is more worthy to leap in ourselves
Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, 25
Thou know'st that we two went to school together:
Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
Hold thou my sword-hilts, whilst I run on it.

VOLUMNIUS. That's not an office for a friend, my lord.
[_Alarum still_]

CLITUS. Fly, fly, my lord; there is no tarrying here. 30

[Note 27: /prithee/ | prethee Ff.]

[Note 28: /sword-hilts/ | Sword Hilts F1 F2 | Swords Hilt F3
F4.--/whilst/ | whilest F1 F2 | while F3 F4.]

[Note 17: "The second battle being at hand, this spirit
appeared again unto him, but spake never a word. Thereupon
Brutus, knowing that he should die, did put himself to all
hazard in battle, but yet fighting could not be
slain."--Plutarch, _Julius Caesar_. Merivale has a strong
sentence on this: "The legend that when preparing for the
encounter with the triumvirs he was visited by the ghost of
Caesar, which summoned him to meet again at Philippi, marks
the conviction of the ancients that in the crisis of his fate
he was stung by guilty remorse, and haunted by the
presentiment of final retribution."]

[Note 26: See quotation from Plutarch, _Marcus Brutus_, p.
163.]

[Page 165]

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. 35
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: 40
Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest,
That have but labour'd to attain this hour.

[_Alarum. Cry within_, 'Fly, fly, fly!']

CLITUS. Fly, my lord, fly!

BRUTUS. Hence! I will follow.

[_Exeunt_ CLITUS, DARDANIUS, _and_ VOLUMNIUS]

I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord:
Thou art a fellow of a good respect; 45
Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it:
Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?

[Note 33: /thee, too, Strato. Countrymen/, Theobald | thee, to
Strato, Countrymen: Ff.]