May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us. And state of bodies would bewray what life Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts, Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and sorrow; Making the mother, wife, and child, to see Our wish, which side should win: for either thou I purpose not to wait on fortune, till These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee Vir. Ay, and on mine, That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time. Boy. He shall not tread on me; I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight. Cor. Not of a woman's tenderness to be, Requires nor child nor woman's face to see. I have sat too long. Vol. [rising. Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so, that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy The Volces whom you serve, you might condemn us, As poisonous of your honour: No; our suit Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volces Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, Be bless'd Destroy'd his country; and his name remains To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o'the air, world More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate, Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy; When she, (poor hen!) fond of no second brood, Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee, This fellow had a Volcian to his mother; Like him by chance:-Yet give us our despatch: I am hush'd until our city be afire, And then I'll speak a little. Cor. O mother, mother! [holding Volumnia by the hands, silent. What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, The gods look down, and this unnatural scene They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O! You have won a happy victory to Rome: But, for your son,-believe it, O, believe it, Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd, If not most mortal to him. But, let it come:Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars, I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, Were you in my stead, say, would you have heard A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius? Auf. I was mov'd withal. Cor. I dare be sworn, you were: And, sir, it is no little thing, to make Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, What peace you'll make, advise me: For my part, I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and pray you, Stand to me in this cause.-O mother! wife! Auf. I am glad, thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour At difference in thee: out of that I'll work Myself a former fortune. Cor. [Aside. [The ladies make signs to Coriolanus. Ay, by and by; [To Volumnia, Virgilia, &c. But we will drink together; and you shall bear Could not have made this peace. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. ROME. A PUBLIC PLACE. Enter Menenius and Sicinius. Men. See you yond' coign o' the Capitol; yond' corner-stone? Sic. Why, what of that? Men. If it be possible for you to displace it with your little finger, there is some hope the ladies of Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him. But, I say, there is no hope in't; our throats are sentenced, and stay upon execution. Sic. Is't possible, that so short a time can alter the condition of a man? Men. There is differency between a grub, and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon: he has wings; he's more than a creeping thing. Sic. He lov'd his mother dearly. Men. So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother now, than an eight year old horse. The |