Are levying powers: we must straight make head:
Therefore, let our alliance be combined,

Our best friends made, our best means stretched out;
And let us presently go sit in council,

How covert matters may be best disclosed,

And open perils surest answered.

Oct. Let us do so for we are at the stake3,

And bayed about with many enemies;

And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,

Millions of mischiefs.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Before Brutus' Tent in the Camp near Sardis.

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers: TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them.

Bru. Stand, ho!

Lucil. Give the word1, ho! and stand.
Bru. What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near?
Lucil. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come
To do you salutation from his master.

PINDARUS gives a letter to BRUTUS.

1 As a property.] As a thing to be put on or off, according to occasion, like the theatrical dresses, &c., called stage properties.

2 Great things.] Things of great importance; not insignificant as Lepidus.

&c.

3 At the stake.] At the point of hazard, and beset round with,

4 Give the word.] Plutarch refers to an assertion of some historians, that the name of the oracular god Apollo, or Phoebus, was the word which Brutus gave his soldiers at the last battle of Philippi.

Bru. He greets me well:1-Your master, Pindarus,
In his own change 2, or by ill officers,
Hath given me some worthy cause to wish
Things done, undone: but if he be at hand
I shall be satisfied.3

But that my noble master will appear
Such as he is, full of regard and honour

Bru. He is not doubted.-A word Lucilius:
How he received you, let me be resolved.5

Lucil. With courtesy, and with respect enough;
But not with such familiar instances 6,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,
As he hath used of old.

Bru.

Thou hast described

A hot friend cooling: Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith :
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades,

1 He greets me well.] 2 In his own change.] 3 I shall be satisfied.] explained.

He (Cassius) greets me in a friendly style.
Through some change in his own conduct.
I shall know all about it; have the thing

+ Full of regard.] Showing nothing but what is creditable in his conduct.

5 Let me be resolved.] Let me be assured.

• Familiar instances.] Instances here seems to mean accostings, or pressing courtesies.

"Hot at hand.] Full of fiery spirit when led by the hand. In Henry VIII, Act v. sc. 2, Gardiner says:-'Those that tame wild horses pace them not in their hands to make them gentle, &c.'

Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quartered. The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

Bru.

[March within.

Hark, he is arrived :

March gently on to meet him.

Enter CASSIUS and Soldiers.

Cas. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.

Within. Stand.

Within. Stand.

Within. Stand.

Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies? And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them

Bru.

Cassius, be content1;
Speak your griefs softly,-I do know you well2:-
Before the eyes of both our armies here,
Which should perceive nothing but love from us3,
Let us not wrangle: Bid them move away;
Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs1,
And I will give you audience.

Cas.

Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

1 Be content.] Contain yourself; be temperate.

2 I do know you well.] I advise you thus, because I know your disposition so well.

3 From us.] Passing between us. See Extr. from Plutarch, 47.

4

Enlarge your griefs,] Speak freely your grievances.

enlarge is here to give freedom to, as to enlarge a prisoner.

Τα

Bru. Lucius', do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent, till we have done our conference. Lucilius and Titinius guard our door.

SCENE III.—Within the Tent of Brutus.

[Exeunt.

Lucilius and Titinius at some distance from it.
Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cas. That you have wronged me doth appear in this:
You have condemned and noted2 Lucius Pella,
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein3 my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man1, were slighted of.

Bru. You wronged yourself to write in such a case.
Cas. In such a time as this, it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.5
Bru. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
Are much condemned to have an itching palm;
To sell and mart your offices for gold

To undeservers.

1 Lucius.] In the old text it is Lucilius; Mr. Craik clearly shows that Lucius is the proper word here, and that Lucilius should be substituted for the 'Let Lucius' of the old copies, in the third line of this speech. Pindarus and Lucius were servants of Cassius and Brutus, respectively; Lucilius and Titinius were officers of rank.

.

2 Condemned and noted.] You have passed sentence upon and marked with disgrace your officer Lucius Pella. (Extr. from Plutarch, 49.)

3 Wherein.] By which proceeding on your part, my letters interceding for him were made light of, treated with disrespect.

4 I knew the man.] I had a friendship for him.

5 His comment.] Its comment or animadversion.

To have an itching palm.] As having a covetous desire for gold. See Extr. from Plutarch, 45.

You know that you are Brutus that speak this',

Or, by the gods, this speech were else your

last.

Bru. The name of Cassius honours this corruption2, And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cas. Chastisement!

Bru. Remember March, the ides of March remember! Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? What villain touched his body, that did stab3, And not for justice? What, shall one of us, That struck the foremost man of all this world, But for supporting robbers 4, shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, And sell the mighty space of our large honours 5 For so much trash as may be grasped thus ? — I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than such a Roman.

Cas.

Brutus, bay not me7;

I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,

1 That you are Brutus.] That you that speak this are Brutus. The relative is here of the second person, and is nominative to the plural form speak. See note 2, p. 70.

2 The name of Cassius.] This is a satirical compliment in retort. The name of Cassius being mixed up with such corrupt venal practices makes them respectable, and therefore they pass with impunity; chastisement does not show itself.

3 What villain.] Who of all those that attacked him was a villain that stabbed him for some other cause than that of justice?

• But for supporting.] Not because he was a robber himself, but simply because he was a favourer of robbers. Extr. from Plutarch,

49.

5 Our large honours.] The great honour that belonged to each of us.

• Bay the moon.] Bark at the moon; be a dog that idly and impotently threatens the moon.

Bay not me.] Do not thus like a fierce dog bay me.