Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you | Than their offence can weigh down by the dram; gold, Rid me these villains from your companies: Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Each man apart, all single and alone, You have done work for me, there's payment: You are an alchemist, make gold of that: Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth, 1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with us, 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; Thus, [Exit, beating and driving them out. If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, SCENE II.-The same. Enter FLAVIUs, and two Senators. Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with Giving our holy virgins to the stain Timon; Worthy TimonTim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon. 2 Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Tim. I thank them; and would send them back the plague, Could I but catch it for them. O, forget 1 Sen. 2 Sen. A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal • Confession. Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; I cannot choose but tell him, that-I care not, not While you have throats to answer: for myself, Flav. through them. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great triumphers In their applauding gates. Tim. I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe, Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, 1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Coupled to nature. 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril. 1 Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The Walls of Athens. Enter two Senators, and a Messenger. 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discovered; are his files As full as thy report? Mess. I have spoke the least: Besides, his expedition promises 1 Sen. Enter Senators from TIMON. Here come our brothers. 2 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect. The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring Doth choke the air with dust: in and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes, the snare. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The Woods. Timon's Cave, and a Tomb-stone seen. Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON. Sol. By all description this should be the place. Who's here? speak, ho!-No answer?- What is this? Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span: Some beast rear'd this; there does not live a man. Dead, sure; and this his grave. What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character Our captain hath in every figure skill; [Exit. Enter Senators on the Walls. Our sufferance vainly; Now the time is flush,' 1 Sen. 2 Sen. Transformed Timon to our city's love, By humble message, and by promis'd means; 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they such, That these great towers, trophies, and schools should fall For private faults in them. 2 Sen. Into our city with thy banners spread: 1 Sen. All have not offended; 2 Sen. 1 Sen. Alcib. Then there's my glove; Descend, and open your uncharged ports;' Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own, Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof, Fall, and no more: and,-to atone your fears With my more noble meaning,-not a man Shall pass his quarter, or offend the stream Of regular justice in your city's bounds, • Arms across. 1 Mature. 2 Not regular, not equitable. Unattacked gates. • Reconcile. But shall be remedied, to your public laws Sol. My noble general, Timon is dead; Alcib. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched corse, of Seek not my name: A plague consume you wicked caitiffs left! Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not These well express in thee thy latter spirits: From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit Prescribe to other, as each other's leech." Here lie I, Timon; who, alive, all living men did Let our drums strike. [Exeunt hate: Stop. • Physician. CORIOLANUS. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman. scians. MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus. Young MARCIUS, Son to Coriolanus. A Roman Herald. TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians. Conspirators with Aufidius. A Citizen of Antium. VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus. Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Ædi- SCENE, partly in Rome, and partly in the Territories of the Volscians and Antiates. ACT I. SCENE I-Rome. A Street. 1 Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear me Cit. Speak, speak. [Several speaking at once. 1 Cit. You are resolved rather to die, than to famish? Cit. Resolved, resolved. him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud. 2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though soft conscienced men can be content to say it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You must in no way say, 1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Marcius is chief he is covetous. enemy to the people. Cit. We know't, we know't. 1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a verdict? Cit. No more talking on't; let it be done: away, away. 2 Cit. One word, good citizens. 1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians, good: What authority surfeits on, would relieve us: If they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved us humanely! but they think, we are too dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them.Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes: for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? Cit. Against him first; he's a very dog to the commonalty. 2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country? 1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give 1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o' the city is risen: Why stay we prating here? To the Capitol. Cit. Come, come. 1 Cit. Soft; who comes here? Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA. 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa: one that hath always loved the people. 1 Cit. He's one honest enough; 'Would, all the rest were so! Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you With bats and clubs! The matter speak, I pray you. 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know, we have strong arms too. Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbors, Will you undo yourselves? 1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Thither where more attends you: and you slander 1 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed!-They ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their storehouses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury to support usurers: repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must Confess yourselves wondrous malicious, 1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver. Men. There was a time when all the body's Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it:- I' the midst o' the body, idle and inactive, 1 Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the belly! 1 Cit. Your belly's answer: What! The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye, The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier, Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter, With other muniments and petty helps In this our fabric, if that they What then? Men. 'Fore me, this fellow speaks!-What then?-what then? 1 Cit. Should by the cormorant body be restrain'd, Who is the sink o' the body, Men. Well, what then? 1 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer? Men. I will tell you; If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little) Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer. 1 Cit. You are long about it. Men. Note me this, good friend; Your most grave belly was deliberate, True is it, my incorporate friends, quoth he, me, 1 Cit. Ay, sir, well, well. Men. Though all at once cannot But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you, 1 Cit. I the great toe! Why the great toe? Men. For that being one o' the lowest, basest, poorest, Of this most wise rebellion, thou go'st foremost: But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs; Mar. Thanks.-What's the matter, you dissentious rogues, That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, 1 Cit. We have ever your good word. Mar. He that will give good words to thee, will flatter Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs, |