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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?

ΤΟ

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. How long is 't

since ?

Mess. Above an hour, my lord.

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?

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Spies of the Volsces
forced to wheel

16. briefly, a short time since
17. confound, spend.

D

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.

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

Where is that slave

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.

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,

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.

[Exeunt.

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, 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.

As I have set them down.

If I do send, dispatch Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve For a short holding: if we

Fear not our care, sir.

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu.

lose the field,

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

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champion of your race; the Romans reckoning the Trojans their ancestors.

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