SCENE I-The Plains of Philippi. Ant. Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. Prepare yon, generals: The enemy comes on in gallant show; Ant. Octavius, lead your battle softly on. Oct. Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left, Ant. Why do you cross me in this exigent? [March. Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others. Bru. They stand, and would have parley. talk. Oct. Mark Antony, shall we give sign of bat tle ? Ant. No, Cesar, we will answer on their charge. Make forth, the generals would have some words. This tongue had not offended so to day, 47 Oct. Come, come, the cause: If arguing make The proof of it will turn to redder drops. ار I draw a sword against conspirators; When think you that the sword goes up again ?-- Oct. So I hope ; I was not born to die on Brutus' sword. strain, Young man, thou could'st not die more hon ourable. N Cas. A peevish school-boy, worthless of such Join'd with a masker and a reveller. Oct. Come, Antony; away.- [Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY Cas. Why now, blow, wind; swell, billow; and swim, bark! The storm is up, and all is on the bazard. Lucilius; hark, a word with you. Luc. My lord. [BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart. Cas. Messala, Mes. What says my general? Cas. Messala, This is my birth-day; as this very day Was Cassins born. Give une thy hand, Messala: You know, that I held Epicurus strong, Bru. Words before blows: Is it so, country-Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. Mes. Believe not so. Cas. I but believe it partly; Cas. Now, most noble Brutus, The gods to-day stand friendly; that we may, But, since the affairs of men rest still uncertain, If we do lose this battle, then is this Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy, Ant. Villains, you did not so, when your vile But I do find it cowardly and vile, That ever Brutus will go hound to Rome: The end of this day's business ere it come ! 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. [Exeunt. SCENE III-The same. Another part of Alarum. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS. Who having some advantage on Octavius, Enter PINDARUS. {Dies. Pin. So, I am free; yet would not so have been, Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA. Mes. It is but change, Titinins; for Octavius Tit. These tidings will well comfort Cassius, With Pindarus his bondman, on this hitt. 3 Mes. Is not that he, that lies upon the ground? Tit. He lies not like the living. O my heaŲ Tit. No, this was he, Messala, Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. Mes. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful error, melancholy's child! Pin. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Thou never com'st unto a happy birth, Cas. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Ti- Are those my tents, where I perceive the fire? Cas. Titinius, if thou lov'st me, Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops, Cas. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill; Cas. What news Pin. Titinius is? Enclosed round about with horsemen, that [Shout. To see my best friend ta'en before my face! • Billets containing directions. But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee. darus ? Mcs. Seek him, Titinius: whilst I go to nicer Tit. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassitts? 1 Alas! thou hast misconstrued every thing. Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, CILIUS. Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords In our own proper entrails. Cato. Brave Titinius 1 Cli. Statilus show'd the torch-light; but, my (Low Alarums.He came not back; he is or ta'en, or slain. Look, whe'r he have not crown'd dead Cassius! Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these ?- The last of all the Romaus, fare thee well! Should breed thy fellow.-Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man, than you shall see me pay.- 'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet e'er night We shall try fortune in a second fight. g [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Another part of the field. Alarum.-Enter, fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, CATO, LUCILIUS, and others. Bra. Yet, countrymen, oh! yet hold up your heads! Cato. What bastard doth not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field :- [Charges the Enemy. Bru. And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. [Exit, charging the Enemy. CATO is Luc. O young and noble Cato, art thou down! Why, now thon diest as bravely as Titinius; Lac. Only I yield to die : There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight; [Offering Money. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. 1 Sold. We must not.-A noble prisoner! 2 Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. 1 Sold. I'll tell the news.-Here comes the general : It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.— Cli. What, I, my lord? No, not for all the Bru. Peace then, no words. Dar. I do such a deed! [Whispers him. Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? Dar. To kill him, Clitus: Look, he medi tates. CH. Now is that noble vessel full of grief, Vol. What says my lord? Bru. Why, this, Volumnius : Vol. Not so, my lord. Bru. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius." nius, Good Volum Thou know'st that we two went to school together; Even for that our love of old, I pray thee, Cli. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. Bru. Farewell to you;-and you;-and you, Volumnius. Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep : Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest; That have but labour'd to attain this hour. [Alarum. Cry within; Fly, Ay, fly. Cli. Fly, my lord, fly. Bru. Hence; I will follow thee. [Exeunt CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUM NIUS. I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it: as-Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato ? [Exeunt. SCENE V-Another part of the Field. Eater BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS. Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. • futo our own bodies. Stra. Give me your hand first: Fare you well, my lord. Bru. Farewell, good Strato.-Cesar, now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. Mes. My master's man.-Strato, where is thy master? Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala ; The conquerors can but make a fire of him; H TINIS play is supposed to have been written in the year 1608; and some of its incidents may have been borrowed from a production of Daniel's, called "The Tragedie of Cleopatra," which was entered on the books of the Stationers' Company in the year 1593. It rapidly condenses the events of a considerable period, commencing with the triple partition of the empire at the death of Brutus, B. C. 41, and terminating with the final overthrow of the Ploicmean dynasty, B. C. 23. Its historical features are, upon the whole, accurately drawn ; and the sentiments of many of the characters are literally copied from Plutarch and other biographers.---An” touy's illicit connection with Cleopatra, his brutal treatment of the amiable Octavia, and his absurd assumption of despotic power in bequeathing the Roman provinces to a degraded progeny, were the ostensible grounds of the rupture which ended in his death, and united the whole extent of Roman conquest under one imperial sceptre. The character of Cleopatra, the fascinating, dexterous, and incontinent Egyptian, abounds in poetical beauty; and the rough soldier's description of her passage down the Cydnus, has ever been considered a luxuriant specimen of glowing oriental description. But it is in the portrait of Antony that the discriminating reader will chiefly discover the pencil of a master. It is a choice finish to the outline of his cha racter, as given in the play of Julius Cesar. He was then "a masker and a reveller," of comely person, lively wit, and insinuating address :---but the fire of youth, and the dictates of ambition, restrained his licentious cravings within tolerable bounds. In the decline of life, and in the lap of voluptuousness, with wealth at his commaud, and monarchs at his footstool, we find him alternately playing the fool, the hero, or the barbarian, triding away the treasures of the East in sensuality and indolence, and destroying a noble army by cowardice and obstinacy. Still, the rays of inherent greatness occasionally gleam through a cloud of ignoble propensities, and glimmerings of Roman greatness partially reclaim a career of the most doting effeminacy. The philosophy of his mind, and the cool superiority of maturer years, are admirably pourtrayed in the first recriminatory scene with Octavius Cesar, who, notwithstanding the flattery of historians," was deceitful, meanspirited, proud, and revengeful."---Dr. Johnson says: "This play keeps curiosity always busy, and the pas sions always interested. The continual hurry of the action, the variety of incidents, and the quick succession of one passage to another, call the mind forwards without intermission from the first act to the last. But the power of delighting is derived principally from the frequent changes of the scene; for, except the feminine arts (some of which are too low) which distinguish Cleopatra, no character is very strongly discriminated. Upton, who did not easily miss what he desired to find, has discovered that the language of Antony is, with great skill and learning, made pompous and superb, according to his real practice. But I think his diction not distinguishable from that of others: the most tumid speech in the play is that which Cesar makes to Antony." DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, VENTIDIUS, EROS, SCARUS, PHILO, DRAMATIS PERSONE. Cesar. Friends of Antony. ALEXAS, MARDIAN, SELFUCUS, and DIOMEDES, DERCETAS, DEMETRIUS, Attendants on Cleopatra. A SOOTHSAYER. A CLOWN. CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt. OCTAVIA, Sister to Cesar, and wife to Antony. Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and other SCENE, changes to several Parts of the Roman Empire, ACT 1. Upon a tawny front: his captain's heart, SCENE 1-Alexandria.-A Room in CLEO-The buckles on his breast, reneges all temper; PATRA's Palace. Enter DEMETRIUS and PHILO. And is become the bellows and the fan Rengunces. |