Sic. Here comes his mother. Let's not meet her. SCENE III. Why? They have ta'en note of us : Bru. Sic. They say, she's mad. Bru. Keep on your way. [Exeunt. 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? Sic. Are you mankind? Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame?-Note but this fool. Vol. It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you; but your favour 8 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. Our state Vol. Hath been! Is it ended then? 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 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 What then? breaking out. Rom. The day serves well for them now. I have 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 in no request of his country. 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 9, and to be on foot at an hour's warning. Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of In puny battle slay me. - Cor. Which is his house, 'beseech you? Thank you, sir; farewell. [Exit Citizen. O, world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart, Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise, Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love Unseparable, shall within this hour, On a dissension of a doit ', break out To take the one the other, by some chance, SCENE V. [Exit. A Hall in Aufidius's House. Enter another Servant. 2 Serv. Where's Cotus? my master calls for him. Cotus! [Exit. Enter CORIOLANUS. Cor. A goodly house: The feast smells well: but I Appear not like a guest. Re-enter the first Servant. 1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door. Cor. I have deserved no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus. Re-enter second Servant. 2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out. Cor. Away! 2 Serv. Away? Get you away. Cor. Now thou art troublesome. 1 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon. Enter a third Servant. The first meets him. 3 Serv. What fellow's this? 1 Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him out o' the house; Pr'ythee, call my master to him. 3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house. Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth. 3 Serv. What are you? Cor. A gentleman. 3 Serv. A marvellous poor one. Cor. True, so I am. 3 Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; here's no place for you; pray you, avoid come. : Cor. Follow your function, go! And batten 2 on cold bits. [Pushes him away. 3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here. 2 Serv. And I shall. 3 Serv. Where dwellest thou. Cor. Under the canopy. 3 Serv. Under the canopy? Cor. Ay. 3 Serv. Where's that? Cor. I' the city of kites and crows. [Exit. 3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master? Cor. 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? Thy name? Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What's thy name? 2 Feed. Cor. If, Tullus, [Unmuffling. What is thy name? Auf. I know thee not: - Thy name? I love the maid I married; never man Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done From twelve to seventy; and, pouring war To thee particularly, and to all the Volces, The cruelty and envy of the people, Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest; I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world And make my misery serve thy turn; so use it, Against my canker'd country with the spleen Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome, Cor. The one half of my commission; and set down, — ways: 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 9 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. : 3 Serv. I would not be a Roman, of all nations; | Blush, that the world goes well; who rather had, I had as lieve be a condemned man. 1 Serv. Why do you say, thwack our general? 3 Serv. I do not say, thwack our general; but he was always good enough for him. 2 Serv. Come, we are fellows and friends: he was ever too hard for him; I have heard him say so himself. 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.' 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. Sic. Your Coriolanus, sir, is not much miss'd, But with his friends: the commonwealth doth stand; 2 Serv. An he had been cannibally given, he might And so would do, were he more angry at it. 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 2 the porter of Rome gates by the ears: He will mow down all before him, and leave his passage polled.3 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 rabbits 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; its sprightly, waking, audible, and full of vent.4 Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible. 2 Serv. 'Tis so. Men. All's well; and might have been much better, if He could have temporiz'd. 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. Had lov'd you as we did. Bru. Caius Marcius was As Hercules Did shake down mellow fruit: You have made fair work! Bru. But is this true, sir? Com. Ay; and you'll look pale Before you find it other. All the regions Do smilingly revolt; and, who resist, Are only mock'd for valiant ignorance, And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him? Com. Who shall ask it? The tribunes cannot do't for shame: the people Deserve such pity of him, as the wolf Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they Men. 'Tis true: If he were putting to my house the brand hands, You and your crafts! you have crafted fair! You have brought Tri. Say not, we brought it. Men. How! Was it we? We lov'd him; but, like beasts, And cowardly nobles, gave way to your clusters, Com. Men. Enter a Troop of Citizens. Here come the cluster. - Which will not prove a whip; as many coxcombs, We have deserv'd it. Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. 1 Cit. 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! Men. You have made Good work, you and your cry! 9 — Shall us to the Capitol ? Com. O, ay; what else? [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. Go home, And show no sign of fear. 9 Pack; alluding to a pack of hounds. |