Julius Caesar (1919) Yale/Text/Act IV
ACT FOURTH
Scene One
[A Room in Antony's House]
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus [seated at a table].
Ant. These many then shall die; their names are prick'd.
Oct. Your brother too must die; consent you, Lepidus?
Lep. I do consent.
Oct. Prick him down, Antony.
Lep. Upon condition Publius shall not live,4
Who is your sister's son, Mark Antony.
Ant. He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.
But, Lepidus, go you to Cæsar's house;
Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine8
How to cut off some charge in legacies.
Lep. What, shall I find you here?
Oct. Or here or at the Capitol.Exit Lepidus.
Ant. This is a slight unmeritable man,12
Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit,
The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it?
Oct. So you thought him;
And took his voice who should be prick'd to die,16
In our black sentence and proscription.
Ant. Octavius, I have seen more days than you:
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,20
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,24
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.
Oct. You may do your will;
But he's a tried and valiant soldier.28
Ant. So is my horse, Octavius; and for that
I do appoint him store of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,32
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so;
He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth;
A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds36
On objects, arts, and imitations
Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion: do not talk of him
But as a property. And now, Octavius,40
Listen great things: Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make head;
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd,
Our best friends made, and our best means stretch'd out;44
And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclos'd,
And open perils surest answered.
Oct. Let us do so: for we are at the stake,48
And bay'd about with many enemies;
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.Exeunt.
Scene Two
[Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus' Tent]
Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, [Lucius,] and the Army. Titinius and Pindarus meet them.
Bru. Stand, ho!
Lucil. Give the word, ho! and stand!
Bru. What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near?
Lucil. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come4
To do you salutation from his master.
Bru. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change, or by ill officers,
Hath given me some worthy cause to wish8
Things done, undone; but, if he be at hand,
I shall be satisfied.
Pin. I do not doubt
But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.12
Bru. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius;
How he receiv'd you, let me be resolv'd.
Lucil. With courtesy and with respect enough;
But not with such familiar instances,16
Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.
Bru. Thou hast describ'd
A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,20
It useth an enforced ceremony.
There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;24
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?
Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd;28
The greater part, the horse in general,
Are come with Cassius.
Bru. Hark! he is arriv'd.
Low march within.
March gently on to meet him.
Enter Cassius and his Powers.
Cas. Stand, ho!32
Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.
[First Officer.] Stand!
[Sec. Officer.] Stand!
[Third Officer.] Stand!36
Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.
Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies?
And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?
Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs;40
And when you do them—
Bru. Cassius, be content;
Speak your griefs softly: I do know you well.
Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us,44
Let us not wrangle: bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.
Cas. Pindarus,
Bid our commanders lead their charges off48
A little from this ground.
Bru. Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man
Come to our tent till we have done our conference.
Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.52
Exeunt.
Scene Three
[Within the Tent of Brutus]
[Enter] Brutus and Cassius.
Cas. That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,4
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.
Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in such a case.
Cas. In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.8
Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold
To undeservers.
Cas. I an itching palm!12
You know that you are Brutus that speaks this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
Cas. Chastisement!17
Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,20
And not for justice? What! shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,24
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.
Cas. Brutus, bay not me;28
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in. I am a soldier, I,
Older in practice, abler than yourself
To make conditions.
Bru. Go to; you are not, Cassius.32
Cas. I am.
Bru. I say you are not.
Cas. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
Have mind upon your health; tempt me no further.36
Bru. Away, slight man!
Cas. Is 't possible?
Bru. Hear me, for I will speak.
Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?40
Cas. O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?
Bru. All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;
Go show your slaves how choleric you are.
And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?44
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humour? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,48
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.
Cas. Is it come to this?
Bru. You say you are a better soldier:
Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,52
And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of noble men.
Cas. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
I said an elder soldier, not a better:56
Did I say, 'better'?
Bru. If you did, I care not.
Cas. When Cæsar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me.
Bru. Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.
Cas. I durst not?60
Bru. No.
Cas. What, durst not tempt him?
Bru. For your life you durst not.
Cas. Do not presume too much upon my love;
I may do that I shall be sorry for.64
Bru. You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
That they pass by me as the idle wind,68
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;
For I can raise no money by vile means:
By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,72
And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
By any indirection. I did send
To you for gold to pay my legions,76
Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,80
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;
Dash him to pieces!
Cas. I denied you not.
Bru. You did.
Cas. I did not: he was but a fool
That brought my answer back. Brutus hath riv'd my heart.84
A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Bru. I do not, till you practise them on me.
Cas. You love me not.
Bru. I do not like your faults.88
Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults.
Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
As huge as high Olympus.
Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,92
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is aweary of the world;
Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother;
Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observ'd,96
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote.
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes. There is my dagger.
And here my naked breast; within, a heart100
Dearer than Pluto's mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for, I know,104
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lov'dst him better
Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.
Bru. Sheathe your dagger:
Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.108
O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
That carries anger as the flint bears fire,
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.
Cas. Hath Cassius liv'd112
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief and blood ill-temper'd vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that I was ill-temper'd too.
Cas. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.116
Bru. And my heart too.
Cas. O Brutus!
Bru. What's the matter?
Cas. Have not you love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humour which my mother gave me
Makes me forgetful?
Bru. Yes, Cassius; and from henceforth
When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,121
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
Poet. [Within.] Let me go in to see the generals;
There is some grudge between 'em, 'tis not meet
They be alone.125
Lucil. [Within.] You shall not come to them.
Poet. [Within.] Nothing but death shall stay me.
Enter a Poet [followed by Lucilius, Titinius, and Lucius].
Cas. How now! What's the matter?128
Poet. For shame, you generals! What do you mean?
Love, and be friends, as two such men should be;
For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye.
Cas. Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rime!
Bru. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!133
Cas. Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.
Bru. I'll know his humour, when he knows his time:
What should the wars do with these jigging fools?136
Companion, hence!
Cas. Away, away: be gone!
Exit Poet.
Bru. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.
Cas. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you,140
Immediately to us.
[Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius.]
Bru. Lucius, a bowl of wine![Exit Lucius.]
Cas. I did not think you could have been so angry.
Bru. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.
Cas. Of your philosophy you make no use,144
If you give place to accidental evils.
Bru. No man bears sorrow better: Portia is dead.
Cas. Ha? Portia?
Bru. She is dead.148
Cas. How 'scap'd I killing when I cross'd you so?
O insupportable and touching loss!
Upon what sickness?
Bru. Impatient of my absence.
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony152
Have made themselves so strong;—for with her death
That tidings came:—with this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.
Cas. And died so?
Bru. Even so.
Cas. O ye immortal gods!156
Enter Boy [Lucius], with wine and tapers.
Bru. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.Drinks.
Cas. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;160
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.[Drinks.]
Bru. Come in, Titinius.[Exit Lucius.]
Enter Titinius and Messala.
Welcome, good Messala.
Now sit we close about this taper here,
And call in question our necessities.164
Cas. Portia, art thou gone?
Bru. No more, I pray you.
Messala, I have here received letters.
That young Octavius and Mark Antony
Come down upon us with a mighty power,168
Bending their expedition towards Philippi.
Mes. Myself have letters of the self-same tenour.
Bru. With what addition?
Mes. That by proscription and bills of outlawry,172
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,
Have put to death an hundred senators.
Bru. Therein our letters do not well agree;
Mine speak of seventy senators that died176
By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
Cas. Cicero one?
Mes. Cicero is dead,
And by that order of proscription.
Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
Bru. No, Messala.181
Mes. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
Bru. Nothing, Messala.
Mes. That, methinks, is strange.
Bru. Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?184
Mes. No, my lord.
Bru. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
Mes. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.
Bru. Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:189
With meditating that she must die once,
I have the patience to endure it now.
Mes. Even so great men great losses should endure.192
Cas. I have as much of this in art as you,
But yet my nature could not bear it so.
Bru. Well, to our work alive. What do you think
Of marching to Philippi presently?196
Cas. I do not think it good.
Bru. Your reason?
Cas. This is it:
'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers.
Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,200
Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.
Bru. Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
Do stand but in a forc'd affection;204
For they have grudg'd us contribution:
The enemy, marching along by them.
By them shall make a fuller number up.
Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encourag'd;
From which advantage shall we cut him off,209
If at Philippi we do face him there.
These people at our back.
Cas. Hear me, good brother.
Bru. Under your pardon. You must note beside,212
That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe:
The enemy increaseth every day;
We, at the height, are ready to decline.216
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.220
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves.
Or lose our ventures.
Cas. Then, with your will, go on;
We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.224
Bru. The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
And nature must obey necessity.
Which we will niggard with a little rest.
There is no more to say?
Cas. No more. Good-night:228
Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.
Bru. Lucius!
Enter Lucius.
My gown.[Exit Lucius.]
Farewell, good Messala:
Good-night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
Good-night, and good repose.
Cas. O my dear brother!232
This was an ill beginning of the night:
Never come such division 'tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.
Bru. Everything is well.
Cas. Good-night, my lord.
Bru. Good-night, good brother.236
| Tit. | Good-night, Lord Brutus. | |
| Mes. |
Bru. Farewell, every one.
Exeunt [all but Brutus].
Enter Lucius, with the gown.
Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?
Luc. Here in the tent.
Bru. What, thou speak'st drowsily?
Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd.240
Call Claudius and some other of my men;
I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
Luc. Varro! and Claudius!
Enter Varro and Claudius.
Var. Calls my lord?244
Bru. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep:
It may be I shall raise you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.
Var. So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.248
Bru. I will not have it so; lie down, good sirs;
It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
[Varro and Claudius lie down.]
Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
I put it in the pocket of my gown.252
Luc. I was sure your lordship did not give it me.
Bru. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
And touch thy instrument a strain or two?256
Luc. Ay, my lord, an 't please you.
Bru. It does, my boy:
I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
Luc. It is my duty, sir.
Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy might;260
I know young bloods look for a time of rest.
Luc. I have slept, my lord, already.
Bru. It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again;
I will not hold thee long: if I do live,264
I will be good to thee.Music, and a Song.
This is a sleepy tune: O murderous slumber,
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good-night;268
I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee.
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good-night.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down272
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
Enter the Ghost of Cæsar.
How ill this taper burns. Ha! Who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.276
It comes upon me. Art thou anything?
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare?
Speak to me what thou art.280
Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
Bru. Why com'st thou?
Ghost. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.
Bru. Well; then I shall see thee again?
Ghost. Ay, at Philippi.
Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi then,284
[Exit Ghost.]
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest:
Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!
Claudius!288
Luc. The strings, my lord, are false.
Bru. He thinks he still is at his instrument.
Lucius, awake!
Luc. My lord!292
Bru. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?
Luc. My lord, I do not know that I did cry.
Bru. Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see anything?
Luc. Nothing, my lord.296
Bru. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah, Claudius!
Fellow thou, awake!
Var. My lord!
Clau. My lord!300
Bru. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
Both. Did we, my lord?
Bru. Ay: saw you anything?
Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing.
Clau. Nor I, my lord.
Bru. Go, and commend me to my brother Cassius:304
Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
And we will follow.
Both. It shall be done, my lord.Exeunt.
Footnotes to Act IV
Scene One
6 with . . . him: by a mark 'pricked' opposite his name, I condemn him
9 cut . . . charge: reduce some expenditures (by killing the legatees)
12 unmeritable: without merit
14 The . . . divided: if the world is to be divided into three parts
17 In the black sentence of our proscription
26 empty: unladen, worthless
27 commons: public pasture
30 appoint: assign
32 wind: turn
34 taste: measure, degree
36 barren-spirited: lacking initiative
37 objects: objects of interest, in general; cf. n.
arts: works of art; cf. n.
imitations: conventional forms, empty counterfeits
38 stal'd: outworn, made stale
39 Begin his fashion: are to him the height of fashion
40 property: instrument, tool
41 Listen: hear
42 powers: armed forces
make head: raise an army
43 combin'd: confirmed
44 made: made sure
stretch'd out: strained to the utmost
46 covert: hidden
disclos'd: discovered
47 answered: faced, met
48, 49 Cf. n.
Scene Two
1 Stand: halt
2 Give the word: pass along the command
7 Owing to a change in himself, or through misconduct of subordinates
12 full . . . honour: worthy of honorable regard
16 familiar instances: marks of familiarity
23 hollow: insincere
hot at hand: fiery at the start, only
26 fall: let fall, lower
jades: worthless nags
27 Sink . . . trial: fail in the pinch
29 the horse in general: all the cavalry
31 gently: slowly
40 sober form: calm behavior
42 softly: gently
46 enlarge: set forth fully
Scene Three
Scene Three S. d.; cf. n.
2 noted: stigmatized
4 praying . . . side: interceding for him
5 slighted off: tossed slightingly aside
8 nice: trivial
bear . . . comment: be censured
10 condemn'd to have: blamed for having
11 mart: market
15 honours . . . corruption: sanctions this corrupt practice
20, 21 What . . . justice; cf. n.
23 robbers: his dishonest favorites
25, 26 Cf. n.
27 bay: bark at
28 Cf. n.
31 practice: experience
32 make conditions: determine the proper treatment of subordinates (referring to lines 1-5)
Go to: Nonsense!
36 Have . . . health: have regard for your safety
44 budge: flinch
45 observe: pay humble reverence to
69 respect: heed
75 indirection: dishonesty, crooked dealing
80 rascal counters: worthless pelf
84 riv'd: cleft
95 brav'd: blusteringly taunted
96 Check'd: scolded
97 learn'd . . . rote: studied, and learned by heart
101 Dearer: worth more
Pluto's; cf. n.
107 it . . . scope: your anger shall not be opposed
108 dishonour . . . humour: your dishonorable deeds shall be ignored as caprices
109-112 Cf. n.
114 blood ill-temper'd: disordered condition
132 cynic: so called because Diogenes affected rudeness
135 I'll listen to his folly when he learns the proper time for it
136 jigging: doggerel rhyming
137 Companion: base fellow
139 lodge . . . to-night: encamp for the night
145 give . . . accidental: admit the power of casual
151 Upon: of
Impatient of: unable to endure
152 grief; cf. n.
154 fell distract: became distracted
164 call in question: bring up for discussion
169 Bending . . . expedition: directing their march
183 Nothing, Messala; cf. n.
190 once: some day
193 art: theory
195 alive: which concerns the living
202 force: necessity
204 Are friendly to us only under compulsion
208 new-added: newly augmented
213 That we have drawn on our friends to the utmost
219 Omitted: if it is neglected
220 bound in: confined to
223 ventures: investments
with your will: according to your preference
227 So to nature's need we will dole out a little rest
240 knave: boy
o'er-watch'd: worn out by lack of sleep
246 raise: rouse
248 watch: wakefully await
254 much: very
256 Play a tune or two on thy lute
266 murderous: because rendering apparently lifeless
267 leaden: dull and heavy
mace: bailiff's staff for arresting people
274 How . . . hums: accepted sign of an apparition's presence
277 upon: towards
279 stare: stand on end