Mar. Hang 'em! They say? They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know What's done i'the Capitol: who's like to rise, Who thrives, and who declines: side factions, and give out Conjectural marriages; making parties strong, And feebling such as stand not in their liking, Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's grain enough? 8 9 Would the nobility lay aside their ruth, Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly per- For though abundantly they lack discretion, Mar. That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods Upon my party, I'd revolt to make Only my wars with him: he is a lion That I am proud to hunt. 1 Sen. And I am constant.-Titus Lartius, thou Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face: What, art thou stiff? stand'st out? Tit. No, Caius Marcius, I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere stay behind this business! Men. O, true bred! 1 Sen. Your company to the Capitol: where I know, Our greatest friends attend us. Tit. Lead you on: Follow, Cominius; we must follow you; Right worthy your priority. Com. Noble Lartius! 1 Sen. Hence! to your homes, be gone. [To the Citizens Mar. Nay, let them follow: The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither, To gnaw their garners:-Worshipful mutineers, Your valor puts well forth: pray, follow. [Exeunt Senators, CoM., MAR., TIT., and MENEN. Citizens steal away. Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius! Bru. He has no equal. Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the people, Bru. Mark'd you his lip, and eyes? Sic. Sic. Bemock the modest moon. Bru. The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant. Sic. Such a nature, Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon: But I do wonder, His insolence can brook to be commanded Under Cominius. SCENE II.-Corioli. The Senate-House. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, and certain Senators. 1 Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, That they of Rome are enter'd in our councils, And know how we proceed. Auf. Is it not yours? Then, worthy Marcius, What ever hath been thought on in this state, That could be brought to bodily act, ere Rome Had circumvention? "Tis not four days gone, Attend upon Cominius to these wars. Com. It is your former promise. Enter a Gentlewoman. Gent. Madam, the lady Valeria is come to visit you. Since I heard thence; these are the words: I think for their country, than one voluptuously surfeit out 1 Sen. Our army's in the field: 2 Sen. All. Farewell. SCENE III.-Rome. Farewell. Farewell. [Exeunt. Vir. 'Beseech you, give me leave to retire myself. Methinks, I hear hither your husband's drum; Vir. His bloody brow! O, Jupiter, no blood! [Exit Gent. Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius! Val. My ladies both, good day to you. Vir. I am glad to see your ladyship. Val. How do you both? you are manifest housekeepers. What, are you sewing here? A fine spot, in good faith.-How does your little son? Vir. I thank your ladyship: well, good madam. Vol. He had rather see the swords, and hear a drum, than look upon his school-master. Val. O'my word, the father's son: I'll swear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O'my troth, I looked upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has such a confirmed countenance. I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go Enter VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA: They sit down again; and after it again; and over and over he An Apartment in Marcius' House. on two low stools, and sew. Vol. I pray you, daughter, sing; or express your self in a more comfortable sort. If my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honor, than in the embracements of his bed, where he would show most love.When yet he was but tender-bodied, and the only son of my womb; when youth with comeliness plucked all gaze his way; when for a day of kings' entreaties, a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding; I,-considering how honor would become such a person; that it was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir,-was pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame. To a cruel war I sent him; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child, than now, in first seeing he had proved himself a comes, and up again; catched it again : or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth, and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammocked it! Vol. One of his father's moods. Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery; I must have Vir. Indeed, no, by your patience: I will not Vir. 'Tis not to save labor, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope : yet, they say, all the yarn she spun, in Ulysses' absence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambric were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us. Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth. Val. In truth, la, go with me; and I'll tell you | With hearts more proof than shields.-Advance, excellent news of your husband. Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet. Val. Verily, I do not jest with you; there came news from him last night. Vir. Indeed, madam? Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak it. Thus it is:-The Volces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord, and Titus Lartius, are set down before their city, Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honor: and so, I pray, go with us. Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter. Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth. Val. In troth, I think, she would:-Fare you well, then.-Come, good sweet lady.-Pr'ythee, Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o'door, and go along with us. not. Vir. No; at a word, madam; indeed, I must [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Before Corioli. met. Lart. My horse to yours, no. brave Titus: They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts, He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce, Alarum, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting. Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! you herd of Boils and plagues Plaster you o'er; that you may be abhorr'd Mar. Yonder comes news:-A wager, they have "Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Mar. "Tis done. Lart. I'll buy him of you. Lart. So the good horse is mine. Lart. No, I'll nor sell, nor give him: lend you For half a hundred years.-Summon the town. Within this mile and half. ours. Now, Mars, I pr'ythee make us quick in work; To help our fielded friends!-Come, blow thy blast. Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls? 1 Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he, That's lesser than a little. Hark, our drums [Alarums afar off. Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls, Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes; They'll open of themselves. Hark, you, far off; There is Aufidius; list what work he makes Mar. The Volces enter, and pass over the Stage. Nor L. See, they [Alarum continues. To the pot, I warrant him. Enter MARCIUS, and TITUS LARTIUS, with a Trumpet. Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their hours At a crack'd drachm! Cushions, leaden spoons, Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves, Ere yet the fight be done, pack up :-Down with them. And hark, what noise the general makes!-To him : There is the man of my soul's hate, Aufidius, Worthy sir, thou bleed'st; you Sir, praise me not; My work hath yet not warm'd me: Fare The blood I drop is rather physical Than dangerous to me: To Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight. Lart. well. Now the fair goddess, Fortune, Fall deep in love with thee; and her great charms Misguide thy opposers' swords! Bold gentleman, Prosperity be thy page! Mar [Exit MARCIUS. Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands, They have placed their men of trust? As I guess, Marcius, 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 advanced, 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 The best can aid your action. Mar. Those are they If any think, brave death outweighs bad life, And follow Marcius. [They all shout, and wave their Swords; take him up 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 3 Expend. • Front. SCENE VII. The Gates of Corioli. TITUS LARTIUs, having set a Guard upon Corioli, going with a Drum and Trumpet towards CoMINIUS and CAIUS MARCIUS, enters with a Lieutenant, a party of Soldiers, and a Scout. Lart. So, let the ports' be guarded; keep your duties, As I have set them down. If I do send, despatch Lieu. Mar. If I fly, Marcius, 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 seest me mask'd: for thy revenge, Wrench up thy power to the highest. Auf Wert thou the Hector, That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny, Thou shouldst not scape me here. [They fight, and certain Volces come to the aid of AUFIDIUS. Officious and not valiant,-you have sham'd me In your condemned seconds." [Exeunt fighting, driven in by MARCIUS. SCENE IX.-The Roman Camp. Alarum. A Retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter, at one side, COMINIUS and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, with his Arm in a Scarf, Here is the steed, we the caparison: Hadst 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; induced As you have been; that's for my country: He that has but effected his good will, Hath overta'en mine act. 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 hear me. Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remember'd. Com. Should they not, Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude, And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses, (Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store,) of all The treasure, in this field achiev'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 cannot make my heart consent to take A bribe to pay my sword: I do refuse it; And stand upon my common part with those That have beheld the doing. [A long Flourish. They all cry, Marcius! Marcius! cast up their Caps and Lances: ComiNIUS and LARTIUS stand bare. Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane, Never sound more! When drums and trumpet shall Too modest are you; More cruel to your good report than grateful To us that give you truly: by your patience, If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you (Like one that means his proper3 harm) in manacles, Then reason safely with you. Therefore, be it known, As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and Drums. And when my face is fair, you shall perceive |