Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will.

Com.

Where is that slave,

Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? Where is he? Call him hither.

Let him alone,

Mar.
He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen,
The common file, (A plague !-Tribunes for them?)
The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat, as they did budge
From rascals worse than they.

Com.

But how prevail'd you?

Mar. Will the time serve to tell? I do not thinkWhere is the enemy? Are you lords o' the field? If not, why cease you till you are so?

Com. Marcius, we have at disadvantage fought, And did retire to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their battle? Know you on which side

They have plac'd their men of trust3?

Com.

As I guess, Marcius, Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates, Of their best trust: o'er them Aufidius,

Their very heart of hope.

Mar.

I do beseech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,

By the blood we have shed together, by the vows
We have made to endure friends, that you directly

3 They have plac'd their men of trust?] So, in the old translation of Plutarch by North, p. 241, edit. 1579:-" Martius asked him howe the order of their enemies battell was, and on which side they had placed their best fighting men. The consul made him aunswer, that he thought the bandes which were in the voward of their battell were those of the Antiates, whom they esteemed to be the warlikest men, and which for valliant corage would geve no place to any of the hoste of their enemies. Then prayed Martius to be set directly against them. The consul graunted him, greatly praysing his corage." We have quoted this passage, not merely because it shows how closely Shakespeare adhered to his original, but because it enables us decisively to correct an error in the folio, 1623, where antients, in the next line, is misprinted for "Antiates," although it occurs just afterwards, and is there properly spelt. The mistake would correct itself, if" ancients" had not of old meant standards and standard-bearers.

Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates;
And that you not delay the present, but,
Filling the air with swords advanc'd and darts,
We prove this very hour.

Com.

Though I could wish

You were conducted to a gentle bath,

And balms applied to you, yet dare I never

Deny your asking. Take your choice of those
That best can aid your action.

Mar.

Those are they

That most are willing.-If any such be here,
(As it were sin to doubt) that love this painting
Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear
Lesser his person than an ill report;

If any think, brave death outweighs bad life,
And that his country's dearer than himself;
Let him, alone, or so many so minded,
Wave thus, to express his disposition,
And follow Marcius.

[They all shout, and wave their Swords; take
him up in their arms, and cast up their Caps.

O me, alone! Make you a sword of me?
If these shows be not outward, which of you
But is four Volsces? None of you, but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius

A shield as hard as his. A certain number,
Though thanks to all, must I select from all the rest
Shall bear the business in some other fight*,
As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march ;
And four shall quickly draw out my command,
Which men are best inclin'd.

Com.

March on, my fellows:

[Exeunt.

Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us.

in some other FIGHT,] Boswell misprints "fight" sight.

SCENE VII.

The Gates of Corioli.

TITUS LARTIUS, having set a Guard upon Corioli, going with Drum and Trumpet toward COMINIUS and CAIUS MARCIUS, enters with a Lieutenant, a Party of Soldiers, and a Scout.

Lart. So; let the ports be guarded: keep your duties,

As I have set them down. If I do send, despatch
Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve
For a short holding: if we lose the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu.

Fear not our care, sir.

Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon us.—
Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VIII.

A Field of Battle between the Roman and the Volscian

Camps.

Alarum. Enter MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS5.

Mar. I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate

thee

Worse than a promise-breaker.

Auf.

We hate alike:

Not Afric owns a serpent, I abhor

5 Enter Marcius and Aufidius.] "At several doors," adds the stage-direction of the folio. In the next scene, representing the Roman camp, Cominius, &c. enter "at one door," and Marcius, &c. "at another door."

More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.
Mar. Let the first budger die the other's slave,
And the gods doom him after !

Auf.

Halloo me like a hare.

If I fly, Marcius,

Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,

Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd. 'Tis not my blood,
Wherein thou seest me mask'd: for thy revenge,

Wrench up thy power to the highest.

Auf.

Wert thou the Hector,

That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,

Thou should'st not scape me here.—

[They fight, and certain Volsces come to the aid of
AUFIDIUS.

Officious, and not valiant-you have sham'd me
In your condemned seconds.

[Exeunt fighting, all driven in by MARCIUS.

SCENE IX.

The Roman Camp.

Alarum. A Retreat sounded. Flourish.

Enter at

one side, COMINIUS, and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, with his Arm in a Scarf, and other Romans.

Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou'lt not believe thy deeds; but I'll report it, Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles, Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug, I' the end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted, And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tri

bunes,

That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honours,

Shall say, against their hearts,-"We thank the gods, Our Rome hath such a soldier!"—

Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,

Having fully dined before.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS with his Power, from the pursuit.

Lart.

O general,

Here is the steed, we the caparison®:
Hadst thou beheld-

Mar.

Pray now, no more: my mother,

Who has a charter to extol her blood,
When she does praise me, grieves me.
I have done,
As you have done; that's what I can; induc'd
As you have been; that's for my country:
He that has but effected his good will
Hath overta'en mine act.

Com.

You shall not be

The grave of your deserving: Rome must know
The value of her own: 'twere a concealment
Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,
To hide your doings; and to silence that,
Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you,
In sign of what you are, not to reward

What you have done, before our army hear me.

Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remember'd.

Com.

Should they not,

Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude,

And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses,
(Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store) of all
The treasure, in this field achiev'd and city,
We render you the tenth; to be ta’en forth,
Before the common distribution,

At your only choice.

Here is the steed, we the caparison :] The meaning (says Johnson) is, "this man performed the action, and we only filled up the show."