Oct.
Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions;
It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
They mean to warn ^note us at Philippi here,
Answering before we do demand of them.

Ant.
Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
Wherefore they do it: they could be content

To visit other places; and come down
With fearful bravery, ^note thinking by this face
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 'tis not so. Enter a Messenger.

Mess.
Prepare you, generals:
The enemy comes on in gallant show;
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
And something ^note to be done immediately.

Ant.
Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
Upon the left hand of the even ^note field.

Oct.
Upon the right hand I; keep thou ^note the left.

Ant.
Why do you cross me in this exigent? ^note

Oct.
I do not cross you; but I will do so. [March. ^noteDrum. Enter Brutus, Cassius, and their Army; Lucilius, Titinius, Messala, and others. ^note

Bru.
They stand, and would have parley.

Cas.
Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.

Oct.
Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?

Ant.
No, Cæsar, we will answer on their charge.
Make forth; the generals would have some words. ^note

Oct.
Stir not until the signal.

Bru.
Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?

Oct.
Not that we love words better, as you do.

Bru.
Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

Ant.
In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
Witness the hole you made in Cæsar's heart,
Crying ‘Long live! hail, Cæsar!’

Cas.
Antony,
The posture ^note of your blows are ^note yet unknown;

But for your words, they ^note rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Ant.
Not stingless ^note too. ^note

Bru.
O, yes, and soundless too;
For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting. ^note

Ant.
Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers
Hack'd ^note one another in the sides of Cæsar:
You show'd your teeth ^note like apes, and fawn'd like hounds, ^note
And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Cæsar's feet;
Whilst ^note damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Struck ^note Cæsar on the neck. O you ^note flatterers!

Cas.
Flatterers ^note! ^note Now, Brutus, thank ^note yourself:
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
If Cassius might have ruled.

Oct.
Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat ^note,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look; ^note
I draw a sword ^note against conspirators ^note;
When think you that the sword goes up again?
Never, till Cæsar's three and thirty ^note wounds
Be well avenged, or till another Cæsar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors ^note.

Bru.
Cæsar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands ^note,

Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

Oct.
So I hope;
I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

Bru.
O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable ^note.

Cas.
A peevish schoolboy, worthless ^note of such honour,
Join'd with a masker and a reveller!

Ant.
Old Cassius still!

Oct.
Come, Antony; away!
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth;
If you dare fight to-day, come to the field:
If not, when you have stomachs. [Exeunt Octavius, Antony, and their army. ^{note note}

Cas.
Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark! ^note
The storm is up, and all is ^note on the hazard.

Bru.
Ho, ^note Lucilius! hark, a word with you.

Lucil. [Standing forth ^note]
My lord? [Brutus and Lucilius converse apart.

Cas.
Messala! ^note

Mes. [Standing forth]
What says my general?

Cas.
Messala,
This is my birth-day; as ^note this very day ^note
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Be thou my witness that, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I ^note compell'd to set
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 ^note
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 ^note do ravens, crows ^note and kites
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 ^note give up ^note the ghost.

Mes.
Believe not so.

Cas.
I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils ^note very constantly.

Bru.
Even so, Lucilius ^note.

Cas.
Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But, since the affairs of men rest ^note still incertain ^note,
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?

Bru.
Even by the rule of that philosophy
By ^note which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself: I know not how, ^note
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time ^note of life ^note: ^note arming myself with patience

To stay the providence of some ^note high powers
That govern us below.

Cas.
Then, if we lose this battle ^note,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough ^note the streets ^note of Rome?

Bru.
No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman, ^note
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work the ^note ides of March begun ^note;
And whether we shall meet again I know not.
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.

Cas.
For ever and for ever farewell, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

Bru.
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,
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away! [Exeunt. ^note

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