And tapers burnt to bedward.
Com. Flower of Warriors,
How is't with Titus Lartius?

Mar. As with a man busied about Decrees;
Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning th' other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning grey-hound in the leash,
To let him flip at will.

Com. Where is that flave,

Which told me, they had beat you to your trenches?
Where is he? call him hither.

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 fhun'd the cat, as they did budge
From rascals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you?

Mar. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not think
Where is the enemy? are you lords o' th' field?
If not, why cease you 'till you are fo?

Com. Marcius, we have at difadvantage fought,
And did retire, to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their battle? know you on what fide They have plac'd their men of truft?

Com. As I guess, Marcius,

Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates

Of their best truft: o'er them Aufidius,

Their very heart of hope.

Mar. I do befeech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,

By th' blood we'ave fhed together, by the Vows
We'ave 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 fwords advanc'd, and darts,
We 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

Depty

Deny your asking; take your choice of those,
That beft can aid your action.
Mar. Those are they,

That most are willing; If any fuch be here,
(As it were fin to doubt) that love this Painting,
Wherein you fee me fmear'd; if any fear
Lefs for his person than an ill report :

If any think, brave death out-weighs bad life,
And that his Country's dearer than himself,
Let him, alone, (or many, if fo minded)
Wave thus, t'exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Marcius.

They all hout, and wave their fwords, take him in their arms, and caft up their caps.

you

Oh me alone, make you a fword of me :
If thefe fhews be not outward, which of
But is four Volfcians? none of you, but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A fhield as hard as his. A certain number
(Tho' thanks to all) muft I felect from all :
The rest fhall bear the bufinefs in fome other fight,
As caufe will be obey'd; pleafe you to march,
And four fhall quickly draw out my Command,
Which men are beft inclin'd.

Com. March on, my fellows :
Make good this oftentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to CORIOLI.

Titus Lartius having fet a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Marcius; Enter with a lieutenant, other foldiers, and a fcout.

S%

Lart. CO, let the Ports be guarded; keep your duties, As I have fet them down. If I do fend, dispatch Those Centries to our aid; the reft will ferve

For a fhort holding; if we lose the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu. Fear not our care, Sir.

Lart.

Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon's: Our guider, come ! to th' Roman camp conduct us. [Exeunt

SCENE changes to the Roman Camp.

Alarum, as in battle. Enter Marcius and Aufidius, at feveral doors.

Mar.

I'

LL fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee
Worfe than a promife-breaker.

Auf. We hate alike:

Not Africk owns a ferpent I abhor

More than thy Fame, and envy; fix thy foot.
Mar. Let the firft budger die the other's flave,
And the Gods doom him after !

Auf. If I fly, Marcius,

Halloo me like a Hare.

Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus, Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd: 'tis not my blood, Wherein thou fee'ft me mask'd; for thy revenge, Wrench up thy power to th' highest.

Auf. Wert thou the Hector,

That was the whip of your bragg'd Progeny,
Thou fhould'ft not 'fcape me here.

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcians come to the
aid of Aufidius. Marcius fights, 'till they be driven
in breathless.

Officious, and not valiant!

In your condemned Seconds.

you have sham'd me

Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is founded. Enter at one door, Cominius with the Romans; at another door, Marcius, with his arm in a scarf.

Com. If I fhould tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it, Where Senators fhall mingle tears with smiles; Where great Patricians fhall attend and fhrug; I' th' end, admire; where ladies fhall be frighted,

And

And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tribunes, That with the fufty Plebeians, hate thine honours,

Shall fay, against their hearts, "We thank the Gods, "Our Rome hath fuch a Soldier!"

Yet cam'ft thou to a morfel of this feast,
Having fully din'd before.

Enter Titus Lartius with his Power, from the purfuit.

Lart. O General,

Here is the fleed, we the eaparifon :
Hadft thou beheld

Mar. Pray now, no more: my Mother,
Who has a charter to extol her blood,
When she does praise me, grieves me:

I have done as you have done; that's, what I can ;
Induc'd, as you have been; that's for my Country;
He, that has but effected his good will,

Hath overta'en mine act.

Gom. You fhall not be

The Grave of your deferving: Rome must know
The value of her own: 'twere a concealment
Worfe than a theft, no less than a traducement,
To hide your Doings; and to filence that,
Which, to the fpire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would feem but modeft: therefore, I beseech you,
In fign of what you are, not to reward
What you have done, before our army

hear me.

Mar. I have fome wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remembred.

Com. Should they not,

Well might they fefter 'gainst ingratitude,

And tent themselves with death: Of all the horses,
Whereof we have ta'en good, and good ftore, of all
The treasure in the field atchiev'd, and city,
We render you the tenth, to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution, at

Your only choice.

Mar. I thank you, General:

But

But cannot make

my heart confent to take
A bribe, to pay my fword: I do refuse it,
And ftand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

[A long flourish. They all cry, Marcius, Marcius ! caft up their caps and launces: Cominius and Lartius ftand bare.

Mar. May these fame inftruments, which you profane, (8)

Never found more! when drums and trumpets shall
I'th' field prove flatterers, let camps, as cities,
Be made of falfe-fac'd foothing! When steel
grows
Soft, as the parafite's filk, let Hymns be made
An overture for th' wars! No more, I fay;
For that I have not wash'd my Nose that bled,
Or foil'd fome debile wretch, which, without note
Here's many else have done; you shout me forth
In acclamations hyperbolical;

As if I lov'd, my little fhould be dieted
In praises fauc'd with lies.

Čom. Too modeft are you:

More cruel to your good report, than grateful
To us, that give you truly by your patience,
If 'gainst your felf you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm) in manacles
Then reason fafely with you: therefore, be it known,
As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius
Wears this war's garland: in token of the which,
My noble fteed, known to the Camp, I give him,
With all his trim belonging; and, from this time,

(8) May these fame instruments, which you profane,

Never found more : &c.

Several fubfequent Verfes in this truly fine Paffage are difmounted, unnumerous and imperfect: And the Senfe, 'tis plain, has been no lefs maim'd than the Numbers. To remedy This Part, I have had the Affiftance of my ingenious Friend Mr. Warburton; and with the Benefit of his happy Conjectures, which I have inferted in the Text, the Whole, I hope, is reflor'd to that Purity, which was quite loft in the Corruptions,

For