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Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus :
The gods defend him from fo great a fhame!
When you do find him, or alive, or dead,
He will be found like Brutus, like himself.
Ant. This is not Brutus, friend; but, I affure you,
A prize no lefs in worth: keep this man fafe,
Give him all kindnefs: I had rather have
Such men my friends than enemies. Go on,
And fee whe'r Brutus be alive or dead :

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And bring us word unto Octavius' tent,
How every thing is chanc'd.

[Exeunt.

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Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strate, and Volumnius.

Bru. Come, poor remains of friends, reft on this rock, Cli. Statilius fhew'd the torch-light; but, my lord,

He came not back; he is or ta'en, or flain.

Bru. Sit thee down, Clitus: Slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion, Hark thee. Clitus. [whispering, Cli. What I, my lord? No not for all the world. Bru. Peace then, no words.

y W. omits or.

z The fo's and R. read where; P. and all after except C. if for whe'r. a The three laft fo's omit word.

This fcene 8 in P. H. W. and J.! c No defcription of scene in the fo's

or R.

d This direction first given by R.

Cli. I'll rather kill myself.

Bru. Hark thee, Dardanius.

[* whispering.

Dar. f Shall I do fuch a deed?

Cli. O Dardanius.

Dar. O Clitus!

Cli. What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
Dar. To kill him, Clitus: look, he meditates.
Cli. Now is that noble veffel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.

Bru. Come hither, good Volumnius, list a word,
Vol. What fays my lord?

Bru. Why, this, Volumnius:

The ghoft of Cafar hath appear'd to me

Two several times by night; at Sardis once,
And this last night here in Philippi-fields:

I know my hour is come.

Vol. Not fo, my lord.

Bru. Nay, I am fure it is, Volumnius.

Thou feeft the world, Volumnius, how it goes;
Our enemies have beat us to the pit:

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves,

[& low alarums,

Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
Thou know'ft that we two went to school together;
Even for that our love of old, I pr'ythee,

k

h

Hold thou my fword's hilt, whilft I run on it.
Vol. That's not an office for a friend, my Yord.

e No direction here before C.

f P. and all after omit Sball.

8 P. and all after except C. omit losu.

h C. pray thee for pr'ytbee; it is pre thee in the fo's and R.

[Alarums fill.

1 The ift and 2d fo's, fword bilts for fword's bilt.

k The two laft fo's, and all after except C. while for whilft.

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Cli. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. Bru. Farewel to you—and you—and you, VolumniusStrato, thou haft been all this while asleep; y Farewel to thee too, Strato-Countrymen, My heart doth joy, that yet in all my life, I found no man, but he was true to me. I fhall have glory by this a losing day, More than Octavius, and Mark Antony, By this vile conquest, shall attain unto. So, fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue Hath almost ended his life's history:

Night hangs upon mine eyes, my bones would reft,

That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

Alarums. Gry within, Fly fly, fly!

Cli. Fly, my lord, fly.

Bru. Hence; I will follow. [a Exeunt Cli. Dar. and Vol.

I pr'ythee, Strato, ftay thou by thy lord;

Thou art a fellow of a good respect;

Thy life hath had fome finatch of honour in it:

Hold then my fword, and turn away thy face,

While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?

Stra. Give me your hand firft: Fare you well, my lord. Bru. Farewel, good Strato Cæfar, now be ftill;

I kill'd not thee with half fo good a will.

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Alarums. Retreat. Enter Octavius, Antony, and their Army, Lucillius, and Meffala.

O. What man is that?

Mef. My mafter's man. Strato, where is thy mafter? Stra. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him:

For Brutus only overcame himself,

And no man else hath honour by his death.

Lucil. So Brutus fhould be found. I thank thee, Brutus,

That thou haft prov'd Lucilius' faying true.

Oa. All that ferv'd Brutus, I will entertain them.
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
Stra. Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
On. Do so, & good Messala.

h

Mef. How dy'd my b mafter, Strato?

Stra. I held the fword, and he did run on it. Mef. Octavius, then take him to follow thee, That did the lateft fervice to my mafter.

Ant. This was the noblest Roman of them all:
All the confpirators, fave only he,

Did that they did, in envy of great Cæfar;
He only in a general honest thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mixt in him, that nature might ftand up,
And fay to all the world, This was a man.

% C. omits good.

So the 1ft f and C; the 2d f. omits wafter; the 3d and all the other editions

read lord for mafier.

i H. reads take him then for then take bim.

ол.

Oa. According to his virtue let us use him,
With all respect, and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones to-night fhall lye,
Moft like a foldier, order'd honourably.
So call the field to reft; and let's away,
To part the glories of this happy day.

[Exeunt omnes

FINIS,

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