| LIVES OF THE NOBLE | | |
| | | |
MARCUS | first, and sayd: The gods graunt us, O Brutus, that this | |
BRUTUS | day we may winne the field, and ever after to live all | |
| the rest of our life quietly, one with another. But sith | |
| the gods have so ordeyned it, that the greatest and chiefest | |
| things amongest men are most uncertaine, and that if the | |
| battell fall out otherwise to daye then we wishe or looke | |
Brutus | for, we shall hardely meete againe: what art thou then | |
aunswer to | determined to doe, to flye, or dye? Brutus aunswered him, | |
Cassius. | being yet but a young man, and not overgreatly experi- | |
| enced in the world: I trust, (I know not how) a certaine | |
| rule of Philosophie, by the which I did greatly blame and | |
| reprove Cato for killing of him selfe, as being no lawfull | |
| nor godly acte, touching the gods, nor concerning men, | |
| valliant, not to give place and yeld to divine providence, | |
| and not constantly and paciently to take whatsoever it | |
| pleaseth him to send us, but to drawe backe, and flie: | |
| but being nowe in the middest of the daunger, I am of | |
| a contrary mind. For if it be not the will of God, that | |
| this battell fall out fortunate for us: I will looke no more | |
| for hope, neither seeke to make any new supply for warre | |
| againe, but will rid me of this miserable world, and content | |
| me with my fortune. For, I gave up my life for my contry | |
| in the Ides of Marche, for the which I shall live in another | |
| more glorious worlde. Cassius fell a laughing to heare what | |
| he sayde, and imbracing him, Come on then sayde he, let | |
| us goe and charge our enemies with this mynde. For eyther | |
| we shall conquer, or we shall not neede to feare the Con- | |
| querors. After this talke, they fell to consultacion amonge | |
| their friendes for the ordering of the battell. Then Brutus | |
| prayed Cassius he might have the leading of the right | |
| winge, the which men thought was farre meeter for Cassius: | |
| both bicause he was the elder man, and also for that he | |
| had the better experience. But yet Cassius gave it him, | |
| and willed that Messala (who had charge of one of the | |
The battell | warrelikest legions they had) shoulde be also in that winge | |
at Philippes, | with Brutus. So Brutus presently sent out his horsemen, | |
against Octa- | who were excellently well appoynted, and his footemen also | |
vius Caesar, | were as willing and readye to give charge. Nowe Antonius | |
and Antonius. | men did cast a trenche from the marishe by the which they | |
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