Men. For that, being one o' the lowest, basest,
poorest,

Of this most wise rebellion, thou go'st foremost:
Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
Lead'st first to win some vantage.

But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs:
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle;
Enter CAIUS MARCIUS.

The one side must have bale. Hail, noble
Marcius!

Mar. Thanks. What's the matter, you dis-
sentious rogues,

That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, 170
Make yourselves scabs ?

First Cit. We have ever your good word.
Mar. He that will give good words to thee
will flatter

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!

201

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,
And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry
With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high
As I could pick my lance.

Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly per-
suaded;

For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech

you,

What says the other troop?

Mar.

Our musty superfluity. See, our best elders.
Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other
Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS and SICINIUS
VELUTUS.

First Sen. Marcius, 'tis true that you have
lately told us;

The Volsces are in arms.

Mar.
They have a leader,
Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't.
I sin in envying his nobility,

And were I any thing but what I am,
I would wish me only he.

Com.
You have fought together.
Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears,

and he

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 Marcins;
I'll lean upon one crutch and fight with t' other,
Ere stay behind this business.

Men.
O! true-bred.
First Sen. Your company to the Capitol;
where I know

Our greatest friends attend us.

Tit.
To COMINIUS. Lead you on: 20
To MARCIUS. Follow Cominius; we must follow
you;

They are dissolved: hang 'em! | Right worthy you priority.

First Sen. To the Citizens. Hence! To your homes! be gone.

Mar.

Nay, let them follow: The Volsces have much corn; take these rats thither

To gnaw their garners. Worshipful mutiners,
Your valour puts well forth; pray, follow.
Exeunt Senators, COMINIUS, MARCIUS, TITUS,
and MENENIUS. 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.

Nay, but his taunts. 260 Bru. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird the gods.

Sic. Bemock the modest moon.

It seem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery
We shall be shorten'd in our aim, which was,
To take in many towns ere almost Rome
Should know we were afoot.

Second Sen.

Noble Aufidius, Take your commission; hie you to your bands; Let us alone to guard Corioli:

If they set down before 's, for the remove Bring up your army; but I think you'll find Bru. The present wars devour him; he is They've not prepar'd for us.

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.

Bru.

Auf.
O! doubt not that; 30
I speak from certainties. Nay, more;
Some parcels of their power are forth already,
And only hitherward. I leave your honours.
If we and Caius Marcius chance to meet,
'Tis sworn between us we shall ever strike
Till one can do no more.
All.

Auf. And keep your honours safe!

Fame, at the which he aims,
In whom already he's well grac'd, can not
Better be held nor more attain'd than by
A place below the first; for what miscarries
Shall be the general's fault, though he perform
To the utmost of a man; and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Marcius, 'O! if he
Had borne the business.'

Sic.

Besides, if things go well,
Opinion, that so sticks on Marcius, shall
Of his demerits rob Cominius.

The gods assist you!

Farewell.

Farewell.

Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Rome. A Room in MARCIUS'S

House.

Enter VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA. They set them down on two low stools and sew.

Vol. I pray you, daughter, sing; or express yourself in a more comfortable sort. If my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honour than in the To Marcius shall be honours, though indeed 280 embracements of his bed where he would show In aught he merit not.

most love. When yet he was but tender-bodied and the only son of my womb, when youth with How the dispatch is made; and in what fashion, comeliness plucked all gaze his way, when for More than his singularity, he goes Upon his present action. Bru.

a day of kings' entreaties a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding, I, considerLet's along. Exeunt. ing how honour would become such a person,

SCENE II.-Corioli. The Senate-house.
Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS and Senators.
First Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius,
That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels,
And know how we proceed.
Auf.
Is it not yours?
What ever have been thought on in this state,
That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome
Had circumvention? "Tis not four days gone
Since I heard thence; these are the words: I
think

I have the letter here; yes, here it is.

They have press'd a power, but it is not known
Whether for east or west: the dearth is great;
The people mutinous; and it is rumour'd,
Cominius, Marcius your old enemy,
Who is of Rome worse hated than of you,
And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman,

10

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 man. Vir. But had he died in the business, madam; how then?

21

Vol. Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike, and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action.

Enter a Gentlewoman.

Gent. Madam, the Lady Valeria is come to visit you.

Rather than they shall pound us up our gates, | A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,
Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with
rushes;
They'll open of themselves.

There is Aufidius: list, what
Amongst your cloven army.
Mar.

Alarum afar off. Hark you, far off! work he makes 20

O they are at it.

Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier
Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
Only in strokes; but, with thy grim looks and
The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds,
Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world
Were feverous and did tremble.

Lart. Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy.

ho!

First Sol.
Lart.

Look! sir.
Ol 'tis Marcius:
Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.
They fight, and all enter the city.

SCENE V.-Corioli. A Street.

Enter certain Romans, with spoils.

First Rom. This will I carry to Rome.
Second Rom. And I this.

62

Third Rom. A murrain on 't! I took this for silver.

Alarum continues still afar off.

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!

Andhark, what noise the general makes! To him!
There is the man of my soul's hate, Aufidius, 10
Piercing our Romans: then, valiant Titus, take
Whilst I, with those that have the spirit, will
Convenient numbers to make good the city,

haste

Com.

As I guess, Marcius, Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates, Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius, Their very heart of hope. I do beseech you,

Mar.

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

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
That best can aid your action.

Mar.