Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Three or four miles about; elfe had I, Sir,
Half an hour fince brought my report.

Enter Martius.

Com. Who's yonder,

That does appear as he were flea'd? O Gods,
He has the ftamp of Martius, and I have
Before-time feen him thus.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. The thepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, More than I know the found of Martius' tongue

From every meaner man's.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, But mantled in your own.

Mar. Oh! let me clip ye

In arms as found as when I woo'd; in heart

As

merry as when our nuptial day was done, And tapers burnt to bedward.

Com. Flower of warriors,

How is't with Titus Lartius ?

Mar. As with a man bufied about decrees;
Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning th'other,
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning grey-hound in the leash,
To let him flip at will.

Com. Where is that flave

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

Mar. Let him alone,

He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen,
The common file, (a plague on't! tribunes for them!)
The mouse ne'er fhunn'd the cat, as they did budge
From rafcals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you?

Mar. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not think
Where is the enemy? are you lords o' th' field?
If not, why ceafe you 'till you are fo?

Com. Martius, we have at difadvantage fought,
And did retire to win our purpose.

H 3

Mars

Mar. How lyes their battle? know you on what fide They have plac'd their men of truft?

Com. As I guess, Martius,

Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates
Of their best trust: o'er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope.
Mar. I do befeech you,

By all the battels wherein we have fought,
By th' blood w'ave fhed together, by the vows
Wave made to endure friends, that you directly
Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiat's ;
And that you not delay the prefent, but
Filling the air with fwords advanc'd, and darts,
We
e 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 beft can aid your action.

Mar. Thofe are they

That most are willing; if any fuch be here
(As it were fin to doubt) that love this painting
Wherein you fee me fmear'd; if any fear
Lefs for his perfon than an ill report:

If any think brave death out-weighs bad life,
And that his country's dearer than himself,
Let him, alone, (or many if fo minded)
Wave thus, t'exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Martius.

[They all fhout and wave their fwords, take him up in their arms, and caft up their caps.

Oh! me alone, make you a fword of me :
If thefe fhews be not outward, which of you
But is four Volfcians? none of you but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A fhield as hard as his. A certain number
(Tho' thanks to all) muft I select the reft
Shall bear the bufinefs in fome other fight,
As caufe will be obey'd; pleafe you to march,
And four fhall quickly draw out my command,

Which men are beft inclin'd.
Com. March on, my fellows :
Make good this oftentation, and
Divide in all with us.

[blocks in formation]

SCENE X. Corioli.

[Exeunt.

Titus Lartius having fent a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Martius; Enter with a Lieutenant other Soldiers and a Scout.

Lar. So, let the ports be guarded; keep your duties
As I have fet them down. If I do fend, dispatch
Thofe centuries to our aid; the reft will ferve

For a fhort holding; if we lofe the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu. Fear not our care, Sir.

Ler. Hence, and fhut your gates upon's:

Our guider, come, to th' Roman camp conduct us. [Exeunt.

SCENE

Alarum as in battel.

XI. The Roman Camp.

Enter Martius and Aufidius, at

Several doors.

Mar. I'll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee Worfe than a promife-breaker.

Auf. We hate alike:

Not Africk owns a ferpent I abhor

More than thy fame, and envy; fix thy foot.
Mar. Let the first budger die the other's flave,
And the Gods doom him after !

Auf. If I fly, Martius, hollow me like a hare.
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 fee'ft me mask'd; for thy revenge
Wrench up thy power to th' highest.

Auf. Wert thou the Hector,

That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,

Thou should'ft not 'fcape me here.

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcians come to the aid of Aufidius. Martius fights 'till they be driven in breathless.

Officious and not valiant! you have sham'd me

In your condemned feconding.

[Exeunt Mar. and Auf, fighting.

Flourish.

Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is founded. Enter at one door Cominius with the Romans at another door Martius, with his arm in a scarf.

Com. If I fhould 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 fhall attend, and fhrug;

I'th' end admire; where Ladies fhall be frighted,

And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tribunes, That with the fufty Plebeians, hate thine honours,

Shall fay against their hearts, We thank the Gods

Our Rome bath fuch a foldier.

Yet cam'ft thou to a morfel of this feaft,

Having fully din'd before.

Enter Titus Lartius with his power from the purfuit.

Lar. O General,

Here is the fteed, we the caparison:

Hadft 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 alfo been, that's for my country;
He that has but effected his good will,
Hath overta en mine act.

Com. You fhall not be

The grave of your deferving, Rome must know
The value of her own: 'twere a concealment
Worfe than a theft, no lefs than a traducement,
To hide your doings, and to filence that,
Which to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would feem but modeft: therefore, I befeech you,
(In fign of what you are, not to reward
What you have done) before our army hear me.
Mar. I have fome wounds upon me, and they fmart
To hear themselves remembred,

Com. Should they not,

Well might they fefter 'gainst ingratitude,

And tent themselves with death: Of all the horses,
Whereof we've ta'en good, and good store, of all

The

The treasure in the field atchiev'd, and city,
We render you the tenth, to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution,

At your own choice.

Mar. I thank you, General:

But cannot make my heart confent to take
A bribe, to pay my fword: I do refuse it,
And ftand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

[Along flourish. They all cry, Martius! Martius! caft up
their caps and lances: Cominius and Lartius ftand bare.
Mar. May these fame inftruments, which you profane,
Never found more! when drums and trumpets fhall'
I'th' field prove flatterers, let camps as cities
Be made of falfe-fac'd foothing. When fteel grows
Soft, as the parafite's filk, let hymns be made
An overture for th' wars! -No more, I fay;
For that I have not wash'd my nose that bled,
Or foil'd fome debile wretch, which without note
Here's many else have done ; you fhout me forth
In acclamations hyperbolical,

As if I lov'd my little should be dieted
In praises fauc'd with lies.

Com. Too modeft are you:

More cruel to your good report, than grateful
To us, that give you truly by your patience,
If 'gainst your self you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm) in manacles,
Then reason fafely with you: therefore be it known,
As to us, to all the world, that Caius Martius
Wears this war's garland: in token of the which,
My noble fteed, known to the camp, I give him,
With all his trim belonging; and from this time,
For what he did before Corioli, call him,

With all th' applaufe and clamour of the host,

Caius Martius Coriolanus. Bear th' addition nobly ever! Flourish. Trumpets found, and drums.

Omnes. Caius Martius Coriolanus!

Mar. I will go wash :

And when my face is fair, you fhall perceive

Whether

« AnteriorContinua »