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Camp near Sardis. Before BRUTUS’ Tent. | |
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Drum. Enter BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, LUCIUS, and Soldiers: TITINIUS and PINDARUS meet them. | |
| Bru. Stand, ho! | |
| Lucil. Give the word, ho! and stand. | |
| Bru. What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near? | 5 |
| Lucil. He is at hand; and Pindarus is come | |
| To do you salutation from his master. [PINDARUS gives a letter to BRUTUS. | |
| Bru. He greets me well. Your master, Pindarus, | |
| In his own change, or by ill officers, | |
| Hath given me some worthy cause to wish | 10 |
| Things done, undone; but, if he be at hand, | |
| I shall be satisfied. | |
| Pin. I do not doubt | |
| But that my noble master will appear | |
| Such as he is, full of regard and honour. | 15 |
| Bru. He is not doubted. A word, Lucilius; | |
| How he receiv’d you, let me be resolv’d. | |
| Lucil. With courtesy and with respect enough; | |
| But not with such familiar instances, | |
| Nor with such free and friendly conference, | 20 |
| As he hath us’d of old. | |
| Bru. Thou hast describ’d | |
| A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius, | |
| When love begins to sicken and decay, | |
| It useth an enforced ceremony. | 25 |
| 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, | 30 |
| Sink in the trial. Comes his army on? | |
| Lucil. They mean this night in Sardis to be quarter’d; | |
| The greater part, the horse in general, | |
| Are come with Cassius. | |
| Bru. Hark! he is arriv’d. [Low march within. | 35 |
| March gently on to meet him. | |
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Enter CASSIUS and Soldiers. | |
| Cas. Stand, ho! | |
| Bru. Stand, ho! Speak the word along. | |
| First Sold. Stand! | 40 |
| Sec. Sold. Stand! | |
| Third Sold. Stand! | |
| Cas. Most noble brother, you have done me wrong. | |
| Bru. Judge me, you gods! Wrong I mine enemies? | |
| And, if not so, how should I wrong a brother? | 45 |
| Cas. Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs; | |
| And when you do them— | |
| Bru. Cassius, be content; | |
| Speak your griefs softly: I do know you well. | |
| Before the eyes of both our armies here, | 50 |
| 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. | |
| Cas. Pindarus, | 55 |
| Bid our commanders lead their charges off | |
| A little from this ground. | |
| Bru. 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. | 60 |
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