Lucil. [Standing forth] My lord?
[Brutus and Lucilius converse apart.
Cas. Messala!
Mes. [Standing forth] What says my general?[3552][3553]
Cas. Messala,[3553][3554][3555]70
This is my birth-day; as this very day[3555][3556]
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Be thou my witness that, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set[3557]
Upon one battle all our liberties. 75
You know that I held Epicurus strong,
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign[3558]
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd, 80
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
This morning are they fled away and gone;
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites[3559]
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us, 85
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.[3560]
Mes. Believe not so.
Cas. I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved 90
To meet all perils very constantly.[3561]
Bru. Even so, Lucilius.[3562]
Cas. Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But, since the affairs of men rest still incertain,[3563] 95
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do?
Bru. Even by the rule of that philosophy 100
By which I did blame Cato for the death[3564]
Which he did give himself: I know not how,[3565][3566]
But I do find it cowardly and vile,[3566]
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent[3566]
The time of life: arming myself with patience[3566][3567] 105
To stay the providence of some high powers[3568]
That govern us below.