Octa. So you thought him;

And took his voice who fhould be prick'd to die,
In' our black fentence and profcription."

Ant. Octavius, I have feen more days than you;
And though we lay thefe honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers fland'rous loads;
He shall but bear them, as the afs bears gold,
To groan and fweat under the bufinefs,
Or led or driven, as we point the way;

And, having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty afs, to shake his ears,

And graze in Commons.

Octa. You may do your will ;

But he's a try'd and valiant foldier.

Ant. So is my horse, Octavius: and for that,
I do appoint him ftore of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on;
His corporal motion govern'd by my fpirit.
And, in some tafte, is Lepidus but fo;

He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth; 7 A barren-fpirited fellow, one that feeds

On abject Orts, and imitations;

Which, out of use, and ftal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him,

Are levying powers; we must straight make head.
Therefore let our alliance be combin'd;

Our best friends made, our beft means ftretcht;
And let us presently go fit in council,
How covert matters may be beft disclos'd,
And open perils fureft anfwered.

Odta. Let us do so; for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies;

And fome, that fmile, have in their hearts, I fear, Millions of mischiefs.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Before Brutus's Tent, in the camp near Sardis.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, and Soldiers: Titinius and Pindarus meeting them.

STE

Luc. Give the word, ho! and stand!
Bru. What now, Lucilius? is Caffius near?
Luc. He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you falutation from his master.

Bru. He greets me well. Your mafter, Pindarus,

8 In his own change, or by ill officers,

Hah given me fome caufe to wish

Things done undone; but if he be at hand,

In his own change, or by ill officers,] The fenfe of which is this, Either your master, by the change of his virtuous nature, cr by his officers abufing the power ke had intrufted to them, hath done Jome things I could wish undone. This implies a doubt which of the two was the cafe. Yet, immediately after, on Pindarus's faying, His mafter was full of re

I fhall

I fhall be fatisfied.

Pin. I do not doubt,

But that my noble mafter will appear,
Such as he is, full of regard and honour.
Bru. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius-
How he receiv'd you, let me be resolv❜d.

Luc. With courtefy, and with respect enough;
But not with fuch familiar inftances,

Nor with fuch free and friendly conference,
As he hath us'd of old.

Bru. Thou haft defcrib'd

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

There are no tricks in plain, and fimple faith;
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
Make gallant fhew and promife of their mettle,
But when they should endure the bloody spur,
They fall their creft, and, like deceitful jades,
Sink in the trial. Comes his army on?

Luc. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd,

The greater part, the horfe in general,

Are come with Caffius.

[Low march within.

March gently on to meet him.

Caf. Stand, ho!

Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along.
Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Within. Stand!

Caf. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. Bru. Judge me, you Gods! Wrong I mine enemies?

And, if not fo, how fhould I wrong a brother?
Caf. Brutus, this fober form of yours hides wrongs,
And when you do them

Bru. Caffius, be content,

Speak your griefs foftly-I do know you well.-
Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing, but love, from us,
Let us not wrangle. Bid them move away;
Then in my Tent, Caffius, enlarge your griefs,
And I will give you audience.

Caf. Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

Bru. Lucilius, do the like; and let no man

Come to our tent, 'till we have done our conference.

Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door.

SCENE III.

Changes to the Infide of Brutus's Tent.

Re-enter Brutus and Caffius.

[Exeunt.

HAT you have wrong'd me, doth

Cas. THA

in this,

You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella,

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;

Wherein, my letter praying on his fide

appear

Because

Because I knew the man, was flighted off.

Bru. You wrong'd yourself to write in fuch a cafe. Caf. In fuch a time as this, it is not meet That' ev'ry nice offence fhould bear its comment. Bru. Let me tell you, Caffius, you yourself Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm; To fell, and mart your offices for gold, To undefervers.

Caf. I an itching palm?

You know, that you are Brutus, that speak this ;
Or, by the Gods, this fpeech were else your last.
Bru. The name of Caffius honours this corruption,
And chaftisement doth therefore hide its head.
Caf. Chaftifement!

Bru. Remember March, the Ides of March remember!

Did not great Julius bleed for justice sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for juftice; What, fhall one of us,
That ftruck the foremost man of all this world,
But for fupporting robbers; fhall we now
Contaminate our fingers with bafe bribes ?
And fell the mighty space of our large honours
For fo much trash, as may be grasped thus ?
1 I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than fuch a Roman.

Caf. Brutus, bait not me,

9 ev'ry nice offence-] i. e. fmall trifling offence. WARB. I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than Such a Roman.] The poets and common people, who generally think and fpeak alike, fuppofe the dog bays the moon, out of envy to its brightness; an allufion to this notion makes the beauty of the paffage in question:

Brutus hereby infinuates a covert accufation against his friend, that it was only envy at Cafar's glory which fet Caius on confpiring against him; and ancient history feems to countenance fuch a charge. Cafius understood him in this fenfe, and with much confcious pride retorts the charge by a like infinuation.

-Brutus, bay not me. WARB.