Bru.

Farewell, every one.
[Exeunt all but BRUTUS.

Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown.

Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument? Luc. Here in the tent.

Bru.

What, thou speak'st drowsily?

Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'erwatched.
Call Claudius and some other of my men;

I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
Luc. Varro and Claudius!

Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS.

Var. Calls my lord?

Bru. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;

It may be I shall raise you by and by
On business to my brother Cassius.

Var. So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.
Bru. I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;

It may

be I shall otherwise bethink me.

Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;

I put it in the pocket of my gown.

[VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down.

Luc. I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

Bru. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.

243. knave, boy. Cf. Ger. Knabe.

257. Bear with me. Brutus has evidently charged Lucius with misplacing the book. He begs the boy's pardon. The almost womanly sympathy shown to the tired boy becomes very touching when we consider the "many griefs" with which his own heart is sick.

240

245

250

255

Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, And touch thy instrument a strain or two? Luc. Ay, my lord, an't please you.

Bru.

It does, my boy:

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
Luc. It is my duty, sir.

Bru. I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
I know young bloods look for a time of rest.

Luc. I have slept, my lord, already.

Bru. It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
I will not hold thee long: if I do live,

I will be good to thee.

[Music, and a song.

This is a sleepy tune. O murd'rous slumber,
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:
If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down
Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.

Enter the Ghost of CAESAR.

How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me.
Art thou any thing?

Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,

267. I will not hold thee, i. e., as a slave.

270. Lay'st thou thy leaden mace. The figure is taken from the old custom of touching a man with the mace in token of arrest. Why "leaden"?

277. How ill this taper burns. It was an old belief that at the approach of a spirit the lights burned blue.

281. Art thou some god, etc. Apparently, at this first appearance of the ghost, Brutus does not recognize it as Caesar's, though he does so at

260

265

270

975

280

That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare?

Speak to me what thou art.

Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Bru.

Why com'st thou?

285

Ghost. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

Bru. Well; then I shall see thee again?

Ghost. Ay, at Philippi.

Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.

Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:

[Exit GHOST.

Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake!
Claudius!

Luc. The strings, my lord, are false.

Bru. He thinks he still is at his instrument.

290

Lucius, awake!

Luc. My lord?

Bru. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Luc. My lord, 1 do not know that I did cry.

295

Bru. Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?

Luc. Nothing, my lord.

300

Bru. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!

Var. My lord?

[To VARRO.] Fellow thou, awake!

Clau. My lord?

Bru. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
Var. Clau. Did we, my lord?

Bru.

305

Ay; saw you any thing?

Nor I, my lord.

Var. No, my lord, I saw nothing.
Clau.

Philippi (V. v., 17-19). Plutarch does not state that the apparition was a "ghost" of any one, though he connects its appearance with the gods' displeasure at the killing of Caesar. He calls it "a horrible vision of a man, of a wonderful greatness and dreadful look."

Bru. Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
Bid him set on his powers betimes before,

And we will follow.

Var. Clau.

It shall be done, my lord.

810

[Exeunt.

ACT FIFTH.

SCENE I. The plains of Philippi.

Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their Army.

Oct. Now, Antony, our hopes are answered.
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions;

This map will help one to follow the incidents of the last Act. We may suppose that Scene i. took place about midway between the opposing armies, perhaps on the banks of the river; Scene ii., beyond the river from Brutus's camp; Scenes iii., iv., and v., on and near the larger hill behind Cassius's camp. An intrenchment connected the camps of Brutus and Cassius.

1-6. Brutus and Cassius have marched north, crossed the Hellespont,