marcus brutus-第11节

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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　his　being
absolute　master　of　the　sea；　and　having　at　land　overcome　on　that　side
wherein　he　himself　was　engaged；　would　have　made　him　full　of　hope　and
confidence。　But　it　seems　the　state　of　Rome　not　enduring　any　longer
to　be　governed　by　many；　but　necessarily　requiring　a　monarchy；　the
divine　power；　that　it　might　remove　out　of　the　way　the　only　man　that
was　able　to　resist　him　that　could　control　the　empire；　cut　off　his　good
fortune　from　coming　to　the　ears　of　Brutus；　though　it　came　but　a　very
little　too　late；　for　the　very　evening　before　the　fight　Clodius；　a
deserter　from　the　enemy；　came　and　announced　that　Caesar　had　received
advice　of　the　loss　of　his　fleet；　and　for　that　reason　was　in　such　haste
to　come　to　a　battle；　But　his　story　met　with　no　credit；　nor　was　he　so
much　as　seen　by　Brutus；　being　simply　set　down　as　one　that　had　no
good　information；　or　invented　lies　to　bring　himself　into　favour。
　　The　same　night；　they　say；　the　vision　appeared　again　to　Brutus；　in
the　same　shape　that　it　did　before；　but　vanished　without　speaking。
But　Publius　Volumnius；　a　philosopher；　and　one　that　had　from　the
beginning　borne　arms　with　Brutus；　makes　no　mention　of　this　apparition；
but　says　that　the　first　eagle　was　covered　with　a　swarm　of　bees；　and
that　there　was　one　of　the　captains　whose　arm　of　itself　sweated　oil
of　roses；　and；　though　they　often　dried　and　wiped　it；　yet　it　would
not　cease；　and　that　immediately　before　the　battle；　two　eagles
falling　upon　each　other　fought　in　the　space　between　the　two　armies；
that　the　whole　field　kept　incredible　silence　and　all　were　intent
upon　the　spectacle；　until　at　last　that　which　was　on　Brutus's　side
yielded　and　fled。　But　the　story　of　the　Ethiopian　is　very　famous；
who；　meeting　the　standard…bearer　at　the　opening　the　gate　of　the
camp；　was　cut　to　pieces　by　the　soldiers；　that　took　it　for　an　ill…omen。
　　Brutus；　having　brought　his　army　into　the　field　and　set　them　in　array
against　the　enemy；　paused　a　long　while　before　he　would　fight；　for　as
he　was　reviewing　the　troops；　suspicions　were　excited　and
informations　laid　against　some　of　them。　Besides；　he　saw　his　horse
not　very　eager　to　begin　the　action；　and　waiting　to　see　what　the　foot
would　do。　Then　suddenly　Camulatus；　a　very　good　soldier；　and　one　whom
for　his　valour　he　highly　esteemed；　riding　hard　by　Brutus　himself；　went
over　to　the　enemy；　the　sight　of　which　grieved　Brutus　exceedingly。　So
that　partly　out　of　anger；　and　partly　out　of　fear　of　some　greater
treason　and　desertion；　he　immediately　drew　on　his　forces　upon　the
enemy；　the　sun　now　declining；　about　three　of　the　clock　in　the
afternoon。　Brutus　on　his　side　had　the　better；　and　pressed　hard　on
the　left　wing；　which　gave　way　and　retreated；　and　the　horse　too　fell　in
together　with　the　foot；　when　they　saw　the　enemy　in　disorder。　But　the
other　wing；　when　the　officers　extended　the　line　to　avoid　its　being
encompassed；　the　numbers　being　inferior；　got　drawn　out　too　thin　in　the
centre；　and　was　so　weak　here　that　they　could　not　withstand　the　charge；
but　at　the　first　onset　fled。　After　defeating　these；　the　enemy