That turns their countenances.

Sic. 'Tis this slave :
Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes: his railing!
Nothing but his report !

Mes. Yes, worthy Sir,
The slave's report is seconded, and more,
More fearful is delivered.

Sic. What more fearful ?

Mes. It is spoke freely out of many mouths,
How probable I do not know, that Marcius,
Join'd with Aufidius, leads a Pow'r 'gainst Rome;
And vows Revenge as spacious, as between
The young'st and oldest thing.

Sic. This is most likely !

Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker fort may wish Good Marcius home again.

Sic. The very trick on't.

Men. This is unlikely.
He and Aufidius can no more atone,
Than violenteft contrariety.

Enter Messenger.
Mef. You are sent for to the Senate:
A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius,
Associated with Aufidius, rages
Upon our teritories; and have already
O'er-borne their way, consumed with fire, and took
What lay before them.

Enter Cominius. Com. Oh, you have made good Work. Men. What news? what news ? Com. You have hope to ravish your own daughters,

and To melt the city-leads upon your pates, To see your Wives difhonour'd to your

noses. Men. What's the news? what's the news? Com. Your Temples burned in their cement, and

Your

Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore.

Men. Pray now, the news ?
You've made fair work, I fear me: pray, your news ?
If Marcius fiould be joined with the Volfcians,

Com. If? he is their God; he leads them like a thing
Made by some other Deity than Nature,
That shapes man better; and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence,
Than boys pursuing summer butter-flies,
Or butchers killing flies.

Men. You've made good work,
You and your apron-men; that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation, and
The breath of garlic-eaters.

Com. He'll shake your Rome about your ears.

Men. 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 seemingly revolt; and, who resist, Are mock'd for valiant ignorance, And perish constant fools; who is't can blame him? Your enemies and his find something in him.

Men. We're all undone, unless The noble man have mercy.

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: his best friends, if they Shou'd say, be good to Rome; they charge him even As those should do that had deservd his hate, And therein shew'd like enemies.

Men. 'Tis true. If he were putting to my house the brand That would consume it, I have not the face To say, 'Beseech you, cease.' You've made fair hands,

You

You and your crafts! you've crafted fair!

Com. You've brought
A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
So incapable of help.

Tri. Say not, we brought it.
Men. How? was it we? we lov'd him; but, like

beasts,
And coward Nobles, gave way to your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o'th' city.

Com. But I fear,
They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer : Desperation
Is all the policy, strength, and defence,
That Rome can make against them.

VII.

SC EN E

Enter a Troop of Citizens.
ERE come the clusters.

Men. H And is Aufidius with him? You are they,

As you

That made the air unwholesome, when you caft
Your stinking, greasy caps, in hooting at
Coriolanus' Exile. Now he's coming,
And not a hair upon a soldier's head,
Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs,

threw caps up, will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter,
If he should burn us all into one coal,
We have deserv'd it.

Omnes. Faith, we hear fearful news.

i 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 tho' we willingly consented to his Banishment, yet it was against our will.

Com.

Com. Y'are goodly things ; you, voices !

Men. You have made good work, You and your cry:

Shall's to the Capitol ? Com. Oh, ay, what else?

[Exeunt. 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 shew no sign of fear.

i Cit. The Gods be good to us : come, masters, let's home. I ever said, we were i'th'

wrong, banish d him. 2 Cit. So did we all ; but come, let's home.

Exeunt Citizens. Bru. I do not like this news. Sic. Nor I.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol ; 'would, half my wealth Would buy this for a lie! Sic. Pray, let us go.

[Exeunt Tribunes.

when we

A Camp ; at a small distance from Rome,
Enter Aufidius, with his Lieutenant.

O to
Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in

him ; but
Your foldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end:
And you are darken'd in this action, Sir,
Even by your own.

Auf. 'I cannot help it now,
Unless, by using means, I lame the foot
Of our design. He bears himself more proudly
Even to my person, than, I thought, he would
When first I did embrace him. Yet his nature
In that's no changling, and I must excuse
What cannot be amended.

Lieu. Yet I wifh, Sir,
(I mean for your particular) you had not
Join'd in Commillion with him ; but had borne
The action of yourself, or else to him
Had left it folely.

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou fure,
When he shall come to his account, he knows not,
What I can urge against him; though it seems,
And so he thinks, and is no less apparent
To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly ;
And shews good husbandry for the Volfcian State,
Fights dragon-like, and does atchieve as soon
As draw his sword : yet he hath left undone
That which shall break his neck, or hazard mine,
When e'er we come to our account.

Lieu. Sir, I beseech, think you, he'll carry Rome ?

Auf. All places yield to him ere he fits down, And the Nobility of Rome are his : The Senators and Patricians love him too : The Tribunes are no soldiers ; and their people Will be as rash in the Repeal, as hasty To expel him thence. I Think, he'll be to Rome * As is the Osprey to the fish, who takes it By Sovereignty of Nature. First, he was A noble servant to them, but he could not Carry his honours even : whether pride, (Which out of daily fortune ever taints The happy man) whether defect of judgment, (To fail in the disposing of those chances, Whereof he was the lord) or whether nature, (Not to be other than one thing ; not moving From th'calk to th'cushion; but commanding peace Even with the fame aufterity and garb, As he controll'd the war ;) But one of these, (As he hath spices of them all) not all, For I dare so far free him, made him fear'd, So hated, and fo banish'd ; but he has mèrit * As is the Osprey- Offrey, a Kind of Eagle, fifrage.

To