Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, Cato, Bru. Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie? Cato. He is slain. Bru. O Julius Cæsar! thou art mighty yet: Cato. Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords 95 [Low alarums. Brave Titinius! Look! whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius. Bru. Are yet two Romans living such as these? It is impossible that ever Rome 100 Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears 97. whether] where Ff. 99. The] Ff, Thou Rowe. 96. entrails] Compare Eneid, vi. 834: "Neu patriæ validas in viscera vertite vires. 97. whether] See note on I. i. 66. 99. The] unnecessarily altered into "thou" by some editors. "The " goes with vocatives, probably, in Lear, 1. i. 271, and Beaumont and Fletcher's Bonduca, v. iii.: “I'll treat thee like thyself, the valiant Briton," and certainly in 3 Henry VI. v. v. 38, "Take that, the likeness of this railer here," and in Cymbeline, III. ii. 42, “You, O the dearest of creatures," unless "the" is to be regarded as a misprint for "thou" or "you" in all these passages. Even if "the" could not be used in the vocative case, “the last” may be regarded as in apposition to "thee," or "the last of all the Romans" may be an exclamation. Shakespeare naturally wished to incorporate in his verse, without omitting the definite article emphasising the superlative, the noble title of praise which was conferred on Cassius by Brutus, and by which he is often spoken of in history. Plutarch tells us that in like manner a certain Roman called Philopomen "the last of the Greeks, meaning that Greece had not produced one great man, or one that was worthy of her, after him." 100. It is impossible] "Being impossible that Rome should ever breed again so noble and valiant a man as he" (Plutarch). To this dead man than you shall see me pay. And come, young Cato; let us to the field. SCENE IV.-Another Part of the Field. Alarum. 105 110 [Exeunt. Enter fighting, Soldiers of both Armies; then BRUTUS, CATO, LUCILIUS, and Others. Bru. Yet, countrymen, O! yet hold up your heads. Cato. What bastard doth not? 104. Thassos] Theobald, Tharsus Ff. and later editors; Flavius,] F 4; Flavius clock] Ff, o'clock Theobald and later editors. Who will go with me? 108. Labio] Ff, Labeo Hanmer F 2, 3; Flavio F 1. 109. a 109. a clock] See note on II. ii. 114. "Three a clock" is inconsistent with the reference to the setting sun in line 60. The mention of this definite hour is a reminiscence of Plutarch's account of the second battle of Philippi, where we are told that Brutus 66 suddenly caused his army to march, being past three of the clock in the afternoon," and so began the battle. 109. ere night] In history there was an interval of twenty days between the two battles at Philippi. Scene IV. 2. What bastard doth not?] who is such a bastard that he does not do so? See II. i. 138 and IV. iii, 20. I will proclaim my name about the field: I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho! A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend; Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus. O young and noble Cato! art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius, And may'st be honour'd, being Cato's son. First Sold. Yield, or thou diest. Lucil. Only I yield to die: There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight. Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death. First Sold. We must not. A noble prisoner! 5 1Ο [Offering money. 15 Second Sold. Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en. First Sold. I'll tell the news. Here comes the general. 7. Lucil.] is omitted and "Luc." is inserted before line 9 in Ff. Ff, not, sir Capell. 17. the] Pope, thee Ff. 7, 8.] The name of the speaker of these two lines is omitted in the Folios. They are by almost all editors asBut Brutus was so signed to Brutus. well known that it is strange that he should tell his name with such emphasis, and it is still more strange that he should follow the lead of The such a young man as Cato. iteration of the name Brutus sounds like the language of a man who was pretending to be what he was not. The ascription of these two lines to Lucilius would make the motive and action of Lucilius much plainer to the audience, who would have some difficulty in taking in the 15. not] situation with only the words "Kill Brutus" in line 14 to enlighten them. It seems probable that the printers of the Folio by mistake put the heading "Luc." two lines too low down. The stage direction exit, found in almost all modern editions after line 8, is not in the Folios. 13. so much] sc. money. The offer of money in the stage-direction is, an addition made by however, Hanmer and Johnson to explain the passage. Possibly Lucilius, speaking in the character of Brutus, means that so much can be laid to his charge that the soldier is sure to kill him immediately. Enter ANTONY. Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord. Ant. Where is he? Lucil. Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough. 20 Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus; He will be found like Brutus, like himself. Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you, 25 SCENE V.-Another Part of the Field. Enter BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. He came not back; he is or ta'en or slain. 30. whether] where Ff; dead;] dead, Ff. 31. word] word, F 1; omitted in F 2, 3, 4; tent] tent : F 1; tent, F 2, 3, 4. Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word; 5 [Whispers. Cli. What I, my lord? No, not for all the world. I'll rather kill myself. Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee? That it runs over even at his eyes. Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius: list a word. Bru. Why, this, Volumnius : Not so, my lord. Vol. 4. Sit thee] Compare "Hark thee," line 5, and note on iii. 85. 5. Hark thee, Clitus] Brutus here in a whisper asks Clitus to kill him. See line 12. 8. Dardanius] correctly called Dardanus in North's Plutarch. The extra syllable is required by the metre. 13. vessel] used for a person, as in the biblical expression weaker vessel," which is common in Shakespeare. The term here suggests a comparison between a person overflow 66 15 20 ing with tears and an overflowing jar, as in Winter's Tale, III. iii. 21: "I never saw a vessel of like So fill'd and so becoming." 19. Philippi] used adjectivally. Compare "Tiber banks” (1. i. 63), "Hybla bees" (vi. 34), "London streets (Richard II. v. v. 77), "London gates" (2 Henry VI. IV. viii. 24), "London Bridge," "Kensington Gardens," |
