Sic. Let's not meet her. Bru. Why? Sic. They say, she's mad. They have ta'en note of us : Keep on your way. Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself, [Exeunt SCENE III. A Highway between Rome and Enter a Roman and a Volce, meeting. Vol. O, you're well met: The hoarded plague your name, I think, is Adrian. Men. Peace, peace; be not so loud. Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear, Nay, and you shall hear some. — -Will you be gone? [To BRUTUS. Vir. You shall stay too: [To SICIN.] I would, I had the power To say so to my husband. Sic. Are you mankind? Vol. Ay, fool; Is that a shame? fool. Note but this Was not a man my father Hadst thou foxship O blessed heavens! Sic. And for Rome's good. I'll tell thee what go: - ; Vol. It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you, but your favour is well appeared by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian state, to find you out there: You have well saved me a day's journey. Rom. There hath been in Rome strange insurrection: the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles. Vol. Hath been! Is it ended then? Our state thinks not so; they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division. Rom. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again. For the nobles - Yet receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness, to take all power from the people, and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. Nay, but thou shalt stay too : - I would my son Sic. Vir. What then? What then! He'd make an end of thy posterity. Vol. Bastards, and all. Vol. Coriolanus banished? Rom. Banished, sir. Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome! Nicanor. Sic. I would he had continu'd to his country, Bru. I would he had. I have Rom. The day serves well for them now. heard it said, The fittest time to corrupt a man's wife, is when she's fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now Vol. I would he had! 'Twas you incens'd the in no request of his country. rabble: Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth, Vol. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home. Rom. I shall, between this and supper, tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you? Vol. A most royal one: the centurions, and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour's warning. Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company. Vol. You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause to be glad of yours. Rom. Well, let us go together. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Antium. Before Aufidius's House. Enter CORIOLANUS, in mean apparel, disguised and muffled. 3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows? - What an ass it is! Then thou dwellest with daws too? Cor. No, I serve not thy master. 3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master? Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress : Thou prat'st, and prat'st; serve with thy trencher, hence! [Beats him away. Enter AUFIDIUS and the second Servant. Auf. Where is this fellow? 2 Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldest thou? Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What's thy name? [Exit. Auf. Cor. A goodly house: The feast smells well: but I Appear not like a guest. Re-enter the first Servant. I Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence What is thy name? [Servants retire. Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscian's ears, And harsh in sound to thine. Auf. Say, what's thy name? Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn, Thou show'st a noble vessel: What's thy name? Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown: Know'st thou me yet? Auf. I know thee not: - Thy name? The cruelty and envy of the people, Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest ; Hath brought me to thy hearth; Not out of hope, I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world And make my misery serve thy turn; so use it, Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes 'Tis true; I'd not believe them more than thee, We have a power on foot; and I had purpose Whether to knock against the gates of Rome, To fright them, ere destroy. But come in : [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 wot one. 2 Serv. Who? my master? 1 Serv. Nay, it's no matter for that. 2 Serv. Worth six of him. 1 Serv. Nay, not so neither; 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. 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. But the bottom of the news is, our general is cut i' the middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday; for the other has half, by the entreaty and grant of 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 themselves (as we term it,) his friends, whilst he's in directitude. 1 Serv. Directitude! what's that? 3 Serv. But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the man in blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain, and revel all with him. 1 Serv. But when goes this forward? 3 Serv. To-morrow; to-day; presently. You shall have the drum struck up this afternoon: 'tis, as it were, a parcel of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips. 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. 1 Serv. Let me have war, say I; it exceeds peace, as far as day does night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter 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, in. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.- Rome. A Publick place. Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS. Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear him; His remedies are tame i' the present peace And quietness o'the people, which before Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends Blush, that the world goes well; who rather had, Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold Dissentious numbers pestering streets, than see Our tradesmen singing in their shops, and going About their functions friendly. Enter MENENIUS. Bru. We stood to't in good time. Is this Menenius? Sic. Your Coriolanus, sir, 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 better, if He could have temporiz'd. 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! Sic. Good-e'en, our neighbours. Bru. Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all. 1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees, Are bound to pray for you both. Cit. Bru. Caius Marcius was Enter a Troop of Citizens. Here comes the clusters.· And is Aufidius with him? Com. You have holp to ravish your own daugh- That made the air unwholesome, when you cast ters, and To melt the city leads upon your pates; To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses; Men. Pray now, your news? You have made fair work, I fear me : - - Pray, your news? If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians, He is their god; he leads them like a thing Men. If! You have made good work, Your stinking, greasy caps, in hooting at If he could burn us all into one coal, Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. For mine own part, When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And so did I. 3 Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: That we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will. Com. You are goodly things, you voices! Good work, you and your cry! Capitol? Com. O, aye; what else? You have made Shall us to the [Exeunt Coм. and MEN. Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd These are a side, that would be glad to have This true, which they so seem to fear. And show no sign of fear. Go home, |