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was openly read among them, whereby it appeared that he bequeathed unto every citizen of Rome seventy-five drachmas a man, and that he left his gardens and arbours unto the people, which he had on this side of the river Tiber, in the place 39 where now the Temple of Fortune is built, the people then loved him, and were marvellous sorry for him. Afterwards when Cæsar's body was brought into the market-place, Antonius making his funeral oration in praise of the dead, according to the ancient custom of Rome, and perceiving that his words moved the common people to compassion, he framed his eloquence to make their hearts yearn the more; and taking Cæsar's gown all bloody in his hand, he laid it open to the sight of them 40 all, showing what a number of cuts and holes it had upon it. Therewithal the people fell presently into such a rage and mutiny, that there was no more order kept amongst the common people; for some of them cried out, Kill the murderers! Others plucked up forms, tables, and stalls about the marketplace, as they had done before at the funerals of Clodius, and having laid them all on a heap together, they set them on fire, and thereupon did put the body of Cæsar, and burnt it in the midst of the most holy places. And furthermore, when the fire was thoroughly kindled, some here, some there, took burning firebrands, and ran with them to the murderers' houses that killed him, to set them on fire. Howbeit, the conspirators 41 foreseeing the danger before, had wisely provided for themselves

and fled. But there was a poet called Cinna, who had been no partaker of the conspiracy, but was alway one of Cæsar's chiefest friends. He dreamed, the night before, that Cæsar bade him to supper with him, and that he refusing to go, Cæsar was very importunate with him, and compelled him, so that at length he led him by the hand into a great dark place, where being marvellously afraid he was driven to follow hìm in spite of his heart. This dream put him all night into a fever, and yet, notwithstanding, the next morning when he heard that they carried Cæsar's body to burial, being ashamed not to accompany his funerals, he went out of his house, and thrust himself into the press of the common people, that were in a great uproar; and because some one called him by his name, Cinna, the people

thinking he had been that Cinna who, in an oration he made, had spoken very evil of Cæsar, they, falling upon him in their rage, slew him outright in the market-place."

"Octavius Cæsar, Antonius, and Lepidus, made an agree- 42 ment between themselves, and by those articles divided the provinces belonging to the empire of Rome among themselves, and did set up bills of proscription and outlawry, condemning two hundred of the noblest men of Rome to suffer death; and among that number Cicero was one."

"Now Cassius would have done Brutus much honour, as 43 Brutus did unto him, but Brutus most commonly prevented him and went first unto him, both because he was the elder man, as also for that he was sickly of body. And men reported him commonly to be very skilful in wars, but otherwise marvellous choleric and cruel, who sought to rule men by fear rather than with lenity; and on the other side he was too familiar with his friends, and would jest too broadly with them. But Brutus, in 44 contrary manner, for his virtue and valiantness was well beloved of the people and his own, esteemed of noble men, and hated of no man, not so much as of his enemies; because he was a marvellous lowly and gentle person, noble-minded, and would never be in any rage, nor carried away with pleasure and covetousness, but had ever an upright mind with him, and would never yield to any wrong or injustice: the which was the chiefest cause of his fame, of his rising, and of the goodwill that every man bare him; for they were all persuaded that his intent was good. And as for Cassius, a hot, choleric, 45 and cruel man, that would oftentimes be carried away from justice for gain, it was certainly thought that he made war, and put himself into sundry dangers, more to have absolute power and authority than to defend the liberty of his country."

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"It was said that Antonius spake it openly divers times, that 46 he thought that of all them that had slain Cæsar, there was none but Brutus only that was moved to do it as thinking the act commendable of itself, but that all the other conspirators did conspire his death for some private malice or envy that they otherwise did bear unto him."

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"About that time Brutus sent to pray Cassius to come to the city of Sardis; and so he did. Brutus, understanding of his coming, went to meet him with all his friends. There, both armies being armed, they called them both emperors. Now, as it commonly happeneth in great affairs between two persons, both of them having many friends, and so many captains under them, there ran tales and complaints betwixt them. Therefore, before they fell in hand with any other matter, they went into a little chamber together, and bade every man avoid, and did shut the doors to them. Then they began to pour out their complaints one to the other, and grew hot and loud, earnestly accusing one another, and at length fell both a weeping. Their friends that were without the chamber, hearing them loud within and angry between themselves, they were both amazed and afraid also, lest it should grow to further matter; but yet 48 they were commanded that no man should come to them. Notwithstanding, one Marcus Phaonius [Favonius], that had been a friend and follower of Cato while he lived, and took upon him to counterfeit a philosopher, not with wisdom and discretion, but with a certain bedlam and frantic motion,- he would needs come into the chamber, though the men offered to keep him out. But it was no boot to let [hinder] Phaonius, when a mad mood or toy took him in the head; for he was a hot hasty man, and sudden in all his doings, and cared for never a senator of them all. Now, though he used this bold manner of speech, after the profession of the Cynic Philosophers, (as who would say, Dogs,) yet his boldness did no hurt many times, because they did but laugh at him to see him so mad. This Phaonius at that time, in despite of the door-keepers, came into the chamber, and with a certain scoffing and mocking gesture, which he counterfeited of purpose, he rehearsed the verses which old Nestor said in Homer:

My Lords, I pray you hearken both to me;
For I have seen moe years than suchie three.

Cassius fell a laughing at him; but Brutus thrust him out of the chamber, and called him dog and counterfeit cynic. Howbeit,

his coming in brake their strife at that time, and so they left 49 each other."

"The next day after, Brutus, upon complaint of the Sardians, did condemn and note Lucius Pella for a defamed person,that had been a prætor of the Romans, and whom Brutus had given charge unto,—for that he was accused and convicted of robbery and pilfery in his office. This judgment much misliked [displeased] Cassius, because he himself had secretly, not many days before, warned two of his friends, attainted and convicted of the like offences, and openly had cleared them; but yet he did not therefore leave to employ them in any manner of service as he did before. And therefore he greatly reproved Brutus, for that he would show himself so straight and severe, in such a time as was meeter to bear a little, than to take things at the worst. Brutus in contrary manner answered, that he should remember the ides of March, at which time they slew Julius Cæsar, who neither pilled nor polled the country, but only was a favourer and suborner of all them that did rob and spoil, by his countenance and authority. And if there were any occasion whereby they might honestly set aside justice and equity, they should have had more reason to have suffered Cæsar's friends to have robbed and done what wrong and injury they had would, than to bear with their own men. For then said he, they could but have said they had been cowards, but now they may accuse us of injustice, beside the pains we take, and the danger we put ourselves into. And thus may we see what Brutus' intent and purpose was. But as they both prepared to pass over again out 50 of Asia into Europe, there went a rumour, that there appeared a wonderful sign unto him. Brutus was a careful [anxious] man, and slept very little, both for that his diet was moderate, as also because he was continually occupied. He never slept in the day time, and in the night no longer than the time he was driven to be alone, and when every body else took their rest. But now whilst he was in war, and his head over busily occupied to think of his affairs and what would happen,—after he had slumbered a little after supper, he spent all the rest of the night in despatching of his weightiest causes; and after he

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had taken order for them, if he had any leisure left him, he would read some book till the third watch of the night, at what time the captains, petty captains, and colonels, did use to come to him. So being ready to go into Europe, one night very late, when all the camp took quiet rest, as he was in his tent with a little light, thinking of weighty matters, he thought he heard one come in to him; and casting his eye towards the door of his tent, that he saw a wonderful strange and monstrous shape of a body coming towards him, and said never a word. So Brutus boldly asked what he was, a god or a man, and what cause brought him thither. The spirit answered him, I am thy evil spirit, Brutus; and thou shalt see me by the city of Philippes.* Brutus being no otherwise afraid, replied again unto it. Well, then I shall see thee again. The spirit presently vanished away and Brutus called his men unto him, who told him that they heard no noise nor saw any thing at all.

"When they raised their camp, there came two eagles, that flying with a marvellous force lighted upon two of the foremost ensigns, and always followed the soldiers, which gave them meat, and fed them until they came near to the city of Philippes; and there, one day only before the battle, they both flew away."

"Antonius camped against Cassius, and Brutus, on the other side, against Cæsar. The Romans called the valley between both camps the Philippian fields."

"It is reported that there chanced certain unlucky signs unto Cassius. There was seen a marvellous number of fowls of prey, that feed upon dead carcases; and bee-hives also were found where bees were gathered together in a certain place within the trenches of the camp; the which place the soothsayers thought good to shut out of the precinct of the camp, for to take away the superstitious fear and mistrust men would have of it: the which began somewhat to alter Cassius' mind from Epicurus' opinions, and had put the soldiers also in 54 a marvellous fear. But, touching Cassius, Messala

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* North has here improperly adopted, from Amyot's version, the French name for Philippi.

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