The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (906 page)

Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads!

Hold up your heads, countrymen! Don’t give up!

Cato

What bastard doth not? Who will go with me?


I will proclaim my name about the field:--


I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!


A foe to tyrants, and my country's friend;


I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

What bastard is not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field. I am the son of Marcus Cato, a foe to tyrants and a friend to Rome. I am the son of Marcus Cato!

Brutus

And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I;


Brutus, my country's friend; know me for Brutus!

And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus. I am my country’s friend. You know me!

Exit.

Lucilius

O young and noble Cato, art thou down?


Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius;


And mayst be honour'd, being Cato's son.

Oh, young and noble Cato, are you hurt? You have died as bravely as Titinius and will be honored as Cato’s son.

First Soldier

Yield, or thou diest.

We must give up or die.

Lucilius

Only I yield to die:


There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight;


[Offering money.]


Kill Brutus, and be honour'd in his death.

I will only give up to death.

Offering money.

Kill Brutus, and be honored for his death.

First Soldier

We must not. A noble prisoner!

We can’t. He is a noble prisoner!

Second Soldier

Room, ho! Tell Antony, Brutus is ta'en.

Make way! Tell Antony, Brutus has been captured.

First Soldier

I'll tell the news. Here comes the General.--

I’ll tell him. Here comes the general.

Enter Antony.

Brutus is ta'en, Brutus is ta'en, my lord.

Antony

Where is he?

Where is he?

Lucilius

Safe, Antony; Brutus is safe enough:


I dare assure thee that no enemy


Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus:


The gods defend him from so great a shame!


When you do find him, or alive or dead,


He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

He is safe enough, Antony. I assure you no enemy will take him alive. The gods defend him from such a great shame! When you do find him, he will be Brutus, alive or dead.

Antony

This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you,


A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe,


Give him all kindness; I had rather have


Such men my friends than enemies. Go on,


And see whether Brutus be alive or dead;


And bring us word unto Octavius' tent


How everything is chanced.

This is not Brutus, friend, but I assure you it is a prize, nevertheless. Keep this man safe. Treat him with kindness. I had rather have such men as my friends than my enemies. Go on, and see if Brutus is alive or dead, and come tell us in Octavius’s tent.

Exit.

Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius.

Brutus

Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.

Come on, friends. Let’s rest on this rock.

Clitus

Statilius show'd the torch-light; but, my lord,


He came not back: he is or ta'en or slain.

Statilius showed the torch was lit, but he never came back. He is either captured or dead.

Brutus

Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word;


It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.

Sit down, Clitus. He is probably dead. Listen.

Whispers.

Clitus

What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.

No, not me lord. Not for all of the world.

Brutus

Peace then! no words.

Be quiet, then.

Clitus

I'll rather kill myself.

I’d rather kill myself.

Brutus

Hark thee, Dardanius.

Listen, Dardanius.

Whispers.

Dardanius

Shall I do such a deed?

Would I do such a deed?

Clitus

O Dardanius!

Oh, Dardanius!

Dardanius

O Clitus!

Oh, Clitus!

Clitus

What ill request did Brutus make to thee?

What did Brutus ask of you?

Dardanius

To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.

He wants me to kill him. Look, he’s thinking about it.

Clitus

Now is that noble vessel full of grief,


That it runs over even at his eyes.

He is so full of grief, it is running over in his eyes.

Brutus

Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word.

Come here, Volumnius. I need a word with you.

Volumnius

What says my lord?

What do you need, my lord?

Brutus

Why, this, Volumnius:


The ghost of Caesar hath appear'd to me


Two several times by night; at Sardis once,


And this last night here in Philippi fields:


I know my hour is come.

The ghost of Caesar has appeared to me twice by night, once in Sardis and last night in Philippi. I know my time has come.

Volumnius

Not so, my lord.

You don’t know that, my lord.

Brutus

Nay I am sure it is, Volumnius.


Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;


Our enemies have beat us to the pit:

No, I am sure of it, Volumnius. Our enemies have beaten us. I know what’s coming next.

Low alarms.

It is more worthy to leap in ourselves


Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,


Thou know'st that we two went to school together;


Even for that our love of old, I pr'ythee,


Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.

It is better to off ourselves than have them do it. Volumnius, you know we went to school together. We go back a long way. Please, hold my sword, so I may run into it.

Volumnius

That's not an office for a friend, my lord.

That’s not something a friend can do, my lord.

Alarm.

Clitus

Fly, fly, my lord! there is no tarrying here.

Run, run, my lord. You can’t sit here.

Brutus

Farewell to you;--and you;--and you, Volumnius.--


Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;


Farewell to thee too, Strato.--Countrymen,


My heart doth joy, that yet in all my life


I found no man but he was true to me.


I shall have glory by this losing day,


More than Octavius and Mark Antony


By this vile conquest shall attain unto.


So, fare you well at once; for Brutus' tongue


Hath almost ended his life's history:


Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest


That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

Farewell my friends. Goodbye, Strato. My heart is full of joy that in all of my life, I never met an untrue man. I will have triumph greater than Octavius and Mark Antony today. So, goodbye once and for all. It’s my time to rest.

Alarm. Cries to run from within.

Clitus

Fly, my lord, fly!

Run, my lord, run.

Brutus

Hence! I will follow.--

Go. I will follow.

Exit Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius.

I pr'ythee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:


Thou art a fellow of a good respect;


Thy life hath had some smack of honor in it:


Hold, then, my sword, and turn away thy face,


While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?

I pray you will help me, Strato. You are respectful fellow, and your life has been honorable. Hold my sword and turn your eyes away. Will you, Strato?

Strato

Give me your hand first: fare you well, my lord.

Give me your hand first. Goodbye, my lord.

Brutus

Farewell, good Strato.--Caesar, now be still:


I kill'd not thee with half so good a will.

Goodbye, Strato.

Runs on his sword.

Caesar, you may rest. I wanted to kill myself more than you.

Dies.

Alarm. Retreat. Enter Octavius, Antony, Messala, Lucilius, and the army.

Octavius

What man is that?

Who is that man?

Messala

My master's man.--Strato, where is thy master?

My master’s man. Strato, where is your master?

Strato

Free from the bondage you are in, Messala:


The conquerors can but make a fire of him;


For Brutus only overcame himself,


And no man else hath honour by his death.

He is free from the bondage you are in, Messala. The conquerors can burn him, but they can’t kill him, so no man can claim honor by his death.

Lucilius

So Brutus should be found.--I thank thee, Brutus,


That thou hast proved Lucilius' saying true.

So, Brutus should be found. Thank you, Brutus, for proving me right.

Octavius

All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.--


Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?

All that served Brutus will be entertained. Will you give me your time?

Strato

Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.

Yes, if Messala will prefer me to you.

Octavius

Do so, good Messala.