A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy. 1 Sol. Lart. Look, sir. 'Tis Marcius: Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike. May give you thankful sacrifice! - Thy news? Com. Mess. Above an hour, my lord. [They fight, and all enter the city. How could'st thou in a mile confound an hour, SCENE V. Within the Town. A Street. Mess. In arms as sound, as when I woo'd; in heart Com. How i'st with Titus Lartius? Flower of warriors, Mar. As with a man busied about decrees: Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash, Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? Mar. Let him alone, He did inform the truth: But for our gentlemen, The common file, (A plague!-Tribunes for them!) The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat, as they did budge From rascals worse than they. Mr. Will the time serve to tell? I do not think Where is the enemy? Are you lords o' the field? If not, why cease you till you are so? Com. We have at disadvantage fought, and did Retire, to win our purpose. Marcius, Mar. How lies their battle? Know you on which side They have plac'd their men of trust? Com. As I guess, Marcius, Their hands in the vaward are the Antiates, Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius, Their very heart of hope. Mar. I do beseech you, By all the battles wherein we have fought, By the blood we have shed together, by the vows We have made to endure friends, that you directly Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates : And that you not delay the present; but, Filling the air with swords advanc'd, and darts, We e prove this very hour. Com. Though I could wish You were conducted to a gentle bath, And balms applied to you, yet dare I never Deny your asking; take your choice of those That best can aid your action. Mar. Those are they If any think, brave death outweighs bad life, at one side, COMINIUS, and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, with his arm in a scarf, and other Romans. Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Wave thus, [waving his hand.] to express his dispo- Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it, sition, And follow Marcius. [They all shout, and wave their swords; take him นก in their arms, and cast up their caps. O me, alone! Make you a sword of me? If these shows be not outward, which of you But is four Volces? None of you, but is Able to bear against the great Aufidius A shield as hard as his. A certain number, Though thanks to all, must I select the rest Shall bear the business in some other fight, As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march: ; And four shall quickly draw out my command, Which men are best inclin'd. Com. You shall not be The grave of your deserving: Rome must know The value of her own: 'twere a concealment Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement, To hide your doings; and to silence that, Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd, Would seem but modest: Therefore, I beseech you, (In sign of what you are, not to reward What you have done,) before our army near me. Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remember'd. As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums. All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus ! Cor. I will go wash; And when my face is fair, you shall perceive Whether I blush, or no : Howbeit, I thank you: I mean to stride your steed; and, at all times, To undercrest your good addition, To the fairness of my power. I would, I were a Roman; for I cannot, Being a Volce, be that I am.. Condition! What good condition can a treaty find I' the part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius, I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me And would'st do so, I think, should we encounter As often as we eat. By the elements, If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, He is mine, or I am his: Mine emulation Hath not that honour in't, it had: for where I thought to crush him in an equal force, (True sword to sword,) I'll potch at him some way; Or wrath, or craft, may get him. 1 Sol. He's the devil. Auf. Bolder, though not so subtle: My valour's poison'd, With only suffering stain by him; for him Wash my fierce hand in his heart. city; Go you to the Learn, how 'tis held; and what they are, that must Be hostages for Rome. You, Titus Lartius, 1 Sol. I To Rome of our success. Lart. I shall, my lord. Cor. The gods begin to mock me. I that now Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg Of my lord general. Will not you go? Auf. I am attended at the cypress grove : pray you, ACT II SCENE I.- Rome. A publick Place. Bru. Good, or bad? Men. Not according to the prayer of the people, for they love not Marcius. Sic. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. faces. If you see this in the map of my microcosm, follows it, that I am known well enough too? What harm can your bisson conspectuities glean out of this character, if I be known well enough too? Bru. Come, sir, come, we know you well enough. Men. You know neither me, yourselves, nor any thing. You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs; you wear out a good wholesome forenoon, in hearing a cause between an orange-wife and a fossetseller; and then rejourn the controversy of threepence to a second day of audience. When you are Men. Ay, to devour him; as the hungry plebeians hearing a matter between party and party, if you would the noble Marcius. Bru. He's a lamb indeed, that baes like a bear. Men. He's a bear, indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two are old men; tell me one thing that I hall ask you. Roth Trib. Well, sir. Men. In what enormity is Marcius poor, that you two have not in abundance? Bru. He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all. Bru. And topping all others in boasting. Both Trib. Why, how are we censured? Men. Because you talk of pride now. — not be angry? Will you Both Trib. Well, well, sir, weli. Men. Why, 'tis no great matter: for a very little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience: give your disposition the reins, and be angry at your pleasures; at the least, if you take it as a pleasure to you, in being so. You blame Marcius for being proud? Bru. We do it not alone, sir. Men. I know you can do very little alone; for your helps are many; or else your actions would grow wondrous single: your abilities are too infantlike, for doing much alone. You talk of pride: 0, that you could turn your eyes towards the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves! O, that you could! Bru. What then, sir? Men. Why, then you should discover a brace of unmeriting, proud, violent, testy magistrates, (alias, fools,) as any in Rome. Sic. Menenius, you are known well enough too. Men. I am known to be a humorous patrician, and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop chance to be pinched with the cholick, you make faces like mummers; set up the bloody flag against all patience; and, in roaring for a chamber-pot, dismiss the controversy bleeding, the more entangled by your hearing: all the peace you make in their cause, is, calling both the parties knaves: You are a pair of strange ones. Bru. Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter giber for the table, than a necessary bencher in the Capitol. are. Men. Our very priests must become mockers, if they shall encounter such ridiculous subjects as you When you speak best unto the purpose, it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your beards deserve not so honourable a grave, as to stuff a botcher's cushion, or to be entombed in an ass's pack-saddle. Yet you must be saying, Marcius is proud; who, in a cheap estimation, is worth all your predecessors, since Deucalion; though, peradven ture, some of the best of them were hereditary hang. men. Good e'en to your worships; more of your conversation would infect my brain, being the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians: I will be bold to take my leave of you. [BRUTUS and SICINIUS retire to the back of the scene. Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and VALERIA, &c. How now, my as fair as noble ladies, (and the moon, were she earthly, no nobler,) whither do you follow your eyes so fast? Vol. Honourable Menenius, my boy Marcius ap proaches; for the love of Juno, let's go. Men. Ha! Marcius coming home? Vol. Ay, worthy Menenius; and with most pros perous approbation. Men. Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee: Hoo! Marcius coming home! Two Ladies. Nay, 'tis true. one at home for you. Men. I will make my very house reel to-night. Vir. Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; I saw it. Vol. Look, here's a letter from him; the state of allaying Tyber in't; said to be something imper-hath another, his wife another; and, I think, there's fect, in favouring the first complaint: hasty, and tinder-like, upon too trivial motion: one that converses more with the buttock of the night, than with the forehead of the morning. What I think, I utter; and spend my malice in my breath: Meeting two such weals-men as you are, (I cannot call you Ly-seven years' health; in which time I will make a lip curguses) if the drink you give me, touch my palate adversely, I make a crooked face at it. I cannot say, your worships have delivered the matter well, wher. I find the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables: and though I must be content to bear with those that say you are reverend grave men; yet they lie deadly, that tell, you have good at the physician: the most sovereign prescription in Vol. O, he is wounded, I thank the gods for't. Brings 'a victory in his pocket? - The wounds become him. Vol. On's brows, Menenius: he comes the third time home with the oaken garland. Men. Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly? Vol. Titus Lartius writes, they fought together, but Aufidius got off. Men. And 'twas time for him too, I'll warrant him that an he had staid by him, I would not have been so fidiused for all the chests in Corioli, and the gold that's in them. Is the senate possessed of this? Vol. Good ladies, let's go :- Yes, yes, yes: the senate has letters from the general, wherein he gives my son the whole name of the war: he hath in this action outdone his former deeds doubly. Val. In troth, there's wondrous things spoke of him. Men. Wondrous? ay, I warrant you, and not without his true purchasing. Vir. The gods grant them true! Men. True? I'll be sworn they are true : — Where is he wounded? God save your good worships! [To the Tribunes, who come forward.] Marcius is coming home: he has more cause to be proud. Where is he wounded? Vol. I' the shoulder, and i' the left arm There will be large cicatrices to show the people, when he shall stand for his place. He received in the repulse of Tarquin, seven hurts i' the body. Men. One in the neck, and two in the thigh, there's nine that I know. Vol. He had, before this last expedition, twentyfive wounds upon nim. Men. Now it's twenty-seven: every gash was an enemy's grave: [a shout and flourish.] Hark! the trumpets. Vol. These are the ushers of Marcius: before him He carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears; Death, that dark spirit, in's nervy arm doth lie; Which being advanc'd, declines; and then men die. A senet. Enter COMINIUS and TITUS LARTIUS; between them, CORIOLANUS, crowned with an oaken garland; with Captains, Soldiers, and a Herald. Trumpets sound. Her. Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd Within Corioli' gates: where he hath won, With fame, a name to Caius Marcius; these In honour follows, Coriolanus: Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus! [Flourish. |