marcus brutus-第12节

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but　at　the　first　onset　fled。　After　defeating　these；　the　enemy　at
once　took　Brutus　in　the　rear；　who　all　the　while　did　all　that　was
possible　for　an　expert　general　and　valiant　soldier；　doing　everything
in　the　peril；　by　counsel　and　by　hand；　that　might　recover　the
victory。　But　that　which　had　been　his　superiority　in　the　first　fight
was　to　his　prejudice　in　the　second。　For　in　the　first；　that　part　of　the
enemy　which　was　beaten　was　killed　on　the　spot；　but　of　Cassius's
soldiers　that　fled；　few　had　been　slain；　and　those　that　escaped；
daunted　with　their　defeat；　infected　the　other　and　larger　part　of　the
army　with　their　want　of　spirit　and　their　disorder。　Here　Marcus；　the
son　of　Cato；　was　slain；　fighting　and　behaving　himself　with　great
bravery　in　the　midst　of　the　youth　of　the　highest　rank　and　greatest
valour。　He　would　neither　fly　nor　give　the　least　ground；　but　still
fighting　and　declaring　who　he　was　and　naming　his　father's　name；　he
fell　upon　a　heap　of　dead　bodies　of　the　enemy。　And　of　the　rest；　the
bravest　were　slain　in　defending　Brutus。
　　There　was　in　the　field　one　Lucilius；　an　excellent　man　and　a　friend
of　Brutus；　who；　seeing　some　barbarian　horse　taking　no　notice　of　any
other　in　the　pursuit；　but　galloping　at　full　speed　after　Brutus；
resolved　to　stop　them；　though　with　the　hazard　of　his　life；　and；
letting　himself　fall　a　little　behind；　he　told　them　that　he　was　Brutus。
They　believed　him　the　rather；　because　he　prayed　to　be　carried　to
Antony；　as　if　he　feared　Caesar；　but　durst　trust　him。　They；　overjoyed
with　their　prey；　and　thinking　themselves　wonderfully　fortunate；
carried　him　along　with　them　in　the　night；　having　first　sent　messengers
to　Antony　of　their　coming。　He　was　much　pleased；　and　came　to　meet　them；
and　all　the　rest　that　heard　that　Brutus　was　taken　and　brought　alive
flocked　together　to　see　him；　some　pitying　his　fortune；　others　accusing
him　of　a　meanness　unbecoming　his　former　glory；　that　out　of　too　much
love　of　life　he　would　be　a　prey　to　barbarians。　When　they　came　near
together；　Antony　stood　still；　considering　with　himself　in　what
manner　he　should　receive　Brutus；　but　Lucilius；　being　brought　up　to
him；　with　great　confidence　said：　〃Be　assured；　Antony；　that　no　enemy
either　has　taken　or　ever　shall　take　Marcus　Brutus　alive　（forbid　it；
heaven；　that　fortune　should　ever　so　much　prevail　above　virtue！）；　but
he　shall　be　found；　alive　or　dead；　as　becomes　himself。　As　for　me；　I
am　come　hither　by　a　cheat　that　I　put　upon　your　soldiers；　and　am　ready；
upon　this　occasion；　to　suffer　any　severities　you　will　inflict。〃　All
were　amazed　to　hear　Lucilius　speak　these　words。　But　Antony；　turning
himself　to　those　that　brought　him；　said：　〃I　perceive；　my
fellow…soldiers；　that　you　are　concerned；　and　take　it　ill　that　you　have
been　thus　deceived；　and　think　yourselves　abused　and　injured　by　it；　but
know　that　you　have　met　with　a　booty　better　than　that　you　sought。　For
you　were　in　search　of　an　enemy；　but　you　have　brought　me　here　a　friend。
For　indeed　I　am　uncertain　how　I　should　have　used　Brutus；　if　you　had
brought　him　alive；　but　of　this　I　am　sure；　that　it　is　better　to　have
such　men　as　Lucilius　our　friends　than　our　enemies。〃　Having　said
this；　he　embraced　Lucilius；　and　for　the　present　commended　him　to　the
care　of　one　of　his　friends；　and　ever　after　found　him　a　steady　and　a
faithful　friend。
　　Brutus　had　now　passed　a　little　brook；　running　among　trees　and
under　steep　rocks；　and；　it　being　night；　would　go　no　further；　but　sat
down　in　a　hollow　place　with　a　great　rock　projecting　before　it；　with
a　few　of　his　officers　and　friends　about　him。　At　first；　looking　up　to
heaven；　that　was　then　full　of　stars；　he　repeated　two　verses；　one　of
which；　Volumnius　writes；　was　this：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Punish；　great　Jove；　the　author　of　these　ills。〃

　　The　other　he　says　he　has　forgot。　Soon　after；　naming　severally　all
his　friends　that　had　been　slain　before　his　face　in　the　battle；　he
groaned　heavily；　especially　at　the　mentioning　of　Flavius　and　Labeo；
the　latter　his　lieutenant；　and　the　other　chief　officer　of　his
engineers。　In　the　meantime；　one　of　his　companions；　that　was　very
thirsty　and　saw　Brutus　in　the　same　condition；　took　his　helmet　and
ran　to　the　brook　for　water；　when　a　noise　being　heard　from　the　other
side　of　the　river；　Volumnius；　taking　Dardanus；　Brutus's　armour…bearer；
with　him；　went　out　to　see　what　it　was。　They　returned　in　a　short　space；
and　inquired　about　the　water。　Brutus；　smiling　with　much　meaning；
said　to　Volumnius。　〃It　is　all　drunk；　but　you　shall　have　some　more
fetched。〃　But　he　that　had　brought　the　first　water；　being　sent　again；
was　in　great　danger　of　being　taken　by　the　enemy；　and　having　received　a
wound；　with　much　difficulty　escaped。
　　Now　Brutus　guessing　that　not　many　of　his　men　were　slain　in　the
fight；　Statyllius　undertook　to　dash　through　the　enemy　（for　there　was
no　other　way）；　and　to　see　what　was　become　of　their　camp；　and　promised；
if　he　found　all　things　there　safe；　to　hold　up　a　torch　for　a　signal；
and　then　return。　The　torch　was　held　up；　Statyllius　got　safe　to　the
camp；　but　when　after　a　long　time　he　did　not　return；　Brutus　said；　〃If
Statyllius　be　alive；　he　will　come　back。〃　But　it　happened　that　in　his
return　he　fell　into　the　enemy's　hands；　and　was　slain。
　　The　night　now　being　far　spent；　Brutus；　as　he　was　sitting；　leaned　his
head　towards　his　servant；　Clitus；　and　spoke　to　him；　he　answered　him
not；　but　fell　a　weeping。　After　that　he　drew　aside　his　armour…bearer；
Dardanus；　and　had　some　discourse　with　him　in　private。　At　last；
speaking　to　Volumnius　in　Greek；　he　reminded　him　of　their　common
studies　and　former　discipline　and　begged　that　he　would　take　hold　of
his　sword　with　him；　and　help　him　to　thrust　it　through　him。　Volumnius
put　away　his　request；　and　several　others　did　the　like；　and　some　one
saying；　that　there　was　no　staying　there；　but　they　needs　must　fly；
Brutus；　rising　up；　said；　〃Yes；　indeed；　we　must　fly；　but　not　with　our
feet；　but　with　our　hands。〃　Then　giving　each　of　them　his　right　hand；
with　a　countenance　full　of　pleasure；　he　said；　that　he　found　an
infinite　satisfaction　in　this；　that　none　of　his　friends　had　been　false
to　him；　that　as　for　fortune；　he　was　angry　with　that　only　for　his
country's　sake；　as　for　himself；　he　thought　himself　much　more　happy
than　they　who　had　overcome；　not　only　as　he　had　been　a　little　time　ago；
but　even　now　in　his　present　condition；　since　he　was　leaving　behind　him
such　a　reputation　of　his　virtue　as　none　of　the　conquerors　with　all
their　arms　and　riches　should　ever　be　able　to　acquire；　no　more　than
they　could　hinder　posterity　from　believing　and　saying；　that　being
unjust　and　wicked　men；　they　had　destroyed　the　just　and　the　good；　and
usurped　a　power　to　which　they　had　no　right。　After　this；　having
exhorted　and　entreated　all　about　him　to　provide　for　their　own
safety；　he　withdrew　from　them　with　two　or　three　only　of　his　peculiar
friends；　Strato　was　one　of　these；　with　whom　he　had　contracted　an
acquaintance　when　they　studied　rhetoric　together。　Him　he　placed　next
to　himself；　and；　taking　hold　of　the　hilt　of　his　sword　and　directing　it
with　both　his　hands；　fell　upon　it；　and　killed　himself。　But　others　say；
that　not　he　himself；　but　Strato；　at　the　earnest　entreaty　of　Brutus；
turning　aside　his　head；　held　the　sword；　upon　which　he　violently
throwing　himself；　it　pierced　his　breast；　and　he　immediately　died。　This
same　Strato；　Messala；　a　friend　of　Brutus；　being　after　reconciled　to
Caesar；　brought　to　him　once　at　his　leisure；　and　with　tears　in　his　eyes
said；　〃This；　O　Caesar；　is　the　man　that　did　the　last　friendly　office　to
my　beloved　Brutus。〃　Upon　which　Caesar　received　him　kindly；　and　had
good　use　of　him　in　his　labours　and　his　battles　at　Actium；　being　one　of
the　Greeks　that　proved　their　bravery　in　his　service。　It　is　reported　of
Messala　himself；　that；　when　Caesar　once　gave　him　this　commendation；
that　though　he　was　his　fiercest　enemy　at　Philippi　in　the　cause　of
Brutus；　yet　he　had　shown　himself　his　most　entire　friend　in　the　fight
of　Actium；　he　answered；　〃You　have　always　found　me；　Caesar；　on　the　best
and　justest　side。〃
　　Brutus's　dead　body　was　found　by　Antony；　who　commanded　the　richest
purple　mantle　that　he　had　to　be　thrown　over　it；　and　afterwards　the
mantle　being　stolen；　he　found　the　thief；　and　had　him　put　to　death。
He　sent　the　ashes　of　Brutus　to　his　mother　Servilia。　As　for　Porcia
his　wife；　Nicolaus　the　philosopher　and　Valerius　Maximus　write；　that；
being　desirous　to　die；　but　being　hindered　by　her　friends；　who
continually　watched　her；　she　snatched　some　burning　charcoal　out　of　the
fire；　and；　shutting　it　close　in　her　mouth；　stifled　herself；　and
died。　Though　there　is　a　letter　current　from　Brutus　to　his　friends；
in　which　he　laments　the　death　of　Porcia；　and　accuses　them　for
neglecting　her　so　that　she　desired　to　die　rather　than　languish　with
her　disease。　So　that　it　seems　Nicolaus　was　mistaken　in　the　time；　for
this　epistle　（if　it　indeed　is　authentic　and　truly　Brutus's）　gives　us
to　understand　the　malady　and　love　of　Porcia；　and　the　way　in　which
her　death　occurred。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END