JULIUS CAESAR

Act 5 Scene 5

(Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius)
l1l	Brutus	 Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.
		(He sits. Strato rests and falls asleep)
l2l	Clitus	 Statillius showed the torchlight, but, my lord,
l3l		He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain.
l4l	Brutus	Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word:
l5l		It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
		(He whispers)
l6l	Clitus	 What I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
l7l	Brutus	Peace, then, no words.
	Clitus	I’ll rather kill myself.
		(He stands apart)
l8l	Brutus	 Hark thee, Dardanius.
		(He whispers)
		
	Dardanius	 Shall I do such a deed?
		(He joins Clitus)
l9l	Clitus	 O Dardanius!
l10l	Dardanius	O Clitus!
l11l	Clitus	What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
l12l	Dardanius	To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
l13l	Clitus	Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
l14l		That it runs over even at his eyes.
l15l	Brutus	Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word.
l16l	Volumnius	What says my lord?
	Brutus	Why this, Volumnius.
l17l		The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me
l18l		Two several times by night—at Sardis once,
l19l		And this last night, here in Philippi fields.
l20l		I know my hour is come.
	Volumnius	Not so, my lord.
l21l	Brutus	Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
l22l		Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.
l23l		Our enemies have beat us to the pit,
		(Low alarums)
l24l		It is more worthy to leap in ourselves
l25l		Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
l26l		Thou know’st that we two went to school together.
l27l		Even for that, our love of old, I prithee,
l28l		Hold thou my sword hilts whilst I run on it.
l29l	Volumnius	That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
		( 29 Alarum still)
l30l	Clitus	 Fly, fly, my lord! There is no tarrying here.
l31l	Brutus	Farewell to you, and you, and you, Volumnius.—
l32l		Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep.
		(Strato wakes)
l33l		Farewell to thee too, Strato. Countrymen,
l34l		My heart doth joy that yet in all my life
l35l		I found no man but he was true to me.
l36l		I shall have glory by this losing day,
l37l		More than Octavius and Mark Antony
l38l		By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
l39l		So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue
l40l		Hath almost ended his life’s history.
l41l		Night hangs upon mine eyes. My bones would rest,
l42l		That have but laboured to attain this hour.
		(Alarum. Cry within: `Fly, fly, fly!")
l43l	Clitus	 Fly, my lord, fly!
	Brutus	Hence# I will follow.
		(Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius)
l44l		I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.
l45l		Thou art a fellow of a good respect.
l46l		Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it.
l47l		Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face
l48l		While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
l49l	Strato	Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
l50l	Brutus	Farewell, good Strato.
		(Strato holds the sword, while Brutus runs on it)
		 Caesar, now be still.
l51l		I killed not thee with half so good a will.
		(He dies)
l52l		(Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucillius, and the army)
		Octavius	 What man is that?
l53l	Messala	My master’s man. Strato, where is thy master?
l54l	Strato	Free from the bondage you are in, Messala.
l55l		The conquerors can but make a fire of him,
l56l		For Brutus only overcame himself,
l57l		And no man else hath honour by his death.
l58l	Lucillius	So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,
l59l		That thou hast proved Lucillius’ saying true.
l60l	Octavius	All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.
l61l		(To Strato)
		 Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
l62l	Strato	Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
l63l	Octavius	Do so, good Messala.
	Messala	How died my master, Strato?
l64l	Strato	I held the sword, and he did run on it.
l65l	Messala	Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
l66l		That did the latest service to my master.
l67l	Antony	This was the noblest Roman of them all.
l68l		All the conspirators save only he
l69l		Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.
l70l		He only in a general honest thought
l71l		And common good to all made one of them.
l72l		His life was gentle, and the elements
l73l		So mixed in him that nature might stand up
l74l		And say to all the world “This was a man”.
l75l	Octavius	According to his virtue let us use him,
l76l		With all respect and rites of burial.
l77l		Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
l78l		Most like a soldier, ordered honourably.
l79l		So call the field to rest, and let’s away
l80l		To part the glories of this happy day.
		(Exeunt with Brutus' body)