Imatges de pàgina
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To stay the providence of some high powers,
That govern us below.

CAS.

Then, if we lose this battle',

You are contented to be led in triumph

Thorough the streets of Rome ?

BRU. No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble
Roman,

That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work, the ides of March begun 2;
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.

-to anticipate. By time is meant the full and complete time; the period. MALONE.

To prevent, I believe, has here its common signification. Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary, adduces this very instance as an example of it. STEEVENS.

9-arming myself with patience, &c.] Dr. Warburton thinks, that in this speech something is lost; but there needed only a parenthesis to clear it. The construction is this: I am determined to act according to that philosophy which directed me to blame the suicide of Cato; arming myself with patience, &c.

I

JOHNSON.

Then, if we lose THIS BATTLE,] Cassius, in his last speech, having said-If we do lose this battle, the same two words might, in the present instance, be fairly understood, as they derange the I would therefore read only:

metre.

"Cas.

Then, if we lose,

"You are contented," &c.

Thus, in King Lear :

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King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en—:" i. e. has lost the battle. STEEVENS.

2 - the ides of March BEGUN ;]

Our author ought to have

written-began. For this error, I have no doubt, he is himself answerable. MALONE.

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See p. 134, n. 4. STEEVENS.

Dr. Johnson in his Dictionary sanctions this phraseology

Begin, v. n. I began, or begun." BOSWELL.

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!

SCENE II.

The Same. The Field of Battle.

[Exeunt.

Alarum. Enter BRUTUS and MESSALA.

BRU. Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these

bills 3

Unto the legions on the other side:

[Loud alarum. Let them set on at once; for I perceive But cold demeanour in Octavius' wing, And sudden push gives them the overthrow. Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The Same. Another Part of the Field.

Alarum. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.

CAS. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly! Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy: This ensign here of mine was turning back; I slew the coward, and did take it from him.

3

- give these BILLS — So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "In the meane tyme Brutus that led the right winge, sent little billes to the collonels and captaines of private bandes, in which he wrote the worde of the battell," &c. STEEVENS.

Tır. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early: Who having some advantage on Octavius, Took it too eagerly; his soldiers fell to spoil, Whilst we by Antony are all enclos'd.

Enter PINDARUS.

PIN. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord!
Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.

CAS. This hill is far enough*. Look, look, Titi

nius;

Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire?
TIT. They are, my lord.

CAS.

Titinius, if thou lov'st me,

:

4 This hill is far enough, &c.] Thus, in the old translation of Plutarch: "So, Cassius him selfe was at length compelled to flie, with a few about him, vnto a little hill, from whence they might easely see what was done in all the plaine: howbeit Cassius him self sawe nothing, for his sight was verie bad, sauing that he saw (and yet with much a doe) how the enemies spoiled his campe before his eyes. He sawe also a great troupe of horsemen, whom Brutus sent to aide him, and thought that they were his enemies that followed him: but yet he sent Titinius, one of them that was with him, to goe and know what they were. Brutus' horsemen sawe him comming a farre of, whom when they knewe that he was one of Cassius' chiefest friendes, they showted out for joy and they that were familiarly acquainted with him, lighted from their horses, and went and imbraced him. The rest compassed him in rounde about a horsebacke, with songs of victorie and great rushing of their harnes, so that they made all the field ring againe for joy. But this marred all. For Cassius thinking in deed that Titinius was taken of the enemies, he then spake these wordes: desiring too much to liue, I haue liued to see one of my best freendes taken, for my sake, before my face. After that, he gotte into a tent where no bodye was, and tooke Pindarus with him, one of his freed bondmen, whom he reserued ever for suche a pinche, since the cursed battell of the Parthians, where Crassus was slaine, though he notwithstanding scaped from that ouerthrow; but then casting his cloke ouer his head, & holding out his bare neck vnto Pyndarus, he gaue him his head to be striken off. So the head was found seuered from the bodie: but after that time Pyndarus was neuer seene more." STEEVENS.

5

Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him,
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops,
And here again; that I may rest assur'd,
Whether yond' troops are friend or enemy.

TIT. I will be here again, even with a thought 5.
[Exit.
CAS. GO, Pindarus, get higher on that hill'
My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius,
And tell me what thou not'st about the field.-

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[Exit PINDARUS.

This day I breathed first: time is come round,
And where I did begin, there shall I end;
My life is run his compass.-Sirrah, what news??
PIN. [Above.] O my lord1!

5

even with a thought.] The same expression occurs again in Antony and Cleopatra:

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That, which is now a horse, even with a thought

"The rack dislimns-." STEEVENS.

6 Go, Pindarus,] This dialogue between Cassius and Pindarus, is beautifully imitated by Beaumont and Fletcher, in their tragedy of Bonduca, Act III. Sc. V. STEEVENS.

7

get HIGHER on that hill;] Our author perhaps wrote on this hill; for Cassius is now on a hill. But there is no need of change. He means a hillock somewhat higher than that on which he now is.

The editor of the second folio arbitrarily reads-thither for higher, and all the subsequent editors adopted his alteration.

MALONE.

Mr. Malone has sufficiently justified the reading in the text; and yet the change offered by the second folio is not undefensible. STEEVENS.

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- time is come round,] So, in King Lear, the Bastard,

dying, says:

-

"The wheel is come full circle." STEEVENS.

9 SIRRAH, what news?] Sirrah, as appears from many of our old plays, was the usual address in speaking to servants, and children. Mr. Pope, not adverting to this, reads-Now, what news? See vol. xi. p. 212. MALONE.

1 O my lord! &c.] Perhaps this passage, designed to form a single verse, originally stood thus:

66 Pin.
"Cas.
66 Pin.

O my good lord!

What news?

Titinius is.”
STEEVENS.

CAS. What news?

PIN. Titinius is enclosed round about

With horsemen, that make to him on the spur ;Yet he spurs on.-Now they are almost on him; Now, Titinius!-now some 'light:-O, he 'lights too:-he's ta'en ;

And, hark! [Shout.] they shout for joy.

CAS.

Come down, behold no more.— O, coward that I am, to live so long,

To see my best friend ta'en before my face!

Enter PINDARUS.

Come hither, sirrah:

In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;

And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,

That whatsoever I did bid thee do,

Thou should'st attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath!

Now be a freeman; and, with this good sword, That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bo

som.

Stand not to answer: Here, take thou the hilts;
And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the sword.-Cæsar, thou art reveng'd,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.
[Dies.

PIN. So, I am free; yet would not so have been, Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!

Far from this country Pindarus shall run,

Where never Roman shall take note of him.

[Exit.

I have restored the arrangement of the old copy. The modern editors, I know not why, have altered it thus:

"Pin. Titinius is

"Enclosed round about with horsemen, that

"Make to him on the spur;-yet he spurs on.

"Now they are almost on him; now, Titinius !

"Now some 'light :-O, he 'lights too :—he's ta’en ;—and,

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hark!

They shout for joy." Bos WELL.

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