Act 5, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE III Setting: Another part of the field.

Alarums. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.

CASSIUS	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.
TITINIUS	O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early;	5
	Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
	Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil,
	Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
	Enter PINDARUS.
PINDARUS	Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
	Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord	10
	Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
CASSIUS	This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius;
	Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
TITINIUS	They are, my lord.
CASSIUS	Titinius, if thou lovest me,	15
	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 assured
	Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS	I will be here again, even with a thought.
	Exit
CASSIUS	Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;	20
	My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius,
	And tell me what thou notest about the field.
	PINDARUS ascends the hill.
	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?	25
PINDARUS	Above
CASSIUS	What news?
PINDARUS	Above
	With horsemen, that make to him on the spur;
	Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.	30
	Now, Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too.
	He's ta'en.
	Shout
	And, hark! they shout for joy.
CASSIUS	Come down, behold no more.
	O, coward that I am, to live so long,
	To see my best friend ta'en before my face!	35
	PINDARUS descends.
	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 shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath;	40
	Now be a freeman: and with this good sword,
	That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this bosom.
	Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts;
	And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
	Guide thou the sword.
	PINDARUS stabs him.
	Caesar, thou art revenged,	45
	Even with the sword that kill'd thee.
	Dies
PINDARUS	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,	49
	Where never Roman shall take note of him.
	Exit
	Re–enter TITINIUS with MESSALA.
MESSALA	It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius
	Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,
	As Cassius' legions are by Antony.
TITINIUS	These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA	Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS	All disconsolate,	55
	With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA	Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
TITINIUS	He lies not like the living. O my heart!
MESSALA	Is not that he?
TITINIUS	No, this was he, Messala,
	But Cassius is no more. O setting sun,	60
	As in thy red rays thou dost sink to–night,
	So in his red blood Cassius' day is set;
	The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
	Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!
	Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.	65
MESSALA	Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
	O hateful error, melancholy's child,
	Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
	The things that are not? O error, soon conceived,
	Thou never comest unto a happy birth,	70
	But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!
TITINIUS	What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?
MESSALA	Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
	The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
	Into his ears; I may say, thrusting it;	75
	For piercing steel and darts envenomed
	Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
	As tidings of this sight.
TITINIUS	Hie you, Messala,
	And I will seek for Pindarus the while.
	Exit MESSALA.
	Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?	80
	Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they
	Put on my brows this wreath of victory,
	And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?
	Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing!
	But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;	85
	Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
	Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,
	And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.
	By your leave, gods:––this is a Roman's part
	Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.
	Kills himself.

Alarum. Re–enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS.

BRUTUS	Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA	Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS	Titinius' face is upward.
CATO	He is slain.
BRUTUS	O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
	Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords	95
	In our own proper entrails.
	Low alarums.
CATO	Brave Titinius!
	Look, whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!
BRUTUS	Are yet two Romans living such as these?
	The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!
	It is impossible that ever Rome	100
	Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears
	To this dead man than you shall see me pay.
	I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.
	Come, therefore, and to Thasos send his body:
	His funerals shall not be in our camp,	105
	Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come;
	And come, young Cato; let us to the field.
	Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on:
	Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night	109
	We shall try fortune in a second fight.
	Exeunt