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Title: The Tragedy Of Caesar's Revenge

Editor: Frederick S. Boas

Release date: January 4, 2010 [eBook #30846]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Thierry Alberto, Louise Pryor and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TRAGEDY OF CAESAR'S REVENGE *** 




PRINTED FOR THE MALONE SOCIETY BY

HORACE HART M.A., AT THE

OXFORD UNIVERSITY

PRESS






THE TRAGEDY

OF CAESAR’S REVENGE


THE MALONE SOCIETY

REPRINTS

1911









This reprint of Caesar’s Revenge has been prepared
by F. S. Boas with the assistance of the General
Editor.


W. W. Greg.



Oct. 1911.








 

Plays on the subject of Caius Julius are so
numerous that some difficulty arises in properly
distinguishing the titles. In the case of the piece
here reprinted the first title, which is also the head
title, suggests a play of Chapman’s, while the running
title is the traditional property of William
Shakespeare. It seems, therefore, best that it
should become known by the name which appears
second on the title-page. And, indeed, there is
reason to suppose that it was this title that the
piece originally bore, for the entry in the Registers
of the Stationers’ Company runs as follows:




vo Iunij [1606]


John Wright
and Nathanael
ffossbrook

Entred for their Copies vnder the handes of Master Doctor Couell
and the wardens A booke called Iulius Caesars reuenge.
vjd



[Arber’s Transcript, III. 323.]





The edition that followed upon this entry was
undated, but probably appeared before the end of
the year. It bore Wright’s name and address as
stationer, and the initials and device of George Eld
as printer. It was a quarto printed in roman type
of a body similar to modern pica (20 ll. = 83 mm.).
Of this original issue copies survive in the Dyce
Library at South Kensington and in the collection
of the Duke of Devonshire. In other copies the
original title-leaf has been cancelled and replaced
by a reprint. This, which is dated 1607, bears the
names of both stationers, and a different address,
which is presumably Fosbrook’s. The printer’s
initials have been omitted, and, more important,
his device has made way for the note ‘Priuately
acted by the Studentes of Trinity Colledge in
Oxford’. The original type had already been
distributed, and not only the title, but also the
list of personae on the verso of the leaf, was reset.
 

Why Fosbrook should have been originally forgotten,
as it would seem he was, and his portion
of the stock provided with a title-page which is
evidently of the nature of an afterthought, there
is nothing to show. Copies of this second issue
are in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and the
British Museum. All the copies mentioned are
perfect, and for the purpose of the present reprint
those in the British Museum, Bodleian and Dyce
libraries have been collated throughout. The two
former are in substantial agreement: the Dyce copy
has both formes of sheet A in an uncorrected state:
there is a curious progressive error at l. 2481.


No record of performance survives to corroborate
the information supplied by the second title-page,
but from internal evidence it may be supposed
to have taken place some years before publication,
the style of the play being modelled on those
popular in the last decade of the sixteenth century,
especially Tamburlaine and the Spanish Tragedie.
The complete absence of comic relief, and the
exceptional number of recondite classical allusions,
are in favour of the academic origin of the play,
and this is perhaps further evidenced by the fact
that the source, upon which the anonymous author
drew, appears to have been, not Plutarch, but
Appian’s Bellum Civile. Appian alone (book II,
chapters 113 and 117) names Bucolianus among
Caesar’s murderers, though Cicero mentions him
twice in his letters to Atticus as Bucilianus. There
is also one local reference to connect the play with
Oxford, in the lines put into Caesar’s mouth.



And Isis wept to see her daughter Thames,

Chainge her cleere cristall, to vermilian sad.

(ll. 1278-9.)







 
The text of the play presents a good many
difficulties, and in some places there is reason to
suspect more or less serious lacunae. The classical
names too are often badly corrupted, and the
punctuation is the worst conceivable. There is
a division into acts and scenes, but it neither
follows a consistent principle, nor exhibits a correct
numbering. A new division on the ordinarily
accepted principles of the English stage has therefore
been introduced in the margin. This has
necessitated a somewhat minute consideration of
exits and entrances, and a special list of necessary
stage directions has been added below after the
usual list of irregular readings.


A list of personae is given in the original on
the verso of the title-leaf. The only omission is
that of a Lord who has a part in several scenes.


The thanks of the editor are due to the Rev.
H. E. D. Blakiston, President of Trinity College,
Oxford, for information to the effect that no
references to plays are traceable in the account
books of the College, unless a payment of 6s. 6d.
for a ‘spectaculum in festo Trinitatis’ in 1565
can be so interpreted. A similar debt is owing to
Mr. J. P. Maine, librarian to the Duke of Devonshire,
for information as to the readings of the
copy of the original issue of the play preserved at
Chatsworth.



 

List of Irregular and Doubtful Readings


The punctuation of the original is so erratic as to make it
impossible to record all irregularities. The following are particularly
frequent: comma or semi-colon for period, especially
at the end of a speech, period or other stop for query-mark,
colon or, less frequently, semi-colon where at most a comma is
needed. As a rule only those cases have been noticed which
would be likely to cause difficulty to a reader who had the above
points in mind.




Transcriber’s note


Irregular readings in the list below are marked in the text with a mouse
hover. Catch words are not shown in this transcription.


Other possible errors, which have not been corrected, are marked with a mouse hover and are:



718 how (How)

1181 _Phæbus_ (_Phœbus_)

1674 house. (list of irregular readings implies 'house-')

1694 (unusual indentation)

1887 (not indented)







A 1v Casca. (Casea. 1607)

  Augur. (Augur: 1607)

  Senators. (Seuators. 1607)

  Octauian. (Actauian. 1607)

  Camber. (both)

11 which (what)

14 her (? his)

20 field

25 Heauens. O (Heauens, O)

31 sig. A2 (B2 Dyce only)

32 Vomit (vomit)

  ills (? ills:)

34 Be

44 shild

46 greatnesse. (? greatnesse;)

55 praizd (i.e. valued)

59 swaye. (swaye,)

87 When as

98 liuing (liung Dyce only)

108 ouerthrowne, (ou erthrowne, B.M., Devon.)

132 a sleepe

136 a waite

143 bisse. (blisse.)

148 beare. (beare,)

149 Wihch (Which)

163 starrs. (starrs,)

167 remououe

169 haue. (haue—)

171 this, (i.e. thus,)

175 a misse,

182 farwell, then (farwell then,)

182 c.w. Here (183 Heere)

192 woundring

203 T’was

215 babish

216 sound (sound.)

219 Io ioyfull, Io

227 boucher’d

237 stange

247 enternally

252 c.w. Whilst (253 Whil’st)

261 Thee (? Flee)

  blood (blood.)

262 thirst. (thirst,)

263 goaring

277 Romaine, (Romaine)

288 when as

308 When as

324 Temple (Tempe)

325 waues, (waues.)

335 Scythia

344 freedon,

349 vnderringing

354 fall:

357 blast,

363 dol-full

410 they (thy)

411 Soule. (point doubtful, read Soule,)

412 What (? That)

413 Libians

430 petition. (petition,)

432 permit,.

434 Some what

450 turnde, (turnde)

 
460 with out

468 shue (sue)

474 griefe. (griefe,)

  c.w. VVhich (475 Which)

494 handmayde, forth (handmayde forth,)

498 hath

508 woundring

513 poastes. (poastes)

514 name, (name.)

515 bring: (bring)

519 pearles. (pearles)

527 beheld (behold)

535 althings

  sees. (sees)

542 But. (? Ant.)

544 Cæsa,

549 thee (the)

  cut, (cut)

561 weaud (? weand B.M. only)

567 fized (fixed)

568 ouer (? euer)

576 Neptnnus

598 Piramids. (Piramids,)

602 Gnidas (Gnidus)

609 Antho. (Dis.)

617 Iollity. (Iollity,)

620 Setorius (Sertorius)

621 ouerthrowe. (ouerthrowe,)

622 Nepoune

627 waight,

  blisse. (blisse,)

628 haue. (haue,)

633 night. (night,)

634 plauges

642 SCENA 4.

646 they

  selfe. (selfe)

652 like wise

  Ptolomeis

  gould. (gould,)

655 made. (made,)

670 wordly

699 a vaile

704 soueraignety. (soueraignety,)

708 Men. (Men,)

709 entertaynd, (entertaynd.)

713 Earth. (Earth,)

725 sway (sway.)

734 a non,

751-2 (lacuna ?)

763 letter pattens

784 if, (if)

786 a like,

807 cease. (cease,)

818 graue. (graue,)

826 Alacke (Alike)

828 a like

829 causer which (? causer, mine)

835 perlexed

838 be hould

848 Queene, (Queene.)

851 framd. (framd,)

864 prefest.

874 instruments. (instruments,)

883 Ncmean

885 os (of)

891 Be sides

893 Alcionus:

899 rosall

  head, (head.)

900 Phœbus

902 respendent

913 Spicery, (?)

914 Nardus

924 Queene, (Queene)

925 ofhirs:

936 speech (speech.)

947 Camber (Cimber)

960 Cæs. (Cas.)

969 tale, (tale,)

971 blood, (blood.)

989 Cam. (Cim.)

991 Cum. (990 c.w. Cam.)

996 Cibills

  verse. (verse)

 
1003 sepulcher. (sepulcher,)

1012 praise

1014 bespent (? besprent)

1022 Romaine, (Romaines,)

1025 Gic.

1027 borne

1050 learne; (learne,)

1051 althings

1053 blessiings

1059 Counrries

1075 nor (not)

1082 Hilias (Allias)

  sight: (? fight:  B.M. only)

1103 slay (stay)

1108 Countries: (Countries)

1111 Sene.

1118 it (it.)

  vse, (vse)

1121 vertues (? vertue)

  brunt’s,

1137 me (me?)

1149 Adastria (Adrastia)

  Queene. (Queene,)

1159 sleepe. (sleepe,)

1161 die, (die.)

1162 paintcd

1182 backes. (backes,)

1196 Lords, (? Lord,)

1198 a fore,

1201 be-hind

  past. (past,)

1203 triump (trump)

1205 witner (witnes)

1207 it bound it

1208 Phægiean (Phlegraean)

1209 Tropheus (Trophies)

1213 Pompeous

1218 crowne, (crowne.)

1221 onmy

1222 beare. (beare)

1229 Africans,

1234 starre. (starre)

1237 Gouernesse. (Gouernesse,)

1246 Æmelius,

1258 Romulus. (Romulus,)

1260 Ouer- (? Euer-)

1262 exquies

1263 Ioue. (Ioue,)

1264 fame. (fame,)

1265 Hydasspis,

1270 Whereby (Were by)

  resistles, (resistles)

  powers (? power)

1276 Rohdans

1278 Thames. (Thames)

1283 greefe (greefe.)

1318 Afrigted

1321 winde (? minde)

1322 on (i.e. one)

1329 my

1335 one (i.e. on)

1361 the (thee)

1364 receiue (? reuiue)

1389 persumption:

1423 by (ly)

1426 lotheth (? bodeth)

1429 ACT. 2.

1430 Anthony (Anthony,)

  Lords, (? Lord,)

1431 Pharthia

1432 Cæsars (? Crassus)

1438 Armenians

  Medians

1448 troopes. (troopes,)

1462 victorye. (victorye,)

1467 there by

1468 spur. (spur)

1472 selfe (? selfe’s)

1474 will (? well)

1479 euerdaring (? ouerdaring)

1481-2 (lacuna?)

1486 or (are)

1491 fame. (fame)

1494 Pincely

1498 liberty. (liberty,)

1522 Cumber (? Cimber,)

1539 mis boding

1577 quench-les

1582 a peerce

 
1604 T’was

1613 hap (hap.)

1619 Bec (?)

1623 fore-cast, (fore-cast)

1633-4 (? lacuna)

1637 steeps

1638 threeatning

1643 bale full

1649 bale-full

1650 consort.  In (consort, in)

1657 Dre ame

  which (with)

1662 Pre. (i.e. Præcentor.)

1665 ilde

1666 Thout

  a non

1670 anon, (anon.)

1673 nigh. (nigh,)

1674 house- (?)

1676 sits, (sits ?)

1677 daunger (daunger,)

1693 (? lacuna)

1700 Aloud

1702 Cum.... Cumber

1704 (not indented)

1718 yout (your)

1719 plauge

1730 geeue

1731 liues. (liues)

1735 ambition, (ambition)

1742 see (see?)

1751 heard

1761 a mong

  starrs. (starrs)

1763 Cæsar, (Cæsar)

1771 Anthony. (Anthony)

1774 a laromes,

1793 in great (? ingrate)

1804 more (more,)

  songs. (songs,)

1809 Hearse Calphurnia (Hearse, Calphurnia,)

1829 deathes,

1836 (not indented)

1846 they (thy)

1855 Commonwealth. (Commonwealth,)

1857 Vntucht. (Vntucht,)

1859 e ndles (e nd les B.M. only)

1864 yeares. (yeares)

1865 vnconquered; (vnconquered,)

1899 Romains (? Romes)

1902 soundes,

1905 hasted

1906 sound,

1909 tombe: (e doubtful)

1924 pytiyng

1925 fore

1929 Syre,

1971 Mirapont.

1972 ACT. 3. SCE. 1.

1979 life. (life)

1981 heauens: (?)

1992 A lcides

1999 Spayne (Spayne,)

2004 auaylesthis

2005 hand. (hand)

2008 Crest. (Crest,)

2019 on (one)

2025 Iiberian

2030 war-faire (warfare)

2038 warre-faire (warre faire)

2039 Stike

2046 for got

2055 Fathers

2063 hate. (hate)

2067 a rise

2068 vnquenced

2071 comsort (? consort)

2078 youth full

2090 vowd’,

2093 Dieties

2100 Gradinus (Gradiuus)

2101 ouerburning (euerburning)

2102 Carpeian (Tarpeian)

2114 Stremonia, (? Strymon)

 
2122 -men (-man)

2136-7 (? lacuna)

2155 Lyeas (Lycus)

2157 Tursos

2164 (And Dolabella [And Dolabella (]

  spoyles. (spoyles)

2192 Numantia. (Numantia,)

2209 Gradinus (Gradiuus)

2213 liues.) [?]

2221 Strenghen

2232 acts. (acts)

2252 eur

2272 slaine. (slaine)

2274 Behould (Beheld)

  fiends. (fiends)

2276 vpbraues

2283 In (in)

2291 Comegreesly

2309 earth. (earth,)

  c.w. wish (Wish)

2313 ire. (ire,)

2318 Cæsars (Brutus)

2324 expiate. Altheas come. (? expiate Altheas crime.)

2337 power

2338 extols. (extols,)

2346 c.w. Where (Cass. Where)

2356-7 (? reversed)

2363 Echalarian

2366 Then yet (? alternatives)

2371 cruell (turned n for u)

2375 foyld:

2411 accurs’d (space before d but apostrophe doubtful)

2422 breath? (? breathe,)

2470 come (come,)

  friend (friend;)

2481 comfort rings. B.M. and Bodl.: comfort gs .

    Devon.: comfort gs.

    Dyce: read comfort brings.

2498 bee. (bee,)

2500 life. (life;)

2517 a round

2522 cndlesse

  vpon. (? vpon,)

2533 The (the)

2552 But (? Nor)

2559 Elysium





 
Additional Stage Directions




Transcriber’s note


Additional stage directions in the list below are marked in the text with a mouse
hover.





37 Exit Discord.

331 Exeunt.

366 Exeunt.

481 Enter Anthony.

606 Exeunt.

641 Exit Discord.

765 Exeunt.

1520 Exeunt.

1684 Exit Caesar.

1692 Exit Cassius.

  Enter the Senate.

1739 ? Exeunt.

1788 Exit Discord.

1810 Enter Lord.

1971 Exeunt.

2109 ? Exit Ghost.

2125 Exeunt.

2149 Exit Discord.

2269 Exeunt: manet Brutus.

2315 Exit Ghost.

2328 Exit Brutus.

2346 Cato dies.

  Enter Cassius.

2382 Exit Cassius.

2433 Exit Titinnius.

2471 Cassius stabs himself.

2501 Titinnius stabs himself.

2525 ? Brutus stabs himself.

2570 Exeunt.




It is possible that Cassius should be marked as entering with
the others at l. 947 and that the speeches of II. iv marked Cas.
belong to him and not to Casca.




The thanks of the Society are due to His Grace
the Duke of Devonshire for kind permission to
reproduce the title-page of the undated quarto in
his possession.






facsimile of title page
Undated Title-page (Devon.)





facsimile of title page
Title-page 1607 (B.M.)





facsimile of first page of text
A2 recto (B.M.)




 
THE

TRAGEDIE

OF

Cæsar and Pompey

OR

CÆSARS

Reuenge.





AT LONDON

Imprinted by G.E. for Iohn Wright, and are to bee

sould at his shop at Christ-church Gate.





 
The names of the Actors.





Discora.



Titinnius.

Brutus.

Pompey.

Cæsar.

Anthony.

Dolobella.

Cornelia.

Cleopatra.

Achillas.

Sempronius.

Cassius.

Cato Sen.

Casca.

Roman 1.

Roman 2.

Bonus Genius.

Calphurnia.

Augur.

Præcentor.

Senators.

Bucolian.

Octauian.

Cæsars Ghost.

Cicero.

Cato Iun.

Camber.






 The Tragedie of Cæsar

and Pompey.


Chor. I
Sound alarum then flames of fire.




Enter Discord.






Hearke how the Romaine drums sound bloud & death,

And Mars high mounted on his Thracian Steede:

Runs madding through Pharsalias purple fieldes.

The earth that’s wont to be a Tombe for Men

It’s now entomb’d with Carkases of Men.

The Heauen appal’d to see such hideous sights,

For feare puts out her euer burning lights.

The Gods amaz’d (as once in Titans war,)   10

Do doubt and feare, which boades this deadly iar

The starrs do tremble, and forsake their course,

The Beare doth hide her in forbidden Sea,

Feare makes Bootes swiften her slowe pace,

Pale is Orion, Atlas gins to quake,

And his vnwildy burthen to forsake.

Cæsars keene Falchion, through the Aduerse rankes,

For his sterne Master hewes a passage out,

Through troupes & troonkes, & steele, & standing blood:

He whose proud Trophies whileom Asia field,   20

And conquered Pontus, singe his lasting praise.

Great Pompey; Great, while Fortune did him raise,

Nowe vailes the glory of his vanting plumes

And to the ground casts of his high hang’d lookes.

You gentle Heauens. O execute your wrath

On vile mortality, that hath scornd your powers.

You night borne Sisters to whose haires are ty’d

In Adamantine Chaines both Gods and Men

Winde on your webbe of mischiefe and of plagues,

And if, O starres you haue an influence:   30

That may confounde this high erected heape

 
Downe powre it; Vomit out your worst of ills

Let Rome, growne proud, with her vnconquered strength,

Perish and conquered Be with her owne strength:

And win all powers to disioyne and breake,

Consume, confound, dissolue, and discipate

What Lawes, Armes and Pride hath raised vp.




Act I sc. i
Enter Titinius



Tit. The day is lost our hope and honours lost,

The glory of the Romaine name is lost,   40

The liberty and commonweale is lost,

The Gods that whileom heard the Romaine state,

And Quirinus, whose strong puissant arme,

Did shild the tops and turrets of proud Rome,

Do now conspire to wracke the gallant Ship,

Euen in the harbor of her wished greatnesse.

And her gay streamers, and faire wauering sayles,

With which the wanton wind was wont to play,

To drowne with Billows of orewhelming woes.





Enter Brutus               50




Bru. The Foe preuayles, Brutus, thou striuest in vaine.

Many a soule to day is sent to Hell,

And many a galant haue I don to death,

In Pharsalias bleeding Earth: the world can tell,

How litle Brutus praizd this puffe of breath,

If losse of that my countries weale might gaine,

But Heauens and the immortall Gods decreed:

That Rome in highest of her fortunes pich,

In top of souerainty and imperiall swaye.

By her owne height should worke her owne decay.   60




Enter Pompey



Pom. Where may I fly into some desert place,

Some vncouth, vnfrequented craggy rocke,

Where as my name and state was neuer heard.

I flie the Batle because here I see,

My friends lye bleeding in Pharsalias earth.

Which do remember me what earst I was,

Who brought such troopes of soldiars to the fielde,

And of so many thousand had command:

 
My flight a heauy memory doth renew,   70

Which tels me I was wont to stay and winne.

But now a souldier of my scatred traine:

Offered me seruice and did call me Lord,

O then I thought whome rising Sunne saw high,

Descending he beheld my misery:

Flie to the holow roote of some steepe rocke,

And in that flinty habitation hide,

Thy wofull face: from face and view of men.

Yet that will tell me this, if naught beside:

Pompey was neuer wont his head to hide   80

Flie where thou wilt, thou bearst about thee smart,

Shame at thy heeles and greefe lies at thy heart.

Tit. But see Titinius where two warriers stand,

Casting their eyes downe to the cheareles earthe:

Alasse to soone I know them for to bee

Pompey and Brutus, who like Aiax stand,

When as forsooke of Fortune mong’st his foes,

Greife stopt his breath nor could he speake his woes,

Pom. Accursed Pompey, loe thou art descried.

But stay; they are thy friends that thou behouldest,   90

O rather had I now haue met my foes:

Whose daggers poynts might straight haue piercd my woes

Then thus to haue my friends behold my shame.

Reproch is death to him that liu’d in Fame,

Bru. Brutus Cast vp thy discontented looke:

And see two Princes thy two noble friends,

Who though it greeues me that I thus them see,

Yet ioy I to bee seene they liuing be. He speakes vnto them.

Let not the change of this succesles fight,

(O noble Lords,) dismay these daunteles mindes,   100

Which the faire vertue not blind chance doth rule,

Cæsar not vs subdued hath, but Rome,

And in that fight twas best be ouerthrowne.

Thinke that the Conqueror hath won but smale,

Whose victory is but his Countries fal,

Pom. O Noble Brutus, can I liue and see,

My Souldiars dead, my friends lie slaine in field,

 
My hopes cast downe, mine Honors ouerthrowne,

My Country subiect to a Tirants rule,

My foe triumphing and my selfe forlorne.   110

Oh had I perished in that prosperous warre

Euen in mine Honors height, that happy day,

When Mithridates fall did rayse my fame:

Then had I gonne with Honor to my graue.

But Pompey was by envious heauens reseru’d,

Captiue to followe Cæsars Chariot wheeles

Riding in triumph to the Capitol:

And Rome oft grac’d with Trophies of my fame,

Shall now resound the blemish of my name.

Bru. Oh what disgrace can taunt this worthinesse,   120

Of which remaine such liuing monuments

Ingrauen in the eyes and hearts of men.

Although the oppression of distressed Rome

And our owne ouerthrow, might well drawe forth,

Distilling teares from faynting cowards eyes,

Yet should no weake effeminate passion sease

Vpon that man, the greatnesse of whose minde

And not his Fortune made him term’d the Great.

Pom. Oh I did neuer tast mine Honours sweete

Nor now can iudge of this my sharpest sowre.   130

Fifty eight yeares in Fortunes sweete soft lap

Haue I beene luld a sleepe with pleasant ioyes,

Me hath she dandled in her foulding Armes,

And fed my hopes with prosperous euentes:

Shee Crownd my Cradle with successe and Honour,

And shall disgrace a waite my haples Hearse?

Was I a youth with Palme and Lawrell girt,

And now an ould man shall I waite my fall?

Oh when I thinke but on my triumphs past,

The Consul-ships and Honours I haue borne;   140

The fame and feare where in great Pompey liu’d,

Then doth my grieued Soule informe me this,

My fall augmented by my former bisse.

Bru. Why do we vse of vertues strength to vant,

 
If euery crosse a Noble mind can daunt,

Wee talke of courage, then, is courage knowne,

When with mishap our state is ouerthrowne:

Neuer let him a Souldiers Title beare.

Wihch in the cheefest brunt doth shrinke and feare,

Thy former haps did Men thy vertue shew,   150

But now that fayles them which thy vertue knew,

Nor thinke this conquest shalbe Pompeys fall:

Or that Pharsalia shall thine honour bury,

Egipt shalbe vnpeopled for thine ayde.

And Cole-black Libians, shall manure the grounde

In thy defence with bleeding hearts of men.

Pom. O second hope of sad oppressed Rome,

In whome the ancient Brutus vertue shines,

That purchast first the Romaine liberty,

Let me imbrace thee: liue victorious youth,   160

When death and angry fates shall call me hence,

To free thy country from a Tyrants yoke.

My harder fortune, and more cruell starrs.

Enuied to me so great a happines.

Do not prolong my life with vaine false hopes,

To deepe dispaire and sorrow I am vow’d:

Do not remououe me from that setled thought,

With hope of friends or ayde of Ptolomey,

Egipt and Libia at choyse I haue.

But onely which of them Ile make my graue.   170

Tit. Tis but discomfort which misgreeues thee this,

Greefe by dispaire seemes greater then it is,

Bru. Tis womannish to wayle and mone our greefe,

By Industrie do wise men seeke releefe,

If that our casting do fall out a misse,

Our cunning play must then correct the dice.

Pom. Well if it needs must bee then let me goe,

Flying for ayde vnto my forrayne friends,

And sue and bow, where earst I did command.

He that goeth seeking of a Tirant aide,   180

Though free he went, a seruant then is made.

Take we our last farwell, then though with paine,

 
Heere three do part that ne’re shall meet againe.





Exit Pompey at on dore, Titinius at

another. Brutus alone



ACTVS I. SCENA 2.



Enter Cæsar




Cæs. Follow your chase, and let your light-foote steedes

Flying as swift as did that winged horse

That with strong fethered Pinions cloue the Ayre,   190

Or’take the coward flight of your base foe.

Bru. Do not with-drawe thy mortall woundring blade,

But sheath it Cæsar in my wounded heart:

Let not that heart that did thy Country wound

Feare to lay Brutus bleeding on the ground.

Thy fatall stroke of death shall more mee glad,

Then all thy proud and Pompous victories;

My funerall Cypresse, then thy Lawrell Crowne,

My mournefull Beere shall winne more Praise and Fame

Then thy triumphing Sun-bright Chariot.   200

Heere in these fatall fieldes let Brutus die,

And beare so many Romaines company.

Cæsa. T’was not ’gainst thee this fatall blade was drawne

Which can no more pierce Brutus tender sides

Then mine owne heart, or ought then heart more deere,

For all the wronges thou didst, or strokes thou gau’st

Cæsar on thee will take no worse reuenge,

Then bid thee still commande him and his state:

True setled loue can neere bee turn’d to hate.

Brut. To what a pitch would this mans vertues sore,   210

Did not ambition clog his mounting fame,

Cæsar thy sword hath all blisse from me taine

And giuest me life where best were to be slaine.

O thou hast robd me of my chiefest ioy,

And seek’st to please me with a babish toye.      Exit Brutus.

Cæs. Cæsar Pharsalia doth thy conquest sound

Ioues welcom messenger faire Victory,

 
Hath Crown’d thy temples with victorious bay,

And Io ioyfull, Io doth she sing

And through the world thy lasting prayses ring.   220

But yet amidst thy gratefull melody

I heare a hoarse, and heauy dolfull voyce,

Of my deare Country crying, that to day

My Glorious triumphs worke her owne decay.

In which how many fatall strokes I gaue,

So many woundes her tender brest receiu’d.

Heere lyeth one that’s boucher’d by his Sire

And heere the Sonne was his old Fathers death,

Both slew vnknowing, both vnknowne are slaine,

O that ambition should such mischiefe worke   230

Or meane Men die for great mens proud desire.




ACTVS 1. SCENA 3.



Enter Anthony, Dolobella, Lord and others.




An. From sad Pharsalia blushing al with bloud,

From deaths pale triumphes, Pompey ouerthrowne,

Romains in forraine soyles, brething their last,

Reuenge, stange wars and dreadfull stratagems,

Wee come to set the Lawrell on thy head

And fill thy eares with triumphs and with ioyes.

Dolo. As when that Hector from the Grecian campe   240

With spoiles of slaughtered Argians return’d,

The Troyan youths with crownes of conquering palme:

The Phrigian Virgins with faire flowry wrethes

Welcom’d the hope, and pride of Ilium,

So for thy victory and conquering actes

Wee bring faire wreths of Honor & renowne,

Which shall enternally thy head adorne.

Lord. Now hath thy sword made passage for thy selfe,

To wade in bloud of them that sought thy death,

The ambitious riuall of thine Honors high,   250

Whose mightinesse earst made him to be feard

Now flies and is enforc’d to giue thee place.

 
Whil’st thou remainst the conquering Hercules

Triumphing in thy spoyles and victories.

Cæs. When Phœbus left faire Thetis watery couch,

And peeping forth from out the goulden gate

Of his bright pallace, saw our battle rank’d:

Oft did hee seeke to turne his fiery steedes,

Oft hid his face, and shund such tragick sights

What stranger passest euer by this cost   260

Thee this accursed soyle distainde with blood

Not Christall riuers, are to quench thy thirst.

For goaring streames, their riuers cleerenesse staines:

Heere are no hils wherewith to feede thine eyes,

But heaped hils of mangled Carkases,

Heere are no birdes to please thee with their notes:

But rauenous Vultures, and night Rauens horse.

Anto. What meanes great Cæsar, droopes our generall,

Or melts in womanish compassion:

To see Pharsalias fieldes to change their hewe   270

And siluer streames be turn’d to lakes of blood?

Why Cæsar oft hath sacrific’d in France,

Millions of Soules, to Plutoes grisly dames:

And made the changed coloured Rhene to blush,

To beare his bloody burthen to the sea.

And when as thou in mayden Albion shore

The Romaine, Ægle brauely didst aduance,

No hand payd greater tribute vnto death,

No heart with more couragious Noble fire

And hope, did burne with glorious great intent.   280

And now shall passion base that Noble minde,

And weake euents that courrage ouercome?

Let Pompey proud, and Pompeys Complices

Die on our swords, that did enuie our liues,

Let pale Tysiphone be cloyd with bloud:

And snaky furies quench their longing thirst,

And Cæsar liue to glory in their end.

Cæs. They say when as the younger Affrican,

Beheld the mighty Carthage wofull fall:

And sawe her stately Towers to smoke from farre,   290

 
He wept, and princely teares ran downe his cheekes,

Let pity then and true compassion,

Moue vs to rue no traterous Carthage fall,

No barbarous periurd enemies decay,

But Rome our natiue Country, haples Rome,

Whose bowels to vngently we haue peerc’d,

Faire pride of Europe, Mistresse of the world,

Cradle of vertues, nurse of true renowne,

Whome Ioue hath plac’d in top of seauen hils:

That thou the lower worldes seauen climes mightst rule.   300

Thee the proud Parthian and the cole-black Moore,

The sterne Tartarian, borne to manage armes,

Doth feare and tremble at thy Maiesty.

And yet I bred and fostered in thy lappe,

Durst striue to ouerthrowe thy Capitol:

And thy high Turrets lay as low as hell.

Dolo. O Rome, and haue the powers of Heauen decreed,

When as thy fame did reach vnto the Skie,

And the wide Ocean was thy Empires boundes,

And thou enricht with spoyles of all the world,   310

Was waxen proud with peace and soueraine raigne:

That Ciuill warres should loose what Forraine won,

And peace his ioyes, be turn’d to luckles broyles.

Lord. O Pompey, cursed cause of ciuill warre,

Which of those hel-borne sterne Eumenides:

Inflam’d thy minde with such ambitious fire,

As nought could quench it but thy Countries bloud.

Dolo. But this no while thy valour doth destayne,

Which found’st vnsought for cause of ciuill broyles,

And fatall fuell which this fire enflamd.   320

Anto. Let then his death set period to this strife,

Which was begun by his ambitious life.

Cæs. The flying Pompey to Larissa hastes,

And by Thessalian Temple shapes his course:

Where faire Peneus tumbles vp his waues,

Him weele pursue as fast as he vs flies,

Nor he though garded with Numidian horse,

Nor ayded with the vnresisted powre:

 
The Meroe, or seauen mouth’d Nile can yeeld:

No not all Affrick arm’d in his defence   330

Shall serue to shrowd him from my fatall sworde.    Exit.




Act I sc. ii
ACT. I. SC. 4.



Enter Cato.




Ca. O where is banish’d liberty exil’d,

To Affrick deserts or to Scythia rockes,

Or whereas siluer streaming Tanais is?

Happy is India and Arabia blest,

And all the bordering regions vpon Nile

That neuer knew the name of Liberty,

But we that boast of Brutes and Colatins,   340

And glory we expeld proud Tarquins name,

Do greeue to loose, that we so long haue held.

Why reckon we our yeares by Consuls names:

And so long ruld in freedon, now to serue?

They lie that say in Heauen there is a powre

That for to wracke the sinnes of guilty men,

Holds in his hand a fierce three-forked dart.

Why would he throw them downe on Oéta mount

Or wound the vnderringing Rhodope,

And not rayne showers of his dead-doing dartes,   350

Furor in flame, and Sulphures smothering heate

Vpon the wicked and accurs’d armes

That cruell Romains ’gainst their Country beare.

Rome ware thy fall: those prodigies foretould,

When angry heauens did powre downe showers of blood

And fatall Comets in the heauens did blase,

And all the Statues in the Temple blast,

Did weepe the losse of Romaine liberty.

Then if the Gods haue destined thine end,

Yet as a Mother hauing lost her Sonne,   360

Cato shall waite vpon thy tragick hearse,

And neuer leaue thy cold and bloodles corse.

Ile tune a sad and dol-full funerall song,

 
Still crying on lost liberties sweete name,

Thy sacred ashes will I wash with teares,

And thus lament my Countries obsequies.




Act I sc. iii
ACT. I. SC. 5.



Enter Pompey and Cornelia.




Cor. O cruel Pompey whether wilt thou flye,

And leaue thy poore Cornelia thus forlorne,   370

Is’t our bad fortune or thy cruell will

That still it seuers in extremity.

O let me go with thee, and die with thee,

Nothing shall thy Cornelia grieuous thinke

That shee endures for her sweete Pompeys sake.

Pom. Tis for thy weale and safty of thy life,

Whose safty I preferre before the world,

Because I loue thee more then all the world,

That thou (sweete loue) should’st heere remaine behinde

Till proofe assureth Ptolomyes doubted faith.   380

Cor. O deerest, what shall I my safty call,

That which is thrust in dangers harmefull mouth?

Lookes not the thing so bad with such a name,

Call it my death, my bale, my wo, my hell,

That which indangers my sweete Pompeys life.

Pom. It is no danger (gentle loue) at all,

Tis but thy feare that doth it so miscall.

Cor. Ift bee no danger let me go with thee,

And of thy safty a partaker bee,

Alas why would’st thou leaue mee thus alone:   390

Thinkst thou I cannot follow thee by Land

That thus haue followed thee ouer raging Seas,

Or do I varie in inconstant hopes:

O but thinke you my pleasure luckles is

And I haue made thee more vnfortunate.

Tis I, tis I, haue caus’d this ouerthrow,

Tis my accursed starres that boade this ill,

And those mis-fortunes to my princely loue,

 
Reuenge thee Pompey, on this wicked brat,

And end my woes by ending of my life,   400

Pom. What meanes my loue to aggrauate my griefe,

And torture my enough tormented Soule,

With greater greuance then Pharsalian losse?

Thy rented hayre doth rent my heart in twayne,

And these fayr Seas, that raine downe showers of tears,

Do melt my soule in liqued streames of sorrow.

If that in Ægipt any daunger bee,

Then let my death procure thy sweet liues safety,

Cor. Can I bee safe and Pompey in distresse,

Or may Cornelia suruiue they death,   410

What daunger euer happens to my Soule.

What daunger eke shall happen to my life,

Nor Libians quick-sands, nor the barking gulfe,

Or gaping Scylla shall this Vnion part,

But still Ile chayne thee in my twining armes,

And if I cannot liue Ile die with thee.

Pom. O how thy loue doth ease my greeued minde,

Which beares a burthen heauier then the Heauens,

Vnder the which steele-shouldred Atlas grones

But now thy loue doth hurt thy selfe and me,   420

And thy to ardent strong affection,

Hinders my setled resolution.

Then by this loue, and by these christall eyes,

More bright then are the Lamps of Ioues high house,

Let me in this (I feare) my last request.

Not to indanger thy beloued life,

But in this ship remayne, and here awaite,

How Fortune dealeth with our doubtfull State,

Cor. Not so perswaded as coniurd sweete loue,

By thy commanding meeke petition. 430

I cannot say I yeeld, yet am constraind,

This neuer meeting parting to permit,

Then go deere loue, yet stay a little while,

Some what I am shure, tis more I haue to say,

Nay nothing now but Heauens guide thy steps.

Yet let me speake, why should we part so soone,

 
Why is my talke tedious? may be tis the last.

Do women leaue their husbands in such hast,

Pom. More faithfull, then that fayre deflowred dame,

That sacrifizde her selfe to Chastety,   440

And far more louing then the Charian Queene,

That dranke her Husbands neuer sundred heart.

If that I dye, yet will it glad my soule,

Which then shall feede on those Elisian ioyes,

That in the sacred Temple of thy breast,

My liuing memory shall shrined bee.

But if that enuious fates should call thee hence,

And Death with pale and meager looke vsurpe,

Vpon those rosiate lips, and Currall cheekes,

Then Ayre be turnde, to poyson to infect me,   450

Earth gape and swallow him that Heauens hate,

Consume me Fire with thy deuouring flames,

Or Water drowne, who else would melt in teares.

But liue, liue happy still, in safety liue,

Who safety onely to my life can giue.  Exit.

Cor. O he is gon, go hie thee after him,

My vow forbids, yet still my care is with thee,

My cryes shall wake the siluer Moone by night,

And with my teares I will salute the Morne.

No day shall passe with out my dayly plaints,   460

No houre without my prayers for thy returne.

My minde misgiues mee Pompey is betrayd.

O Ægypt do not rob me of my loue.

Why beareth Ptolomy so sterne a looke?

O do not staine thy childish yeares with blood:

Whil’st Pompey florished in his Fortunes pride,

Ægypt and Ptolomy were faine to serue

And shue for grace to my distressed Lord:

But little bootes it, to record he was,

To be is onely that which Men respect,   470

Go poore Cornelia wander by the shore

And see the waters raging Billowes swell,

And beate with fury gainst the craggy rockes,

To that compare thy strong tempestuous griefe.

 
Which fiercely rageth in thy feeble heart,

Sorrow shuts vp the passage of thy breath:

And dries the teares that pitty faine would shed,

This onely therefore, this will I still crie,

Let Pompey liue although Cornelia die.     Exit.




Act I sc. iv
ACTVS I. SCENA. 6.



Enter Cæsar, Cleopatra, Dolobella, Lord and others




Cæs. Thy sad complaints fayre Lady cannot chuse,   482

But mooue a heart though made of Adamant,

And draw to yeeld vnto thy powerfull plaint,

I will replant thee in the Ægiptian Throne

And all thy wrongs shall Cæsar’s vallor right,

Ile pull thy crowne from the vsurpers head,

And make the Conquered Ptolomey to stoope,

And feare by force to wrong a mayden Queene.

Cleo. Looke as the Earth at her great loues approch,   490

When goulden tressed fayre Hipperions Sonne

With those life-lending beames salutes his Spouse,

Doth then cast of her moorning widdowes weeds,

And calleth her handmayde, forth her flowery fayre,

To cloth her in the beauty of the spring,

And of fayre primroses, and sweet violets,

To make gay Garlonds for to crowne her head.

So hath your presence, welcome and fayre sight,

That glads the world, comforts poore Ægipts Queene,

Who begs for succor of that conquering hand,   500

That as Ioues Scepter this our world doth sway.

Dolo. Who would refuse to ayde so fayre a Queene.

Lord. Base bee the mind, that for so sweet a fayre,

Would not aduenture more then Perseus did,

When as he freed the faire Andromeda.

Cæsar. O how those louely Tyranizing eyes,

The Graces beautious habitation,

Where sweet desire, dartes woundring shafts of loue:

Consume my heart with inward burning heate.

Not onely Ægipt, but all Africa,   510

 
Will I subiect to Cleopatras name.

Thy rule shall stretch from vnknowne Zanziber,

Vnto those Sandes where high erected poastes.

Of great Alcides, do vp hold his name,

The sunne burnt Indians, from the east shall bring:

Their pretious store of pure refined gould,

The laboring worme shall weaue the Africke twiste,

And to exceed the pompe of Persian Queene,

The Sea shall pay the tribute of his pearles.

For to adorne thy goulden yellow lockes,   520

Which in their curled knots, my thoughts do hold,

Thoughtes captiud to thy beauties conquering power.

Anto. I marueyle not at that which fables tell,

How rauisht Hellen moued the angry Greeks,

To vndertake eleuen yeares tedious seege,

To re-obtayne a beauty so diuine,

When I beheld thy sweete composed face.

O onely worthy for whose matchles sake,

Another seege, and new warres should arise,

Hector be dragde about the Grecian campe,   530

And Troy againe consumed with Grecian fire.

Cleo. Great Prince, what thanks can Cleopatra giue,

Nought haue poore Virgins to requite such good:

My simple selfe and seruice then vouchsafe,

And let the heauens, and he that althings sees.

With equall eyes such merits recompence,

I doe not seeke ambitiously to rule,

And in proud Africa to monarchize.

I onely craue that what my father gaue,

Who in his last be-hest did dying, will,   540

That I should ioyntly with my brother raigne:

But. How sweet those words drop from those hunny lips

Which whilst she speakes they still each other kisse.

Cæsa, Raigne, I, stil raigne in Cæsars conquered thoughts,

There build thy pallace, and thy sun-bright throne:

There sway thy Scepter, and with it beat downe,

Those traiterous thoughts (if any dare aryse:)

That will not yeeld to thy perfection,

 
To chase thee flying Pompey haue I cut,

The great Ionian, and Egean seas:   550

And dredeles past the toyling Hellespont,

Famous for amorous Leanders death:

And now by gentle Fortunes so am blest,

As to behold what mazed thoughtes admire:

Heauens wonder, Natures and Earths Ornament,

And gaze vpon these firy sun-bright eyes:

The Heauenly spheares which Loue and Beauty mooue,

These Cheekes where Lillyes and red-roses striue,

For soueraignty, yet both do equall raigne:

The dangling tresses of thy curled haire,   560

Nets weaud to cach our frayle and wandring thoughts:

Thy beauty shining like proud Phœbus face,

When Ganges glittereth with his radiant beames

He on his goulden trapped Palfreys rides,

That from their nostrels do the morning blow,

Through Heauens great path-way pau’d with shining starres

Thou art the fized pole of my Soules ioy,

Bout which my resteles thoughts are ouer turn’d:

My Cynthia, whose glory neuer waynes,

Guyding the Tide of mine affections:   570

That with the change of thy imperious lookes,

Dost make my doubtfull ioyes to eb and flowe.

Cleo. Might all the deedes thy hands had ere achiu’d,

That make thy farre extolled name to sound:

From sun-burnt East vnto the VVestern Iles,

VVhich great Neptnnus fouldeth in his armes,

It shall not be the least to seat a Maide,

And inthronize her in her natiue right.

Lord. VVhat neede you stand disputing on your right,

Or prouing title to the Ægiptian Crowne:   580

Borne to be Queene and Empresse of the world.

An. On thy perfection let me euer gaze,

And eyes now learne to treade a louers maze,

Heere may you surfet with delicious store,

The more you see, desire to looke the more:

Vpon her face a garden of delite,

 
Exceeding far Adonis fayned Bowre,

Heere staind white Lyllies spread their branches faire,

Heere lips send forth sweete Gilly-flowers smell.

And Damasck-rose in her faire cheekes do bud,   590

VVhile beds of Violets still come betweene

VVith fresh varyety to please the eye,

Nor neede these flowers the heate of Phœbus beames,

They cherisht are by vertue of her eyes.

O that I might but enter in this bowre,

Or once attaine the cropping of the flower.

Cæs. Now wend we Lords to Alexandria,

Famous for those wide wondred Piramids.

Whose towring tops do seeme to threat the skie,

And make it proud by presence of my loue:   600

Then Paphian Temples and Cytherian hils,

And sacred Gnidas bonnet vaile to it,

A fayrer saint then Venus there shall dwell.

Antho. Led with the lode-starre of her lookes, I go

As crazed Bark is toss’d in trobled Seas,

Vncertaine to ariue in wished port.




ACT. I. FINIS.


Chor. II
Enter Discord   Flashes of fire.



Antho. Now Cæsar hath thy flattering Fortune heapt

Those golden gifts and promis’d victories,   610

By fatall signes at Rubicon foretould:

Then triumph in thy glorious greatest pride,

And boast thou cast the lucky Die so well,

Now let the Triton that did sound alarme,

In his shrill trump resound the victory,

That Heauen and Earth may Ecco of thy fame:

Yet thinke in this thy Fortunes Iollity.

Though Cæsar be as great as great may be,

Yet Pompey once was euen as great as he,

And how he rode clad in Setorius spoyles:   620

And the Sicilian Pirats ouerthrowe.

 
Ruling like Nepoune in the mid-land Seas,

Who basely now by Land and Sea doth flie,

The heauenly Rectors prosecuting wrath,

Yet Sea nor Land can shroud him from this iar,

O how it ioyes my discord thirsting thoughts,

To see them waight, that whilom flow’d in blisse.

To see like Banners, vnlike quarrels haue.

And Roman weapons shethd in Roman blood,

For this I left the deepe Infernall shades   630

And past the sad Auernus vgly iawes,

And in the world came I, being Discord hight,

Discord the daughter of the greesly night.

To make the world a hell of plauges and woes,

Twas I that did the fatal Aple fling,

Betwixt the three Idean goddesses,

That so much blood of Greekes and Troians spilt,

Twas I that caused the deadly Thebans warre,

And made the brothers swell with endlesse hate.

And now O Rome, woe, woe, to thee I cry   640

Which to the world do bring al misery.




Act II sc. i
ACTVS 2. SCENA 4.



Enter Achillas, and Sempronius.




Ach. Here are we placed, by Ptolomies command,

To murther Pompey when he comes on shore,

Then braue Sempronius prepare they selfe.

To execute the charge thou hast in hand,

Sem. I am a Romaine, and haue often serued,

Vnder his collours, when in former state,

Pompey hath bin the Generall of the field,   650

But cause I see that now the world is changd:

And like wise feele some of King Ptolomeis gould.

Ile kill him were he twenty Generalls,

And send him packing to his longest home.

I maruell of what mettell was the French man made.

Who when he should haue stabbed Marius,

 
They say he was astonished with his lookes.

Marius, had I beene there, thou neere hadst liu’d,

To brag thee of thy seauen Consulships.

Achil. Brauely resolu’d, Noble Sempronius,   660

The damnedst villaine that ere I heard speake:

But great men still must haue such instruments,

To bring about their purpose, which once donne,

The deede they loue, but do the doer hate:

Thou shalt no lesse (stout Romaine) be renown’d,

For being Pompeys Deaths-man, then was he,

That fir’d the faire Ægiptian Goddesse Church.

Sem. Nay that’s al one, report say what she list,

Tis for no shadowes I aduenture for:

Heere are the Crownes, heere are the wordly goods,   670

This betweene Princes doth contention bring:

Brothers this sets at ods, turnes loue to hate;

It makes the Sonne to wish his Father hang’d

That he thereby might reuell with his bagges:

And did I knowe that in my Mothers womb,

There lurk’d a hidden vaine of Sacred gould,

This hand, this sword, should rape and rip it out.

Achil. Compassion would that greedinesse restraine.

Sem. I that’s my fault, I am to compassionate,

Why man, art thou a souldier and dost talke   680

Of womanish pity and compassion?

Mens eyes must mil-stones drop, when fooles shed teares,

But soft heeres Pompey, Ile about my worke.





Enter Pompey.




Pom. Trusting vpon King Ptolomeys promis’d fayth,

And hoping succor, I am come to shore:

In Egipt heere a while to make aboade.

Sem. Fayth longer Pompey then thou dost expect.

Pom. See now worlds Monarchs, whom your state makes proud

That thinke your Honors to be permanent,   690

Of Fortunes change see heere a president,

Who whilom did command, now must intreate

And sue for that which to accept of late,

Vnto the giuer was thought fortunate.

 
Sem. I pray thee Pompey do not spend thy breath,

In reckning vp these rusty titles now,

Which thy ambition grac’d thee with before,

I must confesse thou wert my Generall,

But that cannot a vaile to saue thy life.

Talke of thy Fortune while thou list,   700

There is thy fortune Pompey in my fist.

Pom. O you that know what hight of honor meanes,

What tis for men that lulled in fortunes lap,

Haue climd the heighest top of soueraignety.

From all that pomp to be cast hed-long downe,

You may conceaue what Pompey doth sustayne,

I was not wont to walke thus all alone,

But to be met with troopes of Horse and Men.

With playes and pageants to be entertaynd,

A courtly trayne in royall rich aray,   710

With spangled plumes, that daunced in the ayre,

Mounted on steeds, with braue Caparisons deckt,

That in their gates did seeme to scorne the Earth.

Was wont my intertaynment beautiefie,

But now thy comming is in meaner sort,

They by thy fortune will thy welcom rate.

Sem. What dost thou for such entertaynement looke,

Pompey how ere thy comming hether bee,

I haue prouided for thy going hence.

Achi. I will draw neere, and with fayre pleasing shew,   720

Wellcome great Pompey as the Siren doth

The wandering shipman with her charming song.

Pom. O how it greeues a noble hauty mind,

Framed vp in honors vncontrouled schoole,

To serue and sue, whoe erst did rule and sway

What shall I goe and stoope to Ptolomey,

Nought to a noble mind more greefe can bring

Then be a begger where thou wert a King,

Ach. Wellcome a shore most great and gratious prince

Welcome to Ægipt and to Ptolomey.   730

The King my Maister is at hand my Lord,

To gratulate your safe ariuall heere.

 
Sem. This is the King, and here is the Gentleman,

Which must thy comming gratulate a non,

Pom. Thanks worthy Lord vnto your King and you,

It ioyes me much that in extremity,

I found so sure a friend as Ptolomey,

Sem. Now is the date of thy proud life expird,

To which my poniard must a full poynt put,

Pompey from Ptolomey I come to thee,   740

From whome a presant and a guift I bring,

This is the gift and this my message is            Stab him

Pom. O Villaine thou hast slayne thy Generall,

And with thy base hand gor’d my royall heart.

Well I haue liued till to that height I came,

That all the world did tremble at my name,

My greatnesse then by fortune being enuied,

Stabd by a murtherous villaynes hand I died.

Ach. What is he dead, then straight cut of his head,

That whilom mounted with ambitions wings:   750

Cæsar no doubt with praise and noble thanks,

Regarding well this well deserued deede,

Whome weele present with this most pleasing gift,

Sem. Loe you my maisters, hee that kills but one,

Is straight a Villaine and a murtherer cald,

But they that vse to kill men by the great,

And thousandes slay through their ambition,

They are braue champions, and stout warriors cald,

Tis like that he that steales a rotten sheepe

That in a dich would else haue cast his hide,   760

He for his labour hath the haltars hier.

But Kings and mighty Princes of the world,

By letter pattens rob both Sea and Land.

Do not then Pompey of thy murther plaine,

Since thy ambition halfe the world hath slayne.




Act II sc. ii
ACTVS 2. SCENA. 2.



Enter Cornelia.




Corne. O traterous villaines, hold your murthering hands,

 
Or if that needes they must be washt in blood,

Imbrue them heere, heere in Cornelias brest.   770

Ay mee as I stood looking from the Ship

(Accursed shippe that did not sinke and drowne:

And so haue sau’d me from so loath’d a sight)

Thee to behold what did betide my Lord,

My Pompey deere (nor Pompey now nor Lord)

I sawe those villaines that but now were heere:

Bucher my loue and then with violence,

To drawe his deare beloued Body hence;

What dost thou stand to play the Oratrix,

And tell a tale of thy deere husbands death?   780

Doth Pompey, doth thy loue moue thee no more?

Go cursed Cornelia rent thy wretched haire,

Drowne blobred cheekes in seas of saltest teares.

And if, it be true that sorrowes feeling powre,

Could turne poore Niobe into a weeping stone

O let mee weepe a like, and like stone be,

And you poore lights, that sawe this tragick sight,

Be blind and punnish’d with eternall night.

Vnhappy long to speake, bee neare so bould

Since that thou this so heauy tale hast tould.   790

These are but womanish exclamations

Light sorrowe makes such lamentations,

Pompey no words my true griefe can declare,

This for thy loue shalbe my best welfare.      Stab her selfe.




Act II sc. iii
ACT. 2. SCE. 3.



Enter Cæsar, Cleopatra, Anthony,

Dolobella, a Lord




Cæsar. There sterne Achillas and Fortunius lie,

Traytorous Sempronius and proud Ptolomey,

Go plead your cause fore the angry Rhadamant,   800

And tel him why you basely Pompey slew.

And let your guilty blood appease his Ghost,

That now sits wandring by the Stygian bankes,

 
Vnworthy sacrifice to quite his worth,

For Pompey though thou wert mine enemy,

And vayne ambition mou’d vs to this strife;

Yet now in death when strife and enuy cease.

Thy princely vertues and thy noble minde,

Moue me to rue thy vndeserued death,

That found a greater daunger then it fled;   810

Vnhapy man to scape so many wars,

And to protract thy glorious day so long,

Here for to perish in a barbarous soyle,

And end liues date stabd by a Bastards hand,

But yet with honour shalt thou be Intomb’d,

I will enbalme thy body with my teares,

And put thy ashes in an Vrne of gold,

And build with marble a deserued graue.

Whose worth indeede a Temple ought to haue.

Dolo. See how compassion drawes foorth Princely teares   820

And Vertue weepes her enemies funerall,

So sorrowed the mighty Alexander,

When Bessus hand caus’d Darius to die.

Ant. These greeued sorrowing Princes do with me,

Ioyntly agree in Contrariety,

Alacke we mourne, greeued is our mind alike,

Our gate is discontented, heauy our lookes,

Our sorrowes all a like, but dislike cause.

Their foe is their grifes causer which my friend,

It is the losse of one that makes them wayle,   830

But I, that one there is a cruell one,

Do wayle and greeue and vnregarded mone.

Fayre beames cast forth from these dismayfull eyes,

Chaine my poore heart, in loue and sorrowes giues,

Cleo. Forget sweete Prince these sad perlexed thoughts,

Withdraw thy mind in clowdy discontent,

And with Ægiptian pleasures feed thine eyes,

Wilt thou be hould the Sepulchers of Kings,

And Monuments that speake the workemens prayse?

Ile bring thee to Great Alexanders Tombe,   840

Where he, whome all the world could not suffice,

 
In bare six foote of Earth, intombed lies,

And shew thee all the cost and curious art,

Which either Cleops or our Memphis boast:

Would you command a banquit in the Court,

Ile bring you to a Royall goulden bowre,

Fayrer then that wherein great Ioue doth sit,

And heaues vp boles of Nectar to his Queene,

A stately Pallace, whose fayre doble gates:

Are wrought with garnish’d Carued Iuory,   850

And stately pillars of pure bullion framd.

With Orient Pearles and Indian stones imbost,

With golden Roofes that glister like the Sunne,

Shalbe prepard to entertaine my Loue:

Or wilt thou see our Academick Schooles,

Or heare our Priests to reason of the starres,

Hence Plato fecht his deepe Philosophy:

And heere in Heauenly knowledg they excell.

Antho. More then most faire, another Heauen to me,

The starres where on Ile gaze shalbe thy face,   860

Thy morall deedes my sweete Philosophy,

Venus the muse whose ayde I must implore:

O let me profit in this study best,

For Beauties scholler I am now prefest.

Lord. See how this faire Egiptian Sorceres,

Enchantes these Noble warriars man-like mindes,

And melts their hearts in loue and wantones.

Cæs. Most glorious Queene, whose cheerefull smiling words

Expell these cloudes that ouer cast my minde.

Cæsar will ioy in Cleopatras ioy,   870

And thinke his fame no whit disparaged,

To change his armes, and deadly sounding droms,

For loues sweete Laies, and Lydian harmony,

And now hang vp these Idle instruments.

My warlike speare and vncontrouled crest:

My mortall wounding sword and siluer shield,

And vnder thy sweete banners beare the brunt,

Of peacefull warres and amarous Alarmes:

Why Mars himselfe his bloudy rage alayd,

 
Dallying in Venus bed hath often playd,   880

And great Alcides, when he did returne:

From Iunos taskes, and Nemean victories,

From monsters fell, and Ncmean toyles:

Reposed himselfe in Deianiras armes.

Heere will I pitch the pillars os my fame,

Heere the non vltra of my labors write,

And with these Cheekes of Roses, lockes of Gold,

End my liues date, and trauayles manifould.

Dolo. How many lets do hinder vertuous mindes,

From the pursuit of honours due reward,   890

Be sides Caribdis, and fell Scyllas spight:

More dangerous Circe and Calipsoes cup,

Then pleasant gardens of Alcionus:

And thousand lets voluptiousnesse doth offer.

Cæs. I will regard no more these murtherous spoyles,

And bloudy triumphs that I lik’d of late:

But in loues pleasures spend my wanton dayes,

Ile make thee garlondes of sweete smelling flowers,

And with faire rosall Chaplets crowne thy head,

The purple Hyacinth of Phœbus Land:   900

Fresh Amarinthus that doth neuer die,

And faire Narcissus deere respendent shoars,

And Violets of Daffadilles so sweete,

Shall Beautify the Temples of my Loue,

Whil’st I will still gaze on thy beautious eyes,

And with Ambrosean kisses bath thy Cheekes.

Cleo. Come now faire Prince, and feast thee in our Courts

Where liberal Cæres, and Liæus fat,

Shall powre their plenty forth and fruitfull store,

The sparkling liquor shall ore-flow his bankes:   910

And Meroé learne to bring forth pleasant wine,

Fruitfull Arabia, and the furthest Ind,

Shall spend their treasuries of Spicery

VVith Nardus Coranets weele guird our heads:

And al the while melodious warbling notes,

Passing the seauen-fould harmony of Heauen:

Shall seeme to rauish our enchanted thoughts,

 
Thus is the feare of vnkinde Ptolomey,

Changed by thee to feast in Iolity:

Antho. O how mine stares suck vp her heauenly words,   920

The whilst mine eyes do prey vpon her face:

Cæs. Winde we then Anthony with this Royall Queene,

This day weele spend in mirth and banqueting.

Antho. Had I Queene, Iunoes heard-mans hundred eies,

To gaze vpon these two bright Sunnes ofhirs:

Yet would they all be blinded instantly.

Cæs. VVhat hath some Melancholy discontent,

Ore-come thy minde with trobled passions.

Ant. Yet being blinded with the Sunny beames,

Her beauties pleasing colours would restore,   930

Decayed sight with fresh variety.

Lord. Lord Anthony what meanes this trobled minde,

Cæsar inuites thee to the royall feast,

That faire Queene Cleopatra hath prepard.

Antho. Pardon me worthy Cæsar and you Lords,

In not attending your most gratious speech

Thoughts of my Country, and returne to Rome,

Som-what distempered my busy head.

Cæs. Let no such thoughts distemper now thy minde,

This day to Bacchus will wee consecrate,   940

And in deepe goblets of the purest wine,

Drinke healths vnto our seuerall friends at home.

Antho. If of my Country or of Rome I thought,

Twas that I neuer ment for to come there,

But spend my life in this sweete paradise.            Exeunt.




Act II sc. iv
ACT. 2. SCE. 4.



Enter Cicero, Brutus, Casca, Camber, Trebonius.




Cice. Most prudent heads, that with your councels wise,

The pillars of the mighty Rome sustaine,

You see how ciuill broyles haue torne our state:   950

And priuate strife hath wrought a publique wo,

Thessalia boasts that she hath seene our fall,

 
And Rome that whilom wont to Tiranize,

And in the necks of all the world hath rang’d,

Loosing her rule, to serue is now constraynd,

Pompey the hope and stay of Common-weale,

VVhose vertues promis’d Rome security

Now flies distrest, disconsolate, forlorne,

Reproch of Fortune, and the victors scorne.

Cæs. VVhat now is left for wretched Rome to hope,   960

But in laments and bitter future woe,

To wey the downefall of her former pride:

Againe Porsenna brings in Tarquins names,

And Rome againe doth smoke with furious flames.

In Pompeys fall wee all are ouerthrowne,

And subiect made to conqueror Tirany.

Bru. Most Noble Cicero and you Romaine Peeres,

Pardon the author of vnhappy newes,

And then prepare to heare my tragick tale.

VVith that same looke, that great Atrides stood,   970

At cruell alter staind with Daughters blood,

When Pompey fled pursuing Cæsars sword,

And thought to shun his following desteny.

And then began to thinke on many a friend,

And many a one recalled hee to minde:

Who in his Fortunes pride did leaue their liues,

And vowed seruice at his princely feete,

From out the rest, the yong Egiptian King,

VVhose Father of an Exild banish’d man

Hee seated had in throne of Maiesty,   980

Him chose, to whome he did commit his life,

(But O, who doth remember good-turnes past)

The Rising Sunne, not Setting, doth men please,

To ill committed was so great a trust,

Vnto so base a Fortune fauoring minde.

For he the Conquerors fauor to obtaine,

By Treason caus’d great Pompey to be slaine:

Casca. O damned deede.

Cam. O Trayterous Ptolomey.

Tre. O most vnworthy and vngratefull fact.   990

 
Cum. What plages may serue to expiate this act,

The rouling stone or euerturning wheele,

The quenchles flames of firy Phlegeton,

Or endles thirst of which the Poets talke,

Are all to gentle for so vilde a deede.

Cas. Well did the Cibills vnrespected verse.

Bid thee beware of Crocadilish Nile,

Ter. And art thou in a barbarous soyle betrayd,

Defrawded Pompey of thy funerall rites,

There none could weepe vpon thy funerall hearse,   1000

None could thy Consulshipes and triumphs tell,

And in thy death set fourth thy liuing praise,

None would erect to thee a sepulcher.

Or put thine ashes in a pretious vrne,

Cice. Peace Lords lament not noble Pompeys death,

Nor thinke him wreched, cause he wants a Tombe,

Heauen couers him whome Earth denyes a graue:

Thinke you a heape of stones could him inclose,

Whoe in the Oceans circuite buried is,

And euery place where Roman names are heard,   1010

The world is his graue, where liuing fame doth blaze,

His funerall praise through his immortall trump,

And ore his tombe vertue and honor sits,

With rented heare and eyes bespent with teares,

And waile and weepe their deere sonne Pompeys death,

Bru. But now my Lords for to augment this griefe,

Cæsar the Senates deadly enimie,

Aimes eke to vs, and meanes to tryumph heere,

Vpon poore conquered Rome and common wealth,

Cas. This was the end at which he alwayes aymd,   1020

Tre. Then end all hope of Romaines liberty,

Rise noble Romaine, rise from rotten Tombes,

And with your swordes recouer that againe:

With your braue prowes won, our basenes lost,

Gic. Renowned Lords content your trobled minds.

Do not ad Fuell to the conquerors fier.

Which once inflamed will borne both Rome and vs.

Cæsar although of high aspiring thoughtes,

 
And vncontrould ambitious Maiesty,

Yet is of nature faire and courteous,   1030

You see hee commeth conqueror of the East:

Clad in the spoyles of the Pharsalian fieldes,

Then wee vnable to resist such powre:

By gentle peace and meeke submission,

Must seeke to pacify the victors wrath.               Exeunt.




Act II sc. v
ACT. 2. SCE. 5.



Enter Cato Senior, and Cato Iunior.




Cat. Sen. My Sonne thou seest howe all are ouerthrowne,

That fought their Countries free-dome to maintaine,

Egipt forsakes vs, Pompey found his graue,   1040

VVhere hee most succor did expect to haue:

Scipio is ouerthrowne and with his haples fall,

Affrick to vs doth former ayde denay,

O who will helpe men in aduersity:

Yet let vs shewe in our declining state,

That strength of minde, that vertues constancy,

That erst we did in our felicity,

Though Fortune fayles vs lets not fayle our selues,

Remember boy thou art a Romaine borne,

And Catoes Sonne, of me do vertue learne; 1050

Fortune of others, aboue althings see

Thou prize thy Countries loue and liberty,

All blessiings Fathers to their Sonnes can wish

Heauens powre on thee, and now my sonne with-drawe

Thy selfe a while and leaue me to my booke.

Cat. Iun. What meanes my Father by this solemne leaue?

First he remembred me of my Fortunes change,

And then more earnestly did me exhort

To Counrries loue, and constancy of minde,

Then he was wont: som-whats the cause,   1060

But what I knowe not, O I feare I feare,

His to couragious heart that cannot beare

The thrall of Rome and triumph of his foe,

 
By his owne hand threats danger to his life,

How ere it be at hand I will abide,

VVayting the end of this that shal betide.   Exit.





Cato Senior with a booke in his hand.




Cato Sen. Plato that promised immortality,

Doth make my soule resolue it selfe to mount,

Vnto the bowre of those Celestiall ioyes,   1070

VVhere freed from lothed Prison of my soule,

In heauenly notes to Phœbus which shall sing:

And Pean Io, Pean loudely ring.

Then fayle not hand to execute this deede,

Nor faint nor heart for to command my hand,

VVauer not minde to counsell this resolue,

But with a courage and thy liues last act,

Now do I giue thee Rome my last farewell.

Who cause thou fearest ill do therefore die,

O talke not now of Cannas ouerthrowe,   1080

And raze out of thy lasting Kalenders,

Those bloudy songes of Hilias dismall sight:

And note with black, that black and cursed day,

When Cæsar conquered in Pharsalia,

Yet will not I his conquest glorifie:

My ouerthrow shall neere his triumph grace,

For by my death to the world Ile make that knowne,

No hand could conquer Cato but his owne.  stabs himself.





Enter Cato Iunior running to him.




Ca. Iun. O this it was my minde told me before,   1090

VVhat meanes my Father, why with naked blade,

Dost thou assault, that faithfull princely hand:

And mak’st the base Earth to drinke thy Noble bloud,

Bee not more sterne, and cruell ’gainst thy selfe,

Then thy most hateful enemies would be,

No Parthian, Gaule, Moore, no not Cæsars selfe,

VVould with such cruelty thy worth repay,

O stay thy hand, giue me thy fatall blade:

VVhich turnes his edge and waxeth blunt to wound,

A brest so fraught with vertue excellent.   1100

Ca. Seni. Why dost thou let me of my firme resolue,

 
Vnkinde boy hinderer of thy Fathers ioy,

Why dost thou slay me, or wilt thou betray

Thy Fathers life vnto his foe-mens hands,

And yet I wrong thy faith, and loue too much,

In thy soules kindenesse, tis thou art vnkinde.

Cat. Iun. If for your selfe you do this life reiect,

Yet you your Sonnes and Countries: sake respect,

Rob not my yong yeares of so sweete a stay,

Nor take from Rome the Pillor of her strength.   1110

Cat. Sene. Although I die, yet do I leaue behinde,

My vertues fauor to bee thy youths guide:

But for my Country, could my life it profit,

Ile not refuse to liue that died for it,

Now doth but one smal snuffe of breath remaine:

And that to keepe, should I mine Honor staine?

Cat. Iuni. Where you do striue to shew your vertue most,

There more you do disgrace it Cowards vse,

To shun the woes and trobles of this life:

Basely to flie to deaths safe sanctuary,   1120

When constant vertues doth the hottest  brunt’s,

Of griefes assaultes vnto the end endure.

Ca. Seni. Thy words preuaile, come lift me vp my Son,

And call some help to binde my bleeding wounds.

Cat. Iuni. Father I go with a more willing minde,

Then did Æneas when from Troyan fire,

He bare his Father, and did so restore:

The greatest gift hee had receiued before.            Exit.

Cat. Seni. Now haue I freed mee of that hurtfull Loue,

Which interrupted my resolued will,   1130

Which all the world can neuer stay nor change:

Cæsar whose rule commands both Sea and Land,

Is not of powre to hinder this weake hand,

And time succeeding shall behold that I

Although not liue, yet died courragiously,   stab himselfe.





Enter Cato Iunior.




Ca. Iuni. O hast thou thus to thine owne harme deceiu’d me

Well I perceiue thy Noble dauntles heart:

Because it would not beare the Conquerors insolence,

 
Vsed on it selfe this cruell violence,   1140

I know not whether I should more lament,

That by thine owne hand thou thus slaughtred art,

Or Ioy that thou so nobly didst depart.           Exit.




FINIS. ACTVS 2.


Chor. III
Enter Discord.




Dis. Now Cæsar rides triumphantly through Rome,

And deckes the Capitoll with Pompeys spoyle:

Ambition now doth vertues seat vsurp,

Then thou Reuengfull great Adastria Queene.

Awake with horror of thy dubbing Drumm,   1150

And call the snaky furies from below,

To dash the Ioy of their triumphing pride,

Erinnis kindle now thy Stigian brands,

In discontented Brutus boyling brest,

Let Cæsar die a bleeding sacrifice,

Vnto the Soule of thy dead Country Rome.

Why sleepest thou Cassius? wake thee from thy dreame:

And yet thou naught dost dreame but blood and death.

For dreadfull visions do afright thy sleepe.

And howling Ghosts with gastly horrors cry,   1160

By Cassius hand must wicked Cæsar die,

Now Rome cast of thy gaudy paintcd robes

And cloth thy selfe in sable colored weedes,

Change thy vaine triumphs into funerall pomps,

And Cæsar cast thy Laurell crowne apart,

And bind thy temples with sad Cypres tree.

Of warrs thus peace insues, of peace more harmes,

Then erst was wrought by tragick wars alarmes,    Exit.




Act III sc. i
ACT. 3. SCE. I.



Enter Cassius.




Cas. Harke how Cæsarians with resounding shoutes,   1171

Tell heauens of their pompes and victories,

 
Cæsar that long in pleasures idle lap,

And daliance vayne of his Proud Curtezan,

Had luld his sterne and bloody thoughts a sleepe,

Now in Rome streets ore Romaines come to triumph,

And to the Romains shews those Tropheyes sad,

Which from the Romaines he with blood did get:

The Tyrant mounted in his goulden chayre,

Rides drawne with milke white palferies in like pride,   1180

As Phæbus from his Orientall gate,

Mounted vpon the firy Phlegetons backes.

Comes prauncing forth, shaking his dewie locks:

Cæsar thou art in gloryes cheefest pride,

Thy sonne is mounted in the highest poynt:

Thou placed art in top of fortunes wheele,

Her wheele must turne, thy glory must eclipse,

Thy Sunne descend and loose his radiant light,

And if none be, whose countryes ardent loue,

And losse of Roman liberty can moue,   1190

Ile be the man that shall this taske performe.

Cassius hath vowed it to dead Pompeys soule,

Cassius hath vowed it to afflicted Rome,

Cassius hath vowed it, witnes Heauen and Earth,   Exit.




Act III sc. ii
ACTVS 3. SCENA 2.



Enter Cæsar, Antony, Dolobella, Lords, two Romaines, & others.




Cæsar. Now haue I shaked of these womanish linkes,

In which my captiud thoughts were chayned a fore,

By that fayre charming Circes wounding look,

And now like that same ten yeares trauayler,   1200

Leauing be-hind me all my trobles past.

I come awayted with attending fame,

Who through her shrill triump doth my name resound,

And makes proud Tiber and Lygurian Poe,

(Yet a sad witner of the Sunne-Gods losse,)

Beare my names glory to the Ocean mayne,

Which to the worlds end shall it bound it againe,

 
As from Phægiean fields the King of the Gods,

With conquering spoyles and Tropheus proud returnd,

When great Typheus fell, by thundering darts,   1210

And rod away with their Cælestiall troops,

In greatest pride through Heauens smooth paued way,

So shall the Pompeous glory of my traine,

Daring to match ould Saturns kingly Sonne,

Call downe these goulden lampes from the bright skie,

And leaue Heauen blind, my greatnes to admire.

This laurell garland in fayre conquest made,

Shall stayne the pride of Ariadnes crowne,

Clad in the beauty of my glorious lampes,

Cassiopea leaue thy starry chayre,   1220

And onmy Sun-bright Chariot wheels attend,

Which in triumphing pompe doth Cæsar beare.

To Earths astonishment, and amaze of Heauen:

Now looke proude Rome from thy seuen-fould seate,

And see the world thy subiect, at thy feete,

And Cæsar ruling ouer all the world.

Dolo. Now let vs cease to boast of Romulus,

First author of high Rome and Romaines name.

Nor talke of Scaurus, worthy Africans,

The scurge of Libia and of Carthage pride,   1230

Nor of vnconquered Paulus dauntles minde,

Since Cæsars glory them exceedes as farre

As shining Phebe doth the dimmest starre.

Ant. Like as the Ship-man that hath lost the starre.

By which his doubtful ship he did direct,

Wanders in darkenes, and in Cloudy night,

So hauing lost my starr, my Gouernesse.

Which did direct me, with her Sonne-bright ray,

In greefe I wander and in sad dismay:

And though of triumphes and of victoryes,   1240

I do the out-ward signes and Trophies beare,

Yet see mine inward mind vnder that face,

Whose collours to these Triumphes is disgrace,

Lord. As when from vanquished Macedonia,

Triumphing ore King Persius ouerthrow,

 
Conquering Æmelius, in great glory came.

Shewing the worlds spoyles which he had bereft,

From the successors or great Alexander,

With such high pomp, yea greater victories,

Cæsar triumphing coms into fayre Rome,   1250

1. Rom. In this one Champion all is comprehended,

Which ancient times in seuerall men commended,

Alcides strength, Achilles dauntles heart,

Great Phillips Sonne by magnanimity.

Sterne Pyrhus vallour, and great Hectors might,

And all the prowes, that ether Greece or Troy,

Brought forth in that same ten years Troians warre.

2. Rom. Faire Rome great monument of Romulus.

Thou mighty seate of consuls and of Kings:

Ouer-victorious now Earths Conquerer,   1260

Welcome thy valiant sonne that to thee brings,

Spoyles of the world, and exquies of Kings.

Cæsar. The conquering Issue of immortall Ioue.

Which in the Persian spoyles first fetch his fame.

Then through Hydasspis, and the Caspian waues,

Vnto the sea vnknowne his praise did propagate,

Must to my glory vayle his conquering crest:

The Lybick Sands, and Africk Sirts hee past.

Bactrians and Zogdians, knowne but by their names,

Whereby his armes resistles, powers subdued,   1270

And Ganges streames congeald with Indian blood,

Could not transeport his burthen to the sea.

But these nere lerned at Mars his games to play,

Nor tost these bloody bals, of dread and death:

Arar and proud Saramna speaks my praise,

Rohdans shrill Tritons through their brasen trumpes,

Ecco my fame against the Gallian Towers,

And Isis wept to see her daughter Thames.

Chainge her cleere cristall, to vermilian sad,

The big bond German and Heluetian stout,   1280

Which well haue learned to tosse a tusked speare,

And well can curbe a noble stomackt horse,

Can Cæsars vallour witnes to their greefe

 
Iuba the mighty Affrick Potentate,

That with his cole-black Negroes to the field,

Backt with Numidian and Getulian horse,

Hath felt the puissance of a Roman sword.

I entred Asia with my banners spred,

Displayed the Ægle on the Euxin sea:

By Iason first, and ventrous Argo cut,   1290

And in the rough Cimerian Bosphorus:

A heauy witnesse of Pharnaces flight,

And now am come to triumph heere in Rome,

VVith greater glory then ere Romaine did.      Exeunt.




Act III sc. iii
Sound drums and Trumpets amaine.

Enter Anthony.




Antho. Alas these triumphes mooue not me at all,

But only do renew remembrance sad,

Of her triumphing and imperious lookes,

VVhich is the Saint and Idoll of my thoughtes:   1300

First was I wounded by her percing eye:

Next prisoner tane by her captiuing speech,

And now shee triumphes ore my conquered heart,

In Cupids Chariot ryding in her pride,

And leades me captiue bounde in Beauties bondes:

Cæsars lip-loue, that neuer touched his heart,

By present triumph and the absent fire,

Is now waxt could; but mine that was more deepe,

Ingrauen in the marble of my brest,

Nor time nor Fortune ere can raze it out.   1310





Enter Anthonies bonus genius.




Gen. Anthony, base femall Anthony,

Thou womans souldiar, fit for nights assaults,

Hast thou so soone forgot the discipline,

And wilsome taskes thy youth was trayned to,

Thy soft downe Pillow, was a helme of steele:

The could damp earth, a bed to ease thy toyle,

Afrigted slumbers were thy golden sleepes:

Hunger and thirst thy sweetest delicates,

Sterne horror, gastly woundes, pale greesly death:   1320

Thy winde depressing pleasures and delights,

 
And now so soone hath on enchanted face,

These manly labours luld in drowsy sleepe:

The Gods (whose messenger I heere do stand)

Will not then drowne thy fame in Idlenesse:

Yet must Philippi see thy high exploytes,

And all the world ring of thy Victories.

Antho. Say what thou art, that in this dreadful sort

Forbidd’st me of my Cleopatras loue.

Gen. I am thy bonus Genius, Anthony,   1330

VVhich to thy dul eares this do prophecy:

That fatall face which now doth so bewitch thee,

Like to that vaine vnconstant Greekish dame,

VVhich made the stately Ilian towres to smoke,

Shall thousand bleeding Romains lay one ground:

Hymen in sable not in saferon robes,

Instead of roundes shall dolefull dirges singe.

For nuptiall tapers, shall the furies beare,

Blew-burning torches to increase your feare:

The bride-grooms scull shal make the bridal bondes:   1340

And hel-borne hags shall dance an Antick round,

VVhile Hecate Hymen (heu, heu) Hymen cries,

And now methinkes I see the seas blew face:

Hidden with shippes, and now the trumpets sound,

And weake Canopus with the Ægle striues,

Neptune amazed at this dreadfull sight:

Cals blew sea Gods for to behold the fight,

Glaucus and Panopea, Proteus ould,

VVho now for feare changeth his wonted shape,

Thus your vaine loue which with delight begunne:   1350

In Idle sport shall end with bloud and shame.    Exit.

Antho. VVhat wast my Genius that mee threatned thus?

They say that from our birth he doth preserue:

And on mee will he powre these miseries?

VVhat burning torches, what alarums of warre,

VVhat shames did he to my loues prophesie?

O no hee comes as winged Mercurie,

From his great Father Ioue, t’Anchises sonne

To warne him leaue the wanton dalliance,

 
And charming pleasures of the Tyrian Court,   1360

Then wake the Anthony from this idle dreame,

Cast of these base effeminate passions:

Which melt the courrage of thy manlike minde,

And with thy sword receiue thy sleeping praise.   Exit.




Act III sc. iv
ACT. 3. SC. 3.



Enter Brutus.




Bru. How long in base ignoble patience,

Shall I behold my Countries wofull fall,

O you braue Romains, and among’st the rest

Most Noble Brutus, faire befall your soules:   1370

Let Peace and Fame your Honored graues awaite,

Who through such perils, and such tedious warres,

Won your great labors prise sweete liberty,

But wee that with our life did freedoms take,

And did no sooner Men, then free-men, breath:

To loose it now continuing so long,

And with such lawes, such vowes, such othes confirm’d

Can nothing but disgrace and shame expect:

But soft what see I written on my seate,

O vtinam Brute viueres.   1380

What meaneth this, thy courage dead,

But stay, reade forward, Brute mortuus es.

I thou art dead indeed, thy courrage dead

Thy care and loue thy dearest Country dead,

Thy wonted spirit and Noble stomack dead.





Enter Cassius.




Cassi. The times drawe neere by gratious heauens assignd

When Philips Sonne must fall in Babilon,

In his triumphing proud persumption:

But see where melancholy Brutus walkes,   1390

Whose minde is hammering on no meane conceit:

Then sound him Cassius, see how hee is inclined,

How fares young Brutus in this tottering state.

Bru. Euen as an idle gazer, that beholdes,

 
His Countries wrackes and cannot succor bring.

Cassi. But wil Brute alwaies in this dreame remaine,

And not bee mooued with his Countries mone.

Bru. O that I might in Lethes endles sleepe,

And neere awaking pleasant rest of death

Close vp mine eyes, that I no more might see,   1400

Poore Romes distresse and Countries misery.

Casi. No Brutus liue, and wake thy sleepy minde,

Stirre vp those dying sparkes of honors fire,

VVhich in thy gentle breast weare wont to flame:

See how poore Rome opprest with Countries wronges,

Implores thine ayde, that bred thee to that end,

Thy kins-mans soule from heauen commandes thine aide:

That lastly must by thee receiue his end,

Then purchas honor by a glorious death,

Or liue renown’d by ending Cæsars life.   1410

Bru. I can no longer beare the Tirants pride,

I cannot heare my Country crie for ayde,

And not bee mooued with her pitious mone,

Brutus thy soule shall neuer more complaine:

That from thy linage and most vertuous stock,

A bastard weake degenerat branch is borne,

For to distaine the honor of thy house.

No more shall now the Romains call me dead,

Ile liue againe and rowze my sleepy thoughts:

And with the Tirants death begin this life.   1420

Rome now I come to reare thy states decayed,

VVhen or this hand shall cure thy fatall wound,

Or else this heart by bleeding on the ground.

Cas. Now heauen I see applaudes this enterprise,

And Rhadamanth into the fatall Vrne,

That lotheth death, hath thrust the Tirants name,

Cæsar the life that thou in bloud hast led:

Shall heape a bloudy vengance on thine head.          Exeunt.





 
Act III sc. v
ACT. 2. SCE. 4.



Enter Cæsar, Anthony Dolobella, Lords, and others.




Cæs. Now servile Pharthia proud in Romaine spoile,   1431

Shall pay her ransome vnto Cæsars Ghost:

Which vnreuenged roues by the Stygian strond,

Exclaming on our sluggish negligence.

Leaue to lament braue Romans, loe I come,

Like to the God of battell, mad with rage,

To die their riuers with vermilion red:

Ile fill Armenians playnes and Medians hils,

With carkases of bastard Scithian broode,

And there proud Princes will I bring to Rome,   1440

Chained in fetters to my charriot wheeles:

Desire of fame and hope of sweete reueng,

Which in my brest hath kindled such a flame,

As nor Euphrates, nor sweet Tybers streame,

Can quench or slack this feruent boyling heate:

These conquering souldiers that haue followed me,

From vanquisht France to sun-burnt Meroe,

Matching the best of Alexanders troopes.

Shall with their lookes put Parthian foes to flight,

And make them twise turne their deceitfull lookes,   1450

Ant. The restlesse mind that harbors sorrowing thoughts,

And is with child of noble enterprise,

Doth neuer cease from honors toilesome taske,

Till it bringes forth Eternall gloryes broode.

So you fayre braunch of vertues great discent,

Now hauing finish’d Ciuill warres sad broyles,

Intend by Parthian triumphes to enlarge,

Your contryes limits, and your owne renowne,

But cause in Sibilles ciuill writs we finde,

None but a King that conquest can atchiue,   1460

Both for to crowne your deedes with due reward,

And as auspicious signes of victorye.

Wee here present you with this Diadem,

Lord. And euen as kings were banish’d Romes high throne

 
Cause their base vice, her honour did destayne,

So to your rule doth shee submit her selfe,

That her renowne there by might brighter shine,

Cæsar. Why thinke you Lords that tis ambitions spur.

That pricketh Cæsar to these high attempts,

Or hope of Crownes, or thought of Diadems,   1470

That made me wade through honours perilous deepe,

Vertue vnto it selfe a shure reward,

My labours all shall haue a pleasing doome,

If you but Iudge I will deserue of Rome:

Did those old Romaines suffer so much ill?

Such tedious seeges, such enduring warrs?

Tarquinius hates, and great Porsennas threats,

To banish proude imperious tyrants rule?

And shall my euerdaring thoughts contend

To marre what they haue brought to happy end:   1480

Or thinke you cause my Fortune hath expeld,

My friends, come let vs march in iolity,

Ile triumph Monarke-like ore conquering Rome,

Or end my conquests with my countryes spoyles,

Dolo. O noble Princely resolution.

These or not victoryes that we so call,

That onely blood and murtherous spoyles can vaunt:

But this shalbe thy victory braue Prince,

That thou hast conquered thy owne climing thoughts,

And with thy vertue beat ambition downe,   1490

And this no lesse inblazon shall thy fame.

Then those great deeds and chiualrous attempts,

That made thee conqueror in Thessalia.

Ant. This noble mind and Pincely modesty,

Which in contempt of honours brightnes shines,

Makes vs to wish the more for such a Prince,

Whose vertue not ambition won that praise,

Nor shall we thinke it losse of liberty.

Or Romaine liberty any way impeached,

For to subiect vs to his Princely rule,   1500

Whose thoughts fayre vertue and true honor guides:

Vouchsafe then to accept this goulden crowne,

 
A gift not equall to thy dignity.

Cæs. Content you Lordes for I wilbe no King,

An odious name vnto the Romaine eare,

Cæsar I am, and wilbe Cæsar still,

No other title shall my Fortunes grace:

Which I will make a name of higher state

Then Monarch, King or worldes great Potentate.

Of Ioue in Heauen, shall ruled bee the skie,   1510

The Earth of Cæsar, with like Maiesty.

This is the Scepter that my crowne shall beare,

And this the golden diadem Ile weare,

A farre more rich and royall ornament,

Then all the Crownes that the proud Persian gaue:

Forward my Lordes let Trumpets sound our march,

And drums strike vp Reuenges sad alarms,

Parthia we come with like incensed heate,

As great Atrides with the angry Greekes,

Marching in fury to pale walls of Troy. 1520





Act III sc. vi
ACT. 3. SC. 5.



Enter Cassius, Brutus, Trebonius, Cumber Casca.




Tre. Braue Lords whose forward resolution,

Shewes you descended from true Romaine line,

See how old Rome in winter of her age,

Reioyseth in such Princely budding hopes,

No lesse then once she in Decius vertue did,

Or great Camillus bringing back of spoyles.

On then braue Lords of this attempt begun,

The sacred Senate doth commend the deede:   1530

Your Countries loue incites you to the deed,

Vertue her selfe makes warrant of the deed,

Then Noble Romains as you haue begun:

Neuer desist vntill this deede be done.

Casi. To thee Reueng doth Cassius kneele him downe.

Thou that brings quiet to perplexed soules,

And borne in Hel, yet harborest heauens ioyes,

 
Whose fauor slaughter is, and dandling death,

Bloud-thirsty pleasures and mis boding blisse:

Brought forth of Fury, nurse of cankered Hate,   1540

To drowne in woe the pleasures of the world.

Thou shalt no more in duskish Erebus:

And dark-some hell obscure thy Deity,

Insteede of Ioue thou shalt my Godesse bee,

To thee faire Temples Cassius will erect:

And on thine alter built of Parian stone

Whole Hecatombs will I offer vp.

Laugh gentle Godesse on my bould attempt,

Yet in thy laughter let pale meager death:

Bee wrapt in wrinkels of thy murthering spoyles.   1550

Bru. An other Tarquin is to bee expeld,

An other Brutus liues to act the deede:

Tis not one nation that this Tarquin wronges,

All Rome is stayn’d with his vnrul’d desires,

Shee whose imperiall scepter was invr’d:

To conquer Kings and to controul the world,

Cannot abate the glory of her state,

To yeeld or bowe to one mans proud desires:

Sweete Country Rome here Brutus vowes to thee,

To loose his life or else to set thee free.   1560

Cas. Shame bee his share that doth his life so prize,

That to Romes weale it would not sacrifize,

My Poniardes point shall pearce his heart as deepe,

As earst his sworde Romes bleeding side did goare:

And change his garments to the purple die,

With which our bloud had staynd sad Thessaly.

Cam. Hee doth refuse the title of a King,

But wee do see hee doth vsurp the thing.

Tre. Our ancient freedome hee empeacheth more,

Then euer King or Tyrant did before.   1570

Cas. The Senators by him are quite disgrac’d,

Rome, Romans, Citty, Freedome, all defac’d.

Cassi. We come not Lords, as vnresolued men,

For to shewe causes of the deed decreed,

This shall dispute for mee and tell him why,

 
This heart, hand, minde, hath mark’d him out to die:

If it be true that furies quench-les thirst,

Is pleas’d with quaffing of ambitious bloud,

Then all you deuills whet my Poniards point,

And I wil broach you a bloud-sucking heart:   1580

Which full of bloud, must bloud store to you yeeld,

Were it a peerce to flint or marble stone:

Why so it is for Cæsars heart’s a stone,

Els would bee mooued with my Countries mone.

They say you furies instigate mens mindes,

And push their armes to finnish bloudy deedes:

Prick then mine Elbo: goade my bloudy hand,

That it may goare Cæsars ambitious heart.      Exeunt.




Act III sc. vii
ACTVS 3. SCENA 6.



Enter Cæsar, Calphurnia.




Cæs. Why thinkes my loue to fright me with her dreames?   1591

Shall bug-beares feare Cæsars vndaunted heart,

Whome Pompeys Fortune neuer could amaze,

Nor the French horse, nor Mauritanian boe,

And now shall vaine illusions mee affright:

Or shadowes daunt, whom substance could not quell?

Calphur. O dearest Cæsar, hast thou seene thy selfe,

(As troubled dreames to me did faine thee seene:)

Torne, Wounded, Maymed, Blod-slaughtered, Slaine,

O thou thy selfe, wouldst then haue dread thy selfe:   1600

And feard to thrust thy life to dangers mouth.

Cæs. There you bewray the folly of your dreame,

For I am well, aliue, vncaught, vntoucht.

Calphur. T’was in the Senate-house I sawe thee so,

And yet thou dreadles thither needes will go.

Cæs. The Senate is a place of peace, not death,

But these were but deluding visions.

Calphur. O do not set so little by the heauens,

Dreames ar diuine, men say they come from Ioue,

Beware betimes, and bee not wise to late:   1610

 
Mens good indeuours change the wills of Fate.

Cæs. Weepe not faire loue, let not thy wofull teares

Bode mee, I knowe what thou wouldest not haue to hap

It will distaine mine honor wonne in fight

To say a womans dreame could me affright.

Cal. O Cæsar no dishonour canst thou get,

In seeking to preuent vnlucky chance:

Foole-hardy men do runne vpon their death,

Bec thou in this perswaded by thy wife:

No vallour bids thee cast away thy life.   1620

Cæs. Tis dastard cowardize and childish feare,

To dread those dangers that do not appeare:

Cal. Thou must sad chance by fore-cast, wise resist,

Or being done say boote-les had I wist.

Cæs. But for to feare wher’s no suspition,

Will to my greatnesse be derision.

Cal. There lurkes an adder in the greenest grasse,

Daungers of purpose alwayes hide their face:

Cæs. Perswade no more Cæsar’s resolu’d to go.

Cal. The Heauens resolue that hee may safe returne,   1630

For if ought happen to my loue but well:

His danger shalbe doubled with my death.                Exit.





Enter Augur.




Augur. I, come they are, but yet they are not gon.

Cæs. What hast thou sacrifiz’d, as custome is,

Before wee enter in the Senat-house.

Augur. O stay those steeps that leade thee to thy death,

The angry heauens with threeatning dire aspect,

Boding mischance, and balfull massacers,

Menace the ouerthrowe of Cæsars powre:   1640

Saturne sits frowning on the God of Warre,

VVho in their sad coniunction do conspire,

Vniting both their bale full influences,

To heape mischance, and danger to thy life:

The Sacrificing beast is heart-les found:

Sad ghastly sightes, and raysed Ghostes appeare,

Which fill the silent woods, with groning cries:

The hoarse Night-rauen tunes the chearles voyce,

And calls the bale-full Owle, and howling Doge,

 
To make a consort. In whose sad song is this,   1650

Neere is the ouerthrow of Cæsars blisse.         Exit.

Cæsar. The world is set to fray mee from my wits,

Heers harteles Sacrifice and visions,

Howlinge and cryes, and gastly grones of Ghosts,

Soft Cæsar do not make a mockery,

Of these Prodigious signes sent from the Heauens,

Calphurnias Dre ame Iumping which Augurs words,

Shew (if thou markest it Cæsar) cause to feare:

This day the Senate there shalbe dissolued,

And Ile returne to my Calphurnia home,     One giues him a paper. 1660

What hast thou heare that thou presents vs with,

Pre. A thing my Lord that doth concerne your life.

Which loue to you and hate of such a deed,

Makes me reueale vnto your excellence.          Cæsar laughs.

Smilest thou, or think’st thou it some ilde toy,

Thout frowne a non to read so many names.

That haue conspird and sworne thy bloody death,         Exit.





Enter Cassius.




Cassius. Now must I come, and with close subtile girdes,

Deceaue the prey that Ile deuoure anon, 1670

My Lord the Sacred Senate doth expect,

Your royall presence in Pompeius court:

Cæsar. Cassius they tell me that some daungers nigh.

And death pretended in the Senate house.

Cassi. What danger or what wrong can be,

Where harmeles grauitie and vertue sits,

Tis past all daunger present death it is,

Nor is it wrong to render due desert.

To feare the Senators without a cause,

Will bee a cause why theile be to be feared,   1680

Cæsa. The Senate stayes for me in Pompeys court.

And Cæsars heere, and dares not goe to them,

Packe hence all dread of danger and of death,

What must be must be; Cæsars prest for all,

Cassi. Now haue I sent him headlong to his ende,

Vengance and death awayting at his heeles,

Cæsar thy life now hangeth on a twine,

 
Which by my Poniard must bee cut in twaine,

Thy chaire of state now turn’d is to thy Beere,

Thy Princely robes to make thy winding sheete:   1690

The Senators the Mourners ore the Hearse,

And Pompeys Court, thy dreadfull graue shalbe.




Act III sc. viii
Senators crie all at once.




Omnes. Hold downe the Tyrant stab him to the death:

Casi. Now doth the musick play and this the song

That Cassius heart hath thirsted for so long:

And now my Poniard in this mazing sound,

Must strike that touch that must his life confound.

Stab on, stab on, thus should your Poniards play,

Aloud deepe note vpon this trembling Kay.           stab him. 1700

Buco. Bucolian sends thee this.       stab him.

Cum. And Cumber this.                 stab him.

Cas. Take this frõ Casca for to quite Romes wronges.

Cæs. Why murtherous villaines know you whõ you strike,

Tis Cæsar, Cæsar, whom your Poniards pierce:

Cæsar whose name might well afright such slaues:

O Heauens that see and hate this haynous guilt,

And thou Immortall Ioue that Idle holdest

Deluding Thunder in thy faynting hand,

Why stay’st thy dreadfull doome, and dost with-hold,   1710

Thy three-fork’d engine to reuenge my death:

But if my plaintes the Heauens cannot mooue,

Then blackest hell and Pluto bee thou iudge:

You greesly daughters of the cheereles night,

Whose hearts, nor praier nor pitty, ere could lend,

Leaue the black dungeon of your Chaos deepe:

Come and with flaming brandes into the world,

Reuenge, and death, bringe seated in yout eyes:

And plauge these villaynes for their trecheries.





Enter Brutus.                   1720




Bru. I haue held Anthony with a vaine discourse,

The whilst the deed’s in execution,

But liues hee still, yet doth the Tyrant breath?

Chalinging Heauens with his blasphemies,

Heere Brutus maketh a passage for thy Soule,

 
To plead thy cause for them whose ayde thou crauest,

Cæs. What Brutus to? nay nay, then let me die,

Nothing wounds deeper then ingratitude,

Bru. I bloody Cæsar, Cæsar, Brutus too,

Doth geeue thee this, and this to quite Romes wrongs,   1730

Cassius. O had the Tyrant had as many liues.

As that fell Hydra borne in Lerna lake,

That heare I still might stab and stabing kill,

Till that more liues might bee extinquished,

Then his ambition, Romanes Slaughtered.

Tre. How heauens haue iustly on the authors head,

Returnd the guiltles blood which he hath shed,

And Pompey he who caused thy Tragedy,

Here breathles lies before thy Noble Statue,





Enter Anthony.            1740




Anth. What cryes of death resound within my eares,

Whome I doe see great Cæsar buchered thus?

What said I great? I Cæsar thou wast great,

But O that greatnes was that brought thy death:

O vniust Heauens, (if Heauens at all there be,)

Since vertues wronges makes question of your powers,

How could your starry eyes this shame behold,

How could the sunne see this and not eclipze?

Fayre bud of fame ill cropt before thy time:

What Hyrcan tygar, or wild sauage bore,   1750

(For he more heard then Bore or Tyger was,)

Durst do so vile and execrate a deede,

Could not those eyes so full of maiesty,

Nor priesthood (o not thus to bee prophand)

Nor yet the reuerence to this sacred place,

Nor flowing eloquence of thy goulden tounge,

Nor name made famous through immortall merit,

Deter those murtherors from so vild a deed?

Sweete friend accept these obsequies of mine,

Which heare with teares I doe vnto thy hearse,   1760

And thou being placed a mong the shining starrs.

Shalt downe from Heauen behold what deepe reueng,

 
I will inflict vpon the murtherers,  Exit with Cæsar, in his armes.





FINIS. Act. 3.




Chor. IV

Enter Discord.



Dis. Brutus thou hast what long desire hath sought,

Cæsar Lyes weltring in his purple Goare,

Thou art the author of Romes liberty,

Proud in thy murthering hand and bloody knife.   1770

Yet thinke Octauian and sterne Anthony.

Cannot let passe this murther vnreuenged,

Thessalia once againe must see your blood,

And Romane drommes must strike vp new a laromes,

Harke how Bellona shakes her angry lance:

And enuie clothed in her crimson weed,

Me thinkes I see the fiery shields to clash,

Eagle gainst Eagle, Rome gainst Rome to fight,

Phillipi, Cæsar quittance must thy wronges,

Whereas that hand shall stab that trayterous heart.   1780

That durst encourage it to worke thy death,

Thus from thine ashes Cæsar doth arise

As from Medeas haples scatered teeth:

New flames of wars, and new outraigous broyles,

Now smile Æmathia that euen in thy top,

Romes victory and pride shalbe entombd,

And those great conquerors of the vanquished earth,

Shall with their swords come there to dig their graues.




Act IV sc. i
ACTVS. 4. SCENA. 1.


Enter Octauian.



Octa. Mourne gentle Heauens for you haue lost your ioy.   1791

Mourne greeued earth thy ornament is gon,

Mourne Rome in great thy Father is deceased:

Mourne thou Octauian, thou it is must mourne,

Mourne for thy Vncle who is dead and gon.

 
Mourne for thy Father to vngently slaine,

Mourne for thy Friend whome thy mishap hath lost,

For Father, Vnkell, Friend, go make thy mone,

Who all did liue, who all did die in one.

But heere I vow these blacke and sable weeds,   1800

The outward signes of inward heauines,

Shall changed be ere long to crimsen hew,

And this soft raiment to a coate of steele,

Cæsar, no more I heare the mornefull songs.

The tragick pomp of his sad exequies,

And deadly burning torches are at hand,

I must accompany the mornefull troope:

And sacryfice my teares to the Gods below.              Exit.




Act IV sc. ii

Enter Cæsars Hearse Calphurnia Octauian, Anthony,

Cicero, Dolobella, two Romaynes, mourners.




Calp. Set downe the hearse and let Calphurnia weepe,

Weepe for her Lord and bath his Wounds in teares:   1812

Feare of the world, and onely hope of Rome,

Thou whilest thou liuedst was Calphurnias ioye,

And being dead my ioyes are dead with thee:

Here doth my care and comfort resting lie:

Let them accompany thy mournefull hearse.

Cice. This is the hearse of vertue and renowne,

Here stroe red roses and sweete violets:

And lawrell garlands for to crowne his fame,   1820

The Princely weede of mighty conquerors:

These worthles obsequies poore Rome bestowes,

Vpon thy sacred ashes and deare hearse.

1. Rom. And as a token of thy liuing praise,

And fame immortall take this laurell wreath,

Which witnesseth thy name shall neuer die:

And with this take the Loue and teares of Rome,

For on thy tombe shall still engrauen be,

Thy losse, her griefe, thy deathes, her pittying thee,

Dolo. Vnwilling do I come to pay this debt,   1830

Though not vnwilling for to crowne desert,

O how much rather had I this bestowed,

On thee returning from foes ouerthrow,

 
When liuing vertue did require such meede,

Then for to crowne thy vertue being dead,

Lord. Those wreaths that in thy life our conquests crowned

And our fayre triumphes beauty glorified,

Now in thy death do serue thy hearse to adorne,

For Cæsars liuing vertues to bee crowned,

Not to be wept as buried vnder grownd,   1840

2. Ro. Thou whilest thou liuedst wast faire vertues flowre

Crowned with eternall honor and renowne,

To thee being dead, Flora both crownes and flowers,

(The cheefest vertues of our mother earth,)

Doth giue to gratulate thy noble hearse.

Let then they soule diuine vouchsafe to take,

These worthles obsequies our loue doth make.

Calp. All that I am is but despaire and greefe,

This all I giue to Celebrate thy death,

What funerall pomp of riches and of pelfe,   1850

Do you expect? Calphurnia giues her selfe.

Ant. You that to Cæsar iustly did decree

Honors diuine and sacred reuerence:

And oft him grac’d with titles well deserued,

Of Countries Father, stay of Commonwealth.

And that which neuer any bare before,

Inviolate, Holy, Consecrate, Vntucht.

Doe see this friend of Rome, this Contryes Father,

This Sonne of lasting fame and e ndles praise,

And in a mortall trunke, immortall vertue   1860

Slaughtered, profan’d, and bucherd like a beast,

By trayterous handes, and damned Paracides:

Recounte those deedes and see what he hath don,

Subdued those nations which three hundred yeares.

Remaynd vnconquered; still afflicting Rome,

And recompensed the firy Capitoll,

With many Citties vnto ashes burnt:

And this reward, these thankes you render him:

Here lyes he dead to whome you owe your liues:

By you this slaughtered body bleedes againe,   1870

Which oft for you hath bled in fearefull fight.

 
Sweete woundes in which I see distressed Rome,

From her pearc’d sides to powre forth streames of bloud,

Bee you a witnesse of my sad Soules griefe:

And of my teares which wounded heart doth bleede,

Not such as vse from womanish eyes proceede.

Octa. And were the deede most worthy and vnblamed,

Yet you vnworthely did do the same:

Who being partakers with his enemies,

By Cæsar all were saued from death and harme,   1880

And for the punnishment you should haue had,

You were prefer’d to Princely dignities:

Rulers and Lordes of Prouinces were you made,

Thus thanke-les men hee did preferre of nought,

That by their hands his murther might be wrought.





All at once except Anthony and Octauian.




Omnes. Reuenge, Reuenge vpon the murtherers.

Antho. Braue Lords this worthy resolution shewes,

Your deerest loue, and great affection

VVhich to this slaughtered Prince you alwaies bare,   1890

And may like bloudy chance befall my life:

If I be slack for to reuenge his death.

Octa. Now on my Lords, this body lets inter:

Amongest the monuments of Roman Kinges,

And build a Temple to his memory:

Honoring therein his sacred Deity.              Exeunt omnes.




Act IV sc. iii
ACT. 4. SC. 2.



Enter Cassius, and Brutus with an army.




Cassi. Now Romains proud foe, worlds common enemy,

In his greatest hight and chiefest Iollitie,   1900

In the Sacred Senate-house is done to death:

Euen as the Consecrated Oxe which soundes,

At horny alters, in his dying pride:

VVith flowry leaues and gar-lands all bedight,

Stands proudly wayting for the hasted stroke:

Till hee amazed with the dismall sound,

 
Falls to the Earth and staines the holy ground,

The spoyles and riches of the conquered world,

Are now but idle Trophies of his tombe:

His laurell gar-landes do but Crowne his chaire,   1910

His sling, his shilde, and fatall bloudy speare,

VVhich hee in battell oft ’gainst Rome did beare,

Now serue for nought but rusty monuments.

Bru. So Romulus when proud ambition,

His former vertue and renowne had stayned:

Did by the Senators receiue his end,

But soft what boades Titinnius hasting speede.





Enter Titinnius.




Titin. The frantike people and impatient,

By Anthonyes exhorting to reuenge:   1920

Runne madding throw the bloudy streetes of Rome,

Crying Reuenge, and murthering they goe,

All those that caused Cæsars ouerthrowe.

Cassi. The wauering people pytiyng Cæsars death,

Do rage at vs, who fore to winne their weale:

Spare not the danger of our dearest liues,

But since no safety Rome for vs affordes:

Brutus weell hast vs to our Prouinces,

I into Syre, thou into Maccedon,

Where wee will muster vp such martiall bandes,   1930

As shall afright our following enemies.

Bru. In Thessaly weele meete the Enemy,

And in that ground distaynd with Pompeys bloud,

And fruitefull made with Romane massaker,

VVeele either sacrifice our guilty foe,

To appease the furies of these howling Ghostes,

That wander restles through the sliemy ground

Or else that Thessaly bee a common Tombe:

To bury those that fight to infranchize Rome.

Titin. Brauely resolu’d, I see yong Brutus minde,   1940

Strengthned with force of vertues sacred rule:

Contemneth death, and holdes proud chance in scorne.

Bru. I that before fear’d not to do the deede,

Shalt neuer now repent it being done,

 
No more I Fortun’d, like the Roman Lord,

Whose faith brought death yet with immortall fame,

I kisse thee hand for doing such a deede:

And thanke my heart for this so Noble thought,

And blesse the Heauens for fauoring my attempts:

For Noble Rome, and if thou beest not free,   1950

Yet I haue done what euer lay in mee:

And worthy friend as both our thoughts conspired,

And ioyned in vnion to performe this deede,

This acceptable deede to Heauens and Rome,

So lets continue in our high resolue:

And as wee haue with honor thus begunne,

So lets persist, vntill our liues bee done.

Cassi. Then let vs go and with our warlike troopes,

Collected from our seuerall Prouinces,

Make Asia subiect to our Conquering armes.   1960

Brutus thou hast commanded the Illirian bandes:

The feared Celts and Lusitanian horse,

Parthenians proud, and Thrasians borne in warre:

And Macedon yet proud with our old actes,

With all the flowre of Louely Thessaly,

Vnder my warlike collours there shall march:

New come from Syria and from Babilon,

The warlike Mede, and the Arabian Boe,

The Parthian fighting when hee seemes to flie:

Those conquering Gauls that built their seates in Greece,   1970

And all the Costers on the Mirapont.




Act IV  sc. iv
ACT. 3. SCE. I.



Enter Cæsars Ghost.




Gho. Out of the horror of those shady vaultes,

Where Centaurs, Harpies, paynes and furies fell:

And Gods and Ghosts and vgly Gorgons dwell,

My restles soule comes heere to tell his wronges.

Hayle to thy walles, thou pride of all the world,

Thou art the place where whilome in my life.

 
My seat of mounting honour was erected,   1980

And my proud throane that seem’d to check the heauens:

But now my pompe and I are layd more lowe,

With these asosiates of my ouerthrow,

Here ancient Assur and proud Belus lyes,

Ninus the first that sought a Monarches name.

Atrides fierce with the Æacides,

The Greeke Heros, and the Troian flower,

Blood-thirsting Cyrus and the conquering youth:

That sought to fetch his pedegree from Heauen,

Sterne Romulus and proud Tarquinius,   1990

The mighty Sirians and the Ponticke Kings,

A lcides and the stout, Carthagian Lord,

The fatall enemie to the Roman name.

Ambitious Sylla and fierce Marius,

And both the Pompeyes by me don to death,

I am the last not least of the same crue,

Looke on my deeds and say what Cæsar was,

Thessalia, Ægipt, Pontus, Africa,

Spayne Brittaine, Almany and France,

So many a bloody tryall of my worth.   2000

But why doe I my glory thus restraine,

When all the world was but a Charyot,

Wherein I rode Triumphing in my pride?

But what auaylesthis tale of what I was?

Since in my chefest hight Brutus base hand.

With three and twenty wounds my heart did goare,

Giue me my sword and shild Ile be Reueng’d,

My mortall wounding speare and goulden Crest.

I will dishorse my foemen in the field,

Alasse poore Cæsar thou a shadow art,   2010

An ayery substance wanting force and might,

Then will I goe and crie vpon the world,

Exclame on Anthony and Octauian,

Which seeke through discord and discentions broyles,

T’imbrue their weapons in each others blood,

And leaue to execute my iust reuenge,

 
I heare the drummes and bloody Trumpets sound,

O how this sight my greeued soule doth wound,





Enter Anthony, at on dore, Octauian at

another with Souldiers.           2020




Anth. Now martiall friends competitors in armes,

You that will follow Anthony to fight,

Whome stately Rome hath oft her Consull seene,

Grac’d with eternall trophes of renowne,

With Libian triumphes and Iiberian spoyles,

Who scorns to haue his honour now distaind,

Or credit blemisht by a Boyes disgrace,

Prepare your dauntles stomakes to the fight,

Where without striking you shall ouer come.

Octa. Fellowes in war-faire which haue often serued,   2030

Vnder great Cæsar my disceased sier,

And haue return’d the conquerors of the world,

Clad in the Spoyles of all the Orient:

That will not brooke that any Roman Lord,

Should iniure mighty Iulius Cæsars sonne,

Recall your wonted vallour and these hearts,

That neuer entertaynd Ignoble thoughts

And make my first warre-faire and fortunate:

Ant. Stike vp drums, and let your banners flie,

Thus will we set vpon the enemy.   2040

Gho. Cease Drums to strike, and fould your banners vp,

Wake not Bellona with your trumpets Clange,

Nor call vnwilling Mars vnto the field:

See Romaines, see my wounds not yet clos’d vp,

The bleeding monuments of Cæsars wronges.

Haue you so soone for got my life and death?

My life wherein I reard your fortunes vp.

My death wherein my reared fortune fell,

My life admir’d and wondred at of men?

My death which seem’d vnworthy to the Gods,   2050

My life which heap’d on you rewards and gifts,

My death now begges one gift; a iust reueng.

Ant. A Chilly cowld possesseth all my Ioyntes,

 
And pale wan feare doth cease my fainting heart,

Octa. O see how terrible my Fathers lookes?

My haire stands stiffe to see his greisly hue:

Alasse I deare not looke him in the face,

And words do cleaue to my benummed Iawes.

Gho. For shame weake Anthony throw thy weapons downe

Sonne sheath thy sword, not now for to be drawne,   2060

Brutus must feele the heauy stroke thereof:

But if that needes you will into the field,

And that warrs enuie pricks your forward hate.

To slacke your fury with each others blood,

Then forward on to your prepared deaths

Let sad Alecto sound her fearefull trump,

Reueng a rise in lothsome sable weedes,

Light-shining Treasons and vnquenced Hates,

Horror and vgly Murther (nights blacke child,)

Let sterne Mægera on her thundering drumme,   2070

Play gastly musicke to comsort your deathes.

Banner to banner, foote gainst foote opos’d,

Sword against sword, shild gainst shild, and life to life,

Let death goe raginge through your armed rankes,

And load himselfe with heapes of murthered men,

And let Heauens iustice send you all to Hell,

Anth. Shamst thou not Anthony to draw thy sword,

On Cæsars Sonne, for rude rash youth full brawles,

And dost let passe their treason vnrevenged,

That Cæsars life and glory both did end,   2080

Octa. Shame of my selfe, and this intended fight,

Doth make me feare t’ approach his dreadfull sight:

Forgiue my slacknes to reuenge thy wronges,

Pardon my youth that rashly was mislead,

Through vaine ambition for to doe this deed,

Gho. Then ioyne your hands and heare let battle cease,

Chang feare to Ioy, and warre to smooth-fac’t Peace.

Oct. Then Father heere in sight of Heauen and thee,

I giue my hand and heart to Anthony,

Ant. Take likewise mine, the hand that once was vowd’, 2090

 
To bee imbrued in thy luke-warme bloud,

VVhich now shall strike in yong Octauians rights.

Gho. Now sweare by all the Dieties of Heauen,

All Gods and powers you do adore and serue:

For to returne my murther on their cruell head,

Whose trayterous hands my guiltles bloud haue shed.

Anth. Then by the Gods that through the raging waues,

Brought thee braue Troian to old Latium,

And great Quirinus placed now in Heauen:

By the Gradinus that with shield of Brasse,   2100

Defendest Rome, by the ouerburning flames

Of Vesta and Carpeian Towers of Ioue.

Vowes Anthony to quite thy worthy death,

Or in performance loose his vitall breath.

Octa. The like Octauian vowes to Heauen and thee.

Gho. Then go braue warriors with succesfull hap,

Fortune shall waite vpon your rightfull armes,

And courage sparkell, from your Princely eyes,

Dartes of reuenge to daunt your enemies.

Antho. Now with our armies both conioyned in one,   2110

Weele meete the enemy in Macedon:

Æmathian fieldes shall change her flowry greene,

And die proud Flora in a sadder hew:

Siluer Stremonia, whose faire Christall waues,

Once founded great Alcides echoing fame:

When as he slew that fruitefull headed snake,

Which Lerna long-time fostered in her wombe:

Shall in more tragick accentes and sad tunes,

Eccho the terror of thy dismall sight,

Hemus shall fat his barren fieldes with bloud:   2120

And yellow Ceres spring from woundes of men,

The toyling husband-men in time to come,

Shall with his harrow strike on rusty helmes,

And finde, and wonder, at our swordes and speares,

And with his plowe dig vp braue Romans graues:





 
Chor. V
ACT. 5. SCE 1.



Enter Discord.




Dis. The balefull haruest of my ioy, thy woe

Gins ripen Brutus, Heauens commande it so.   2130

Pale sad Auernus opes his yawning Iawes,

Seeking to swallow vp thy murtherous soule,

The furies haue proclaym’d a festiuall:

And meane to day to banquet with thy bloud,

Now Heauens array you in your clowdy weedes:

Wrap vp the beauty of your glorious lamp,

And dreadfull Chaos, of sad drery night,

Thou Sunne that climest vp to the easterne hill:

And in thy Chariot rides with swift steedes drawne,

In thy proud Iollity and radiant glory:   2140

Go back againe and hide thee in the sea,

Darkenesse to day shall couer all the world:

Let no light shine, but what your swords can strike,

From out their steely helmes, and fiery shildes:

Furies, and Ghosts, with your blue-burning lampes,

In mazing terror ride through Roman rankes:

With dread affrighting those stout Champions hearts,

All stygian fiendes now leaue whereas you dwell:

And come into the world and make it hell.





Act. V  sc. i
Enter Cassius, Brutus, Titinnius, Cato Iunior,

with an army marching




Casi. Thus far wee march with vnresisted armes,   2152

Subduing all that did our powres with-stand:

Laodicia whose high reared walles,

Faire Lyeas washeth with her siluer waue:

And that braue monument of Perseus fame,

With Tursos vaild to vs her vanting pride,

Faire Rhodes, I weepe to thinke vpon thy fall;

 
Thou wert to stubberne, else thou still hadst stood,

Inviolate of Cassius hurtles hand,   2160

That was my nurse, where in my youth I drew

The flowing milke of Greekish eloquence:

Proud Capadocia sawe her King captiu’d,

(And Dolabella vanting in the spoyles.

Of slayne Trebonius) fall as springing tree,

Seated in louely Tempes pleasant shades:

Whom beuteous spring with blossoms braue hath deckt,

And sweete Fauonia manteled all in greene,

By winters rage doth loose his flowry pride,

And hath each twigg bar’d by northerne winds.   2170

Thus from the conquest of proud Palestine,

Hether in triumph haue we march’d along,

Making our force-commaunding rule to stretch,

From faire Euphrates christall flowing waues

Vnto the Sea which yet weepes Io’s death,

Slayne by great Hercules repenting hand,

Bru. Of all the places by my sword subdued,

Pitty of thee poore Zanthus moues me most;

Thrise hast thou ben beseeged by thy foe,

And thrise to saue thy liberty hast felt   2180

The fatall flames of thine owne cruell hand.

First being beseeg’d by Harpalus the Mede,

The sterne performer of proud Cyrus wrath:

Next when the Macedonian Phillips sonne,

Did rayse his engines gainst thy battered walls,

Proud Zanthus that did scorne to beare the yoake,

That all the world was forced to sustaine,

Last when that I my selfe did guirt thy walls,

With troopes of high resolued Roman hearts,

Rather then thou wouldest yeeld to Brutus sword,   2190

Or stayne the mayden honour of thy Towne,

Did’st sadly fall as proud Numantia.

Scorning to yeeld to conquering Scipios power.

Cas. And now to thee Phillipi, are wee come,

Whose fields must twise feele Roman cruelty,

And flowing blood like to Dærcean playnes,

 
When proud Eteocles on his foaming steede,

Rides in his fury through the Argean troopes,

Now making great Ærastus giue him way,

Now beating back Tidæus puissant might:   2200

The ground not dry’d from sad Pharsalian blood,

Will now bee turned to a purple lake:

And bleeding heapes and mangled bodyes slayne,

Shall make such hills as shall surpasse in height

The Snowy Alpes and aery Appenines,

Titi. A Scout brought word but now that he descryd,

Warlike Anthonius and young Cæsars troopes,

Marching in fury ouer Thessalian playnes.

As great Gradinus when in angry moode,

He driues his chariot downe from heauens top,   2210

And in his wheels whirleth reueng and death:

Heere by Phillippi they will pich their tents,

And in these fieldes (fatall to Roman liues.)

Hazard the fortune of the doubtfull fight,

Cat. O welcome thou this long expected day,

On which dependeth Romane liberty,

Now Rome thy freedom hangeth in suspence,

And this the day that must assure thy hopes.

Cassi. Great Ioue, and thou Trytonyan warlike Queene:

Arm’d with thy amazing deadly Gorgons head.   2220

Strenghen our armes that fight for Roman welth:

And thou sterne Mars, and Romulus thy Sonne,

Defend that Citty which your selfe begun.

All heauenly powers assist our rightfull armes,

And send downe siluer winged victory,

To crowne with Lawrells our triumphant Crests.

Bru. My minde thats trobled in my vexed soule,

(Opprest with sorrow and with sad dismay,)

Misgiues me this wilbe a heauy day.

Cassi. Why faynt not now in these our last extremes,   2230

This time craues courage not dispayring feare,

Titin. Fie, twill distayne thy former valiant acts.

To say thou faintest now in this last act,

Bru. My mind is heauy, and I know not why,

 
But cruell fate doth sommon me to die,

Cato. Sweet Brute, let not thy words be ominous signes,

Of so mis-fortunnate and sad euent,

Heauen and our Vallour shall vs conquerours make.

Cassi. What Bastard feare hath taunted our dead hearts,

Or what vnglorious vnwounted thought,   2240

Hath changed the vallour of our daunted mindes.

What are our armes growne weaker then they were?

Cannot this hand that was proud Cæsars death,

Send all Cæsarians headlong that same path?

Looke how our troups in Sun-bright armes do shine,

With vaunting plumes and dreadfull brauery.

The wrathful steedes do check their iron bits,

And with a well grac’d terror strike the ground,

And keeping times in warres sad harmony.

And then hath Brutus any cause to feare,   2250

My selfe like valiant Peleus worthy Sonne,

The Noblest wight that eur Troy beheld,

Shall of the aduerse troopes such hauock make,

As sad Phillipi shall in blood bewayle,

The cruell massacre of Cassius sword,

And then hath Brutus any cause to feare?

Bru. No outward shewes of puissance or of strength,

Can helpe a minde dismayed inwardly,

Leaue me sweete Lordes a while vnto my selfe.

Cassi. In the meane time take order for the fight,   2260

Drums let your fearefull mazing thunder playe.

And with their sound peirce Heauens brazen Towers,

And all the earth fill with like fearefull noyse,

As when that Boreas from his Iron caue.

With boysterous furyes Striuing in the waues,

Comes swelling forth to meet his blustering foe,

They both doe runne with feerce tempestuous rage,

And heaues vp mountaynes of the watry waues.

The God Oceanus trembles at the stroke,

Bru. What hatefull furyes vex my tortured mind?   2270

What hideous sightes appalle my greeued soule,

As when Orestes after mother slaine.

 
Not being yet at Scithians Alters purged,

Behould the greesly visages of fiends.

And gastly furies which did haunt his steps,

Cæsar vpbraues my sad ingratitude,

He saued my life in sad Pharsalian fieldes,

That I in Senate house might worke his death.

O this remembrance now doth wound my soule,

More then my poniard did his bleeding heart,   2280





Enter Ghost.




Gho. Brutus, ingratefull Brutus seest thou mee:

Anon In field againe thou shalt me see,

Bru. Stay what so ere thou art, or fiend below,

Rays’d from the deepe by inchanters bloody call,

Or fury sent from Phlegitonticke flames,

Or from Cocytus for to end my life,

Be then Megera or Tysiphone,

Or of Eumenides ill boading crue.

Fly me not now, but end my wretched life,   2290

Comegreesly messenger of sad mishap,

Trample in blood of him that hates to liue,

And end my life and sorrow all at once.

Gho. Accursed traytor damned Homicide,

Knowest thou not me, to whome for forty honors:

Thou three and twenty Gastly wounds didst giue?

Now dare no more for to behould the Heauens,

For they to Day haue destyned thine end:

Nor lift thy eyes vnto the rising sunne,

That nere shall liue for to behould it set,   2300

Nor looke not downe vnto the Hellish shades,

There stand the furyes thursting for thy blood,

Flie to the field but if thou thither go’st,

There Anthonyes sword will peirce thy trayterous heart.

Brutus to daie my blood shalbe reuenged,

And for my wrong and vndeserued death,

Thy life to thee a torture shall become,

And thou shalt oft amongest the dying grones,

Of slaughtered men that bite the bleeding earth.

 
Wish that like balefull cheere might thee befall,   2310

And seeke for death that flies so wretched wight,

Vntill to shunne the honour of the fight,

And dreadfull vengeance of supernall ire.

Thine owne right hand shall worke my wish’d reueng,

And so Fare ill, hated of Heauen and Men.

Bru. Stay Cæsar stay, protract my greife no longer,

Rip vp my bowells glut thy thirsting throte,

With pleasing blood of Cæsars guilty heart:

But see hee’s gon, and yonder Murther stands:

See how he poynts his knife vnto my hart.   2320

Althea raueth for her murthered Sonne,

And weepes the deed that she her-selfe hath done:

And Meleager would thou liuedst againe,

But death must expiate. Altheas come.

I, death the guerdon that my deeds deserue:

The drums do thunder forth dismay and feare,

And dismall triumphes found my fatall knell,

Furyes I come to meete you all in Hell,





Act V  sc. ii
Enter Cato wounded.




Cato. Bloodles and faynt; Cato yeelde vp thy breath;

While strength and vigour in these armes remaynd,   2331

And made me able for to wield my sword,

So long I fought; and sweet Rome for thy sake

Fear’d not effusion of my blood to make.

But now my strength and life doth fayle at once,

My vigor leaues my could and feeble Ioynts,

And I my sad soule, must power forth in blood.

O vertue whome Phylosophy extols.

Thou art no essence but a naked name,

Bond-slaue to Fortune, weake, and of no power,   2340

To succor them which alwaies honourd thee:

Witnesse my Fathers and mine owne sad death,

Who for our country spent our latest breath:

But oh the chaines of death do hold my toung,

Mine eyes wax dim I faynt, I faynt, I die.

O Heauens help Rome in this extremity.





 
Act V  sc. iii
Cass. Where shall I goe to tell the saddest tale,

That ere the Romane toung was forc’d to speake,

Rome is ouerthrowne, and all that for her fought:

This Sunne that now hath seen so many deaths,   2350

When from the Sea he heaued his cloudy head,

Then both the armes full of hope and feare,

Did waite the dreadfull trumpets fatall sound,

And straight Reuenge from Stygian bands let loose,

Possessed had all hearts and banished thence,

Feare of their children, wife and little home.

Countryes remembrance, and had quite expeld,

With last departed care of life it selfe:

Anger did sparkell from our beautious eyes,

Our trembling feare did make our helmes to shake,   2360

The horse had now put on the riders wrath,

And with his hoofes did strike the trembling earth,

When Echalarian soundes then both gin meete:

Both like enraged, and now the dust gins rise,

And Earth doth emulate the Heauens cloudes,

Then yet beutyous was the face of cruell war:

And goodly terror it might seeme to be,

Faire shieldes, gay swords, and goulden crests did shine.

Their spangled plumes did dance for Iolity,

As nothing priuy to their Masters feare,   2370

But quickly rage and cruell Mars had staynd,

This shining glory with a sadder hew,

A cloud of dartes that darkened Heauens light,

Horror insteed of beauty did suceede.

And her bright armes with dust and blood were foyld:

Now Lucius fals, heare Drusus takes his end,

Here lies Hortensius, weltring in his goare.

Here, there, and euery where men fall and die,

Yet Cassius shew not that thy heart doth faynt:

But to the last gasp for Romains freedom fight,   2380

And when sad death shall be thy labors end,

Yet boast thy life thou didst for Country spend.





Act V  sc. iv
Enter Anthony.




Ant. Queene of Reuenge imperious Nemesis,

 
That in the wrinkels of thine angry browes,

Wrapst dreadfull vengance and pale fright-full death:

Raine downe the bloudy showers of thy reuenge,

And make our swordes the fatall instruments,

To execute thy furious bale-full Ire,

Let grim death seate her on my Lances point,   2390

Which percing the weake armour of my foes,

Shall lodge her there within there coward brestes,

Dread, horror, vengance, death, and bloudy hate:

In this sad fight my murthering sworde awaite.           Exit





Act V  sc. v
Enter Titinnius.




Titin. Where may I flie from this accursed soyle,

Or shunne the horror of this dismall day:

The Heauens are colour’d in mourning sable weedes,

The Sunne doth hide his face, and feares to see,

This bloudy conflict; sad Catastrophe,   2400

Nothing but grones of dying men are heard:

Nothing but bloud and slaughter may bee seene

And death, the same in sundry shapes araied.





Enter Cassius.




Casi. In vaine, in vaine, O Cassius all in vaine,

Tis Heauen and destiny thou striuest against.

Titin. VVhat better hope or more accepted tydinges,

Ist Noble Cassius from the Battell bringes?

Cassi. This haples hope that fates decreed haue,

Philippi field must bee our haples graue.   2410

Titin. And then must this accurs’d and fatall day,

End both our liues and Romane liberty:

Must now the name of freedome bee forgot,

And all Romes glory in Thessalia end?

Casi. As those that lost in boysterous troublous seas,

Beaten with rage of Billowes stormy strife:

And without starres do sayle ’gainst starres and winde.

In drery darkenesse and in chereles night,

Without or hope or comfort endles are:

So are my thoughts deiected with dismay,   2420

Which can nought looke for but poore Romes decay.

But yet did Brutus liue, did hee but breath?

 
Or lay not slumbering in eternall night,

His welfare might infuse some hope, or life:

Or at the least bring death with more content:

Weried I am through labour of the fight:

Then sweete Titinnius, range thou through the fielde,

And either glad me with my friends successe,

Or quickly tell mee what my care doth feare:

How breathles hee vpon the ground doth lie,   2430

That at thy words, I may fall downe and die.

Titin. Cassius, I goe to seeke thy Noble friend,

Heauen grant my goings haue a prosperous end.

Cassi. O go Titinnius, and till thy returne,

Heere will I sit disconsolate alone,

Romes sad mishap, and mine owne woes to moone:

O ten times treble fortunate were you,

VVhich in Pharsalias bloudy conflict dyed,

VVith those braue Lords, now layed in bed of fame:

VVhich neere protected their most blessed dayes,   2440

To see the horror of this dismall fight,

VVhy died I not in those Æmathian playnes,

VVhere great Domitius fell by Cæsars hand?

And swift Eurypus downe his bloudy streame

Bare shieldes and helmes and traines of slaughter’d men,

But Heauens reserud mee to this luckles day,

To see my Countries fall and friends decay.

But why doth not Titinnius yet returne?

My trembling heart misgiues me what’s befalne,

Brutus is dead: I: herke how willingly   2450

The Ecco itterates those deadly words,

The whisling windes with their mourning sound

Do fill mine eares with noyse of Brutus death,

The birdes now chanting a more cheerles lay,

In dolefull notes recorde my friends decay.

And Philomela now forgets old wronges,

And onely Brutus wayleth in her songes.

I heare some noyse, O tis Titinnius,

No tis not hee, for hee doth feare to wound,

My greeued eares with that hearts-thrilling sound.   2460

 
Why dost thou feed my thoughts with lingering hope?

Why dost thou then prolong my life in vayne?

Tell me my sentence and so end my payne:

He comes not yet, nor yet, nor will at all,

Linger not Cassius for to heare reply,

What if he come and tels me hee is slayne?

That only will increase my dying paine,

Brutus I come to company thy soule,

Which by Cocytus wandreth all alone.

Brutus I come prepare to meete thy friend 2470

Thy Brothers fall procures this balefull end.





Enter Titinius.




Titi. Brutus doth liue and like a second Mars,

Rageth in heate of fury mongest his foes,

Then cheere thee Cassius, loe I bring releefe.

And news of power to ease thy stormy greefe,

But see where Cassius weltreth in his blood,

Doth beate the Earth, and yet not fully dead.

O Cassius speake, O speake to me sweet friend,

Brutus doth liue; open thy dying eyes,   2480

And looke on him that hope and comfort rings.
 
O noe, hee will not looke on mee but cryes,

That by my long delayes he haples dies:

Accursed villaine murtherer of thy friend,

Why hath thy lingering thus wrought Cassius end,

How cold thy care was to preuent this deed,

How slow thy loue that made no greater speed,

Care winged is, and burning loue can flye,

My care was feareles, loue but flattery,

But sithence in my life my loue was neuer shewne,   2490

Now in my death Ile make it to be knowne.

Accursed weapon that such blood could spil,

Nay cursed then the author of this deed,

Yet both offended, both shall punished be,

Ile take reueng of the knife, the knife of me,

It shall make a passage for my life to passe,

Cause through my life his master murthered was.

And I on it againe will venged bee.

 
Cause it did worke my Cassius tragedy.

Then this reueng shalbe to end my life. 2500

Mine to distayne with baser blood the knife.





Enter Brutus the Ghost following him.




Bru. What doest thou still persue me vgly fend,

Is this it that thou thirsted for so much?

Come with thy tearing clawes and rend it out,

Would thy appeaseles rage be slacked with blood,

This sword to day hath crimsen channels made,

But heare’s the blood that thou woulds drinke so fayne,

Then take this percer, broch this trayterous heart.

Or if thou thinkest death to small a payne,   2510

Drag downe this body to proud Erebus,

Through black Cocytus and infernall Styx,

Lethean waues, and fiers of Phlegeton,

Boyle me or burne, teare my hatefull flesh,

Deuoure, consume, pull, pinch, plague, paine this hart,

Hell craues her right, and heere the furyes stand,

And all the hell-hounds compasse me a round

Each seeking for a parte of this same prey,

Alasse this body is leane, thin, pale and wan,

Nor can it all your hungery mouthes suffice,   2520

O tis the soule that they stand gaping for,

And cndlesse matter for to prey vpon.

Renewed still as Titius pricked heart.

Then clap your hands, let Hell with Ioy resound?

Here it comes flying through this aery round.

Gho. Hell take their hearts, that this ill deed haue done

And vengeance follow till they be ouercome:

Nor liue t’applaud the iustice of this deed.

Murther by her owne guilty hand doth bleed.





Enter Discord.




Dis. I, now my longing hopes haue their desire,   2531

The world is nothing but a massie heape:

Of bodys slayne, The Sea a lake of blood,

The Furies that for slaughter only thirst,

Are with these Massakers and slaughters cloyde,

Tysiphones pale, and Megeras thin face,

 
Is now puft vp, and swolne with quaffing blood,

Caron that vsed but an old rotten boate

Must nowe a nauie rigg for to transport,

The howling soules, vnto the Stigian stronde.   2540

Hell and Elisium must be digd in one,

And both will be to litle to contayne,

Numberles numbers of afflicted ghostes,

That I my selfe haue tumbling thither sent.

Gho. Now nights pale daughter since thy bloody ioyes,

And my reuengfull thirst fulfilled are,

Doe thou applaud what iustly heauens haue wrought,

While murther on the murtherers head is brought.

Dis. Cæsar I pitied not thy Tragick end:

Nor tyrants daggers sticking in thy heart,   2550

Nor doe I that thy deaths with like repayd,

But that thy death so many deaths hath made:

Now cloyde with blood, Ile hye me downe below,

And laugh to thinke I caused such endlesse woe.

Gho. Sith my reueng is full accomplished,

And my deaths causers by them selues are slaine,

I will descend to mine eternall home,

Where euerlastingly my quiet soule,

The sweete Elysium pleasure shall inioy,

And walke those fragrant flowry fields at rest:   2560

To which nor fayre Adonis bower so rare,

Nor old Alcinous gardens may compare.

There that same gentle father of the spring,

Mild Zephirus doth Odours breath diuine:

Clothing the earth in painted brauery,

The which nor winters rage, nor Scorching heate,

Or Summers sunne can make it fall or fade,

There with the mighty champions of old time,

And great Heroes of the Goulden age,

My dateles houres Ile spend in lasting ioy.




FINIS.