I would have 'voided thee; but in mere spite,
To be full quit of those my banishers,

Stand I before thee here. Then, if thou hast
A heart of a wreak in thee, that will revenge
Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims
Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee
straight,

And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it,
That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee; for I will fight

Against my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. But if so be

Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes
Thou art tir'd; then, in a word, I also am
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee, and to thy ancient malice:
Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless
It be to do thee service.

O Marcius, Marcius!

[heart

Here I dclip

Auf.
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my
A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter
Should from yond' cloud speak divine things,
And say, ""Tis true;" I'd not believe them more
Than thee, all noble Marcius.-Let me twine
Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scar'd the moon with splinters!
The anvil of my sword; and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love,
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valor. Know thou first,
I lov'd the maid I married: never man
Sighed truer breath; but that I see thee here,
Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart,
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars, I tell thee,
We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for't. Thou hast beat me out
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me:
We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat,
And wak'd half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius,
Had we no other quarrel else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy; and, pouring war
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,
Like a bold flood 1o'er-bear. O! come; go in,
And take our friendly senators by the hands,
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepar'd against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.

Cor.

You bless me, gods!
Auf. Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have
The leading of thine own revenges, take
Th' one half of my commission; and set down,-
As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know'st
Thy country's strength and weakness,-thine own
ways;

Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in:
Let me commend thee first to those, that shall

•Wreak, an old term for revenge.—"Maims of shame," i. e., disgraceful diminutions of territory." The under fiends," 1. e., the infernal fiends.-d "Clip," i. e., embrace.- Aufidius calls Coriolanus the anvil of his sword, because he had formerly laid as heavy blows on him as a smith strikes on his anvilfThy brawn," i. e., thy arm.-"Beat me out," i. e., beat me fully, completely.

Say, "yea," to thy desires. A thousand welcomes !
And more a friend than e'er an enemy;
Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand: most
welcome!

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. 1 Serv. [Advancing.] Here's a strange alteration! 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 hwot one.

2 Serv. Who? my master?

1 Serv. Nay, it's no matter for that.

2 Serv. Worth six on him.

1 Serv. Nay, not so either; 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 general 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 Serv. Why, here's he that was wont to thwack our general,-Caius Marcius.

1 Serv. Why do you say thwack our general? 3 Serv. 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.

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 hand, and turns up the white o' the eye to his discourse. Bate bottom of the news is, our general is cut i' he middle, and but one half of what he was yester for the other has half, by the entreaty and g 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 friends,

sir, (as it were,) durst not (look you, sir) show them- | Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
selves (as we term it) his friends, whilst he's in Crying confusion.
Bru.
1 dejectitude.

1 Serv. 'Dejectitude! what's that?

3 Serv. But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the man in a blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain, and revel all with

2 Serv. Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is nothing, but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed ballad-makers.

Caius Marcius was

A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
Self-loving,—
And affecting one sole throne,

Sic.
Without assistance.

think not so.

Men.
Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation,
If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
Bru. The gods have well prevented it; and Rome
Sits safe and still without him.

Enter an Edile.

Ed. Worthy tribunes, There is a slave, whom we have put in prison, 1 Serv. Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace, Reports, the Volsces with two several powers as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audi-Are enter'd in the Roman territories; ble, and full of 2 vaunt. Peace is a very apoplexy, And with the deepest malice of the war lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a get- Destroy what lies before them. ter of more bastard children, than wars 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 hate 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.

Men.

Hail to you both!

Sic. Your Coriolanus 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
He could have temporiz'd.
[better, if
Sic.
Where is he, hear you?
Men. Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
Hear nothing from him.

Enter three or four Citizens.
Cit. The gods preserve you both
3 Good-den, our neighbors.
Sic.
Bru. Good-den to you all, ood-den to you all.
1 Cit. Ourselves, our wivelu idren, on our
Are bound to pray for
[knees,
both.
you
Sic.
Live, and thrive.
Bru. Farewell, kind neighbors. We wish'd Cor-
Had lov'd you as we did.

[iolanus
Cit.
Now the gods keep you!
Both Tri. Farewell, farewell. [Exeunt Citizens.
Sic. This is a happier and more comely time,

"In blood," i. e., in good condition.-b Part.- "Nothing," i. e, good for nothing. Softened." Good-den," i, e., good day.

Men.

'Tis Aufidius,
Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;
Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome,
And durst not once peep out.
Sic.
Of Marcius?

Come, what talk you

Bru. Go see this rumorer whipp'd.—It cannot be, The Volsces dare break with us.

Men.

Cannot be!
We have record that very well it can;
And three examples of the like have been
Within my age. But i reason with the fellow,
Before you punish him, where he heard this,
Lest you shall chance to whip your information,
And beat the messenger who bids beware
Of what is to be dreaded.

Sic.

I know, this cannot be.
Bru.

Tell not me:

Not possible.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. The nobles in great earnestness are going All to the senate house: some news is come in, That turns their countenances.

Sic.

'Tis this slave.

Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes:—his raising;
Nothing but his report.

Mess.

Yes, worthy sir,
The slave's report is seconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver'd.
Sic.

What more fearful?
Mess. It is spoke freely out of many mouths,
How probable I do not know, that Marcius,
Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome,
And vows revenge as spacious, as between
The young'st and oldest thing.

Sic.
This is most likely!
Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker sort may wish
5 God Marcius home again.
Sic.

The very trick on't.
Men. This is unlikely:
He and Aufidius can no more latone,
Than violent contrariety.

Enter another Messenger.
Mess. You are sent for to the senate.
A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius,
Associated with Aufidius, rages

That is, Aiming at absolute power, without the partici
pation of the tribunes.'- To.
our lamentation," Le
to our sorrow."Stood for Rome," i, e., stood up in her
defence. To reason with is to talk with - Changes —
"Atone," i. e., agree; accord.

That, which shall break his neck, or hazard mine,
Whene'er we come to our account.
[Rome?
Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry
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,
As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it
By sovereignty of nature. First he was
A noble servant to them, but he could not
Carry his honors even: .whether 'twas pride,
Which out of daily fortune ever taints
The happy man; whether defect of judgment,
To fail in the disposing of those chances
Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
Not to be other than one thing, not moving
From the casque to the cushion, but commanding
Even with the same austerity and garb [peace,
As he controll'd the war; but one of these
(As he hath spices of them all, not all,
For I dare so far free him) made him fear'd,
So hated, and so banish'd: but he has a merit,
To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
'Live in the interpretation of the time,
And power, in itself most commendable,
Hath not a tomb so evident as a 3 cheer
To extol what it hath done.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
Rights by rights suffer, strengths by strengths do fail.
Come, let's away.-When, Caius, Rome is thine,
Thou art poor'st of all; then, shortly art thou mine.
[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE L-Rome. A Public Place.

For his private friends: his answer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisome, musty chaff. He said, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And still to nose th' offence.

Men.
For one poor grain or two?
I am one of those; his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too; we are the grains:
You are the musty chaff, and you are smelt
Above the moon. We must be burnt for you.
Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: if you refuse your aid
In this so never-needed help, yet do not
Upbraid's with our distress. But, sure, if you
Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the instant army we can make,
Might stop our countryman.

Men.

Sic. Pray you, go to him.

Men. What should I do?

No; I'll not meddle.

Men.

I'll undertake it:
I think, he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip,
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well; he had not din'd:
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
These pipes and these conveyances of blood
With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
Than in our priest-like fasts: therefore, I'll watch him
Till he be dieted to my request,

Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and And then I'll set upon him.

others.

Men. No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath said
"To one sometime his general; who lov'd him
In a most dear particular. He call'd me father,
But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him,
A mile before his tent fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy. Nay, if he coy'd
To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
Com. He would not seem to know me.
Men.
Do you hear?
Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name.
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to; forbad all names:
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,
Till he had forg'd himself a name o' the fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, so; you have made good work:
A pair of tribunes, that have wreck'd for Rome,
To make coals cheap, a noble memory!

Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon
When it was least expected: he replied,
It was a bare petition of a state

To one whom they had punish'd.
Men. Very well: could he say less?
Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard

The osprey is an eagle that preys on fish.-b"From the casque to the cushion," i. e., from the duties of a soldier to the chair of civil authority. "Not all," i. e., not all in their full extent. That is, "such merit as should choke the utterance of his faults."-"Coy'd," i. e., condescended unwillingly.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness,
And cannot lose your way.

Men.
Good faith, I'll prove him,
Speed how it will. You shall ere long have know!-
edge
Of my success.

Com.

Sic.

He'll never hear him.

Not?

Com. I tell you, he does sit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome, and his injury
The jailer to his pity. I kneel'd before him;
'Twas very faintly he said, "Rise;" dismiss'd me
Thus, with his speechless hand. What he would do,
He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions:
So that all hope is vain.

Unless his noble mother, and his wife;
Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him

For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
And with our fair entreaties haste them on. [Exeunt.

I tell thee, fellow,
Thy general is my lover: I have been

The book of his good acts, whence men have read
His fame unparallel'd, haply, amplified;
For I have ever magnified my friends,

(Of whom he's chief) with all the size that verity
Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes,
Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,

с

I have tumbled past the throw, and in his praise
Have almost stamp'd the leasing. Therefore, 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, canst 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.

2

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 front his revenges with the queasy groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such a decayed dotard 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. Men. I mean, thy general.

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. Cor. What's the matter?

thy old father Menenius does! O, my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs, and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

Cor. Away!

Men. How? away?

Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs
Are & servanted to others: though I owe
My revenge properly, my remission lies

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone:
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

[Gives a 3 Paper.
And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius,
Was my belov'd in Rome; yet thou behold'st-
Auf. You keep a constant temper.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFidius.
1 G. Now, sir, is your name Menenius?
2 G. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power. You
know the way home again.

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
rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The Tent of CORIOLANUS.
Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others.
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow
Set down our host.-My partner in this action,
You must report to the Volscian lords, how plainly
I have borne this business.

Auf.

Only their ends

m

You have respected; stopp'd your ears against
The general suit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with such friends
That thought them sure of you.

Cor. This last old man, Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome, Men. Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for Loved me above the measure of a father; you: you shall know now that I am in estimation; Was to send him; for whose old love, I have Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge you shall perceive that a 'Jack guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess, but by Though I show'd sourly to him) once more offer'd my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not 'The first conditions, which they did refuse, And cannot now accept, to grace him only the state of hanging, or of some death more long in That thought he could do more. A very little spectatorship, and crueller in suffering: behold now I have yielded, too: fresh embassies, and suits, presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee. -The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than

"Lots to blanks," i. e., chances to nothing. Friend. •Deceitful.-"Almost stamp'd the leasing," i, e., almost given the lie such a sanction as to render it current. "Fac tionary on the party of," i. e., a partisan in the cause of "Jack guardant," I. e., Jack in office.

Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what shout is this?
[Shout within

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow

Subjected. That is, the power of forgiveness rests with the Volscians." For," i. e., because. Reprimanded.1" By himself," i. e., by his own hands.- Openly.