The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Part 46

Ca.s.sIUS. Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill; 20 My sight was ever thick; regard t.i.tinius, And tell me what thou not'st about the field.

[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 compa.s.s. Sirrah, what news? 25

PINDARUS. [_Above_] O my lord!

Ca.s.sIUS. What news?

PINDARUS. [_Above_] t.i.tinius is enclosed round about With hors.e.m.e.n, that make to him on the spur; Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him. 30 Now, t.i.tinius! Now some light. O, he lights too: He's ta'en. [_Shout_] And, hark! they shout for joy.

[Note 20: /higher/ F1 thither F2 F3 F4.]

[Note 22: [PINDARUS _ascends_...] Camb Ff omit.]

[Note 28: [_Above_] Ff omit.]

[Note 32: /He's ta'en/ Ff print as separate line.]

[Note 16: /yonder troops./ Messala and his escort coming from Brutus.]

[Note 19: /with a thought:/ quick as thought. Cf. _The Tempest_, IV, i, 64.]

[Note 20-21: "Ca.s.sius himself was at length compelled to fly ... into a little hill from whence they might see ... howbeit Ca.s.sius saw nothing, for his sight was very bad."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Page 155]

Ca.s.sIUS. Come down; behold no more.

O, coward that I am, to live so long, To see my best friend ta'en before my face! 35

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 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. [PINDARUS _stabs him_] Caesar, 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 Ca.s.sius!

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.]

[Note 46: It was a dagger, not a sword, that Ca.s.sius stabbed Caesar with. But by a common figure of speech the same weapon is put for the same owner. The 'sword' is taken from Plutarch.

"For he, being overcome in battle at the journey of Philippes, slew himself with the same sword with the which he strake Caesar."--Plutarch, _Julius Caesar_.]

[Note 50: "Ca.s.sius, thinking indeed that t.i.tinius was taken of the enemies, he then spake these words: 'Desiring too much to live, I have lived to see one of my best friends taken, for my sake, before my face.' After that, he got into a tent where n.o.body was, and took Pindarus with him, one of his bondsmen whom he reserved ever for such a pinch, since the cursed battle of the Parthians, where Cra.s.sus was slain, though he notwithstanding scaped from that overthrow: but then, casting his cloak over his head, and holding out his bare neck unto Pindarus, he gave him his head to be stricken off. So the head was found severed from the body; but after that time Pindarus was never seen more."--Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_.]

[Page 156]

_Re-enter_ t.i.tINIUS, _with_ MESSALA

MESSALA. It is but change, t.i.tinius; for Octavius Is overthrown by n.o.ble Brutus' power, As Ca.s.sius' legions are by Antony.

t.i.tINIUS. These tidings will well comfort Ca.s.sius.

MESSALA. Where did you leave him?

t.i.tINIUS. All disconsolate, 55 With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.

MESSALA. Is not that he that lies upon the ground?

t.i.tINIUS. He lies not like the living. O my heart!

MESSALA. Is not that he?

t.i.tINIUS. No, this was he, Messala, But Ca.s.sius is no more. O setting sun, 60 As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, So in his red blood Ca.s.sius' 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!

t.i.tINIUS. What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?