The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Part 49

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_]

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, 25 Thou know'st that we two went to school together: Even for that our love of old, I prithee, Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.

VOLUMNIUS. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

[_Alarum still_]

c.l.i.tUS. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. 30

[Note 27: /prithee/ prethee Ff.]

[Note 28: /sword-hilts/ Sword Hilts F1 F2 Swords Hilt F3 F4.--/whilst/ whilest F1 F2 while F3 F4.]

[Note 17: "The second battle being at hand, this spirit appeared again unto him, but spake never a word. Thereupon Brutus, knowing that he should die, did put himself to all hazard in battle, but yet fighting could not be slain."--Plutarch, _Julius Caesar_. Merivale has a strong sentence on this: "The legend that when preparing for the encounter with the triumvirs he was visited by the ghost of Caesar, which summoned him to meet again at Philippi, marks the conviction of the ancients that in the crisis of his fate he was stung by guilty remorse, and haunted by the presentiment of final retribution."]

[Note 26: See quotation from Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_, p.

163.]

[Page 165]

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. 35 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: 40 Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

[_Alarum. Cry within_, 'Fly, fly, fly!']

c.l.i.tUS. Fly, my lord, fly!

BRUTUS. Hence! I will follow.

[_Exeunt_ c.l.i.tUS, DARDANIUS, _and_ VOLUMNIUS]

I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thou art a fellow of a good respect; 45 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?

[Note 33: /thee, too, Strato. Countrymen/, Theobald thee, to Strato, Countrymen: Ff.]

[Note 34: /in/ F1 F2 F3 F4 omit.]

[Note 36: /losing/ Rowe loosing Ff.]

[Note 40: /life's/ Rowe lives Ff.]

[Note 43: [_Exeunt_ c.l.i.tUS ...] Capell Ff omit.]

[Note 43: "Amongst the rest, one of them said, there was no tarrying for them there, but that they must needs fly. Then Brutus, rising up, 'We must fly indeed,' said he, 'but it must be with our hands, not with our feet.' Then, taking every man by the hand, he said these words unto them with a cheerful countenance: 'It rejoiceth my heart, that not one of my friends hath failed me at my need, and I do not complain of my fortune, but only for my country's sake: for, as for me, I think myself happier than they that have overcome, considering that I leave a perpetual fame of virtue and honesty, the which our enemies the conquerors shall never attain unto by force or money.' Having so said, he prayed every man to s.h.i.+ft for himself, and then he went a little aside with two or three only, among the which Strato was one, with whom he came first acquainted by the study of rhetoric. Strato, at his request, held the sword in his hand, and turned his head aside, and Brutus fell down upon it, and so ran himself through ... and died presently."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Note 45: /of a good respect:/ of good reputation, well-esteemed. Cf. I, ii, 59.]

[Note 46: /smatch:/ smack, taste. "With the forms 'smack' for the verb and 'smatch' for the noun, compare 'ake' and 'ache'

as used in the First Folio of Shakespeare."--Clar. Cf. _2 Henry IV_, I, ii, 111.]

[Note 47: "Scarcely any of those who were accessory to his murder survived him more than three years, or died a natural death. They were all condemned by the Senate: some were taken off by one accident, some by another. Part of them perished at sea, others fell in battle; and some slew themselves with the same poniard with which they had stabbed Caesar."--Suetonius, _Julius Caesar_.]

[Page 166]

STRATO. Give me your hand first: fare you well, my lord.

BRUTUS. Farewell, good Strato. [_Runs on his sword_]

Caesar, now be still: 50 I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. [_Dies_]

_Alarum._ _Retreat._ _Enter_ ANTONY, OCTAVIUS, 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; 55 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. 59

[Note 50: [_Runs_ ...] Ff omit.]

[Note 52: Scene IX Pope.]

[Page 167]

OCTAVIUS. 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. Do so, good Messala.

MESSALA. How died my master, Strato?

STRATO. I held the sword, and he did run on it. 65

MESSALA. Octavius, then take him to follow thee, That did the latest service to my master.

ANTONY. This was the n.o.blest Roman of them all: All the conspirators, save only he, Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; 70 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!' 75

[Note 64: /my master/ F1 my Lord F3.]

[Note 71: /He only, in/ He, onely in Ff.]

[Note 71-72: /general ... And/ Ff generous.... Of Craik.]