Page 2258 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

LUCILIUS

(standing forth) My lord? [70]
Brutus and Lucilius converse apart.

CASSIUS
Messala.

MESSALA
(standing forth) What says my general?

CASSIUS
Messala,

This is my birthday; as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala.
Be thou my witness that against my will −
As Pompey was − am I compelled to set [75]

Upon one battle all our liberties.
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 ensigns [80]
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perched,
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 [85]
Fly o’er our heads and downward look on us
As we were sickly prey. Their shadows seem

A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

MESSALA
Believe not so.

CASSIUS
I but believe it partly, [90]
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved

To meet all perils very constantly.