| [Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers; TITINIUS and PINDARUS meeting them] |
|
| BRUTUS | Stand, ho! |
| LUCILIUS | Give the word, ho! and stand. |
| BRUTUS | What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near? |
| LUCILIUS | He is at hand; and Pindarus is come To do you salutation from his master. |
| BRUTUS | He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus, In his own change, or by ill officers, Hath given me some worthy cause to wish Things done, undone: but, if he be at hand, I shall be satisfied. |
| PINDARUS | I do not doubt But that my noble master will appear Such as he is, full of regard and honour. |
| BRUTUS | He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius; How he received you, let me be resolved. |
| LUCILIUS | With courtesy and with respect enough; But not with such familiar instances, Nor with such free and friendly conference, As he hath used of old. |
| BRUTUS | Thou hast described A hot friend cooling: ever note, Lucilius, When love begins to sicken and decay, It useth an enforced ceremony. There are no tricks in plain and simple faith; But hollow men, like horses hot at hand, Make gallant show and promise of their mettle; But when they should endure the bloody spur, They fall their crests, and, like deceitful jades, Sink in the trial. Comes his army on? |
| LUCILIUS | They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter'd; The greater part, the horse in general, Are come with Cassius. |
| BRUTUS | Hark! he is arrived. |
| [Low march within] | |
| March gently on to meet him. | |
| [Enter CASSIUS and his powers] | |
| CASSIUS | Stand, ho! |
| BRUTUS | Stand, ho! Speak the word along. |
| First Soldier | Stand! |
| Second Soldier | Stand! |
| Third Soldier | Stand! |
| CASSIUS | Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. |
| BRUTUS | Judge me, you gods! wrong I mine enemies? And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother? |
| CASSIUS | Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; And when you do them-- |
| BRUTUS | Cassius, be content. Speak your griefs softly: I do know you well. Before the eyes of both our armies here, Which should perceive nothing but love from us, Let us not wrangle: bid them move away; Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs, And I will give you audience. |
| CASSIUS | Pindarus, Bid our commanders lead their charges off A little from this ground. |
| BRUTUS | Lucilius, do you the like; and let no man Come to our tent till we have done our conference. Let Lucius and Titinius guard our door. |
| [Exeunt] |