SCENE VI. Near the camp of Cominius.

Enter COMINIUS, as it were in retire, with

soldiers.

Com. Breathe you, my friends: well fought;

we are come off

Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands,

Nor cowardly in retire: believe me, sirs,

We shall be charged again. Whiles we have struck,
By interims and conveying gusts we have heard
The charges of our friends. Ye Roman gods!
Lead their successes as we wish our own,

That both our powers, with smiling fronts encountering,

May give you thankful sacrifice.

Enter a Messenger.

Thy news?

10

Mess. The citizens of Corioli have issued,
And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle:
I saw our party to their trenches driven,
And then I came away.

Com.

Though thou speak'st truth, Methinks thou speak'st not well.

since?

Mess. Above an hour, my lord.

How long is 't

Com. 'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums:

How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour,

And bring thy news so late?

Three or four miles about, else had I, sir,
Half an hour since brought my report.

Com.
Who's yonder,
That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods!
He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have
Before-time seen him thus.

Mar.

[Within] Come I too late?

Com. The shepherd knows not thunder from
a tabor

More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue
From every meaner man.

20

Mar.

Enter MARCIUS.

Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of

others,

But mantled in your own.

Mar.

O, let me clip ye

30

In arms as sound as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry as when our nuptial day was done,
And tapers burn'd to bedward!

Com.

How is 't with Titus Lartius ?

Flower of warriors,

Mar. As with a man busied about decrees:
Condemning some to death, and some to exile;
Ransoming him, or pitying, threatening the other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

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
Where is he? call him hither.

you to your trenches? 40

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 think.

Where is the enemy? are you lords o' the field?
If not, why cease you till you are so?

Com.

We have at disadvantage fought and did
Retire to win our purpose.

Marcius,

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

They have placed their men of trust?

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
Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates;
And that you not delay the present, but,

Filling the air with swords advanced 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.

That most are willing.

Those are they

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,

53. Antiates. So Pope from Plutarch. Ff have Ancients,"

50

60

70

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 inclined.

Com.

March on, my fellows: Make good this ostentation, and you shall

80

Divide in all with us.

SCENE VII.

[Exeunt.

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, other Soldiers, and a Scout.

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

76. O, me alone! make you, etc. The soldiers, called upon to 'wave' their swords, have proceeded to wave' him. He plays on the fact. 'Yes, make me your weapon indeed! Follow me up as strenuously as the hand the sword!'-This is more in

keeping with the situation than to put a (?) at 'me' (with Capell), as if he jocularly asked whether they took him for a sword.

84. four shall quickly, etc., i.e. four officers are to pick out the best men.

If I do send, dispatch

As I have set them down.

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 's.

Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VIII. A field of battle between the

Roman and the Volscian camps.

Alarum as in battle.

Enter, from opposite sides,

MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS.

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

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.

Holloa me like a hare.

Mar.

If I fly, Marcius,

Within these three hours, Tullus,

Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleased: '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,

4. thy fame and envy, 'thy envied fame' (a 'hendiadys'). 12. the whip, etc., the

ΤΟ

champion of your race;

the

Romans reckoning the Trojans their ancestors.