Imatges de pàgina
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And take our friendly Senators by th' hands,
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepar'd against your territories,
Though not for Rome it felf.

Cor. You blefs me, Gods!

Auf. Therefore, moft abfolute Sir, if thou wilt have The leading of thine own revenges, take

One half of my commiffion, and fet down,
As beft thou art experienc'd, fince thou know'ft
Thy country's ftrength and weakness, thine own ways;
Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,

Or rudely vifit them in parts remote,

To fright them, ere deftroy. But come, come in,
Let me commend thee first to thofe that fhall

Say yea to thy defires. A thoufand welcomes,
And more a friend, than e'er an enemy:

Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand; moft welcome!

SCENE V. Enter two Servants.

1 Ser. Here's a ftrange alteration.

[Exeunt.

2 Ser. By my hand, I had thought to have ftrucken him with a cudgel, and yet my mind gave me, his clothes made a falfe report of him.

1 Ser. What an arm he has! he turn'd me about with his finger and his thumb, as one would fet up a top.

2 Ser. Nay, I knew by his face that there was fomething in him. He had, Sir, a kind of face, methought— I cannot tell how to term it.

1 Ser. He had fo: looking, as it were- would I were hanged but I thought there was more in him than I could think.

2 Ser. So did I, I'll be fworn: he is fimply the rareft man i' th' world.

1 Ser. I think he is; but a greater foldier than he, you

wot one.

2 Ser. Who? my master?

1 Ser. Nay, it's no matter for that.

2 Ser. Worth fix on him.

1 Ser. Nay, not fo neither; but I take him to be the greater foldier.

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2. Ser.

Ser. 'Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to fay that; for the defence of a town, our General is excellent. 1 Ser. Ay, and for an affault too.

Enter a third Servant.

3 Ser. Oh flaves, I can tell you news; news, you rascals. Both. What, what, what? let's partake.

3 Ser. I would not be a Roman, of all nations; I had as lieve be a condemn'd man.

Botb. Wherefore? wherefore?

3 Ser. Why here's he that was wont to thwack our Geferál, Caius Martius.

1 Ser. Why do you fay, thwack our General ?

3 Ser. I do not fay thwack our General, but he was always good enough for him.

2 Ser. Come, we are fellows and friends; he was ever too hard for him, I have heard him fay fo himself.

1 Ser. He was too hard for him directly, to fay the troth on't: before Corioli, he fcotcht him and notcht him like a carbonado.

2 Ser. And, had he been cannibally given, he might have broil'd and eaten him too.

2 Ser, But more of thy news.

3 Ser. Why, he is fo made on here within, as if he were fon and heir to Mars: fet at upper end o' th' table; no queftion afk'd him by any of the Senators, but they ftand bald before him. Our General himfelf makes a miftrefs of him, fanctifies himself with's hands, and turns up the white o' th' eye to his difcourfe. But the bottom of the news is, our General is cut i' th' middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday. For the other has half, by the intreaty and grant of the whole table. He'll go, he fays, and fowle the porter of Rome gates by th' ears. will mow down all before him, and leave his paffage poll'd. 2 Ser. And he's as like to do't as any man I can imagine. 3 Ser. Do't! he will do't: for look you, Sir, he has as many friends as enemies; which friends, Sir, as it were durft not (look you, Sir) fhew themselves (as we term it) his friends, whilft he's in directitude.

I Ser. Directitude! what's that?

VOL. VII.

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3 Sera

3 Ser. But when they fhall fee, Sir; his cruft up again and the man in blood, they will out of their burroughs (like conies after rain), and revel all with him.

1 Ser. But when goes this forward ?

3 Ser. To-morrow, to-day, prefently, you fhall have the drum ftruck this afternoon: 'tis as it were a parcel of their feaft, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips,

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2 Ser. Why then we fhall have a stirring world again: this peace is worth nothing, but to ruft iron, encrease tailors, and breed ballad-makers.

1 Ser. Let me have war, fay I; it exceeds peace, as far as day does night; it's fprightly, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy, mull'd, deaf, fleepy, infenfible, a getter of more baftard children than war's a destroyer of men.

2 Ser. 'Tis fo, and as war in fome fort may be faid to be a ravisher, fo it cannot be denied, but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.

1 Ser. Ay, and it makes men hate one another.

3 Ser. Reafon; because they then lefs need one another: the wars for my mony. I hope to fee Romans as cheap as Volfcians. They are rifing, they are rifing.

Both. In, in, in, in.

SCENE VI.

ROME.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

[Exeunt.

Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear him; His remedies are tame: the prefent peace

And quietness of the people, which before
Were in wild hurry here, do make his friends
Blufh, that the world goes well; who rather had,
Though themselves did fuffer by't, beheld
Diffentious numbers peft'ring ftreets, than fee
Our tradesmen finging in their fhops, and going
About their functions friendly.

Enter Menenius.

Bru. We flood to't in good time.

Is this Menenius?

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Sic. 'Tis he, 'tis he: O, he is grown most kind of

late. Hail, Sir !

Men. Hail to you both!

Sic, Your Coriolanus is not much mifs'd, but, with his

friends;

friends; the commonwealth doth ftand, and fo would do, were he more angry at it.

Men. All's well, and might have been much better, if he could have temporiz'd.

Sic. Where is he, hear you?

Men. Nay, I hear nothing:

His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.

Enter three or four Citizens,

All. The Gods preferve you both!

Sic. Good-e'en, neighbours.

Bru. Good-e'en to you all, good-e'en to you all.

1 Cit. Our felves, our wives, and children, on our knees Are bound to pray for you both.

Sic. Live and thrive!

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Bru. Farewel, kind neighbours we wifh'd Coriolanus

Had lov'd you, as we did.

All. Now the Gods keep you!

Both Tri. Farewel, farewel.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Sic. This is a happier and more comely time,

Than when thefe fellows ran about the streets,
Crying confufion.

Bru. Caius Martius was

A worthy officer i' th' war, but infolent,
O'er-come with pride, ambitious paft all thinking,
Self-loving.

Sic. And affecting one fole throne,

Without affiftants.

Men. Nay, I think not fo.

Sic. We had by this, to all our lamentation,

If he had gone forth Conful, found it fo.

Bru. The Gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits fafe and ftill without him..

r Enter Edile.

Ed. Worthy Tribunes,

There is a flave, whom we have put in prifon,
Reports the Volfcians with two feveral powers
Are entred in the Roman territories,

And with the deepest malice of, the war
Deftroy what lyes before 'em.

Men. "Tis Aufidius,

Who

Who hearing of our Martius' banishment,

Thrufts forth his horns again into the world;
Which were in-fhell'd, when Martius ftood for Rome
And durft not once peep out.

Sic. Come, what talk you of Martius?

Bru. Go fee this rumourer whipt. It cannot be, The Volfcians dare break with us.

Men. Cannot be !

We have record that very well it can,
And three examples of the like have been
Within my age. But reafon with the fellow
Before you punish him, where he heard this,
Left you fhall chance to whip your information,
And beat the meffenger who bids beware
Of what is to be dreaded,

Sie. Tell not me:

I know this cannot be.

Bru. Not poffible.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The Nobles in great earneftness are going
All to the Senate-houfe; fome news is come
That turns their countenances.

Sic. 'Tis this flave:

Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes; his raifing!
Nothing but his report!

Mef. Yes, worthy Sir,

The flave's report is feconded, and more,

More fearful is delivered.

Sic. What more fearful?

Mef. It is fpoke freely out of many mouths, How probable I do not know, that Martius, Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome, And vows revenge as fpacious, as between

The young'ft and oldest thing.

Sic. This is most likely !

Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker fort may with Good Martius home again.

Sic. The very trick on't.

Men. This is unlikely.

He

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