Imatges de pàgina
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Auf.

We hate alike:

Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor

More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.
Mar. Let the first budger die the other's slave,
And the gods doom him after!

Auf.

Halloo me like a hare.

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.

Wert thou the Hector

Auf.
That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,
Thou shouldst not scape me here.--

[They fight, and certain Volsces come to
the aid of AUFIDIUS.

Officious, and not valiant,—you have sham'd me

In your condemned seconds.

[Exeunt fighting, driven in by MAR.

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, and other Romans.

Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work,
Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles;
Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,
I' the end admire; where ladies shall be frighted,

And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull tribunes,
That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours,
Shall say, against their hearts, We thank the gods
Our Rome hath such a soldier!

Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,

Having fully dined before.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS, with his power, from the pursuit.

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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.

You shall not be

Com.
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 trumpets shall
I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be
Made all of false-fac'd soothing!

When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk,
Let him be made a coverture for the wars!
No more, I say! for that I have not wash'd

My nose that bled, or foil'd some debile wretch,-
Which, without note, here's many else have done,-
You shout me forth in acclamations hyperbolical;
As if I loved my little should be dieted

In praises sauc'd with lies.

Com.
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 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,
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,
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 the addition nobly ever!

[Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums.

All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus!

Cor. I will go wash;

And when my face is fair you shall perceive
Whether I blush or no: howbeit, I thank you.-
I mean to stride your steed; and at all times
To undercrest your good addition

To the fairness of my power.

Com.
So, to our tent;
Where, ere we do repose us, we will write
To Rome of our success.-You, Titus Lartius,
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. The gods begin to mock me. I, that now
Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg
Of my lord general.

Com.

Take't: 'tis yours.-What is't?

Cor. I sometime lay here in Corioli
At a poor man's house; he us'd me kindly:
He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;
But then Aufidius was within my view,

And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you
To give my poor host freedom.

Cor.
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:

I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd.—
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.

A flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, bloody, with two or three Soldiers.

Auf. The town is ta'en!

1 Sol. "Twill be deliver'd back on good condition. Auf. Condition!

I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,

Being a Volsce, be that I am.-Condition!

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,

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
thought to crush him in an equal force,—

True sword to sword,-I'll potch at him some way
Or wrath or craft may get him.

1 Sol.

He's the devil.

Auf. Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour's poison'd With only suffering stain by him; for him

Shall fly out of itself: nor sleep nor sanctuary,

Being naked, sick; nor fane nor Capitol,
The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice,
Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up
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,

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.

1 Sol.

Will not you go?

Auf. I am attended at the cypress grove:

I pray you,―

'Tis south the city mills,—bring me word thither How the world goes, that to the pace of it

I may spur on my journey.

1 Sol.

I shall, sir.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-ROME. A public Place.

Enter MENENIUS, SICINIUS, and BRUTUS.

Men. The augurer tells me we shall have news to-night. Bru. Good or bad?

Men. Not according to the prayer of the people, for they love not Marcius.

Sic. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

Men. Pray you, who does the wolf love?

Sic. The lamb.

Men. Ay, to devour him; as the hungry plebeians would the noble Marcius.

Bru. He's a lamb indeed, that baas like a bear.

Men. He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two are old men: tell me one thing that I shall ask you. Both Trib. Well, sir.

Men. In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two have not in abundance?

Bru. He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all.

Sic. Especially in pride.

Bru. And topping all others in boasting.

Men. This is strange now: do you two know how you are censured here in the city, I mean of us o' the right-hand file? Do you?

Both Trib. Why, how are we censured?

Men. Because you talk of pride now,-will you not be angry?

Both Trib. Well, well, sir, well.

Men. Why, 'tis no great matter; for a very little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience: give your dispositions the reins, and be angry at your pleasures; at the least, if you take it as a pleasure to you in being so. You blame Marcius for being proud?

Bru. We do it not alone, sir.

Men. I know you can do very little alone; for your helps are many, or else your actions would grow wondrous single: your abilities are too infant-like for doing much alone. You talk of pride: O that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves! O that you could!

Bru. What then, sir?

Men. Why, then you should discover a brace of unmerit

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