marcus brutus-第12章

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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　with　him
only　Pindarus；　one　of　his　freemen；　whom　he　had　reserved　for　such　an
occasion　ever　since　the　disasters　in　the　expedition　against　the
Parthians；　when　Crassus　was　slain。　From　the　Parthians　he　came　away
in　safety；　but　now；　pulling　up　his　mantle　over　his　head；　he　made　his
neck　bare；　and　held　it　forth　to　Pindarus；　commanding　him　to　strike。
The　head　was　certainly　found　lying　severed　from　the　body。　But　no　man
ever　saw　Pindarus　after；　from　which　some　suspected　that　he　had
killed　his　master　without　his　command。　Soon　after　they　perceived　who
the　horsemen　were；　and　saw　Titinius；　crowned　with　garlands；　making
what　haste　he　could　towards　Cassius。　But　as　soon　as　he　understood　by
the　cries　and　lamentations　of　his　afflicted　friends　the　unfortunate
error　and　death　of　his　general；　he　drew　his　sword；　and　having　very
much　accused　and　upbraided　his　own　long　stay；　that　had　caused　it；　he
slew　himself。
　　Brutus；　as　soon　as　he　was　assured　of　the　defeat　of　Cassius；　made
haste　to　him；　but　heard　nothing　of　his　death　till　he　came　near　his
camp。　Then　having　lamented　over　his　body；　calling　him　〃the　last　of　the
Romans；〃　it　being　impossible　that　the　city　should　ever　produce　another
man　of　so　great　a　spirit；　he　sent　away　the　body　to　be　buried　at
Thasos；　lest　celebrating　his　funeral　within　the　camp　might　breed
some　disorder。　He　then　gathered　the　soldiers　together　and　comforted
them；　and；　seeing　them　destitute　of　all　things　necessary；　he
promised　to　every　man　two　thousand　drachmas　in　recompense　of　what　he
had　lost。　They　at　these　words　took　courage；　and　were　astonished　at　the
magnificence　of　the　gift；　and　waited　upon　him　at　his　parting　with
shouts　and　praises；　magnifying　him　for　the　only　general　of　all　the
four　who　was　not　overcome　in　the　battle。　And　indeed　the　action
itself　testified　that　it　was　not　without　reason　he　believed　he
should　conquer；　for　with　a　few　legions　he　overthrew　all　that
resisted　him；　and　if　all　his　soldiers　had　fought；　and　the　most　of　them
had　not　passed　beyond　the　enemy　in　pursuit　of　the　plunder；　it　is
very　likely　that　he　had　utterly　defeated　every　part　of　them。
　　There　fell　of　his　side　eight　thousand　men；　reckoning　the　servants　of
the　army；　whom　Brutus　calls　Briges；　and　on　the　other　side；　Messala
says　his　opinion　is　that　there　were　slain　about　twice　that　number。　For
which　reason　they　were　more　out　of　heart　than　Brutus；　until　a
servant　of　Cassius；　named　Demetrius；　came　in　the　evening　to　Antony；
and　brought　to　him　the　garment　which　he　had　taken　from　the　dead
body；　and　his　sword　at　the　sight　of　which　they　were　so　encouraged；
that；　as　soon　as　it　was　morning；　they　drew　out　their　whole　force
into　the　field；　and　stood　in　battle　array。　But　Brutus　found　both　his
camps　wavering　and　in　disorder；　for　his　own；　being　filled　with
prisoners；　required　a　guard　more　strict　than　ordinary　over　them；　and
that　of　Cassius　was　uneasy　at　the　change　of　general；　besides　some　envy
and　rancour；　which　those　that　were　conquered　bore　to　that　part　of
the　army　which　had　been　conquerors。　Wherefore　he　thought　it　convenient
to　put　his　army　in　array；　but　to　abstain　from　fighting。　All　the　slaves
that　were　taken　prisoners；　of　whom　there　was　a　great　number　that
were　mixed　up；　not　without　suspicion；　among　the　soldiers；　he　commanded
to　be　slain；　but　of　the　freemen　and　citizens；　some　he　dismissed；
saying　that　among　the　enemy　they　were　rather　prisoners　than　with
him；　for　with　them　they　were　captives　and　slaves；　but　with　him　freemen
and　citizens　of　Rome。　But　he　was　forced　to　hide　and　help　them　to
escape　privately；　perceiving　that　his　friends　and　officers　were　bent
upon　revenge　against　them。　Among　the　captives　there　was　one　Volumnius；
a　player；　and　Sacculio；　a　buffoon；　of　these　Brutus　took　no　manner　of
notice；　but　his　friends　brought　them　before　him　and　accused　them
that　even　then　in　that　condition　they　did　not　refrain　from　their　jests
and　scurrilous　language。　Brutus；　having　his　mind　taken　up　with　other
affairs；　said　nothing　to　their　accusation；　but　the　judgment　of　Messala
Corvinus　was；　that　they　should　be　whipped　publicly　upon　a　stage；　and
so　sent　naked　to　the　captains　of　the　enemy；　to　show　them　what　sort
of　fellow…drinkers　and　companions　they　took　with　them　on　their
campaigns。　At　this　some　that　were　present　laughed；　and　Publius
Casca；　he　that　gave　the　first　wound　to　Caesar；　said；　〃We　do　ill　to
jest　and　make　merry　at　the　funeral　of　Cassius。　But　you；　O　Brutus；〃
he　added；　〃will　show　what　esteem　you　have　for　the　memory　of　that
general；　according　as　you　punish　or　preserve　alive　those　who　will
scoff　and　speak　shamefully　of　him。〃　To　this　Brutus；　in　great
discomposure；　replied；　〃Why　then；　Casca；　do　you　ask　me　about　it；　and
not　do　yourselves　what　you　think　fitting？〃　This　answer　of　Brutus　was
taken　for　his　consent　to　the　death　of　these　wretched　men；　so　they　were
carried　away　and　slain。
　　After　this　he　gave　the　soldiers　the　reward　that　he　had　promised
them；　and　having　slightly　reproved　them　for　having　fallen　upon　the
enemy　in　disorder　without　the　word　of　battle　or　command；　he　promised
them；　that　if　they　behaved　themselves　bravely　in　the　next
engagement；　he　would　give　them　up　two　cities　to　spoil　and　plunder；
Thessalonica　and　Lacedaemon。　This　is　the　one　indefensible　thing　of　all
that　is　found　fault　with　in　the　life　of　Brutus；　though　true　it　may
be　that　Antony　and　Caesar　were　much　more　cruel　in　the　rewards　that
they　gave　their　soldiers　after　victory；　for　they　drove　out；　one
might　almost　say；　all　the　old　inhabitants　of　Italy；　to　put　their
soldiers　in　possession　of　other　men's　lands　and　cities。　But　indeed
their　only　design　and　end　in　undertaking　the　war　was　to　obtain
dominion　and　empire；　whereas　Brutus；　for　the　reputation　of　his　virtue；
could　not　be　permitted　either　to　overcome　or　save　himself　but　with
justice　and　honour；　especially　after　the　death　of　Cassius；　who　was
generally　accused　of　having　been　his　adviser　to　some　things　that　he
had　done　with　less　clemency。　But　now；　as　in　a　ship；　when　the　rubber　is
broken　by　a　storm；　the　mariners　fit　and　nail　on　some　other　piece　of
wood　instead　of　it；　striving　against　the　danger　not　well；　but　as
well　as　in　that　necessity　they　can；　so　Brutus；　being　at　the　head　of　so
great　an　army；　in　a　time　of　such　uncertainty；　having　no　commander
equal　to　his　need；　was　forced　to　make　use　of　those　that　he　had；　and　to
do　and　to　say　many　things　according　to　their　advice；　which　was；　in
effect；　whatever　might　conduce　to　the　bringing　of　Cassius's　soldiers
into　better　order。　For　they　were　very　headstrong　and　intractable；　bold
and　insolent　in　the　camp　for　want　of　their　general；　but　in　the　field
cowardly　and　fearful；　remembering　that　they　had　been　beaten。
　　Neither　were　the　affairs　of　Caesar　and　Antony　in　any　better　posture；
for　they　were　straitened　for　provision；　and；　the　camp　being　in　a　low
ground；　they　expected　to　pass　a　very　hard　winter。　For　being　driven
close　upon　the　marshes；　and　a　great　quantity　of　rain；　as　is　usual　in
autumn；　having　fallen　after　the　battle；　their　tents　were　all　filled
with　mire　and　water；　which　through　the　coldness　of　the　weather
immediately　froze。　And　while　they　were　in　this　condition；　there　was
news　brought　to　them　of　their　loss　at　sea。　For　Brutus's　fleet　fell
upon　their　ships；　which　were　bringing　a　great　supply　of　soldiers　out
of　Italy；　and　so　entirely　defeated　them；　that　but　very　few　of　the
men　escaped　being　slain；　and　they　too　were　forced　by　famine　to　feed
upon　the　sails　and　tackle　of　the　ship。　As　soon　as　they　heard　this；
they　made　what　haste　they　could　to　come　to　the　decision　of　a　battle；
before　Brutus　should　have　notice　of　his　good　success。　For　it　had　so
happened　that　the　fight　both　by　sea　and　land　was　on　the　same　day；
but　by　some　misfortune；　rather　than　the　fault　of　his　commanders；
Brutus　knew　not　of　his　victory　twenty　days　after。　For　had　he　been
informed　of　this；　he　would　not　have　been　brought　to　a　second　battle；
since　he　had　sufficient　provisions　for　his　army　for　a　long　time；　and
was　very　advantageously　posted；　his　camp　being　well　sheltered　from　the
cold　weather；　and　almost　inaccessible　to　the　enemy；　and　h