Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/357

 MARCUS BRUTUS. 349 strong resistance and obstinacy. Yet they put to flight the left wing, where Cassias commanded, being in great disorder, and ignorant of what had j^assed on the other wing; and, pursuing them to their camp, they pillaged and destroyed it, neither of their generals being present ; for Antony, they say, to avoid the fury of the first onset, had retired into the marsh that was hard by ; and Caesar was nowhere to be found after his being conveyed out of the tents ; though some of the soldiers showed Brutus their swords bloody, and declared that they had killed him, describing his person and his age. By this time also the centre of Brutus's battle had driven back their oppo- nents with great slaughter ; and Brutus was everywhere plainly conqueror, as on the other side Cassius was conquered. And this one mistake was the ruin of their affiiirs, that Brutus did not come to the relief of Cassius, thinking that he, as well as himself, was conqueror ; and that Cassius did not expect the relief of Brutus, thinking that he too was overcome. For as a proof that the vic- tory was on Bi'utus's side, Messala urges his taking tliree eagles and many ensigns of the enemy without losing any of his own. But now, returning from the pursuit after having plundered Cresar's camp, Brutus wondered that he could not see Cassius's tent standing high, as it was wont, and appearing above the rest, nor other things appearing as they had been ; for they had been immedi- ately pulled down and pillaged by the enemy upon their first falling into the camp. But some that had a quicker and longer sight than the rest acquainted Brutus that they saw a great deal of shining armor and silver targets moving to and fro in Cassius's camp, and that they thought, by their number and the fashion of their armor, they could not be those that they left to guard the cump ; but yet that there did not appear so great a number of dead bodies thereabouts as it was probable there would