Outline
Characters
Dreamweaver
[Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato and Volumnius.]
Marcus 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.
Marcus Brutus
Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word;
It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
[Whispering.]
Clitus
What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
Marcus Brutus
Peace then, no words.
Clitus
I’ll rather kill myself.
Marcus Brutus
Hark thee, Dardanius.
[Whispers him.]
Dardanius
Shall I do such a deed?
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,
That it runs over even at his eyes.
Marcus Brutus
Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word.
Volumnius
What says my lord?
Marcus Brutus
Why, this, Volumnius:
The ghost of Caesar hath appear’d to me
Two several times by night; at Sardis once,
And this last night here in Philippi fields.
I know my hour is come.
Volumnius
Not so, my lord.
Marcus Brutus
Nay I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;
Our enemies have beat us to the pit.
[Low alarums.]
Marcus Brutus
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 pr’ythee
Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.
Volumnius
That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
[Alarums still.]
Clitus
Fly, fly, my lord! there is no tarrying here.
Marcus Brutus
Farewell to you; and you; and you, Volumnius.
Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;
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
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.
[Alarums. Cry within, “Fly, fly, fly!”.]
Clitus
Fly, my lord, fly!
Marcus Brutus
Hence! I will follow.
[Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius and Volumnius.]
Marcus Brutus
I pr’ythee, 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,
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
Strato
Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
Marcus Brutus
Farewell, good Strato.—Caesar, now be still:
I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.
[He runs on his sword, and dies.]
Marcus Brutus
Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius and the
Army.
Octavius Caesar
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,
And no man else hath honour by his death.
Lucilius
So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,
That thou hast prov’d Lucilius’ saying true.
Octavius Caesar
All that serv’d Brutus, I will entertain them.
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
Strato
Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
Octavius Caesar
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,
That did the latest service to my master.
Mark 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
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 Caesar
According to his virtue let us use him
With all respect and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones tonight 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.
[Exeunt.]