marcus brutus-第11章

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flight　and　death？〃　Brutus　answered；　〃When　I　was　young；　Cassius；　and
unskillful　in　affairs；　I　was　led；　I　know　not　how；　into　uttering　a　bold
sentence　in　philosophy；　and　blamed　Cato　for　killing　himself；　as
thinking　it　an　irreligious　act；　and　not　a　valiant　one　among　men；　to
try　to　evade　the　divine　course　of　things；　and　not　fearlessly　to
receive　and　undergo　the　evil　that　shall　happen；　but　run　away　from
it。　But　now　in　my　own　fortunes　I　am　of　another　mind；　for　if　Providence
shall　not　dispose　what　we　now　undertake　according　to　our　wishes；　I
resolve　to　put　no　further　hopes　or　warlike　preparations　to　the
proof；　but　will　die　contented　with　my　fortune。　For　I　already　have
given　up　my　life　to　my　country　on　the　Ides　of　March；　and　have　lived
since　then　a　second　life　for　her　sake；　with　liberty　and　honour。〃
Cassius　at　these　words　smiled；　and；　embracing　Brutus；　said；　〃With
these　resolutions　let　us　go　on　upon　the　enemy；　for　either　we　ourselves
shall　conquer；　or　have　no　cause　to　fear　those　that　do。〃　After　this
they　discoursed　among　their　friends　about　the　ordering　of　the
battle；　and　Brutus　desired　of　Cassius　that　he　might　command　the
right　wing；　though　it　was　thought　that　this　was　more　fit　for
Cassius；　in　regard　both　of　his　age　and　his　experience。　Yet　even　in
this　Cassius　complied　with　Brutus；　and　placed　Messala　with　the
valiantest　of　all　his　legions　in　the　same　wing；　so　Brutus
immediately　drew　out　his　horse；　excellently　well　equipped；　and　was　not
long　in　bringing　up　his　foot　after　them。
　　Antony's　soldiers　were　casting　trenches　from　the　marsh　by　which　they
were　encamped　across　the　plain；　to　cut　off　Cassius's　communications
with　the　sea。　Caesar　was　to　be　at　hand　with　his　troops　to　support
them；　but　he　was　not　able　to　be　present　himself；　by　reason　of　his
sickness；　and　his　soldiers；　not　much　expecting　that　the　enemy　would
come　to　a　set　battle；　but　only　make　some　excursions　with　their　darts
and　light　arms　to　disturb　the　men　at　work　in　the　trenches；　and　not
taking　notice　of　the　troops　drawn　up　against　them　ready　to　give
battle；　were　amazed　when　they　heard　the　confused　and　great　outcry　that
came　from　the　trenches。　In　the　meanwhile　Brutus　had　sent　his
tickets；　in　which　was　the　word　of　battle；　to　the　officers；　and　himself
riding　about　to　all　the　troops；　encouraged　the　soldiers；　but　there
were　but　few　of　them　that　understood　the　word　before　they　engaged；　the
most　of　them；　not　staying　to　have　it　delivered　to　them；　with　one
impulse　and　cry　ran　upon　the　enemy。　This　disorder　caused　an　unevenness
in　the　line；　and　the　legions　got　severed　and　divided　one　from　another；
that　of　Messala　first；　and　afterwards　the　other　adjoining；　went　beyond
the　left　wing　of　Caesar　and　having　just　touched　the　extremity；　without
slaughtering　any　great　number；　passing　around　that　wing；　fell　directly
into　Caesar's　camp。　Caesar　himself；　as　his　own　memoirs　tell　us；　had
but　just　before　been　conveyed　away；　Marcus　Artorius；　one　of　his
friends；　having　had　a　dream　bidding　Caesar　be　carried　out　of　the　camp。
And　it　was　believed　that　he　was　slain；　for　the　soldiers　had　pierced
his　litter；　which　was　left　empty；　in　many　places　with　their　darts
and　pikes。　There　was　a　great　slaughter　in　the　camp　that　was　taken；　and
two　thousand　Lacedaemonians　that　were　newly　come　to　the　assistance
of　Caesar　were　all　cut　off　together。
　　The　rest　of　the　army；　that　had　not　gone　round；　but　had　engaged　the
front；　easily　overthrew　them；　finding　them　in　great　disorder；　and　slew
upon　the　place　three　legions；　and　being　carried　on　with　the　stream
of　victory；　pursuing　those　that　fled；　fell　into　the　camp　with　them；
Brutus　himself　being　there。　But　they　that　were　conquered　took　the
advantage　in　their　extremity　of　what　the　conquerors　did　not
consider。　For　they　fell　upon　that　part　of　the　main　body　which　had　been
left　exposed　and　separated；　where　the　right　wing　had　broke　off　from
them　and　hurried　away　in　the　pursuit；　yet　they　could　not　break　into
the　midst　of　their　battle；　but　were　received　with　strong　resistance
and　obstinacy。　Yet　they　put　to　flight　the　left　wing；　where　Cassius
commanded；　being　in　great　disorder；　and　ignorant　of　what　had　passed　on
the　other　wing；　and　pursuing　them　to　their　camp；　they　pillaged　and
destroyed　it；　neither　of　their　generals　being　present；　for　Antony；
they　say；　to　avoid　the　fury　of　the　first　onset；　had　retired　into　the
marsh　that　was　hard　by；　and　Caesar　was　nowhere　to　be　found　after　his
being　conveyed　out　of　the　tents；　though　some　of　the　soldiers　showed
Brutus　their　swords　bloody；　and　declared　that　they　had　killed　him；
describing　his　person　and　his　age。　By　this　time　also　the　centre　of
Brutus's　battle　had　driven　back　their　opponents　with　great
slaughter；　and　Brutus　was　everywhere　plainly　conqueror；　as　on　the
other　side　Cassius　was　conquered。　And　this　one　mistake　was　the　ruin　of
their　affairs；　that　Brutus　did　not　come　to　the　relief　of　Cassius；
thinking；　that　he；　as　well　as　himself；　was　conqueror；　and　that　Cassius
did　not　expect　the　relief　of　Brutus；　thinking　that　he　too　was
overcome。　For　as　a　proof　that　the　victory　was　on　Brutus's　side；
Messala　urges　his　taking　three　eagles　and　many　ensigns　of　the　enemy
without　losing　any　of　his　own。　But　now；　returning　from　the　pursuit
after　having　plundered　Caesar's　camp；　Brutus　wondered　that　he　could
not　see　Cassius's　tent　standing　high；　as　it　was　wont；　and　appearing
above　the　rest；　nor　other　things　appearing　as　they　had　been；　for
they　had　been　immediately　pulled　down　and　pillaged　by　the　enemy　upon
their　first　falling　into　the　camp。　But　some　that　had　a　quicker　and
longer　sight　than　the　rest　acquainted　Brutus　that　they　saw　a　great
deal　of　shining　armour　and　silver　targets　moving　to　and　fro　in
Cassius's　camp；　and　that　they　thought；　by　their　number　and　the　fashion
of　their　armour；　they　could　not　be　those　that　they　left　to　guard　the
camp；　but　yet　that　there　did　not　appear　so　great　a　number　of　dead
bodies　thereabouts　as　it　was　probable　there　would　have　been　after
the　actual　defeat　of　so　many　legions。　This　first　made　Brutus　suspect
Cassius's　misfortune；　and；　leaving　a　guard　in　the　enemy's　camp；　he
called　back　those　that　were　in　the　pursuit；　and　rallied　them
together　to　lead　them　to　the　relief　of　Cassius；　whose　fortune　had　been
as　follows。
　　First；　he　had　been　angry　at　the　onset　that　Brutus's　soldiers　made；
without　the　word　of　battle　or　command　to　charge。　Then；　after　they
had　overcome；　he　was　as　much　displeased　to　see　them　rush　on　to　the
plunder　and　spoil；　and　neglect　to　surround　and　encompass　the　rest　of
the　enemy。　Besides　this；　letting　himself　act　by　delay　and　expectation；
rather　than　command；　boldly　and　with　a　clear　purpose；　he　got　hemmed　in
by　the　right　wing　of　the　enemy；　and；　his　horse　making　with　all　haste
their　escape　and　flying　towards　the　sea；　the　foot　also　began　to　give
way；　which　he　perceiving　laboured　as　much　as　ever　he　could　to　hinder
their　flight　and　bring　them　back；　and；　snatching　an　ensign　out　of
the　hand　of　one　that　fled；　he　stuck　it　at　his　feet；　though　he　could
hardly　keep　even　his　own　personal　guard　together。　So　that　at　last　he
was　forced　to　fly　with　a　few　about　him　to　a　little　hill　that
overlooked　the　plain。　But　he　himself；　being　weak…sighted；　discovered
nothing；　only　the　destruction　of　his　camp；　and　that　with　difficulty。
But　they　that　were　with　him　saw　a　great　body　of　horse　moving　towards
him；　the　same　whom　Brutus　had　sent。　Cassius　believed　these　were
enemies；　and　in　pursuit　of　him；　however；　he　sent　away　Titinius；　one　of
those　that　were　with　him；　to　learn　what　they　were。　As　soon　as　Brutus's
horse　saw　him　coming；　and　knew　him　to　be　a　friend　and　a　faithful
servant　of　Cassius；　those　of　them　that　were　his　more　familiar
acquaintance；　shouting　out　for　joy　and　alighting　from　their　horses；
shook　hands　and　embraced　him；　and　the　rest　rode　round　about　him
singing　and　shouting；　through　their　excess　of　gladness　at　the　sight　of
him。　But　this　was　the　occasion　of　the　greatest　mischief　that　could　be。
For　Cassius　really　thought　that　Titinius　had　been　taken　by　the
enemy；　and　cried　out；　〃Through　too　much　fondness　of　life；　I　have　lived
to　endure　the　sight　of　my　friend　taken　by　the　enemy　before　my　face。〃
After　which　words　he　retired　into　an　empty　tent；　taking　along　wi