Imatges de pàgina
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2 Sen. Throw thy glove,

Or any token of thine honour elfe,
That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confufion: all thy powers

Shall make their harbour in our town, 'till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

Alc. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports,
Thofe enemies of Timon, and mine own,
Whom you your felves shall set out for reproof,
Fall, and no more; and to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning, not a man
Shall país his quarter, or offend the ftream
Of regular juftice in your city's bounds,
But fhall be remedied by publick laws
At heaviest answer.

Botb. 'Tis moft nobly spoken.

Alc. Defcend, and keep your words.
Enter a Soldier.

Sold. My noble General, Timon is dead,
Entomb'd upon the very hem o'th' fea,
And on his grave-ftone this infculpture, which
With wax I brought away; whose soft impreffion
Interpreteth for my poor ignorance.

[Alcibiades reads the epitaph.]
Here lyes a wretched coarse, of wretched foul bereft :
Seek not my name: a plague confume you caitiffs left!
Here lye I Timon, who all living men did bate,
Pafs by, and curfe thy fill, but fay not bere thy gate.
These well exprefs in thee thy latter spirits:
Tho' thou abhorr'dft in us our human griefs,
Scorn'dft our brine's flow, and those our droplets which
From niggard nature fall; yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye
On thy low grave our faults-forgiv'n, fince dead
Is noble Timon, of whose memory

Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city,
And I will ufe the olive with my fword;

Make war breed peace; make peace ftint war; make each
Prescribe to other, as each other's leach.
Let our drums ftrike.-

[.Exenut

CORIOLANUS.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman, bated by the common People.

TITUS LARTIUS, Generals against the Volfcians, and COMINIUS, Sfriends to Coriolanus.

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus.

SICINIUS VELUTUS Tribunes of the People, and enc、 Smies to Coriolanus.

JUNIUS BRUTUS,

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volfcians,

Lieutenant to AUFIDIUS.

Young MARTIUS, Son to Coriolanus.

Confpirators with AUFIDIUS.

VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus.
VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus.
VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia.

Roman and Volfcian Senators, Ediles, Litors, Soldiers, Common People, Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants.

The SCENE is partly in Rome and partly in the Terri tory of the Volfcians, and Antiates.

The whole Hiftory exactly follow'd, and many of the principal Speeches copy'd from the life of Coriolanus in Plutarch.

CORI

CORIOLANUS.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

A Street in Rome.

Enter a company of mutinous Citizens with ftaves, clubs,

[blocks in formation]

and other weapons.

EFORE we proceed any further, hear me fpeak.

All. Speak, fpeak.

I Cit. You are all refolv'd rather to die than to famish? All Refolv'd, refolv'd.

1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Martius is the chief enemy to the people.

All. We know't.

Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a verdict?

All. No more talking on't, let't be done; away, away! 2 Cit. One word, good citizens.

:

1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the Patricians good what authority furfeits on would relieve us: if they would yield us but the fuperfluity, while it were wholsome, we might guefs they relieved us humanely: but they think we are too dear; the leannefs that afflicts us, the object of our mifery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance; our fufferance is a gain to them. Let us revenge this with our pitchforks, ere we become rakes: for the Gods know, I fpeak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge.

2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Martius? All. Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty. 2 Cit. Confider you what fervices he has done for his Country? VOL. VII.

G

1 Cit.

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