Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell We have a power on foot; and I had purpose Had we no quarrel else to Rome, but that Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O come, go in, Cor. You bless me, gods! 2 Serv. An he had been cannibally given, he might have broiled and eaten him too. 1 Serv. But more of thy news? 3 Serv. Why, he is so made on here within, as if he were son and heir to Mars: set at upper end o'the table: no question asked him by any of the senators, but they stand bald before him: Our general himself makes a mistress of him; sanctifies himself with's band, and turns But the up the white o'the eye to his discourse. bottom of the news is, our general is cut i'the middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday; for the other was half, by the entreaty, and grant of the whole table. He'll go, he says, and sowle" the porter of Rome gates by the ears : He will mow down all before him, and leave his passage polled.+ 2 Serv. And he's as like to do't as any man I can imagine. 3 Serv. Do't? he will do't: For, look you, Sir, he has as many friends as enemies: which Auf. Therefore, most absolute Sir, if thou friends, Sir, (as it were,) durst not (look you, wilt have The leading of thine own revenges, take own ways: Whether to knock against the gates of Rome, Sir,) show themselves (as we term it,) his friends, whilst he's in directitude. 1 Serv. Directitude? what's that? 3 Serv. But when they shall see, Sir, his crest up again, and the man in blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain, and revel all with him. 1 Serv. But when goes this forward? 3 Serv. To-morrow; to-day; presently. You shali have the drum struck up this afternoon : 'tis, as it were, a parcel of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips. 2 Serv. Why then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is nothing, but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed ballad [Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. 1 Serv. [Advancing.] Here's a strange altera-makers. tion ! 2 Serv. By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel; and yet my mind gave me, his clothes made a false report of him. 1 Serv. What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his thumb, as one would set up a top. 2 Serv. Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him: He had, Sir, a kind of face, methought,-I cannot tell how to term it. 1 Serv. He had so: looking as it were,"Would I were hanged, but I thought there was more in him than I could think. 2 Serv. So did I, I'll be sworn: He is simply the rarest man i'the world. 1 Serv. I think he is: but a greater soldier than he, you wot one. 2 Serv. Who? my master? Serv. Nay, it's no matter for that. 1 Serv. Nay, not so neither; but I take him to be the greater soldier. 2 Serv. 'Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the defence of a town, our geveral is excellent. 1 Serv. Ay, and for an assault too. Re-enter third SERVANT. 3 Serv. O slaves, I can tell you news: news, you rascals. 1. 2. Serv. What, what, what? let's partake. 3 Serv. I would not be a Roman, of all nations: I had as lieve be a condemned man. 1. 2. Serv. Wherefore? wherefore? 3 Serr. Why, here's he that was wont to thwack our general,-Caius Marcius. 1 Serv. Why do you say thwack our general ? 3 Sern. I do not say, thwack our general; but he was always good enough for him. 2 Serv. Come, we are fellows and friends: he was ever too hard for him; I have heard him say so himself. 1 Serv. He was too hard for him directly, to say the truth on't: before Corioli, he scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.]] 1 Serv. Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace, as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy: mulled, ¶ deaf, sleepy, insensible: a getter of more bastard children, than war's a destroyer of men. 2 Serv. 'Tis so: and as wars, in some sort, may be said to be a ravisher, so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds. 1 Serv. Ay, and it makes men bate one another. 3 Serv. Reason; because they then less need one another. The wars for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. They are rising, they are rising. All. In, in, in, in. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-Rome.-A Public place. Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS. Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear His remedies are tame i'the present peace Enter MENENIUS. Bru. We stood to't in good time. Is this Sic. 'Tis he, 'tis he: Oh! he is grown most Men. Hail to you both? Sic. Your Coriolanus, Sir, is not much miss'd, But with his friends; the common-wealth doth stand; And so would do, were he more angry at it. Men. All's well; and might have been much better, if He could have temporiz'd. Upon our territories; and have already, O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd What lay before them. Enter COMINIUS. Com. Oh! you have made good work! Men. What news? what news? [took Com. You have holp to ravish your own daugh ters, and To melt the city leads upon your pates; Your franchises, whereon you stood confin'd Men. Pray now, your news?— You have made fair work, I fear me :-Pray, your news? If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,- He is their god; he leads them like a thing Men. You have made good work, You and your apron men; you that stood so much Upon the voice of occupation, ‡ and The breath of garlic-eaters ? Com. He will shake Your Rome about your ears. Did shake down mellow fruit: You have made fair work! Bru. But is this true, Sir ? Com. Ay; and you'll look pale Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It can- Before you find it other. All the regions They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, Enter a troop of CITIZENS. Men. Here comes the clusters. And is Aufidius with him ?-You are they Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you be'll carry Rome? Auf. All places yield to him ere he sits down = And the nobility of Rome are his : The senators and patricians love him too : The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome, That made the air unwholesome, when you cast By sovereignty of nature. First he was Your stinking, greasy caps, in hooting at If he could burn us all into one coal, Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. 1 Cit. For mine own part. When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And so did I. 3 Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: That we did, we did for the best and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will. Com. You are goodly things, you voices! A noble servant to them; but he could not Even with the same austerity and garb Lie in the interpretation of the time: Good work, you and your cry! -Shall us to the To extol what it hath done. Capitol ? Com. Oh! ay; what else? [Exeunt Co. and MEN. Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd: These are a side that would be glad to have 1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. I ever said we were i'the wrong, when we banished him. 2 Cit. So did we all. But come, let's home. [Exeunt CITIZENS. Bru. I do not like this news. Sic. Nor I. Bru. Let's to the Capitol :-'Would half my wealth Would buy this for a lie! Sic. Pray, let us go. [Exeunt. SCENE VII-A Camp, at a small distance Enter AUFIDIUS and his LIEUTENANT. Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat, Auf. I cannot help it now; Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier Lieu. Yet I wish, Sir, (I mean for your particular,) you had not Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou sure, One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; Rights by rights fouler, strengths by strengths do fail. Come, let's away. When, Cains, Rome is thine, Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE 1.-Rome.-A Public Place. Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, BRUTUS and others. Men. No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name: I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops Men. Why, so; you have made good work: Com. I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard Men. For one poor grain You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt In this so never-heeded help, yet do not More than the instant army we can make, Might stop our countryman. Men. No; I'll not meddle. Sie. I pray yon, go to him. Men. What should I do? 1 G. Be it so; go back: the virtue of your naine Is not here passable. Men. I tell thee, fellow, Thy general is my lover: I bave been The book of his good acts, whence men have read (Of whom he's chief,) with all the size that Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes, I have tumbled past the throw; and, in his Bru. Only make trial what your love can do Have almost stamp'd the leasing: || Therefore, For Rome towards Marcius. Men. Well, and say that Marcius Return me, as Cominius is return'd, Est as a discontented friend, grief-shoi Must have that thanks from Rome, after the mea sure, As you intended well. Men. Pil undertake it: I think be'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip, him Till be be dieted to my request, And then I'll set upon him. fellow, I must have leave to pass. 1 G. 'Faith, Sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here: no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chastely. Therefore, go back. Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general. 2 G. Howsoever you have been his liar, (as you say you have) I am one that, telling true under him, must say, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back. Men. Has he dined, can'st thou tell? for I would not speak with him till after dinner. 1 G. You are a Roman, are you? Men. I am as thy general is. 1 G. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to frout his revenges with the easy groans Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, of old women, the virginal palms of your daughAnd cannot lose your way. Mes. Good faith, I'll prove him, Speed how it will. I shall ere long have know. ledge Of my saccess. Coun. He'll never hear him. Exit. Cum. I tell you; he does sit in gold his eye Uniess his noble mother, and his wife, [Exeunt. ters, or with the palsied intercession of such a decayed dotant ¶ as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemned, our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon. Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation. 2 G. Come, my captain knows you not. 1 G. My general cares not for you. Back, I say, go, lest I let forth your half pint of blood; -back,-that's the utmost of your having : back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,— Enter CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. Men. Now you companion, ** I'll say an er. SCENE II-An advanced Post of the Vol-rand for you; you shall know now that I am in arian Camp, before Rome. The GUARD at estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack t thear Stations. Enter to them, MENENIUS, 1 G. Stay: Whence are you? 1 G. Stand, and go back. guardant cannot office me from my son Corio. laims guess, but by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not i'the state of hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering: behold now presently, and Men. You guard like men; 'tis well: But, by swoon for what's to come upon thee.-The gloyour leave, I am an officer of state, and come Je speak with Coriolanus. 16. From whence ? Mea. From Rome. rious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particnlar prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son! my on! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come 1 G. You may not pass, you must return: our to thee; but being assured none but myself general W to more hear from thence. could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs and conjure thee to pardon G. You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire, Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. Before Toesprak with Coriolanus. Men. Good my friends, I have heard your general talk of Rome, mius. Prizes. Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. Are servanted to others: Though I owe My [ In supplication nod: and my young boy Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather Take this along: I writ it for thy sake, nenius, [Gives a Letter. Vir. My lord and busband! Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Vir. The sorrow, that delivers us thus chang'd Cor. Like a dull actor now, And would have sent it. Another word, Me-I have forgot my part, and I am out, I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius, 1 G. Do you hear how we are shent + for keeping your greatness back? 2 G. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general for such things as you, I can scarce Think there's any, you are so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself, fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, Away! [Exit. 1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him. 2 G. The worthy fellow is our general: He is the rook, the oak not to be wind-sbaken. The first conditions, which they did refuse, Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow and ATTENDANTS. My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand am not Of stronger earth than others.-My mother bows; • Because. ↑ Reprimanded. * Openly. Of thy deep duty more impression show Vol. Oh! stand up bless'd! Cor. What is this? [Kneels. Your knees to me? to your corrected son Vol. Thou art my warrior: I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady? Cor. The god of soldiers, With the consent of supreme Jove, inform prove To shame unvulnerable, and stick i'the wars Vol. Your knee, Sirrah. Cor. That's my brave boy. Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself Are suitors to you. Cor. I beseech you, peace : Or, if you'd ask, remember this before: Vol. Oh! no more, no more! Hear nought from Rome in private.-Your re |