Cassius. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you, Immediately to us. Brutus. Cassius. I did not angry. (Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius. Lucius, a bowl of wine. think you could have been so Brutus. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs! Cassius. Of your philosophy you make no use, If you give place to accidental evils. Brutus. No man bears sorrow better.-Portia is dead. Cassius. Ha! Portia? Brutus. She is dead. Cassius. How scap'd I killing when I cross'd you so? * O, insupportable and touching loss! Upon what sickness? *Scape is commonly printed as a contraction of escape, but we find it also in prose; as in Bacon, Adv. of L. II., 14, 9: "such as had scaped shipwreck," etc. S. uses it much oftener than escape. See Wb. s. v.—Rolfe. Brutus. Impatient of my absence, And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong;-for with her death That tidings came.-With this she fell distract, Cassius. And died so? Brutus. Cassius. Even so. O ye immortal gods! Enter LUCIUS, with wine and tapers. Brutus. Speak no more of her.-Give me a bowl of wine. In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius. (Drinks. Cassius. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup; I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. (Drinks. Enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA. Brutus. Come in, Titinius.—Welcome, good Messala. Now sit we close about this taper here, No more, I pray you.— Messala, I have here received letters, Messala. Myself have letters of the selfsame ten our. Brutus. With what addition? Messala. That by proscription and bills of outlawry, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus Have put to death an hundred senators. Brutus. Therein our letters do not well agree; Mine speak of seventy senators that died By their proscriptions, Cicero being one. Cassius. Cicero one? Messala. Cicero is dead, And by that order of proscription. Had you your letters from your wife, my lord? Messala. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her? Messala. That, methinks, is strange. Brutus. Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours? Messala. No, my lord. Brutus. Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true. Messala. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell; For certain she is dead, and by strange manner. Brutus. Why, farewell, Portia.-We must die, Messala. With meditating that she must die once, Messala. Even so great men great losses should endure. Cassius. I have as much of this in art as you, But yet my nature could not bear it so. Brutus. Well, to our work alive. What do you think Of marching to Philippi presently? Brutus. 'T is better that the enemy seek us; Your reason? This it is: So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers, Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness. Brutus. Good reasons must, of force,* give place to better. The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground For they have grudg'd us contribution. By them shall make a fuller number up, Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encourag'd; These people at our back. *Of necessity; as in M. of V. IV., 1, 421, etc. Cf. Bacon, Adv. of L. II., 5, 2: "their inquiries must of force have been of a far other kind." Cf. also perforce, which is frequent in S., and is still used in poetry.-Rolfe. Cassius. Hear me, good brother. Brutus. Under your pardon.-You must note be side That we have tried the utmost of our friends. Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe: The enemy increaseth every day; We, at the height, are ready to decline. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; And we must take the current when it serves, *Cf. Bacon: "In the third place, I set down reputation because of the peremptory tides and currents it hath, which, if they be not taken in their due time, are seldom recovered.' -Advancement of Learning (1603-5). "Particular conspiracies have their periods of time, within which, if they be not taken, they vanish."-Charge against Owen (1615). "If you had not been shortsighted, you might have made more use of me; but that tide is passed."-Letter to Coke (1601). "You are as well seen in the periods and tides of estates (states) as in your own circle and way."-Letter to Cecil (1602). "Occasion turneth the handle of the bottle first to be received, and after that the belly, which is hard to clasp." -Essay of Delays (1625). "Occasion turneth the bald noddle after she hath presented her locks in front, and no hold taken."-Ibid. "We may say of Nature what is usually said of Fortune, that she hath a lock before but none behind."-Scala Intellectus. " The Advancement of Learning" was first printed in 1605; "Troilus and Cressida" in 1609; "Othello,' 1622; "Julius Caesar, 1623; "Essay of Delays," 1625. The "Letter to Coke" was written in 1601, and the "Speech against Owen" delivered in 1615. The sentiment expressed in the above-quoted passages seems to have been a favorite one with both authors, appearing, however, in Bacon first. The figure common to "Othello, and the Essay, is of classical origin, the ancients having erected a statue to Occasion as a goddess, in which the fore part of the head was furnished with a lock of hair, while the back part was bald. The significance of this was pointed out in the Latin writings of Phaedrus, Cardan, and Erasmus, and in the French of Rabelais. With the possible exception of Phaedrus, these works we know were familiar to Bacon, though none of them had then been translated into English. Cassius. Then, with your will, go on; We'll along ourselves and meet them at Philippi. Brutus. The deep of night is crept upon our talk, And nature must obey necessity, Which we will niggard with a little rest. There is no more to say? Cassius. No more. Good night! Early to-morrow will we rise and hence. Brutus. Lucius, my gown.-(Exit Lucius.) Fare well, good Messala! Good night, Titinius!-Noble, noble Cassius, Good night, and good repose! Cassius. O my dear brother, This was an ill beginning of the night; Enter LUCIUS, with the gown. Brutus. Good night, good brother! Brutus. Farewell, every one!— (Exeunt Cassius, Titinius, and Messala. Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument? Brutus. What! thou speak'st drowsily? Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatch'd. Call Claudius and some other of my men; I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent. Lucius. Varro and Claudius! Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS. Varro. Calls my lord? Brutus. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep; It may be I shall raise you by and by On business to my brother Cassius. Varro. So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure. Brutus. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs; It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.— Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so; I put it in the pocket of my gown. (Servants lie down. Lucius. I was sure your lordship did not give it me. Brutus. Bear with me, good boy; I am much forgetful. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, Brutus. It does, my boy; I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing. Brutus. I should not urge thy duty past thy might; Brutus. It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again; |
