The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (905 page)

Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;


Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord:


Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far' off.

You must flee, my lord, go away. Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord. You must leave.

Cassius

This hill is far enough.--Look, look, Titinius;


Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?

I will go to the hills. Are those my tents over there where I see fire?

Titinius

They are, my lord.

They are, my lord.

Cassius

Titinius, if thou lovest me,


Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him,


Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops


And here again; that I may rest assured


Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

Titinius, if you love me, get on my horse and spur him until he has taken you up to the troops and back again, so I may know if the troops are friend or enemy.

Titinius

I will be here again, even with a thought.

I will be right back.

Exit.

Cassius

Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill:


My sight was ever thick: regard Titinius,


And tell me what thou notest about the field.--

Pindarus, get higher on that hill and watch Titinius. Tell me what you see on the battlefield.

Pindarus ascends the hill.

This day I breathed first: time is come round,


And where I did begin, there shall I end;


My life is run his compass.--Sirrah, what news?

This is the first and last day I will breathe. My life has run its course. What news, sir?

Pindarus

Above.

O my lord!

Oh, my lord!

Cassius

What news?

What is it?

Pindarus

Above.

Titinius is enclosed round about


With horsemen, that make to him on the spur:


Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.--


Now, Titinius!--Now some 'light. O, he 'lights too:


He's ta'en; [Shout.] and, hark! they shout for joy.

Titinius is surrounded by men who are chasing him. They are almost on him. Now, Titinius is getting down. They have taken him.

Shout!

They are shouting for joy.

Cassius

Come down; behold no more.--


O, coward that I am, to live so long,


To see my best friend ta'en before my face!

Come down. Don’t look anymore. Oh, I am such a coward to watch my best friend be taken before my eyes!

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;


Now be a freeman; and with this good sword,


That ran through Caesar'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.--Caesar, thou art revenged,


Even with the sword that kill'd thee.

Come here, sir. I took you prisoner in Parthia, and I swore after I saved your life you had to do whatever I asked. It’s time to keep that oath. Be a freeman and with this sword that killed Caesar, stab me in the heart. Don’t stand there. Take it, and when my face is covered, do it.

Pindarus stabs him.

Caesar, you are revenged with the sword that killed you.

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,


Where never Roman shall take note of him.

So, I am free, but I wouldn’t be if I had way. Oh, Cassius, I am going to run far from here where no Roman can find me.

Exit.

Re-enter Titinius with Messala.

Messala

It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius


Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,


As Cassius' legions are by Antony.

Octavius is overthrown and Antony took Cassius’s men.

Titinius

These tidings would well comfort Cassius.

Cassius will be comforted by this message.

Messala

Where did you leave him?

Where did you leave him?

Titinius

All disconsolate,


With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.

He was here on this hill with his slave, Pindarus.

Messala

Is not that he that lies upon the ground?

Isn’t that him on the ground?

Titinius

He lies not like the living. O my heart!

He doesn’t look alive. Oh, my heart!

Messala

Is not that he?

Isn’t that him?

Titinius

No, this was he, Messala,


But Cassius is no more.--O setting Sun,


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.

Yes, this is him, Messala. Cassius’s life is over like the setting sun, spreading its red light over the earth. Our day is gone and our deeds are done. He didn’t believe I would make it.

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 conceived,


Thou never comest unto a happy birth,


But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!

He didn’t think you would succeed and his error has cost him his life. Why do men always imagine the worst?

Titinius

What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?

Where is Pindarus? Pindarus!

Messala

Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet


The noble Brutus, thrusting this report


Into his ears: I may say, thrusting it;


For piercing steel and darts envenomed


Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus


As tidings of this sight.

Look for him, Titinius, while I go meet Brutus and tell him what has happened. Brutus is not going to like hearing this.

Titinius

Hie you, Messala,


And I will seek for Pindarus the while.--

Hurry, Messala, and I will look for Pindarus.

Exit Messala.

Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?


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;


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:


Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.

Why did you send me, brave Cassius? Didn’t I meet your friends who gave me this wreath of victory to give to you? Didn’t you hear the cheering? You misunderstood everything! But, take this wreath and wear it like Brutus wanted, so he can see I followed orders. Now, by the gods, I am taking your sword to find my heart.

Kills himself.

Alarms. Re-enter Messala with Brutus, Cato, Strato, Volumnius and Lucilius.

Brutus

Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?

Where, Messala, is his body?

Messala

Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.

Over there, with Titinius mourning over it.

Brutus

Titinius' face is upward.

Titinius is lying face up.

Cato

He is slain.

He is dead.

Brutus

O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!


Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords


In our own proper entrails.

Oh, Julius Caesar, you are still mighty! Your spirit walks around and turns our swords against us.

Low alarms.

Cato

Brave Titinius!


Look whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!

Brave Titinius! See if he crowned Cassius.

Brutus

Are yet two Romans living such as these?--


The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!


It is impossible that ever Rome


Should breed thy fellow.--Friends, I owe more tears


To this dead man than you shall see me pay.--


I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.--


Come therefore, and to Thassos send his body:


His funerals shall not be in our camp,


Lest it discomfort us.--Lucilius, come;--


And come, young Cato;--let us to the field.--


Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on:--


'Tis three o'clock; and Romans, yet ere night


We shall try fortune in a second fight.

Are there two Romans alive like these? They were the last of their kind. Friends, I should cry, but I will not. Cassius, I will find time to mourn you. Send his body to Thasos for the funeral. We don’t want to have it in the camp. Lucilius and young Cato, let’s go back to the battlefield. Laveo and Flavius get ready to fight. We will try a second time to triumph.

Exit.

Alarm. Enter fighting soldiers of both armies, then Brutus, Cato, Lucilius, and others.

Brutus