The New Hudson Shakespeare · William Shakespeare
SCENE III. _Another part of the field_
_Alarums. Enter_ CASSIUS _and_ TITINIUS CASSIUS. O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly! Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy. This ensign here of mine was turning back; I slew the coward, and did take it from him. TITINIUS. O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early; 5 Who, having some advantage on Octavius, Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil, Whilst we by Antony are all enclos'd. _Enter_ PINDARUS PINDARUS. Fly further off, my lord, fly further off; Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord: 10 Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off. CASSIUS. This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius; Are those my tents where I perceive the fire? [Note: SCENE III Capell | Scene continued in Pope.] [Note 3: 'Ensign' was used in the Elizabethan time, as it is still, either for the flag (cf. V, i, 80) or for the bearer of it: here it is used for both at once. Cf. the form 'ancient,' _Othello_, I, i, 33. It was in killing the cowardly ensign that Cassius "to his own turn'd enemy."] [Page 154] TITINIUS. They are, my lord. CASSIUS. Titinius, if thou lovest me, Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him, 15 Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops, And here again; that I may rest assur'd Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
PINDARUS _descends_ Come hither, sirrah: In Parthia did I take thee prisoner; And then I swore thee, saving of thy life, That whatsoever I did bid thee do, Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath; 40 Now be a freeman; and with this good sword, That ran through Cæsar's bowels, search this bosom. Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts; And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now, Guide thou the sword. [PINDARUS _stabs him_] Cæsar, thou art reveng'd, 45 Even with the sword that kill'd thee. [_Dies_] PINDARUS. So, I am free; yet would not so have been, Durst I have done my will. O Cassius! Far from this country Pindarus shall run, 49 Where never Roman shall take note of him. [_Exit_] [Note 36: PINDARUS _descends_ Dyce | Enter Pindarus Ff.] [Note 36-37: One line in Ff.] [Note 45: [PINDARUS ...] | F1 omits | kills him F2 F3 F4 (after l. 46).] [Note 46: [_Dies_] Capell | Ff omit.] [Note 47: Two lines in Ff.] [Note 50: [_Exit_] Rowe | Ff omit.] [Note 38: /saving of thy life:/ when I saved thy life. The usual interpretation, but 'saving' may qualify 'Thou' in l. 40, and then the expression would mean, 'Except for endangering thy life.'] [Note 43: /hilts./ Shakespeare uses both the singular and the plural form of this word to describe a single weapon, the plural more often.]
MESSALA. Where did you leave him? TITINIUS. All disconsolate, 55 With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill. MESSALA. Is not that he that lies upon the ground? TITINIUS. He lies not like the living. O my heart! MESSALA. Is not that he? TITINIUS. No, this was he, Messala, But Cassius is no more. O setting sun, 60 As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, So in his red blood Cassius' day is set; The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone; Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done! Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. 65 [Note 51: Scene V Pope.--_Re-enter_ ..., _with_ Capell | Enter ... and ... Ff.] [Note 61: /to night/ Ff | to-night Knight.] [Note 62: /is set/ F1 | it set F2 F3 F4.] [Note 63: sun | Sunne F1 | Sonne F2 | Son F3 F4.] [Note 51: /change:/ interchange of loss and gain in the fight.] [Note 60-62: Cf. _Troilus and Cressida_, V, viii, 5-8.] [Page 157] MESSALA. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful error, melancholy's child, Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men The things that are not? O error, soon conceiv'd, Thou never com'st unto a happy birth, 70 But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!
TITINIUS. What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus? MESSALA. Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears: I may say, 'thrusting' it; 75 For piercing steel and darts envenomed Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus As tidings of this sight. TITINIUS. Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. [_Exit_ MESSALA] Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? 80 Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they Put on my brows this wreath of victory, And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts? Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing! But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 85 Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace, And see how I regarded Caius Cassius. By your leave, gods: this is a Roman's part: 89 Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart. [_Dies_] [Note 71: /engender'd/ | engendred Ff.] [Note 79: [_Exit_ MESSALA] | Ff omit.] [Note 67-69. Cassius is said to have been of a highly choleric or bilious temperament, and as such, predisposed to melancholy views of life.] [Note 90: "By-and-by they knew the horsemen that came towards them, and might see Titinius crowned with a garland of triumph, who came before with great speed unto Cassius. But when he perceived, by the cries and tears of his friends which tormented themselves, the misfortune that had chanced to his captain Cassius by mistaking, he drew out his sword, cursing himself a thousand times that he had tarried so long, and so slew himself presently in the field. Brutus in the meantime came forward still, and understood also that Cassius had been overthrown; but he knew nothing of his death till he came very near to his camp."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]
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