Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,

Will you undo yourselves?

1 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. You are transported by calamity Thither where more attends you; and slander you The helms o'the state, who care for you like fathers, When you curse them as enemies.

Alack,

1 Cit. Care for us! - True, indeed! They ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their storehouses 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't3 a little more.

1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver.

Men. There was a time, when all the body's

members

1 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer? I will tell you;

Men.

If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little,) Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer.

1 Cit. You 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 storehouse, and the shop
Of the whole body: But if you do remember,
send it through the rivers of your blood,
Even to the court, the heart,· to the seat o'the brain;
And, through the cranks 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,—
1 Ci. 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 flower of all, And leave me but the bran. What say you to't?

1 Cit. It was an answer: How apply you this? 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 publick 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? —

Conjectural marriages; making parties strong, And feebling such as stand not in their liking, Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's grain enough?

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth 8,

And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry 9 With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high As I could pick ' my lance.

Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;

For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But I beseech you,
What says the other troop?

Mar.

They are dissolved: Hang 'em! They said they were an hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs;

That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods

Then, worthy Marcius, Attend upon Cominius to these wars.

Com. It is your former promise.
Mar.

Sir, it is;

And I am constant. — Titus Lartius, thou Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face: What, art thou stiff? stand'st out?

Tit.

No, Caius Marcius, I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere stay behind this business. Men.

O, true bred!

1 Sen. Hence! To your homes, be gone.

[To the Citizens. Mar. Nay, let them follow: The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither, To gnaw their garners 3: Worshipful mutineers, Your valour puts well forth: pray, follow.

-

[Exeunt Senators, Coм. MAR. TIT. and MENEN. Citizens steal away.

Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius? Bru. He has no equal.

Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the

people,

Bru. Mark'd you his lip, and eyes?

Sic.

Nay, but his taunts. Bru. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird1 the gods.

Sic. Bemock the modest moon.

Bru. The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant.

Such a nature,

Sic. Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon: But I do wonder, His insolence can brook to be commanded Under Cominius.

Bru.

Fame, at the which he aims, In whom already he is well grac'd, — cannot Better be held, nor more attain'd than by A place below the first: for what miscarries Shall be the general's fault, though he perform To the utmost of a man; and giddy censure Will then cry out of Marcius, O, if he Had borne the business! Sic.

Besides, if things go well,

Vol. Why, I pray you.

Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope: yet, they say, all the yarn she spun, in Ulysses' absence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambrick were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us.

Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth.

Val. In truth, 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 jest with you; there came news from him last night.

it.

Vir. Indeed, madam?

Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak 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 set down before their city, Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour and so, I pray, go with us.

Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter.

Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, but disease our better mirth.

she will

Val. In troth, I think, she would: - Fare you well, then. Come, good sweet lady. Pr'ythee, Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o'door, and go along with us.

Vir. No: at a word, madam; indeed, I must I wish you much mirth.

not.

'Tis done.

Agreed.

Mar. Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they

ours.

Now, Mars, I pr'ythee make us quick in work; That we with smoking swords may march from hence,

To help our fielded friends - Come, blow thy blast.

They sound a Parley. Enter, on the Walls, some Senators, and others.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?

1 Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he, That's lesser than a little. Hark, our drums [Alarums afar off.

Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls,

Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with

rushes;

He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce,
And he shall feel mine edge.

Alarum, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting.

The Romans are beaten back to their Trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS.

Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! that you may be abhorr'd Further than seen, you coward souls of geese, That bear the shapes of men, how have you run From slaves that apes would beat? Pluto and hell! All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale With flight and agu'd fear! Mend, and charge home, Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe, And make my wars on you: look to't: Come on, If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives, As they us to our trenches followed.

Another Alarum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, and the Fight is renewed. The Volces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the Gates. So, now the gates are ope: Now prove good

seconds:

'Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like. [He enters the Gates, and is shut in.

1 Sol. Fool-hardiness; not I.

2 Sol.

Nor I.

See, they [Alarum continues.

3 Sol. Have shut him in.

All.

To the pot, I warrant him.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS.

Lart. What is become of Marcius?

All. Slain, sir, doubtless. 1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels,

With them he enters: who, upon the sudden, Clapp'd-to their gates; he is himself alone, To answer all the city.

O noble fellow!

Lart.
Who, sensibly 1, outdares his senseless sword,
And, when it bows, stands up! Thou art left,
Marcius:

A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,
Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier
Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
Only in strokes; but, with thy grim looks, and
The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds,
Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world
Were feverous and did tremble.

Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the Enemy.
Look, sir.

1 Sol. Lart.

'Tis Marcius; Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike. [They fight, and all enter the City.

SCENE V.—Within the Town. A Street.

Enter certain Romans, with Spoils.

1 Rom. This will I carry to Rome. 2 Rom. And I this.

3 Rom. A murrain on't! I took this for silver. [Alarum continues still afar off. Enter MARCIUS, and TITUS LARTIUS, with a Trumpet. Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their hours

At a crack'd drachm?! Cushions, leaden spoons,
Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would
Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves,
Ere yet the fight be done, pack up: - Down with

them.

O! let me clip you;
In arms as sound, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as on our nuptial day.

Com.
How is't with Titus Lartius?

Flower of warriors,