Com. Who's yonder,
That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods!
He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have
Before-time seen him thus.
Com. The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor 25
More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue[2684]
From every meaner man.[2685]
Mar. Come I too late?
Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others,
But mantled in your own.
Mar. O, let me clip ye[2686]
In arms as sound as when I woo'd; in heart[2687][2688] 30
As merry as when our nuptial day was done,[2688]
And tapers burn'd to bedward!
Mar. As with a man busied about decrees:
Condemning some to death, and some to exile; 35
Ransoming him or pitying, threatening the other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,
Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will.[2691]
Com. Where is that slave
Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? 40
Where is he? call him hither.
Mar. Let him alone;
He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen,[2692]
The common file—a plague! tribunes for them!—[2693]
The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat as they did budge
From rascals worse than they.
Com. But how prevail'd you? 45
Mar. Will the time serve to tell? I do not think.[2694]
Where is the enemy? are you lords o' the field?[2695]
If not, why cease you till you are so?
Mar. How lies their battle? know you on which side[2698][2699]
They have placed their men of trust?[2698]
Com. As I guess, Marcius,
Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates,[2700]
Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope.
Mar. I do beseech you, 55
By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By the blood we have shed together, by the vows[2701][2702]
We have made to endure friends, that you directly[2701][2702]
Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates;[2701]
And that you not delay the present, but, 60
Filling the air with swords advanced and darts,
We prove this very hour.[2703]
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 65
That best can aid your action.
Mar. Those are they
That most are willing. If any such be here—[2704]
As it were sin to doubt—that love this painting
Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear
Lesser his person than an ill report;[2705] 70
If any think brave death outweighs bad life,
And that his country's dearer than himself;
Let him alone, or so many so minded,[2706]
Wave thus, to express his disposition,
And follow Marcius. 75
[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?[2707]
If these shows be not outward, which of you
But is four Volsces? none of you but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A shield as hard as his. A certain number,[2708] 80
Though thanks to all, must I select from all: the rest[2709]
Shall bear the business in some other fight,
As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march;[2710]
And four shall quickly draw out my command,[2710][2711][2712]
Which men are best inclined.[2712]
Com. March on, my fellows: 85
Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us. [Exeunt.
Scene VII. The gates of Corioli.[2713]
Titus Lartius, having set a guard upon Corioli, going with drum
and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Marcius, enters with
a Lieutenant, other Soldiers, and a Scout.
Lart. So, let the ports be guarded: keep your duties,
As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch[2714]
Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve[2715]
For a short holding: if we lose the field,
We cannot keep the town.[2716]
Lieu. Fear not our care, sir.[2716] 5
Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon 's.[2716][2717]
Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us. [Exeunt.[2716][2718]
Scene VIII. A field of battle between the Roman and the
Volscian camps.
Alarum as in battle. Enter, from opposite sides, Marcius and
Aufidius.[2719]
Mar. I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate thee
Worse than a promise-breaker.
Auf. We hate alike:
Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor[2720]
More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.[2721][2722]
Mar. Let the first budger die the other's slave,[2722] 5
And the gods doom him after!
Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,
And made what work I pleased: 'tis not my blood
Wherein thou seest me mask'd; for thy revenge 10
Wrench up thy power to the highest.
Auf. Wert thou the Hector[2725]
That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,
Thou shouldst not 'scape me here.
[They fight, and certain Volsces come in the aid of Aufidius.
Marcius fights till they be driven in breathless.[2726]
Officious, and not valiant, you have shamed me
In your condemned seconds. [Exeunt.[2727] 15
Scene IX. The Roman camp.
Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Enter, from one side,
Cominius with the Romans; from the other side, Marcius, with
his arm in a scarf.[2728]
Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work,
Thou'ldst not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it,[2729]
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles;
Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,[2730]
I' the end admire; where ladies shall be frighted, 5
And, gladly quaked, hear more; where the dull tribunes,
That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours,[2731]
Shall say against their hearts 'We thank the gods
Our Rome hath such a soldier.'
Yet camest thou to a morsel of this feast, 10
Having fully dined before.
Enter Titus Lartius, with his power, from the pursuit.[2732]
Lart. O general,
Here is the steed, we the caparison:[2733]
Hadst thou beheld—[2734]
Mar. Pray now, no more: my mother,[2735]
Who has a charter to extol her blood,[2735]
When she does praise me grieves me. I have done[2736] 15
As you have done; that's what I can: induced[2736]
As you have been; that's for my country:[2736]
He that has but effected his good will
Hath overta'en mine act.
Com. You shall not be[2737]
The grave of your deserving; Rome must know[2737] 20
The value of her own: 'twere a concealment[2737]
Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,[2737]
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— 25
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, 30
And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses,
Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store, of all[2738]
The treasure in this field achieved and city,[2739]
We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution, at[2740][2741] 35
Your only choice.[2741]
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.[2742] 40
[A long flourish. They all cry 'Marcius! Marcius!'
cast up their caps and lances: Cominius
and Lartius stand bare.
Com. Too modest are you;
More cruel to your good report than grateful
To us that give you truly: by your patience,[2753] 55
If 'gainst yourself you be incensed, we'll put you,[2754]
Like one that means his proper harm, in manacles,
Then reason safely 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, 60
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,[2755]
With all his trim belonging; and from this time,
For what he did before Corioli, call him,
With all the applause and clamour of the host,
Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Bear[2756][2757] 65
The addition nobly ever! [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums.[2756]
Cor. I will go wash;[2759]
And when my face is fair, you shall perceive
Whether I blush, or no: howbeit, I thank you: 70
I mean to stride your steed; and at all times
To undercrest your good addition
To the fairness of my power.[2760]
Com. So, to our tent;
Where, ere we do repose us, we will write[2761]
To Rome of our success. You, Titus Lartius, 75
Must to Corioli back: send us to Rome
The best, with whom we may articulate
For their own good and ours.
Lart. I shall, my lord.
Cor. I sometime lay here in Corioli[2759][2764]
At a poor man's house; he used me kindly:[2764][2766]
He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;
But then Aufidius was within my view, 85
And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you
To give my poor host freedom.
Com. O, well begg'd!
Were he the butcher of my son, he should
Be free as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus.
Lart. Marcius, his name?
Cor. By Jupiter, forgot:[2759] 90
I am weary; yea, my memory is tired.[2767]
Have we no wine here?
Com. Go we to our tent:
The blood upon your visage dries; 'tis time
It should be look'd to: come. [Exeunt.
Scene X. The camp of the Volsces.[2768]
A flourish. Cornets. Enter Tullus Aufidius, bloody, with two
or three Soldiers.
First Sol. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition.[2770][2769]
Auf. Condition!
I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,
Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition![2771] 5
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 wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter
As often as we eat. By the elements,[2772] 10
If e'er again I meet him beard to beard,
He's 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,[2773] 15
Or wrath or craft may get him.
First Sol. He's the devil.[2770]
Auf. Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour's poison'd[2774][2775]
With only suffering stain by him; for him[2775][2776]
Shall fly out of itself: nor sleep nor sanctuary,[2777]
Being naked, sick, nor fane nor Capitol,[2778] 20
The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice,
Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up[2779]
Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst
My hate to Marcius: where I find him, were it
At home, upon my brother's guard, even there,[2780] 25
Against the hospitable canon, would I
Wash my fierce hand in's heart. Go you to the city;
Learn how 'tis held, and what they are that must
Be hostages for Rome.
First Sol. Will not you go?[2770]
Auf. I am attended at the cypress grove: I pray you—[2781] 30
'Tis south the city mills—bring me word thither[2782]
How the world goes, that to the pace of it
I may spur on my journey.