ページの画像
PDF
ePub

him; for they were all persuaded that his intent was good. Now, whilst Brutus and Cassius were together in the city of Smyrna, Brutus prayed Cassius to let him have some part of his money, whereof he had great store, because all that he could rap and rend of his side, he bestowed in making so great a number of ships, that by reason of them they should keep the sea at their commandment. Cassius' friends hindered this request, and earnestly dissuaded him from it, persuading that it was no reason that Brutus should have the money which Cassius had got together by sparing, and levied with great evil will of the people, their subjects, for him to bestow liberally upon his soldiers, and by this means to win their good-wills, by Cassius' charge.

Brutus sent to pray Cassius to come to the city of Sardis, and so he did. Brutus understanding of his coming went to meet him, with all his friends. There both the armies being arrived, they called them both Emperors.* Now, as it commonly happens in great affairs between two persons, both of them having many friends, and so many captains under them, there ran tales and complaints betwixt them; therefore, before they fell in hand on any other matter, they went into a little chamber together, and bade every man avoid, and did shut the doors to them. Then they began to pour out their complaints one to the other, and grew hot and loud, earnestly accusing

* Imperator.

one another, and at length fell both a weeping, Their friends that were without the chamber, hearing them loud within, and angry between themselves, they were both amazed and afraid also, lest it would grow to further matter, but yet they were commanded that no man should come to them.

The next day after, Brutus, upon the complaint of the Sardians, did condemn and note Lucius Pella, for a defamed person, that had been a prætor of the Romans, and whom Brutus had given charge unto; for that he was accused and convicted of robbery, and pilfering in his office. This judgment much misliked Cassius, because he himself had secretly, not many days before, warned two of his friends attained and convicted of the like offences, and openly had cleared them, but yet he did not lean to employ them in any manner of service as he did before. And therefore he greatly reproved Brutus for that he would show himself so straight and severe, in such a time as was meeter to bear a little than to take things at the worst. Brutus in contrary manner answered, that he should remember the Ides of March, at which time they killed Julius Cæsar, who neither pilled nor polled the country, but only was a favourer and suborner of all them that did rob and spoil, by his countenance and authority. And if there were any occasion wherein they might honestly set aside justice and equity, they should have had more reason to have suffered Cæsar's friends to have

robbed and done what injury they would, than to bear with their own men. For then, said he, they could but have said they had been cowards, but now they may accuse us of injustice, besides the pains we take, and the danger we put ourselves into."

Shakspeare has wrought up these materials into an admirable scene; * in which, while some of the speeches are almost copied from Plutarch, the interest and feeling of the dialogue are much heightened by some slight touches of the poet's hand, and these are in no way inconsistent with the characters which history has assigned to Brutus and Cassius:

"Remember March, the Ides of March remember!
Did not great Julius bleed for justice sake?
What villain touch'd his body that did stab
And not for justice? What shall one of us
That struck the foremost man in all the world,
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes ?

And sell the mighty space of our large honours,
For so much trash as may be grasped thus ?

I'd rather be a dog and bay the moon

Than such a Roman !

Again

There is no terror, Cassius, in thy threats,

For I am armed so strong in honesty,

*Activ. Sc. 3.

That they pass by me, as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you deny'd me;
For I can raise no money by vile means:

By Heaven, I had rather coin my heart

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash By any indirection.

Cass.

Brutus hath riv'd my heart.
A friend should bear a friend's infirmities,
And Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
You love me not.

Bru. I do not like your faults.

Cas. A friendly eye could never see such faults. Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear As high as huge Olympus.

Cass. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come; Revenge yourself alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is a-weary of the world:

Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother, Check'd like a bondman, all his faults observ'd, Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote, To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

My spirit from my eyes!"

(Cassius offers his breast.)

Strike, as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,

When thou did'st hate him worst, thou lov❜dst

him better

Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.

Bru.

Sheath your dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
O, Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger, as the flint bears fire;
Who, much enforced, shews a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

Cass. Hath Cassius liv'd

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
Bru. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
Cass. Do you confess so much? Give me your
hand.

Bru. And my heart too.

Cass. O, Brutus !

Bru. What's the matter?

Cass. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humour which my mother gave me, Makes me forgetful?

Bru. Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth, When you are over-earnest with your Brutus, I'll think your mother chides, and leave you so." The interruption by a cynical poet is from Plutarch; and so Portia's suicide by swallowing fire, but not the stoical indifference with which Brutus hears the news of her death.*

The appearance of Cæsar's ghost, and other

It is not quite intelligible in the play. First, Brutus tells Cassius of his wife's death; and presently it is broken to him by Messala.

« 前へ次へ »