Julius Caesar — Act 4, Scene 2

original text and modern English, side by side

Before Brutus’ tent, in the camp near Sardis · Brutus, Lucilius, Pindarus, Cassius, First Soldier, Second Soldier, Third Soldier

At the camp near Sardis, Brutus meets Cassius's messenger Pindarus and learns from Lucilius that Cassius received him politely but coldly. Brutus reads the change as a friendship going bad, noting that men who put on the biggest show are the first to fail under pressure. When Cassius arrives he immediately accuses Brutus of wronging him, and Brutus insists they take the quarrel inside his tent rather than argue in front of both armies.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Lucilius, Titinius and Soldiers; Pindarus meeting them; Lucius at some distance.

Brutus

Stand, ho!

Halt!

Lucilius

Give the word, ho! and stand.

Pass the order along — halt!

Brutus

What now, Lucilius! is Cassius near?

Well, Lucilius, is Cassius nearby?

Lucilius

He is at hand, and Pindarus is come

To do you salutation from his master.

He's close by, and Pindarus has come to bring you greetings from his master.

Pindarus gives a letter to Brutus.

Brutus

He greets me well.

He sends a courteous greeting.

Your master, Pindarus,

In his own change, or by ill officers,

Hath given me some worthy cause to wish

Things done, undone:

Pindarus, your master — either because he's changed, or because of bad officers under him — has given me real reason to wish some things undone.

but, if he be at hand,

I shall be satisfied.

But if he's close by, I'll get my explanation.

Pindarus

I do not doubt

But that my noble master will appear

Such as he is, full of regard and honour.

I have no doubt my noble master will turn out to be exactly what he is: full of consideration and honour.

Brutus

He is not doubted.

Nobody doubts it.

A word, Lucilius;

A word, Lucilius.

How he received you, let me be resolv’d.

Tell me exactly how he received you.

Lucilius

With courtesy and with respect enough,

But not with such familiar instances,

Nor with such free and friendly conference,

As he hath us’d of old.

With courtesy and plenty of respect, but not with the easy closeness or the open, friendly conversation he used to have with me.

Brutus

Thou hast describ’d

A hot friend cooling.

What you've described is a warm friend going cold.

Ever note, Lucilius,

When love begins to sicken and decay

It useth an enforced ceremony.

Take note, Lucilius: when affection starts to fail, it turns into forced politeness.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;

Honest, straightforward loyalty has no tricks in it.

But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,

Make gallant show and promise of their mettle;

But hollow men are like horses that are fiery when you first take up the reins — a fine show, all promise of spirit —

Low march within.

Brutus

But when they should endure the bloody spur,

They fall their crests, and like deceitful jades

Sink in the trial.

— and then when they have to take a real spurring, they drop their heads and give out like worthless nags.

Comes his army on?

Is his army on the march?

Lucilius

They meant this night in Sardis to be quarter’d;

They planned to camp in Sardis tonight.

The greater part, the horse in general,

Are come with Cassius.

Most of them, and all the cavalry, have come with Cassius.

Enter Cassius and Soldiers.

Brutus

Hark! he is arriv’d.

Listen — he's arrived.

March gently on to meet him.

March slowly forward to meet him.

Cassius

Stand, ho!

Halt!

Brutus

Stand, ho!

Halt!

Speak the word along.

Pass the word down the line.

First Soldier

Stand!

Halt!

Second Soldier

Stand!

Halt!

Third Soldier

Stand!

Halt!

Cassius

Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

My noble brother, you have wronged me.

Brutus

Judge me, you gods;

Gods, be my judge:

wrong I mine enemies?

do I wrong even my enemies?

And if not so, how should I wrong a brother?

And if I don't, how would I wrong a brother?

Cassius

Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs;

Brutus, that calm manner of yours covers up the wrongs you do.

And when you do them—

And when you do them —

Brutus

Cassius, be content.

Cassius, calm down.

Speak your griefs softly, I do know you well.

Keep your grievances quiet — I know you well.

Before the eyes of both our armies here,

Which should perceive nothing but love from us,

Let us not wrangle.

Let's not fight in front of both our armies, who should see nothing but affection between us.

Bid them move away;

Tell them to withdraw.

Then in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs,

And I will give you audience.

Then in my tent, Cassius, lay out your complaints at length and I'll hear you.

Cassius

Pindarus,

Bid our commanders lead their charges off

A little from this ground.

Pindarus, tell our officers to move their units a little way off from this ground.

Brutus

Lucilius, do you the like;

Lucilius, do the same.

and let no man

Come to our tent till we have done our conference.

And no one is to come to our tent until we've finished talking.

Lucius and Titinius, guard our door.

Lucius and Titinius, guard the entrance.

Exeunt.

Julius Caesar Act 4, Scene 2 summary

Who appears in this scene

Brutus, Lucilius, Pindarus, Cassius, First Soldier, Second Soldier, Third Soldier — Before Brutus’ tent, in the camp near Sardis.

Famous lines in Julius Caesar Act 4, Scene 2, explained

“When love begins to sicken and decay / It useth an enforced ceremony.” (line 22): Brutus reads the tell-tale sign of a friendship in decline: when real warmth goes, stiff formality takes its place. He extends the point with a riding image — showy horses that prance impressively at the start and collapse when they feel the spur — which is his verdict on men who perform loyalty rather than possess it. It also sets up the quarrel scene that follows, where the two men's affection has to be broken open before it can be repaired.

Keep reading

About this translation: the original text follows the public-domain Project Gutenberg Globe edition; the modern English translation was written in-house for Polytranslator and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (last revised August 2026). Free to print and photocopy for classroom use. Cite as: “Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 2. Polytranslator side-by-side translation, polytranslator.com/shakespeare/julius-caesar/act-4-scene-2.”

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