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But vows to every purpose must not hold.
Unarm, sweet Hector.

Hect.
Hold you still, I say;
Mine honor keeps the weather of my fate:
Life every man holds dear; but the dear man
Holds honor far more precious-dear than life.-
Enter TROILUS.

с

How now, young man! mean'st thou to fight to-day?
And. Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
[Exit CASSANDRA.
Hect. No, 'faith, young Troilus; doff thy har-
I am to-day i'the the vein of chivalry. [ness, youth;
Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong,
And tempt not yet the brushes of the war.
Unarm thee, go; and doubt thou not, brave boy,
I'll stand to-day for thee, and me, and Troy.

Tro. Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you, Which better fits a lion than a man.

[for it.

Hect. What vice is that, good Troilus? chide me Tro. When many times the captive Grecians fall, Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword, You bid them rise, and live. Hect. O! 'tis fair play. Tro.

Fool's play, by heaven, Hector. Hect. How now! how now! Tro. For the love of all the gods, Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers, And when we have our armors buckled on, The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords; Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth. Hect. Fie, savage, fie! Tro. Hector, then 'tis wars. Hect. Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day. Tro. Who should withhold me?

d

Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars
Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire;
Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees,
Their eyes o'ergalled with 'recourse of tears;
Nor you, my brother, with your true sword drawn,
Oppos'd to hinder me, should stop my way,
But by my ruin.

Re-enter CASSANDRA with PRIAM.

Cas. Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast: He is thy crutch; now, if thou lose thy stay, Thou on him leading, and all Troy on thee, Fall all together.

Pri.

Come, Hector, come; go back. Thy wife hath dream'd, thy mother hath had visions, Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt, To tell thee that this day is ominous: Therefore, come back.

Hect..

Eneas is a-field; And I do stand engag'd to many Greeks, Even in the faith of valor, to appear This morning to them.

Pri.

Ay, but thou shalt not go. Hect. I must not break my faith. You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir, Let me not shame respect, but give me leave To take that course by your consent and voice, Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam. Cas. O Priam! yield not to him. And. Do not, dear father. Hect. Andromache, I am offended with you: Upon the love you bear me, get you in. [Exit ANDROMACHE. Tro. This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl

"The weather," i. e., the wind; the advantage." The dear man," i. e., the man of worth. Put off-d" Ruthful," i e., rueful; woeful.- Ruth is mercy.-"Recourse," i, e., continual coursing.

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Pan. Do you hear, my lord? do you hear?
Tro. What now?

Pan. Here's a letter come from yond' poor girl. [ Giving it.

Tro. Let me read. Pan. A whoreson phthisic, a whoreson rascally phthisic so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl; and what one thing, what another, that I shall leave you one o' these days: and I have a rheum in mine eyes too; and such an ache in my bones, that, unless a man were scursed, I cannot tell what to think on't.-What says she there?

Tro. Words, words, mere words, no matter from
the heart;
[Tearing the letter.

Th' effect doth operate another way.-
Go, wind to wind, there turn and change together.-
My love with words and air still she feeds,
But edifies another with her deeds.

[Exeunt severally.

SCENE IV.-Between Troy and the Grecian Camp. Alarums: Excursions. Enter THERSITES. Ther. Now they are clapper-clawing one another: I'll go look on. That dissembling abominable varlet, Diomed, has got that same scurvy doting foolish young knave's sleeve, of Troy there, in his helm: I would fain see them meet; that same young Trojan ass, that loves the whore there, might send that Greekish whoremasterly villain, with the sleeve, back to the dissembling luxurious drab of a sleeveless errand. O' the other side, the policy of those crafty swearing rascals,-that stale old mouse-eaten dry cheese, Nestor, and that same dog-fox, Ulysses,

is not proved worth a blackberry:-they set me up in policy, that mongrel cur, Ajax, against that dog of as bad a kind, Achilles; and now is the cur Ajax prouder than the cur Achilles, and will not arm today: whereupon the Grecians begin to proclaim h barbarism, and policy grows into an ill opinion. Soft! here comes sleeve, and 'sleeveless.

[Stands back. Enter DIOMEDES, TROILUS following. Tro. Fly not; for shouldst thou take the river Styx, I would swim after. Dio.

Thou dost miscall retire: I do not fly, but advantageous care

"Cursed," i. e., under the influence of a malediction"To proclaim barbarism," i. e., to set up the authority of ignorance.

Enter AJAX.

Withdrew me from the odds of multitude.
Have at thee!

Ther. Hold thy whore, Grecian !-now for thy whore, Trojan!-now the sleeve! now the 1 sleeveless! [Exeunt TROILUS and DIOMEDES, fighting. Enter HECTOR. Hect. What art thou, Greek? art thou for Hector's Art thou of blood, and honor? [match? 2[Dragging THER. forward. Ther. No, no;-I am a rascal; a scurvy railing knave, a very filthy rogue.

Hect. I do believe thee:-live. [Exit. Ther. God-a-mercy, that thou wilt believe me; but a plague break thy neck, for frighting me! What's become of the wenching rogues? I think, they have swallowed one another: I would laugh at that miracle; yet, in a sort, lechery eats itself. I'll seek them.

SCENE V.-The Same.

Enter DIOMEDES and a Servant.

[Exit.

Dio. Go, go, my servant, take thou Troilus' horse; Present the fair steed to my lady Cressid. Fellow, commend my service to her beauty: Tell her, I have chastis'd the amorous Trojan, And am her knight by proof.

Serv.

I go, my lord. [Exit Servant. Enter AGAMEMNON.

Agam. Renew, renew! The fierce Polydamus Hath beat down Menon: bastard Margarelon Hath Doreus prisoner,

And stands colossus-wise, waving his "beam,
Upon the pashed corses of the kings
Epistrophus and Cedius: Polixenes is slain;
Amphimachus, and Thoas, deadly hurt;
Patroclus ta'en, or slain; and Palamedes
Sore hurt and bruis'd: the dreadful Sagittary
Appals our numbers. Haste we, Diomed,
To reinforcement, or we perish all.

Enter NESTOR.

Nest. Go, bear Patroclus' body to Achilles,
And bid the snail-pac'd Ajax arm for shame.-,
There is a thousand Hectors in the field:
Now, here he fights on Galathe his horse,
And there lacks work; anon, he's there afoot,
And there they fly, or die, like scaled sculls
Before the belching whale: then, is he yonder,
And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,
Fall down before him, like the mower's swath.
Here, there, and every where, he leaves, and takes;
Dexterity so obeying appetite,

That what he will, he does; and does so much,
That proof is call'd impossibility.

Enter ULYSSES.

[him,

Ulyss. O, courage, courage, princes! great Achilles Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance. Patroclus' wounds have rous'd his drowsy blood, Together with his mangled Myrmidons, That noseless, handless, hack'd and chipp'd, come to Crying on Hector. Ajax hath lost a friend, And foams at mouth, and he is arm'd, and at it, Roaring for Troilus; who hath done to-day Mad and fantastic execution,

Engaging and redeeming of himself,

With such a careless force, and forceless care,
As if that luck, in very spite of cunning,
Bade him win all.

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Ajax. Troilus! thou coward Troilus, show thy head!
Enter DIOMEDES.

Dio. Troilus, I say! where's Troilus?
Ajax.

What would'st thou ?
Dio. I would correct him.
[office,
Ajax. Were I the general, thou should'st have my
Ere that correction.-Troilus, I say! what, Troilus!
Enter TROILUS.

Tro. O, traitor Diomed!-turn thy false face, thou traitor,

And pay 3 the life thou ow'st me for my horse.
Dio. Ha! art thou there ?

Ajax. I'll fight with him alone: stand, Diomed.
Dio. He is my prize; I will not looke * upon.
Tro. Come both, you 'cogging Greeks; have at
you both.
[Exeunt fighting.

Enter HECTOR.

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I would have been much more a fresher man, Had I expected thee.-How now, my brother! Re-enter TROILUS.

Tro. Ajax hath ta'en Æneas: shall it be? No, by the flame of yonder glorious heaven, He shall not carry him: I'll be taken too, Or bring him off.-Fate, hear me what I say! I reck not though I end my life to-day.

[Exit.

Enter one in goodly Armor. Hect. Stand, stand, thou Greek: thou art a goodly mark.

No! wilt thou not?-I like thy armor well;
I'll frush it, and unlock the rivets all,
But I'll be master of it.-Wilt thou not, beast, abide ?
Why then, fly on, I'll hunt thee for thy hide. [Exeunt.
SCENE VII.-The Same.

Enter ACHILLES, with Myrmidons.
Achil. Come here about me, you my Myrmidons;
Mark what I say.-Attend me where I wheel:
Strike not a stroke, but keep yourselves in breath;
And when I have the bloody Hector found,
Empale him with your weapons round about;
In fellest manner execute your aims.
Follow me, sirs, and my proceedings eye.-
It is decreed-Hector the great must die. [Exeunt.

Murderer of boys.-"Look upon," i. e., be a lookerBreak; bruise.

Lance. Bruised; crushed. -“Scaled sculls," i, e., on.- Lying.- "Carry him," i. e., prevail over him.dispersed shoals.

SCENE VIII.-The Same.

Enter MENELAUS and PARIS, fighting: then,
THERSITES.

Ther. The cuckold and the cuckold-maker are at it. Now, bull! now, dog! 'Loo, Paris, 'loo! now, my double-henned sparrow! 'loo, Paris, 'loo! The bull has the game:-'ware horns, ho!

[Exeunt PARIS and MENELAUS.

Enter MARGARELON.

Mar. Turn, slave, and fight.

Ther. What art thou?

Mar. A bastard son of Priam's.

Ther. I am a bastard too. I love bastards; I am a bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, bastard in valor, in every thing illegitimate. One bear will not bite another, and wherefore should one bastard? Take heed, the quarrel's most ominous to us if the son of a whore fight for a whore. he tempts judgment. Farewell, bastard. Mar. The devil take thee, coward!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX.-Another Part of the Field.
Enter HECTOR.

Hect. Most putrified core, so fair without,
Thy goodly armor thus hath cost thy life.
Now is my day's work done; I'll take good breath:
Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of blood and death!

[Puts off his Helmet, and 1lays down his Sword.

Enter ACHILLES and Myrmidons.

Achil. Look, Hector, how the sun begins to set; How ugly night comes breathing at his heels: Even with the avail and darking of the sun, To close the day up, Hector's life is done. Hect. I am unarm'd: forego this vantage, Greek. Achil. Strike, fellows, strike! this is the man I seek. [HECTOR is slain. So, Ilion, fall thou next! now, Troy, sink down; Here lies thy heart, thy sinews, and thy bone.On, Myrmidons; and cry you all amain, Achilles hath the mighty Hector slain.

[A Retreat sounded. Hark! a retire upon our Grecian part. Myr. The Trojan trumpets sound the like, my lord. Achil. The dragon wing of night o'erspreads the And, stickler like, the armies separates, [earth, My half-supp'd sword, that frankly would have fed, Pleas'd with this dainty bit, thus goes to bed.[Sheathes his Sword. Come, tie his body to my horse's tail; Along the field I will the Trojan trail.

SCENE X.-The Same.

[Exeunt.

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SCENE XI-Another Part of the Field.

Enter ENEAS and Trojan Forces. Ene. Stand, ho! yet are we masters of the field. Never go home: here starve we out the night. Enter TROILUS.

Tro. Hector is slain. All. Hector?-The gods forbid! Tro. He's dead; and at the murderer's horse's tail, In beastly sort dragg'd through the shameful field.— Frown on, you heavens, effect your rage with speed! Sit, gods, upon your thrones, and smile at Troy! I say, at once let your brief plagues be mercy, And linger not our sure destructions on!

Ene. My lord, you do discomfort all the host Tro. You understand me not, that tell me so. I do not speak of flight, of fear, of death; But dare all imminence, that gods and men Address their dangers in. Hector is gone! Who shall tell Priam so, or Hecuba? Let him, that will a screech-owl aye be call'd, Go in to Troy, and say there-Hector's dead: There is a word will Priam turn to stone, Make wells and Niobes of the maids and wives, Cold statues of the youth; and, in a word, Scare Troy out of itself. But, march, away: Hector is dead; there is no more to say. Stay yet. You vile abominable tents, Let Titan rise as early as he dare, Thus proudly pight upon our Phrygian plains, [coward I'll through and through you!-And, thou great-siz'd No space of earth shall sunder our two hates: I'll haunt thee like a wicked conscience still, That mouldeth goblins swift as 5 frenzy's thoughtsStrike a free march to Troy!-with comfort go. Hope of revenge shall hide our inward woe.

[Exeunt ENEAS and Trojan Forces. AS TROILUS is going out, enter, from the other ide, PANDARUS.

Pan. But hear you, hear you! Tro. Hence, brothel-lackey! ignomy and shame Pursue thy life, and live aye with thy name! [Exit TROILUS.

Pan. A goodly medicine for mine aching bones![Left alone, let him say this by way of Epilogue.] 0 world! world! world! thus is the poor agent despised O, traitors and bawds, how earnestly are you set a work, and how ill requited! why should our endeavor be so loved, and the performance so loathed? what verse for it? what instance for it?-Let me see.— "Full merrily the humble-bee doth sing,

Till he hath lost his honey, and his sting; And being once subdued in armed tail, Sweet honey and sweet notes together fail." Good traders in the flesh, set this in your painted 'cloths.

As many as be here of Pander's Hall, Your eyes, half out, weep out at Pandar's fall; Or, if you cannot weep, yet give some groans, Though not for me, yet for your aching bones, Brethren, and sisters, of the hold-door trade, Some two months hence my will shall here be made: It should be now, but that my fear is this,Some galled goose of Winchester would hiss. Till then I'll sweat, and seek about for eases; And at that time bequeath you my diseases. [Erit

a Pitched. Ignominy.- Canvass hangings for rooms, painted with emblems and mottoes.

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SICINIUS VELUTUS,

Tribunes of the People.

JUNIUS BRUTUS,

YOUNG MARCIUS, Son to Coriolanus.

A Roman Herald.

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians.

Lieutenant to Aufidius.

Conspirators with Aufidius.

A citizen of Antium.

Two Volscian Guards.

VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus.
VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus.

VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia.

Gentlewoman, attending on Virgilia.

Romans and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Ediles, Lictors, Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants.

SCENE, partly in Rome; and partly in the Territories of the Volscians and Antiates.

АСТ І.

SCENE I.-Rome. A Street.

cians good. What authority surfeits on, would relieve us if they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess they relieved us humanely; but they think, we are too

Enter a Company of mutinous Citizens, with Staves, dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the 1abjectness

Clubs, and other Weapons.

of our misery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them.

1 Cit. Before we proceed any farther, hear me Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become speak. All. Speak, speak.

1 Cit. You are all resolved rather to die, than to famish?

All. Resolved, resolved.

1 Cit. First you know, Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

All. We know't, we know't.

1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a verdict?

All. No more talking on't; let it be done. Away, away!

2 Cil. One word, good citizens.

1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the patri

brakes: for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge.

2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

All. Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty.

2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country?

1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give being proud. him good report for't, but that he pays himself with

2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously.

Good, in a commercial sense. As lean as rakes.

2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous.

1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, | Did see, and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, he did it to that end: though soft-conscienced men And, mutually participate, did minister can be content to say it was for his country, he did Unto the appetite, and affection common it to please his mother, and partly to be proud; Of the whole body. The belly answered.which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the belly? Men. Sir, I shall tell you.-With a kind of smile, Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus, (For, look you, I may make the belly smile, As well as speak) it tauntingly replied T' the discontented members, the mutinous parts That envied his receipt; even so most fitly As you malign our senators, for that They are not such as you.

1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o' the city is risen: why stay we prating here? to the Capitol! All. Come, come.

1 Cit. Soft! who comes here?

Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA.

2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved the people.

1 Cit. He's one honest enough: would, all the rest were so!

Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand?
Where go you
[you.
With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray
2 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate:
they have had inkling this fortnight what we intend
to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They
say, poor suitors have strong breaths: they shall
know, we have strong arms too. [neighbors,
Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest
Will you undo yourselves?

2 Cit. We cannot, sir; we are undone already.
Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them
Against the Roman state; whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong-link asunder, than can ever
Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack!
You are transported by calamity

Thither where more attends you; and you slander
The helms o' the state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
2 Cit. Care for us?-True, indeed!-They ne'er
cared for us yet.
Suffer us to famish, and their
store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for
usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome
act established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily to chain up and restrain the
poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there's all the love they bear us.

Men. Either you must

Confess yourselves wondrous malicious,
Or be accus'd of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale: it may be, you have heard it;
But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To scale 't a little more.

2 Cit. Well,

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Men.

2 Cit.
Your belly's answer? What!
The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye,
The counsellor fheart, the arm our soldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps
In this our fabric, if that they-
Men.
What then?-
'Fore me, this fellow speaks!-what then? what then?
2 Cit. Should by the cormorant belly be restrain'd,
Who is the sink o' the body,-
Men.
Well, what then!
2 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain,
What could the belly answer?
I will tell you,
If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little)
Patience a while, you'll hear the belly's answer.
2 Cit. Y'are long about it.
Men.
Note me this, good friend,
Your most grave belly was deliberate,
Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer'd:
"True is it, my incorporate friends," quoth he,
"That I receive the general food at first,
Which you do live upon; and fit it is,
Because I am the store-house, and the shop
Of the whole body: but if you do remember,
I send it through the rivers of your blood,
Even to the court, the heart, 3 the senate, brain;
And through the ranks and offices of man:
The strongest nerves, and small inferior veins,
From me receive that natural competency
Whereby they live. And though that all at once,
You, my good friends," this says the belly, mark me,—
2 Cit. Ay, sir; well, well.
Men.
"Though all at once cannot
See what I do deliver out to each,
Yet I can make my audit up, that all
From me do back receive the flour of all,
And leave me but the bran." What say yout
2 Cit. It was an answer. How apply
Men. The senators of Rome are this good belly,
And you the mutinous members: for examine
Their counsels, and their cares; digest things rightly,
Touching the weal o' the common, you shall find,
No public benefit which you receive,
But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you,
And no way from yourselves.-What do you think,
You, the great toe of this assembly?—

to't!

you this!

2 Cit. I the great toe? Why the great toe! Men. For that being one o' the lowest, basest,

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•Exactly. The heart was anciently esteemed the sent of * A hint.— Spread it.—"Disgraces," i. e., hardships; in- the understanding. Must have bale," i e., must receive juries.- Whereas, damage, injury.

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