Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Act 4 - Scene 3

Brutus’s tent.

Cassius : That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this: [p]You have condemn'd
and noted Lucius Pella [p]For taking bribes here of the
Sardians; [p]Wherein my letters, praying on his side, [p]Because I
knew the man, were slighted off.

Brutus : You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

Cassius : In such a time as this it is not meet [p]That every nice offence
should bear his comment.

Brutus : Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself [p]Are much condemn'd to have
an itching palm; [p]To sell and mart your offices for gold [p]To
undeservers.

Cassius : I an itching palm! [p]You know that you are Brutus that speak
this, [p]Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Brutus : The name of Cassius honours this corruption, [p]And chastisement doth
therefore hide his head.

Cassius : Chastisement!

Brutus : Remember March, the ides of March remember: [p]Did not great Julius
bleed for justice' sake? [p]What villain touch'd his body, that did
stab, [p]And not for justice? What, shall one of us [p]That struck the
foremost man of all this world [p]But for supporting robbers, shall we
now [p]Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, [p]And sell the
mighty space of our large honours [p]For so much trash as may be
grasped thus? [p]I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, [p]Than such
a Roman.

Cassius : Brutus, bay not me; [p]I'll not endure it: you forget yourself, [p]To
hedge me in; I am a soldier, I, [p]Older in practise, abler than
yourself [p]To make conditions.

Brutus : Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Cassius : I am.

Brutus : I say you are not.

Cassius : Urge me no more, I shall forget myself; [p]Have mind upon your health,
tempt me no further.

Brutus : Away, slight man!

Cassius : Is't possible?

Brutus : Hear me, for I will speak. [p]Must I give way and room to your rash
choler? [p]Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Cassius : O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?

Brutus : All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break; [p]Go show your
slaves how choleric you are, [p]And make your bondmen tremble. Must I
budge? [p]Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch [p]Under your
testy humour? By the gods [p]You shall digest the venom of your
spleen, [p]Though it do split you; for, from this day forth, [p]I'll
use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter, [p]When you are waspish.

Cassius : Is it come to this?

Brutus : You say you are a better soldier: [p]Let it appear so; make your
vaunting true, [p]And it shall please me well: for mine own part, [p]I
shall be glad to learn of noble men.

Cassius : You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus; [p]I said, an elder
soldier, not a better: [p]Did I say 'better'?

Brutus : If you did, I care not.

Cassius : When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.

Brutus : Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.

Cassius : I durst not!

Brutus : No.

Cassius : What, durst not tempt him!

Brutus : For your life you durst not!

Cassius : Do not presume too much upon my love; [p]I may do that I shall be
sorry for.

Brutus : You have done that you should be sorry for. [p]There is no terror,
Cassius, in your threats, [p]For I am arm'd so strong in
honesty [p]That they pass by me as the idle wind, [p]Which I respect
not. I did send to you [p]For certain sums of gold, which you denied
me: [p]For I can raise no money by vile means: [p]By heaven, I had
rather coin my heart, [p]And drop my blood for drachmas, than to
wring [p]From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash [p]By any
indirection: I did send [p]To you for gold to pay my legions, [p]Which
you denied me: was that done like Cassius? [p]Should I have answer'd
Caius Cassius so? [p]When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous, [p]To lock
such rascal counters from his friends, [p]Be ready, gods, with all
your thunderbolts; [p]Dash him to pieces!

Cassius : I denied you not.

Brutus : You did.

Cassius : I did not: he was but a fool that brought [p]My answer back. Brutus
hath rived my heart: [p]A friend should bear his friend's
infirmities, [p]But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Brutus : I do not, till you practise them on me.

Cassius : You love me not.

Brutus : I do not like your faults.

Cassius : A friendly eye could never see such faults.

Brutus : A flatterer's would not, though they do appear [p]As huge as high
Olympus.

Cassius : Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, [p]Revenge yourselves alone on
Cassius, [p]For Cassius is aweary of the world; [p]Hated by one he
loves; braved by his brother; [p]Cheque'd like a bondman; all his
faults observed, [p]Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by
rote, [p]To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep [p]My spirit from mine
eyes! There is my dagger, [p]And here my naked breast; within, a
heart [p]Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold: [p]If that thou
be'st a Roman, take it forth; [p]I, that denied thee gold, will give
my heart: [p]Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know, [p]When
thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better [p]Than ever thou
lovedst Cassius.

Brutus : Sheathe your dagger: [p]Be angry when you will, it shall have
scope; [p]Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour. [p]O Cassius,
you are yoked with a lamb [p]That carries anger as the flint bears
fire; [p]Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark, [p]And straight is
cold again.

Cassius : Hath Cassius lived [p]To be but mirth and laughter to his
Brutus, [p]When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?

Brutus : When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.

Cassius : Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

Brutus : And my heart too.

Cassius : O Brutus!

Brutus : What's the matter?

Cassius : Have not you love enough to bear with me, [p]When that rash humour
which my mother gave me [p]Makes me forgetful?

Brutus : Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth, [p]When you are over-earnest with
your Brutus, [p]He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

Poet : [Within Let me go in to see the generals; [p]There is some grudge
between 'em, 'tis not meet [p]They be alone.

Lucilius : [Within You shall not come to them.

Poet : [Within Nothing but death shall stay me.

Cassius : How now! what's the matter?

Poet : For shame, you generals! what do you mean? [p]Love, and be friends, as
two such men should be; [p]For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than
ye.

Cassius : Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!

Brutus : Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!

Cassius : Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

Brutus : I'll know his humour, when he knows his time: [p]What should the wars
do with these jigging fools? [p]Companion, hence!

Cassius : Away, away, be gone.

Brutus : Lucilius and Tintinius, bid the commanders [p]Prepare to lodge their
companies to-night.

Cassius : And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you [p]Immediately to us.

Brutus : Lucius, a bowl of wine!

Cassius : I did not think you could have been so angry.

Brutus : O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

Cassius : Of your philosophy you make no use, [p]If you give place to accidental
evils.

Brutus : No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.

Cassius : Ha! Portia!

Brutus : She is dead.

Cassius : How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so? [p]O insupportable and
touching loss! [p]Upon what sickness?

Brutus : Impatient of my absence, [p]And grief that young Octavius with Mark
Antony [p]Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death [p]That
tidings came;--with this she fell distract, [p]And, her attendants
absent, swallow'd fire.

Cassius : And died so?

Brutus : Even so.

Cassius : O ye immortal gods!

Brutus : Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine. [p]In this I bury all
unkindness, Cassius.

Cassius : My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. [p]Fill, Lucius, till the
wine o'erswell the cup; [p]I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

Brutus : Come in, Tintinius! [p][Exit LUCIUS] [p][Re-enter Tintinius, with
MESSALA] [p]Welcome, good Messala. [p]Now sit we close about this
taper here, [p]And call in question our necessities.

Cassius : Portia, art thou gone?

Brutus : No more, I pray you. [p]Messala, I have here received letters, [p]That
young Octavius and Mark Antony [p]Come down upon us with a mighty
power, [p]Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Messala : Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.

Brutus : With what addition?

Messala : That by proscription and bills of outlawry, [p]Octavius, Antony, and
Lepidus, [p]Have put to death an hundred senators.

Brutus : Therein our letters do not well agree; [p]Mine speak of seventy
senators that died [p]By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cassius : Cicero one!

Messala : Cicero is dead, [p]And by that order of proscription. [p]Had you your
letters from your wife, my lord?

Brutus : No, Messala.

Messala : Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

Brutus : Nothing, Messala.

Messala : That, methinks, is strange.

Brutus : Why ask you? hear you aught of her in yours?

Messala : No, my lord.

Brutus : Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.

Messala : Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell: [p]For certain she is dead,
and by strange manner.

Brutus : Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala: [p]With meditating that
she must die once, [p]I have the patience to endure it now.

Messala : Even so great men great losses should endure.

Cassius : I have as much of this in art as you, [p]But yet my nature could not
bear it so.

Brutus : Well, to our work alive. What do you think [p]Of marching to Philippi
presently?

Cassius : I do not think it good.

Brutus : Your reason?

Cassius : This it is: [p]'Tis better that the enemy seek us: [p]So shall he
waste his means, weary his soldiers, [p]Doing himself offence; whilst
we, lying still, [p]Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.

Brutus : Good reasons must, of force, give place to better. [p]The people
'twixt Philippi and this ground [p]Do stand but in a forced
affection; [p]For they have grudged us contribution: [p]The enemy,
marching along by them, [p]By them shall make a fuller number
up, [p]Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encouraged; [p]From which
advantage shall we cut him off, [p]If at Philippi we do face him
there, [p]These people at our back.

Cassius : Hear me, good brother.

Brutus : Under your pardon. You must note beside, [p]That we have tried the
utmost of our friends, [p]Our legions are brim-full, our cause is
ripe: [p]The enemy increaseth every day; [p]We, at the height, are
ready to decline. [p]There is a tide in the affairs of men, [p]Which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; [p]Omitted, all the voyage of
their life [p]Is bound in shallows and in miseries. [p]On such a full
sea are we now afloat; [p]And we must take the current when it
serves, [p]Or lose our ventures.

Cassius : Then, with your will, go on; [p]We'll along ourselves, and meet them
at Philippi.

Brutus : The deep of night is crept upon our talk, [p]And nature must obey
necessity; [p]Which we will niggard with a little rest. [p]There is no
more to say?

Cassius : No more. Good night: [p]Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.

Brutus : Lucius! [p][Enter LUCIUS] [p]My gown. [p][Exit LUCIUS] [p]Farewell,
good Messala: [p]Good night, Tintinius. Noble, noble Cassius, [p]Good
night, and good repose.

Cassius : O my dear brother! [p]This was an ill beginning of the night: [p]Never
come such division 'tween our souls! [p]Let it not, Brutus.

Brutus : Every thing is well.

Cassius : Good night, my lord.

Brutus : Good night, good brother.

Tintinius : [with MESSALA] Good night, Lord Brutus.

Brutus : Farewell, every one. [p][Exeunt all but BRUTUS] [p][Re-enter LUCIUS,
with the gown] [p]Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?

Lucius : Here in the tent.

Brutus : What, thou speak'st drowsily? [p]Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou
art o'er-watch'd. [p]Call Claudius and some other of my men: [p]I'll
have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

Lucius : Varro and Claudius!

Varro : Calls my lord?

Brutus : I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep; [p]It may be I shall raise
you by and by [p]On business to my brother Cassius.

Varro : So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.

Brutus : I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs; [p]It may be I shall
otherwise bethink me. [p]Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for
so; [p]I put it in the pocket of my gown.

Lucius : I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

Brutus : Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful. [p]Canst thou hold up thy
heavy eyes awhile, [p]And touch thy instrument a strain or two?

Lucius : Ay, my lord, an't please you.

Brutus : It does, my boy: [p]I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

Lucius : It is my duty, sir.

Brutus : I should not urge thy duty past thy might; [p]I know young bloods look
for a time of rest.

Lucius : I have slept, my lord, already.

Brutus : It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again; [p]I will not hold thee
long: if I do live, [p]I will be good to thee. [p][Music, and a
song] [p]This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber, [p]Lay'st thou
thy leaden mace upon my boy, [p]That plays thee music? Gentle knave,
good night; [p]I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee: [p]If
thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument; [p]I'll take it from
thee; and, good boy, good night. [p]Let me see, let me see; is not the
leaf turn'd down [p]Where I left reading? Here it is, I
think. [p][Enter the Ghost of CAESAR] [p]How ill this taper burns! Ha!
who comes here? [p]I think it is the weakness of mine eyes [p]That
shapes this monstrous apparition. [p]It comes upon me. Art thou any
thing? [p]Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, [p]That makest
my blood cold and my hair to stare? [p]Speak to me what thou art.

Caesar : Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Brutus : Why comest thou?

Caesar : To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

Brutus : Well; then I shall see thee again?

Caesar : Ay, at Philippi.

Brutus : Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then. [p][Exit Ghost] [p]Now I have
taken heart thou vanishest: [p]Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with
thee. [p]Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!

Lucius : The strings, my lord, are false.

Brutus : He thinks he still is at his instrument. [p]Lucius, awake!

Lucius : My lord?

Brutus : Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Lucius : My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

Brutus : Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?

Lucius : Nothing, my lord.

Brutus : Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius! [p][To VARRO] [p]Fellow thou,
awake!

Varro : My lord?

Claudius : My lord?

Brutus : Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

Varro : [with Claudius] Did we, my lord?

Brutus : Ay: saw you any thing?

Varro : No, my lord, I saw nothing.

Claudius : Nor I, my lord.

Brutus : Go and commend me to my brother Cassius; [p]Bid him set on his powers
betimes before, [p]And we will follow.

Varro : [with Claudius] It shall be done, my lord.

Previous: Act 4 - Scene 2

Next: Act 5 - Scene 1

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