Droop not; adieu : farewel, my wife! my mother!
I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are falter than a younger man's,

And venomous to thine eyes. My fometime General,

I've seen thee ftern, and thou haft oft beheld

Heart hardning fpectacles. Tell these fad women, 'Tis fond to wail inevitable ftrokes,

As 'tis to laugh at 'em. Mother, you wot,
My hazards still have been your solace; and
Believe't not lightly, (tho' I go alone,

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than feen :) your

Son

Will, or exceed the common, or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.

Vol. My firft Son,

Where will you go? take good Cominius
With thee a while, determine on some courfe,
More than a wild expofure to each chance,
That ftarts i' th' way before thee.

Cor. O the Gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devife with thee Where thou shalt reft, that thou may'ft hear of us, And we of thee. So, if the time thruft forth, A Caufe for thy Repeal, we fhall not fend O'er the vaft world, to feek a single man; And lose advantage, which doth ever cool I' th' absence of the needer.

Cor. Fare ye well:

Thou'ft years upon thee, and thou art too full
Of the war's furfeits, to go rove with one
That's yet unbruis'd; bring me but out at gate.
Come, my fweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch: when I am forth,
Bid me farewel, and fmile. I pray you, come.
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me ftill, and never of me aught

D 3

But

As any ear can hear.

Come, let's not weep.

If I could fhake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good Gods,

Ed with thee every foot.

Cor. Give me thy hand.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

II.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus, with the Edile.

Sic. BID

ID them all home, he's gone; and we'll no
further.

Vex'd are the Nobles, who, we fee, have fided
In his behalf.

Bru. Now we have fhewn our Power,
Let us feem humbler after it is done,
Than when it was a doing.

Sic. Bid them home;

Say, their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient Strength.

Bru. Difmifs them home.

Here comes his Mother.

Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.

Sic. Let's not meet her.

Bru. Why?

Sic. They fay, fhe's mad.

Bru. They have ta'en note of us: keep on your

way.

Vol. Oh, y'are well met :

The horded plague o' th' Gods requite your love! Men. Peace, peace; be not fo loud.

Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear— Nay, and you fhall hear fome.-Will you be gone? You fhall ftay too.

Virg. I would, I had the power.

To fay fo to my Husband.

Sic. Are you mankind?

Vol. Ay, fool: is that a fhame? note but this fool. Was not a Man my Father? hadst thou foxfhip To banish him that ftruck more blows for Rome, Than thou haft spoken words

Sic. Oh blessed heav'ns!

Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wife words, And for Rome's good-I'll tell thee what-yet goNay, but thou shalt ftay too-I would, my fon Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

His good fword in his hand.

Sic. What then?

Virg. What then? he'd make an end of thy Posterity, Vol. Baftards, and all.

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!! Men. Come, come, peace.

Sic. I would, he had continued to his Country As he began, and not unknit himself

The noble knot he made.

Bru. I would, he had.

Vol. I would, he had!

rabble :

-'twas you incens'd the

Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth,
As I can of thofe myfteries which Heav'n
Will not have Earth to know.

Bru. Pray let us go.

Vol. Now, pray, Sir, get you gone.

You've done a brave deed: ere you go, hear this
As far as doth the Capitol exceed

The meanest houfe in Rome; fo far my Son,
This Lady's Husband here, this, (do you see)
Whom you have banish'd, does exceed you all.
Bru. Well, well, we'll leave you.

[Exeunt Tribunes.

Sic. Why ftay you to be baited
With one that wants her wits?
Vol. Take my prayers with you,
I wish, the Gods had nothing else to do,
But to confirm my curfes! Could I meet 'em

D 4

But

But once a-day, it would unclog my heart
Of what lies heavy to't.

Men. You've told them home,

And, by my troth, have caufe: you'll fup with me?
Vol. Anger's my meat, I fup upon myself,
And so shall starve with feeding: come, let's go,
Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,
In anger, Juno like: come, come, fie, fie!

Rom.

I

[Exeunt.

Know you well, Sir, and you know me; your name, I think, is Adrian.

Vol. It is fo, Sir; truly, I have forgot you.

Rom. I am a Roman, but my fervices are as you are, against 'em. Know you me yet?

Vol. Nicanor? no.

Rom. The fame, Sir.

Vol. You had more beard when I laft faw you, but your favour is well appeal'd by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a Note from the Volfcian State to find you out there. You have well fav'd me a day's journey.

Rom. There hath been in Rome ftrange infurrections: the People againft the Senators, Patricians, and Nobles.

Vol. Hath been! is it ended then? our State thinks. not fo: they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their divifion.

Rom. The main blaze of it is paft, but a fmall thing would make it flame again. For the Nobles receive fo 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

for ever.

This lies glowing, I can tell you; and is

almost mature for the violent breaking out.

Vol. Coriolanus banish'd?

Rom. Banifh'd, Sir.

Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.

I have

Rom. The day ferves well for them now. heard it faid, 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 Oppofer Coriolanus being now in no request of his Country.

Vol. He cannot chufe. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my bufinefs, and I will merrily accompany you home. Rom. I fhall between this and fupper tell you moft ftrange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their Adverfaries. Have you an army ready, say you?

Vol. A moft royal one. The Centurions and their Charges diftinctly 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, I think, that fhall fet them in prefent action. So, Sir, heartily well met, and moft glad of your company..

Vol. You take my Part for me, Sir, I have the moft cause to be glad of yours.

Rom. Well, let us go together.

[Exeunt.

Enter Coriolanus in mean Apparel, disguis'd and muffled.

Cor. A goodly City is this Antium.-City, 'Tis I, that made thy widows: Many an heir Of these fair edifices for my wars

Have I heard groan, and drop: then know Me not, Left that thy Wives with fpits, and boys with ftones, In puny battle flay me. Save you, Sir.

D 5

Enter