Touching the weal o' the common; you fhall find, 2 Cit. 1 the great toe? Why the great toe? Men. For that, being one o' the loweft, bafeft, poorest, Of this most wife rebellion, thou go'ft foremost: But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs; Enter Caius Marcius. Mar. Thanks.--What's the matter, you diffentious rogues, - That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, Make yourfelves fcabs ? 2 Cit. We have ever your good word. [flatter Mar. He that will give good words to thee, will Beneath abhorring.-What would have, you curs, That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you, The other makes you proud. He that truts to you, Where he should find you lions, finds you hares ; Where foxes, geefe: You are no furer, no, Than is the coal of fire upon the ice, Or Imilftone in the fun. Your virtue is, To make him worthy, whofe offence fubdues him, And curfe that juftice did it. Who deferves greatDeferves your hate: and your affections are [nefs, A fick man's appetite, who defires moft that Which would increate his evil. He that depends Upon your favours, fwims with fins of lead, [ye? And hews down eaks with ruths. Hang ye! Truft With every minute you do change a mind; And call him noble, that was now your hate, Him vile, that was your garland. What's the matter, That in thefe feveral places of the city You cry against the noble fenate, who, Under the gods, keep you in awe, which elfe Would feed on one another ?-What's their feeking? Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, The city is well ftor'd. Mar. Hang 'em! They fay? [they fay, They'll fit by the fire, and prefume to know What's done i' the Capitol: who's like to rife, Who thrives, and who declines: fide factions, and give out Conjectural marriages; making parties strong, And feebling fuch as stand not in their liking, Below their cobbled thoes. They fay, there's grain Would the nobility lay afide their ruth 3, [enough? And let me ufe my fword, I'd make a quarry With thousands of thefe quarter'd fiaves, as high As I could pitch + my lance. 4 Our mufty fuperfluity :-See, our beft elders. Enter Cominius, Titus Lartius, with other Senators; Junius Brutus, and Sicinius Velutus. I Sen. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately The Volces are in arms. [told us; Mar. They have a leader, Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't. And were I any thing but what I am, [and he Com. You have fought together. Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears, Upon my party, I'd revolt, to make Only my wars with him: He is a lion That I am proud to hunt. 1 Sen. Then, worthy Marcius, And I am conftant.--Titus Lartius, thou Tit. No, Caius Marcius; |I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere ftay behind this business. 3 i. e. their The meaning is, Thou that art a hound, or running dog of the lowest breed, lead'ft the pack, when any thing is to be gotten. 2 Bale is an old Saxon word for afery or calamity. pity, compaffion. 4 The old copy reads-picke my lance; and to the word is fill pronounced in Staffordshire, where they fay-picke me fuch a thing, that is, throw any thing that the demander 5 Meaning, To give the final blow to the nobles. Generofity is high birth. the Vulces are in arms. Wants. 6 viz. that Men. Men. O, true bred! [know, That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome 1 Sen. Your company to the Capitol; where, I Had circumvention? 'Tis not four days gone, Our greatest friends attend us. Tit. Lead you on :-- Follow, Cominius; we must follow you; Com. Noble Lartius ! Since I heard thence; thefe are the words: I think, "They have prefs'd a power, but it is not known [Reading "Whether for eaft, or weft: The dearth is great; "The people mutinous: and it is rumour'd, [To the Citizens." Cominius, Marcius your old enemy, 1 Sen. Hence! To your homes, be gone. Mar. Nay, let them follow: (Who is of Rome worfe hated than of you) The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither," And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman, To gnaw their garners :-Worshipful mutineers, [Exeunt. 1 Sen. Our army's in the field: We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready [ple,To anfwer us. Sic. When we were chofen tribunes for the peo- [gods. Bru. Being mov'd, he will not fpare to gird the Auf. Nor did you think it folly, To keep your great pretences veil'd, 'till when They needs muft fhew themselves; which in the hatching, It feem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the difcovery, Bru. The prefent wars devour him?! he is grown We shall be shorten'd in our aim; which was, Too proud to be to valiant. Sic. Such a nature, Tickled with good fuccefs, difdains the fhadow Bru. Fame, at the which he aims,→ Sic. Befides, if things go well, Bru. Come: Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius, Though Marcius earn'd them not; and all his faults Sic. Let's hence, and hear How the difpatch is made; and in what fashion, The Senate-Houfe in Corioli. Enter Volumnia, and Virgilia: They fit doron en twe low floots, and few. Vol. I pray you, daughter, fing; or exprefs [Exeunt. yourfelf in a more comfortable fort: If my fon were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that abfence wherein he won honour, than in the embracements of his bed, where he would fhew moft love. When yet he was but tender-body'd, and the only fon of my womb; when youth with comelinefs pluck'd all gaze his way; when, for a day of king's entreaties, a mother fhould not fell him an hour from her beholding; I,-confidering how honour would become fuch a person; that it I Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, Auf. Is it not yours? What ever hath been thought on in this ftate, To fneer, to gibe. 2 The fenfe is, that the prefent wars annihilate his gentler qualities. 3 Merits end demerits had anciently the fame meaning. was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir,—was pleas'd to let him feek 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 fprang 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? let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catch'd it again : or whether his fall enrag'd him, or how 'twas, he did fo fet his teeth, and tear it ; 0), I warrant, how he mammock'd it! Vol. One of his father's moods. Val. Indeed la, 'tis a noble child. Val. Come, lay afide your stitchery; i muft have you play the idle hufwife with me this after. noon. Vir. No, good madam; I will not out of Vol. Then his good report should have been my fon; I therein would have found iffue. Hear me profefs fincerely-Had I a dozen fons,-each indoors. my love alike, and none lefs dear than thine and my good Marcius,-I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country, than one voluptuously furfeit out of action. Enter a Gentlewoman. Val. Not out of doors! Vol. She fhall, the fhall. Vir. Indeed, no; by your patience: I will not over the threshold, 'till my lord return from the wars. Gent. Madam, the lady Valeria is come to vifitably: Come, you must go vifit the good lady that Val. Fie, you confine yourself most unreafonlies in. you. Viv. 'Befeech you, give me leave to retire myself. Vol. Indeed, you fhail not. Methinks, I hither hear your husband's drum ; Vir. Heavens blefs my lord from fell Aufidius! Vol. He'll beat Aufidius' head below his knee, And tread upon his neck. Enter Valeria, with an Ufher, and a Gentlewoman. Vir. I am glad to fee your ladyfhip. Val. How do you both? you are manifeft houfe-keepers. What, are you fewing here? A fine fpot, in good faith-How does your little fon? Vir. I thank your ladyship; well, good madaṁ. Vol. He had rather fee the fwords, and hear a drum, Than look upon his fchool-master. Vir. I will with her fpeedy ftrength, and vifit her with my prayers; but I cannot go thither. Vol. Why, I pray you? Vir. 'Tis not to fave labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope : yet, they fay, all the yarn, fhe fpun in Ulyffes' abfence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambrick were fenfible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you fhall go with us. Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth. Val. In truth la, go with me; and I'll tell you excellent news of your husband. Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet. Val. Verily, I do not jeft with you; there came news from him last night. Vir. Indeed, madam? Val. In earnett, it's true; I heard a fenator fpeak it. Thus it is :-The Volces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord and Titus Lartius are fet down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour; and fo, I pray, go with us. Vir. Give me excufe, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter. Vol. Let her alone, lady; as the is now, the will but difeafe our better mirth. Val. In troth, I think, the would :---Fare you well then.-Come, good fweet lady.-Pr'ythes, Virgilia, turn thy folemnnefs out o' door, and go along with us. Val. O' my word, the father's fon I'll fwear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I look'd upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has Vir. No: at a word, madam; indeed, I muft fuch a confirm'd countenance. I faw him runnot. I wish you much mirth after a gilded butterfly ; and when he caught it, heal. Well, then farewel. [Exeunt. 1 The crown given by the Romans to him that faved the life of a citizen, and was accounted more honourable than any other. 2 Gilt is an obfolete word, meaning a fuperficial difplay of gold. 3 To mammock is a phrafe ftill ufed in Staffordshire, and implies to cut in pieces, or to tear. 4 Crack fignifies a boy child." SCENE Before Corioli. IV. With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge Enter Marcius, Titus Lartius, with drum and co- fenger. Mar. Yonder comes news :-A wager, they have met. Lart. My horie to yours, no. Mar. 'Tis done. Lart Agreed. Mar Say, has our general met the enemy? Mf. They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet. Mar. I'll buy him of you. Lart. No, I'll not fell, nor give him: lend you For half a hundred years.—Summon the town. [ours. They'll open of themfelves. Hark you, far off; Mar. O, they are at it! Mar. They fear us not, but iffue forth their city. They do difdain us much beyond our thoughts, He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce, [Alarum; the Romans beat back to their trenches. Mar. All the contagion of the fouth light on you, You thames of Rome, you! Herds of boils and plagues Plafter you o'er; that you may be abhorr'd Another Alarum, and Marcius follows them to the All. To the pot, I warrant him. Lart. What is become of Marcius? 1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels, To answer all the city. Lart. O noble fellow ! Who, fenfible, out-dares his fenfelefs fword, A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, Were not fo rich a jewel. Thou waft a foldier Re-enter Marcius bleeding, affaulted by the energy. At a crack'd drachm! Cushions, leaden fpoons, 1 Make remain is an old manner of speaking, which means no more than remain. [tabor,] Com. The fhepherd knows not thunder from a More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue From every meaner man's. Mar. Come I too late? Com. But how prevail'd you? [think Mar. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not Where is the enemy? Are you lords o' the field? If not, why ceafe you 'till you are fo? Com. Marcius, we have at difadvantage fought, And did retire, to win our purpose. [fide Mar. How lies their battle? Know you on what They have plac'd their men of trust ? Com. As I guefs, Marcius, Mar. I do befeech you, By all the battles wherein we have fought, Com. Though I could wish [They all hout, and wave their fwords, take bim up in their arms, and cuft up caps. their O me, alone! Make you a fword of me? Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, Able to bear against the great Aufidius But mantled in your own. A fhield as hard as his. A certain number, |