The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
Another part of the field. |
[Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and | ||
VOLUMNIUS] |
BRUTUS | Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. |
CLITUS | Statilius show'd the torch-light, but, my lord, | ||
He came not back: he is or ta'en or slain. |
BRUTUS | Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; | ||
It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. | 5 | ||
[Whispers] |
CLITUS | What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. |
BRUTUS | Peace then! no words. |
CLITUS | I'll rather kill myself. |
BRUTUS | Hark thee, Dardanius. | ||
[Whispers] |
DARDANIUS | Shall I do such a deed? | 10 |
CLITUS | O Dardanius! |
DARDANIUS | O Clitus! |
CLITUS | What ill request did Brutus make to thee? |
DARDANIUS | To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates. |
CLITUS | Now is that noble vessel full of grief, | 15 | |
That it runs over even at his eyes. |
BRUTUS | Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word. |
VOLUMNIUS | What says my lord? |
BRUTUS | Why, this, Volumnius: | ||
The ghost of Caesar hath appear'd to me | |||
Two several times by night; at Sardis once, | 20 | ||
And, this last night, here in Philippi fields: | |||
I know my hour is come. |
VOLUMNIUS | Not so, my lord. |
BRUTUS | Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. | ||
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes; | 25 | ||
Our enemies have beat us to the pit: | |||
[Low alarums] | |||
It is more worthy to leap in ourselves, | |||
Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, | |||
Thou know'st that we two went to school together: | |||
Even for that our love of old, I prithee, | 30 | ||
Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it. |
VOLUMNIUS | That's not an office for a friend, my lord. | ||
[Alarum still] |
CLITUS | Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. |
BRUTUS | Farewell to you; and you; and you, Volumnius. | ||
Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep; | 35 | ||
Farewell to thee too, Strato. Countrymen, | |||
My heart doth joy that yet in all my life | |||
I found no man but he was true to me. | |||
I shall have glory by this losing day | |||
More than Octavius and Mark Antony | 40 | ||
By this vile conquest shall attain unto. | |||
So fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue | |||
Hath almost ended his life's history: | |||
Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, | |||
That have but labour'd to attain this hour. | 45 | ||
[Alarum. Cry within, 'Fly, fly, fly!'] |
CLITUS | Fly, my lord, fly. |
BRUTUS | Hence! I will follow. | ||
[Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMNIUS] | |||
I prithee, 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, | 50 | ||
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato? |
STRATO | Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord. |
BRUTUS | Farewell, good Strato. | ||
[Runs on his sword] | |||
Caesar, now be still: | |||
I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. | 55 | ||
[Dies] | |||
[Alarum. Retreat. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, | |||
LUCILIUS, and the army] |
OCTAVIUS | What man is that? |
MESSALA | My master's man. Strato, where is thy master? |
STRATO | Free from the bondage you are in, Messala: | ||
The conquerors can but make a fire of him; | |||
For Brutus only overcame himself, | 60 | ||
And no man else hath honour by his death. |
LUCILIUS | So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus, | ||
That thou hast proved Lucilius' saying true. |
OCTAVIUS | All that served Brutus, I will entertain them. | ||
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me? | 65 |
STRATO | Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you. |
OCTAVIUS | Do so, good Messala. |
MESSALA | How died my master, Strato? |
STRATO | I held the sword, and he did run on it. |
MESSALA | Octavius, then take him to follow thee, | 70 | |
That did the latest service to my master. |
ANTONY | This was the noblest Roman of them all: | ||
All the conspirators save only he | |||
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; | |||
He only, in a general honest thought | 75 | ||
And common good to all, made one of them. | |||
His life was gentle, and the elements | |||
So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up | |||
And say to all the world 'This was a man!' |
OCTAVIUS | According to his virtue let us use him, | 80 | |
With all respect and rites of burial. | |||
Within my tent his bones to-night shall lie, | |||
Most like a soldier, order'd honourably. | |||
So call the field to rest; and let's away, | |||
To part the glories of this happy day. | 85 | ||
[Exeunt] |
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