Men. Hail to you both!

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

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.

Enter Edile.

Ed. Worthy Tribunes.

There

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

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

Men. 'Tis Aufidius,

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.

Sic. 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-house; 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 nave's report is feconded, and more,
More fearful is delivered

Sic. What more fearful?

Mef. It is spoke freely out of many mouths, How probable I do not know, that Martins,

Join'd

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 wish Good Martius home again.

Sic. The very trick on't.

Men. This is unlikely.

He and Aufidius can no more attone

Than violenteft contrarieties.

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mef. You are fent for to the Senate: A fearful army, led by Caius Martius, Affociated with Aufidius, rages

3

Upon our territories, 'they've already

O'er-born their way, confum'd with fire, and took
What lay before them.

Enter Cominius.

Com. Oh, you have made good work.

Men. What news? what news?

Com. You have help to ravish your own daughters, and To melt the city-leads upon your pates,

To fee your wives difhonour'd to your noses.

Men, What's the news? what's the news?

Com. Your temples burned in their cement, and
Your franchifes, whereon you flood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore.

Men. Pray now the news?

You've made fair work, I fear me: pray, your news? If Martius fhould be joined with the Volfcians

Com. If? he is their God, he leads them like a thing Made by fome other deity than nature,

That shapes men better; and they follow him
Against us brats, with no lefs confidence,

Than boys purfuing fummer butter-flies,
Or butchers killing flies.

3 and have

Men.

Men. You've made good work,

You and your apron-men; that stood fo much
Upon the voice of occupation, and

The breath of garlick-eaters.

Com. He'll shake your Rome

About your ears.

Men. As Hercules did fhake

Down mellow fruit: 'fo you have made fair work.
Bru. But is this true, Sir?

Com. Ay, and you'll look pale
Before you find it other. All the regions
Do fmilingly revolt, and who 5 'refift
"'Are only mock'd' for valiant ignorance,

And perish conftant fools: who is't can blame him?
Your enemies and his find something in him.
Men. We're all undone, unless

The noble man have mercy.

Com. Who fhall ask it?

The Tribunes cannot do't for fhame; the people
Deferve fuch pity of him, as the wolf

Does of the thepherds: his best friends, if they
Shou'd fay, Be good to Rome, they charge him even
As thofe fhould do that had deferv'd his hate,
And therein fhew'd like enemies.

Men. 'Tis true.

If he were putting to my house the brand

That would confume it, I have not the face

To fay, 'Beseech you, ceafe. You've made fair hands, You and your crafts! you've crafted fair!

Com. You've brought

A trembling upon Rome, fuch as was never

So incapable of help.

Tri. Say not we brought it.

Men. How? was it we? we lov'd him ; but like beafts: And coward nobles, gave way to your clusters,

Who 'hooted him out o' th' city.

Com. But I fear

They'll

4 you

5 refifts

6 Are mock'd

7

did hoot

They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The fecond name of men, obeys his 'points
As if he were his officer: defperation
Is all the policy, ftrength, and defence
That Rome can make against them.

Enter a Troop of Citizens.

Men. Here come the clufters.

And is Aufidius with him?-You are they
That made the air unwholfome, when you caft
Your ftinking, greafie caps, in hooting at
Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming,
And not a hair upon a foldier's head

Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs,
As you threw caps up, will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter,
If he fhould burn us all into one coal,
We have deferv'd it.

Omnes. 'Faith, we hear fearful news.
1 Cit. For mine own part,

When I faid banish him, I said 'twas pity.
2 Cit. And fo did I.

3 Cit. And fo did 1; and to fay the truth, fo did very many of us; that we did, we did for the best: and tho we willingly confented to his banishment, yet it was againft our will.

Com. Y'are goodly things; you voices !---
Men. You have made you good work,

You and your cry. Shall's to the Capitol?

Com. Oh, ay, what else?

[Exeunt.

Sic. Go, mafters, get you home, be not difmay'd.
Thefe are a fide, that would be glad to have
This true, which they fo feem to fear. Go home,
And fhew no fign of fear.

[home.

1 Cit. The Gods be good to us! come, mafters, let's I ever faid we were i' th' wrong, when we banifh'd him.

2 Cit.