marcus brutus-第6章

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Caesar；　and　that　he　declined　to　go；　but　that　Caesar　entreated　and
pressed　him　to　it　very　earnestly；　and　at　last；　taking　him　by　the　hand；
led　him　into　a　very　deep　and　dark　place；　whither　he　was　forced　against
his　will　to　follow　in　great　consternation　and　amazement。　After　this
vision；　he　had　a　fever　the　most　part　of　the　night；　nevertheless　in　the
morning；　hearing　that　the　body　of　Caesar　was　to　be　carried　forth　to　be
interred；　he　was　ashamed　not　to　be　present　at　the　solemnity；　and
came　abroad　and　joined　the　people；　when　they　were　already　infuriated
by　the　speech　of　Antony。　And　perceiving　him；　and　taking　him　not　for
that　Cinna　who　indeed　he　was；　but　for　him　that　a　little　before　in　a
speech　to　the　people　had　reproached　and　inveighed　against　Caesar；　they
fell　upon　him　and　tore　him　to　pieces。
　　This　action　chiefly；　and　the　alteration　that　Antony　had　wrought；
so　alarmed　Brutus　and　his　party　that　for　their　safety　they　retired
from　the　city。　The　first　stay　they　made　was　at　Antium；　with　a　design
to　return　again　as　soon　as　the　fury　of　the　people　had　spent　itself　and
was　abated；　which　they　expected　would　soon　and　easily　come　to　pass
in　an　unsettled　multitude；　apt　to　be　carried　away　with　any　sudden
and　impetuous　passion；　especially　since　they　had　the　senate　favourable
to　them；　which；　though　it　took　no　notice　of　those　that　had　torn
Cinna　to　pieces；　yet　made　a　strict　search　and　apprehended　in　order
to　punishment　those　that　had　assaulted　the　houses　of　the　friends　of
Brutus　and　Cassius。　By　this　time；　also；　the　people　began　to　be
dissatisfied　with　Antony；　who　they　perceived　was　setting　up　a　kind
of　monarchy　for　himself；　they　longed　for　the　return　of　Brutus；　whose
presence　they　expected　and　hoped　for　at　the　games　and　spectacles　which
he；　as　praetor；　was　to　exhibit　to　the　public。　But　he　having
intelligence　that　many　of　the　old　soldiers　that　had　borne　arms　under
Caesar；　by　whom　they　had　had　lands　and　cities　given　them；　lay　in
wait　for　him；　and　by　small　parties　at　a　time　had　stolen　into　the　city；
would　not　venture　to　come　himself；　however；　in　his　absence　there
were　most　magnificent　and　costly　shows　exhibited　to　the　people；　for；
having　brought　up　a　great　number　of　all　sorts　of　wild　beasts；　he
gave　order　that　not　any　of　them　should　be　returned　or　saved；　but
that　all　should　be　spent　freely　at　the　public　spectacles。　He　himself
made　a　journey　to　Naples　to　procure　considerable　number　of　players；
and　hearing　of　one　Canutius　that　was　very　much　praised　for　his
acting　upon　the　stage；　he　wrote　to　his　friends　to　use　all　their
entreaties　to　bring　him　to　Rome　（for；　being　a　Grecian；　he　could　not　be
compelled）；　he　wrote　also　to　Cicero；　begging　him　by　no　means　to　omit
being　present　at　the　shows。
　　This　was　the　posture　of　affairs　when　another　sudden　alteration　was
made　upon　the　young　Caesar's　coming　to　Rome。　He　was　son　to　the　niece
of　Caesar；　who　adopted　him；　and　left　him　his　heir　by　his　will。　At
the　time　when　Caesar　was　killed；　he　was　following　his　studies　at
Apollonia；　where　he　was　expecting　also　to　meet　Caesar　on　his　way　to
the　expedition　which　he　had　determined　on　against　the　Parthians；
but；　hearing　of　his　death；　he　immediately　came　to　Rome；　and　to
ingratiate　himself　with　the　people；　taking　upon　himself　the　name　of
Caesar；　and　punctually　distributing　among　the　citizens　the　money
that　was　left　them　by　the　will；　he　soon　got　the　better　of　Antony；
and　by　money　and　largesses；　which　he　liberally　dispersed　amongst　the
soldiers；　he　gathered　together　and　brought　over　to　his　party　a　great
number　of　those　that　had　served　under　Caesar。　Cicero　himself；　out　of
the　hatred　which　he　bore　to　Antony；　sided　with　young　Caesar；　which
Brutus　took　so　ill　that　he　treated　with　him　very　sharply　in　his
letters；　telling　him　that　he　perceived　Cicero　could　well　enough　endure
a　tyrant；　but　was　afraid　that　he　who　hated　him　should　be　the　man；　that
in　writing　and　speaking　so　well　of　Caesar；　he　showed　that　his　aim
was　to　have　an　easy　slavery。　〃But　our　forefathers；〃　said　Brutus；
〃could　not　brook　even　gentle　masters。〃　Further　he　added；　that　for
his　own　part　he　had　not　as　yet　fully　resolved　whether　he　should　make
war　or　peace；　but　that　as　to　one　point　he　was　fixed　and　settled；　which
was；　never　to　be　a　slave；　that　he　wondered　Cicero　should　fear　the
dangers　of　a　civil　war；　and　not　be　much　more　afraid　of　a　dishonourable
and　infamous　peace；　that　the　very　reward　that　was　to　be　given　him
for　subverting　Antony's　tyranny　was　the　privilege　of　establishing
Caesar　as　tyrant　in　his　place。　This　is　the　tone　of　Brutus's　first
letters　to　Cicero。
　　The　city　being　now　divided　into　two　factions；　some　betaking
themselves　to　Caesar　and　others　to　Antony；　the　soldiers　selling
themselves；　as　it　were；　by　public　outcry；　and　going　over　to　him　that
would　give　them　most；　Brutus　began　to　despair　of　any　good　event　of
such　proceedings；　and；　resolving　to　leave　Italy；　passed　by　land
through　Lucania　and　came　to　Elea　by　the　seaside。　From　hence　it　was
thought　convenient　that　Porcia　should　return　to　Rome。　She　was　overcome
with　grief　to　part　from　Brutus；　but　strove　as　much　as　was　possible
to　conceal　it；　but；　in　spite　of　all　her　constancy；　a　picture　which　she
found　there　accidentally　betrayed　it。　It　was　a　Greek　subject；　Hector
parting　from　Andromache　when　he　went　to　engage　the　Greeks；　giving
his　young　son　Astyanax　into　her　arms；　and　she　fixing　her　eyes　upon
him。　When　she　looked　at　this　piece；　the　resemblance　it　bore　to　her　own
condition　made　her　burst　into　tears；　and　several　times　a　day　she
went　to　see　the　picture；　and　wept　before　it。　Upon　this　occasion；
when　Acilius；　one　of　Brutus's　friends；　repeated　out　of　Homer　the
verses；　where　Andromache　speaks　to　Hector：…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃But　Hector；　you
　　　　　　　　　　To　me　are　father　and　are　mother　too；
　　　　　　　　　　My　brother；　and　my　loving　husband　true。〃

Brutus；　smiling；　replied；　〃But　I　must　not　answer　Porcia；　as　Hector　did
Andromache：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Mind　you　your　loom；　and　to　your　maids　give　law。〃

〃For　though　the　natural　weakness　of　her　body　hinders　her　from　doing
what　only　the　strength　of　men　can　perform；　yet　she　has　a　mind　as
valiant　and　as　active　for　the　good　of　her　country　as　the　best　of
us。〃　This　narrative　is　in　the　memoirs　of　Brutus　written　by　Bibulus；
Porcia's　son。
　　Brutus　took　ship　from　hence；　and　sailed　to　Athens；　where　he　was
received　by　the　people　with　great　demonstrations　of　kindness；
expressed　in　their　acclamation　and　the　honours　that　were　decreed
him。　He　lived　there　with　a　private　friend；　and　was　a　constant
auditor　of　Theomnestus；　the　Academic；　and　Cratippus；　the
Peripatetic；　with　whom　he　so　engaged　in　philosophical　pursuits　that　he
seemed　to　have　laid　aside　all　thoughts　of　public　business；　and　to　be
wholly　at　leisure　for　study。　But　all　this　while；　being　unsuspected；　he
was　secretly　making　preparations　for　war；　in　order　to　which　he　sent
Herostratus　into　Macedonia　to　secure　the　commanders　there　to　his　side；
and　he　himself　won　over　and　kept　at　his　disposal　all　the　young
Romans　that　were　then　students　at　Athens。　Of　this　number　was
Cicero's　son　whom　he　everywhere　highly　extols；　and　says　that　whether
sleeping　or　waking　he　could　not　choose　but　admire　a　young　man　of　so
great　a　spirit　and　such　a　hater　of　tyranny。
　　At　length　he　began　to　act　openly；　and　to　appear　in　public
business；　and；　being　informed　that　there　were　several　Roman　ships　full
of　treasure　that　in　their　course　from　Asia　were　to　come　that　way；
and　that　they　were　commanded　by　one　of　his　friends；　he　went　to　meet
him　about　Carystus。　Finding　him　there；　and　having　persuaded　him　to
deliver　lip　the　ships；　he　made　a　more　than　usually　splendid
entertainment；　for　it　happened　also　to　be　his　birthday。　Now　when
they　came　to　drink；　and　were　filling　their　cups　with　hopes　for　victory
to　Brutus　and　liberty　to　Rome；　Brutus；　to　animate　them　the　more；
called　for　a　larger　bowl；　and　holding　it　in　his　hand；　on　a　sudden；
upon　no　occasion　or　forethought；　pronounced　aloud　this　verse：…

　　　　　　　　　〃But　fate　my　death　and　Leto's　son　have　wrought。〃

And　some　writers　add　that　in　the　last　battle　which　he　fought　at
Philippi；　the　word　that　he　gave　to　his　soldiers　was　Apollo；　and　from
thence　conclude　that　this　sudden　unaccountable　exclamation　of　h