University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

SCENE I.

The Field of Philippi.
Brutus, Cassius, Lucilius and Titinius, with other Officers, at the Head of their Army.
Enter Varius hastily.
VARIUS.
Propitious Stars favour our Cause already.
Behold! a heedless Party of Octavius
Hast'ning too fast, is fall'n within our Ambush;
And we may cut them off without Defence.

CASSIUS.
Fall on 'em instantly.

BRUTUS.
Hold, Cassius, hold,
And spare your Fellow-Citizens at Mercy.

CASSIUS.
The Death of these will make the Day our own.

BRUTUS.
'Twill rather make the rest more desperate.
Consider, Cassius, they are Romans all.

CASSIUS.
So much the worse, fighting against their Country.

BRUTUS.
Alas, they do but follow wicked Leaders,
And are our Countrymen with all their Faults;
Kindred, nay Friends, perhaps to thee, or me.

CASSIUS.
Thy tender Nature will undo us all.

BRUTUS.
Good Cassius, let me over-rule in this,
And you in all things else shall govern me.
Order our Soldiers not to kill a Man,
(To Lucilius.
But seize them gently, as your future Friends.
Oh, Cassius, what a Pleasure 'tis to save
Romans from falling in a shameful Cause.

CASSIUS.
I can no longer contradict my Brutus,
Your Mercy is so moving; yet I own
This Battel never was approv'd by me:
For I would ne'er have ventur'd at one Blow
So great a Stake as all our Liberties;
But rather have prolong'd th' important War.
I use to slight Presages; but of late,
My Mind, I know not how, foreboding Ill,
Spite of my Reason feels a drooping Sadness,
And by its gloomy Light foresees Misfortune.

BRUTUS.
In such a Cause it were a Fault to fear;
Else, Cassius, I might have some Fancies too.
For Cæsar's Ghost appear'd to me last Night,
At all his gaping Wounds breathing Revenge;
And when I would have reason'd with it, vanish'd.

CASSIUS.
Alas good Brutus, what can be in that,
But an effect of melancholy Fumes?
A dark and dismal Picture, lively drawn
By dreaming Fancy, tho' we think we wake?
Our Sect believes no Spirits; if there be,
At least, if they are such as Plato fansies,
Those purer Beings who behold our Cause,
Those Demi-gods will sure encourage Virtue,
And give their Fellow Creatures just Assistance.
Thus in the midst of Slaughter we shall find
Ten thousand airy Legions on our Side,
Sent to our Aid, as Heav'n's Auxiliaries.

Enter Lucilius, with an Officer of the other Army.
LUCILIUS.
My Lord, your gen'rous Orders were obey'd,
And see the just Success! This worthy Tribune,
Won by your Mercy to those other Soldiers,
Is come to join us with a valiant Band,
Vowing they never will be Foes to Brutus.

OFFICER.
Such Virtue needs no Army to support it;
It vanquishes beyond the reach of Force,
And makes our very Minds yield due Submission.

BRUTUS.
Submission only should be paid to Heav'n,
And I must blush to hear it from a Roman.
We scarce have in this little Span of Life
Sufficient time for exercise of Virtue;
We should do ill to lose the least Occasion.
Let all his Cohort charge with our chief Legion.
Such a Desertion is a timely Service.

OFFICER.
Your Approbation is our highest Aim.
And this Day we'll deserve it.

BRUTUS.
'Tis not doubted:
Your Country's Freedom will excite your Valour.
Let him have Rank among our chief Commanders.

(Exit Officer with Varius and Titinius.

SCENE II.

Manent Cassius and Brutus.
CASSIUS.
The Fight is well begun, most noble Brutus.
And may the rest be still so favourable,
That we may lengthen out our Lives to Age,
In all the peaceful Joys of Love and Friendship.
But, since the Chance of War is most uncertain,
'Tis Wisdom to provide against the worst;
Which is, our Parting, if we lose the Battel,
Never to meet again: In such a Case
What is my dearest Friend resolv'd to do?

BRUTUS.
I am, alas, so weary of a World,
All full of Faults and Follies, I would leave it:
But that to me it seems a Want of Spirit
To shrink from Life for fear of future ill.
'Tis to distrust the Justice of the Gods,
Or else their Pow'r; and is in my Opinion,
Not Courage, but a bold Disguise for Fear.
With Patience arm'd, I'll bear the Blows of Fortune.

CASSIUS.
Then dearest Brutus, you can be content
To wear a Chain; nay what is yet much worse
To see great Rome as much a Slave as you?

BRUTUS.
Oh never, never come that fatal Day!
The very Sound offends. Oh you have nam'd
The only thing, ye Gods, I cannot bear.
Whene'er ye send that Summons, 'tis my last.
And therefore, lest we ne'er should meet again,
Here let us take our everlasting Leave.

CASSIUS.
For ever, and for ever, farewel Brutus!
After this famous Day we shall be Victor,
Or else, beyond the sense of being vanquish'd.

BRUTUS.
For ever, and for ever, farewel Cassius!
'Twill be with Pleasure if we meet hereafter;
If not, this Parting is our greatest Pain.

(Exeunt severally.

SCENE III.

Just as Cassius is going off, enter Titinius hastily, and stops him.
TITINIUS.
The Army of Marc Antony appears,
Fearless, and forward to attempt your Camp.

CASSIUS.
Sure 'tis impossible: Tho' brave to Rashness,
He is a Soldier of too great Experience;
I cannot hope for such a Fault in him.
'Tis safer to bestride the angry Ocean,
Than offer to assault a Roman Camp.
We'll soon correct this insolent Antonius,
And crush the bold Attempt.

(Exit Cassius.
A Charge is sounded.
Re-enter Cassius, with Titinius, Pindarus, and other Officers.
CASSIUS.
Their prosp'rous Rashness terrifies our Men,
Who never fear'd before: I doubt all's lost;
The Liberty of Rome is gone for ever.
I'll perish with it, or redeem the Day.
Titinius, oh make haste, fly tow'rd those Troops;
Discover quickly if they are our Friends.
(Exit Titinius.
Go, Pindarus, get on the rising Ground,
(My Sight thou know'st is short) and take a view
Quite round the Field.

Pindarus goes up the Hill, then calls to Cassius.
PINDARUS.
Hoa, my good Lord!

CASSIUS.
What now?

PINDARUS.
Titinius is seiz'd on by the Foe.

CASSIUS.
Oh, he is taken, and they shout for Joy.
(Cassius goes also to view.
Come down, come down;
Oh, I have liv'd to see my best Friend lost!
And by my own Procurement! Pindarus,
I took thee Pris'ner once, and spar'd thy Life;
All the return I ask, is, now take mine.
(Pindarus turns away weeping
I am thy General, and Master too;
Yet I have us'd thee as becomes a Friend.
A Friend will not deny my last Request.
Kill me with this; with this I slew the Tyrant.

(Cassius presents him his Dagger
PINDARUS.
Is there Necessity?

CASSIUS.
Thou see'st there is.
Dispatch it quickly, while I turn my Face.

PINDARUS.
Then farewel worthy Cassius.

(Pindarus kills himself.
CASSIUS.
What, gone before me? Did I need Example?
For shame now Cassius do thy own last work;
Pindarus leads the Honourable Way.

(Falls on his Sword.

SCENE IV.

Enter Titinius, meeting one of Cassius's Officers just entring at the other Door.
TITINIUS.
Brutus with chearful News greets Caius Cassius;
And, having broke the Forces of Octavius,
Is hasting hither to relieve his Friend.

OFFICER.
Alas, he comes too late, see there lies Cassius!

Enter Brutus with Officers.
BRUTUS.
Is Cassius on the Ground? O my dear Friend!
(Runs to Cassius.
I came to fill thy Ears with pleasing News;
But such a Sight has turn'd my Joy to Grief

CASSIUS.
What, has my feeble Hand made me be taken?
Is Cassius to become the Scorn of Antony?

(Rising a little, believing it to be Antony.
BRUTUS.
Rather the Grief of ev'ry worthy Roman.
What cursed Hand has slain my dearest Friend?

CASSIUS.
What do I hear, and see? is Brutus there?
A Pris'ner too?

BRUTUS.
The Gods forbid that, Cassius:
Look up, and see thy mournful Friend victorious.

CASSIUS.
Have you then sav'd the Liberty of Rome?
I ask no more, and dye with full Content.
But yet I leave my Junia behind:
Oh, still be tender of that best of Women!
In being kind to her, remember me.

(Dyes in his Arms.
BRUTUS.
Remember thee? Who can forget thy Worth!
With a dead Friend Disputes are all forgot,
And what is tender takes up all the Mind;
Grief only thinks on that which most promotes it:
(Turns to his Officers.
And oh, I long to give my Sorrow vent.
But our dear Countrey now claims all my Care.
Summon our Soldiers, that I may with Praise
Keep up that Spirit which has fir'd their Souls.
Enter a confused Multitude of Soldiers.
Hail Fellow-Soldiers, worthy of that Cause
For which you fight so well. Your Actions past
Urge you to more: Be your own great Example.
On far unequal Terms these Armies meet;
They fight, to make Ambition Tyranny,
And themselves Slaves; their Vict'ry is their Ruin.
But if for this one Day you can submit
To one who but commands you for your sakes;
(Now proud to lead, while you are pleas'd to follow)
You ev'ry one shall be a Conqueror,
And equal to your General, who seeks
No other Triumph but his Country's Freedom.
End but that Work, and then to foreign Wars.
There's no Man here but may by Merit hope
To lead an Army, and have Me his Soldier.
Acclamations of Applause.
Let prodigal Antonius promise Treasures,
Wrench'd from hard Hands of wretched lab'ring Swains,
Who lift them up to Heav'n to call down Vengeance.
I can out-bid him, spite of all his Riches:
Hark to the pleasing Sound! 'tis Liberty!
That only nam'd, I need to say no more.

(Exeunt Soldiers shouting.

SCENE V.

A Trumpet sounds mournfully.
BRUTUS.
Silence those dismal Notes for Cassius' Death;
There is no need of Sounds to raise true Sorrow;
And it will chear the Foe to hear us mourn.
Oh Cassius! what a Loss art thou to Rome!

(Stooping down to the dead Body.
Trumpet sounds again mournful. Enter Varius.
VARIUS.
'Tis with a trembling Hand I shew these Letters;
Your Grief for Cassius, will alas, be lost:
Like Rivers in the Ocean, swallow'd up
In sadder News.

BRUTUS.
Speak, is my Portia well?
What, make no Answer? then 'tis so indeed.
In saying nothing, thou hast told me all.

VARIUS.
Here is the sad Account.

(Holds the Letter to Brutus.
BRUTUS.
Oh, read it, read it.

VARIUS.
“Varius, I must unwillingly inform you,
(Reading.
“That Portia, grieving for her Husband's Absence,
“Had mourn'd her self into a raging Fever;
“In which, because she fansy'd he was dead,
“She (none suspecting) swallow'd burning Coals,
“So dy'd with mournful Clamours for her Brutus.

BRUTUS.
Enough, enough. O ye immortal Gods!
I'll not complain of you, but of my self;
For, sure I am the very worst of Men,
Since you think fit to make me the most wretched.
How all my Tears are on a sudden stopt!
Something I feel within that weighs me down;
And I must sink.

VARIUS.
Good Sir be comforted.

BRUTUS.
Oh never, never.
Had'st thou beheld her with my weeping Eyes,
When tenderly we took our latest leave;
How her Love pleaded, and her Beauty mov'd;
When, all dissolv'd in Grief, her mournful Looks
She fix'd on mine! Oh, never talk of Comfort.
Comfort! dear Portia, if I ever seek it,
May then—alas! I cannot curse my self,
Heav'n knows, I am already so unhappy.

Enter Lucilius hastily.
LUCILIUS.
The Enemy once more is coming on,
Antony leads them out of Cassius' Camp,
And gathers, as he goes, the large Remains
Of the new routed Army of Octavius.
I'll do my best to stop them in their March.

BRUTUS.
Antonius, and his Army? Alas Varius;
What's that, or Victory itself to me?

VARIUS.
But yet our Country should not be forgotten.

BRUTUS.
Oh, no: I'll bear about this heavy Heart:
Yet, when I struggle most, it weighs me down.

VARIUS.
But where is, Sir, your wonted Resolution?

BRUTUS.
Gone, Varius, gone for ever, with my Portia.

VARIUS.
Then, farewel all the Liberty of Rome!

BRUTUS.
The Liberty of Rome? The thought of that
Has rous'd me up—Yet one Sigh more for Portia—
Rome yet shall have my Cares: But oh, my Friend,
May this be the last Battel among Romans!
It grieves my Soul to see this Civil Slaughter.
Fain I would live to leave my Country free,
And with my dying Eyes behold her prosper.
Else I have done too much; and Cæsar's Death,
Too sharp a Med'cine, if it does not cure.
'Twas cutting off a Limb ev'n from my self,
And, oh, I now begin to feel the Maim.
But 'tis too late, and we must now look forwards—
Command our Men to spread on both the Wings,
Lest they encompass us with greater Numbers:
The Troops we routed of Octavius
Will hardly have the heart to rally more.

(Exeunt.
After they have sounded a Battel for some time, enter Lucilius and another Officer.
LUCILIUS.
All's lost! Ambition triumphs over Virtue:

OFFICER.
'Tis not our Fault, but Fate's: Did we not charge
With Fierceness fit to fight for all the World?
First, all our Darts we flung away despis'd,
Uncertain Weapons of remoter War,
And rush'd on nearer with the surer Sword;
As if each common Soldier were a Brutus,
Rome at their Hearts, and Glory in their Minds.

LUCILIUS.
But what is Valour, when so overmatch'd,
By elder Troops, and much superior Numbers?
Yet no one yielded, while ten thousand dy'd;
Each call'd for Death as fast as e'er he fell,
And still by ill-tim'd Pity was refused.
We only fought to dye, and they to save us:
Which Brutus then perceiving, left the Field,
And fled not from their Fury, but their Mercy.

Enter Ventidius with a Company of Soldiers.
VENTIDIUS.
Pursue them close, and on your Lives spare Brutus.

LUCILIUS.
Stop then your Chase, and lead me to Antonius.
I might have 'scap'd, but Brutus scorns to fly.

SOLDIER.
He is taken, he's taken.

(They give a great Shout, and carry out Lucilius, whom they suppose to be Brutus.
(Exeunt Omnes.

SCENE VI.

Enter Brutus and Titinius with some Officers.
BRUTUS.
Ye worthy few, who with unusual Faith
Quit not a Friend whom Fortune has forsaken;
Rest your tir'd Bodies on this Bank a while:
Where like a shipwreck'd Merchant I appear,
Gath'ring the dear Remains of my lost Fortunes.

OFFICER.
Oh, who can judge the Councils of the Gods?
(They all sit down.
Behold the best of Men is made a Prey
To boundless Wildness, and unjust Ambition.

BRUTUS.
That wild Ambition but too often prospers:
Yet sure the Gods know better far than we,
How to dispose the ruling of Mankind.
If they will have (which yet seems wondrous strange)
Injustice to succeed, and Virtue suffer;
Our Part is only to submit with Reverence.
'Tis time, 'tis time that Rome should be at rest.

FIRST OFFICER.
(He whispers each of them.
Not for the World.

SECOND OFFICER.
The mighty Gods forbid!

THIRD OFFICER.
May my Hand wither first!

FIRST OFFICER.
What did he whisper?

THIRD OFFICER.
He earnestly intreated me to kill him.

FIRST OFFICER.
He mov'd the same to me.

TITINIUS.
How is that noble Soul o'erwhelm'd with Anguish,
Not for his own, but for his Country's Ruin!

BRUTUS.
Romans, for shame shew not such childish Pity.
Think you I am so fond of painful Life,
(He rises hastily.
That my faint Hand should tremble at my Cure?
Why then refuse to do this last good Office,
Which I, for want of Friends must do my self.
Nay, if my Life could yet but serve my Country,
Tho rack'd with Griefs, the very hopes of that,
Would, like strong Cordials, force me to endure it.
But lawless Empire rules! what then remains
But Death, or worse than Death, ignoble Bondage?
Which if my Soul can ne'er submit to bear,
Pardon, good Heav'n, my not enduring Life
On such a hard Condition!—Sacred Virtue!
Thou Deity that all the Good adore!
Why hast thou cast me off, and giv'n Success
To thy own Foes, and mine? I follow'd thee
Ev'n through the Blood of Cæsar, whom I lov'd,
And who lov'd me; Ye Pow'rs immortal! know
With what a heavy Heart and troubled Mind,
I help'd my Country by so harsh a Means:
But I most gladly make thee this amends—
(Cæsar's Ghost appears and vanishes.
Oh Cæsar, Cæsar! Therefore rest appeas'd;
I did not kill thee half so willingly.

(Kills himself.
Enter Antony, Dolabella, Ventidius, &c.
ANTONY.
The Blow is giv'n, and we are come too late.

A great Shout of Soldiers bringing in Lucilius.
SOLDIER.
Rewards, and Triumph! we have brought you Brutus.

LUCILIUS.
No, Antony: the Gods forbid that Brutus
Should ever be a Prisoner! by assuming
His Name, I here have stopp'd their hot Pursuit.

ANTONY.
This is not Brutus, but a worthy Prize:
For ye have brought a Friend, and not a Foe.
Youth, I admire thy Virtue; be to me,
As thou hast been to him who now lies there.
Lucilius starts, sees the Body of Brutus, and kneels down by it.
Oh Brutus, I am robb'd of half my Triumph;
To thy most gen'rous Soul I ow'd my Life,
And fain I would have taken kind Revenge;
For, 'tis a Debt, lies heavy on me now.
Rise, worthy Roman, do not mourn in vain.

(Lucilius rises.
LUCILIUS.
Yield, all ye Heroes of immortal Name,
Whose shining Mischiefs only raise your Fame.
If publick Virtue well be understood,
Here lies the Greatest Man that e'er was Good.

DOLABELLA.
Yet the just Gods a righteous Judgment send;
He lov'd his Country, but he kill'd his Friend.