Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/353

 MARCUS BRUTUS. 345 daily about the camp, and swarms of bees were seen in a place within the trenches, which place the sooth- sayers ordered to be shut out from the camp, to re- move the superstition which insensibly began to infect even Cassius himself and shake him in his Epicurean phi- losophy, and had wholly seized and subdued the soldiers ; from whence it was that Cassius was reluctant to put all to the hazard of a present battle, but advised rather to draw out the war until further time, considering that they were stronger in money and provisions, but in num- bers of men and arms inferior. But Brutus, on the con- trary, was still, as formerly, desirous to come with all speed to the decision of a battle ; that so he might either restore his coimtry to her liberty, or else deliver from their misery all those numbers of people whom they ha- rassed with the expenses and the service and exactions of the war. And finding also his light-horse in several skirmishes still to have had the better, he was the more encom-aged and resolved ; and some of the soldiers hav- ing deserted and gone to the enemy, and others begin- ning to accuse and suspect one another, many of Cas- sius's friends in the council changed their opinions to that of Brutus. But there was one of Brutus's partj'^, named Atellius, who opposed his resolution, advising rather that they should tarry over the winter. And when Brutus asked him in how much better a condition he hoped to be a year after, his answer was, " If I gain nothing else, vet I shall live so much the longer." Cassius was much displeased at this answer; and among the rest, Atellius was had in much disesteem for it. And so it was pres- ently resolved to give battle the next day. Brutus that night at supper showed himself very cheei'ful and full of hope, and reasoned on subjects of philosophy with his friends, and afterwards went to his rest. But Messala says that Cassius supped pri-