus,
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Brutus |
Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man
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Scene III
Brutus’s tent.
Enter Brutus and Cassius. | |
Cassius |
That you have wrong’d me doth appear in this:
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Brutus | You wrong’d yourself to write in such a case. |
Cassius |
In such a time as this it is not meet
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Brutus |
Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
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Cassius |
I an itching palm!
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Brutus |
The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
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Cassius | Chastisement! |
Brutus |
Remember March, the ides of March remember:
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Cassius |
Brutus, bay not me;
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Brutus | Go to; you are not, Cassius. |
Cassius | I am. |
Brutus | I say you are not. |
Cassius |
Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
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Brutus | Away, slight man! |
Cassius | Is’t possible? |
Brutus |
Hear me, for I will speak.
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Cassius | O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this? |
Brutus |
All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;
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Cassius | Is it come to this? |
Brutus |
You say you are a better soldier:
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Cassius |
You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
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Brutus | If you did, I care not. |
Cassius | When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me. |
Brutus | Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him. |
Cassius | I durst not! |
Brutus | No. |
Cassius | What, durst not tempt him! |
Brutus | For your life you durst not. |
Cassius |
Do not presume too much upon my love;
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Brutus |
You have done that you should be sorry for.
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Cassius | I denied you not. |
Brutus | You did. |
Cassius |
I did not: he was but a fool that brought
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Brutus | I do not, till you practise them on me. |
Cassius | You love me not. |
Brutus | I do not like your faults. |
Cassius | A friendly eye could never see such faults. |
Brutus |
A flatterer’s would not, though they do appear
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Cassius |
Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
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Brutus |
Sheathe your dagger:
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Cassius |
Hath Cassius lived
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Brutus | When I spoke that, I was ill-temper’d too. |
Cassius | Do you confess so much? Give me your hand. |
Brutus | And my heart too. |
Cassius | O Brutus! |
Brutus | What’s the matter? |
Cassius |
Have not you love enough to bear with me,
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Brutus |
Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,
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Poet |
Within. Let me go in to see the generals;
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Lucilius | Within. You shall not come to them. |
Poet | Within. Nothing but death shall stay me. |
Enter Poet, followed by Lucilius, Titinius, and Lucius. | |
Cassius | How now! what’s the matter? |
Poet |
For shame, you generals! what do you mean?
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Cassius | Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme! |
Brutus | Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence! |
Cassius | Bear with him, Brutus; ’tis his fashion. |
Brutus |
I’ll know his humour, when he knows his time:
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Cassius | Away, away, be gone! Exit Poet. |
Brutus |
Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
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Cassius |
And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
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Brutus | Lucius, a bowl of wine! Exit Lucius. |
Cassius | I did not think you could have been so angry. |
Brutus | O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs. |
Cassius |
Of your philosophy you make no use,
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Brutus | No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead. |
Cassius | Ha! Portia! |
Brutus | She is dead. |
Cassius |
How ’scaped I killing when I cross’d you so?
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Brutus |
Impatient of my absence,
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Cassius | And died so? |
Brutus | Even so. |
Cassius | O ye immortal gods! |
Reenter Lucius, with wine and taper. | |
Brutus |
Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
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Cassius |
My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
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Brutus | Come in, Titinius! Exit Lucius. |
Reenter Titinius, with Messala. | |
Welcome, good Messala.
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Cassius | Portia, art thou gone? |
Brutus |
No more, I pray you.
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Messala | Myself have letters of the self-same tenor. |
Brutus | With what addition? |
Messala |
That by proscription and bills of outlawry,
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Brutus |
Therein our letters do not well agree;
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Cassius | Cicero one! |
Messala |
Cicero is dead,
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Brutus | No, Messala. |
Messala | Nor nothing in your letters writ of her? |
Brutus | Nothing, Messala. |
Messala | That, methinks, is strange. |
Brutus | Why ask you? hear you aught of her in yours? |
Messala | No, my lord. |
Brutus | Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true. |
Messala |
Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
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Brutus |
Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
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Messala | Even so great men great losses should endure. |
Cassius |
I have as much of this in art as you,
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Brutus |
Well, to our work alive. What do you think
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Cassius | I do not think it good. |
Brutus | Your reason? |
Cassius |
This it is:
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Brutus |
Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
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Cassius | Hear me, good brother. |
Brutus |
Under your pardon. You must note beside,
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Cassius |
Then, with your will, go on;
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Brutus |
The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
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Cassius |
No more. Good night:
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Brutus |
Lucius! Enter Lucius. My gown. Exit Lucius. Farewell, good Messala:
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Cassius |
O my dear brother!
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Brutus | Everything is well. |
Cassius | Good night, my lord. |
Brutus | Good night, good brother. |
Titinius and Messala | Good night, Lord Brutus. |
Brutus | Farewell, everyone. Exeunt all but Brutus. |
Reenter Lucius, with the gown. | |
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument? | |
Lucius | Here in the tent. |
Brutus |
What, thou speak’st drowsily?
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Lucius | Varro and Claudius! |
Enter Varro and Claudius. | |
Varro | Calls my lord? |
Brutus |
I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;
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Varro | So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure. |
Brutus |
I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;
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Lucius | I was sure your lordship did not give it me. |
Brutus |
Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
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Lucius | Ay, my lord, an’t please you. |
Brutus |
It does, my boy:
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Lucius | It is my duty, sir. |
Brutus |
I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
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Lucius | I have slept, my lord, already. |
Brutus |
It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
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Enter the Ghost of Caesar. | |
How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
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Ghost | Thy evil spirit, Brutus. |
Brutus | Why comest thou? |
Ghost | To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi. |
Brutus | Well; then I shall see thee again? |
Ghost | Ay, at Philippi. |
Brutus |
Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then. Exit Ghost.
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Lucius | The strings, my lord, are false. |
Brutus |
He thinks he still is at his instrument.
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Lucius | My lord? |
Brutus | Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out? |
Lucius | My lord, I do not know that I did cry. |
Brutus | Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see anything? |
Lucius | Nothing, my lord. |
Brutus |
Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!
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Varro | My lord? |
Claudius | My lord? |
Brutus | Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep? |
Varro and Claudius | Did we, my lord? |
Brutus | Ay: saw you anything? |
Varro | No, my lord, I saw nothing. |
Claudius | Nor I, my lord. |
Brutus |
Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
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Varro and Claudius | It shall be done, my lord. Exeunt. |