VIR. I am glad to fee your ladyship.

VAL. How do you both? you are manifeft housekeepers. What, are you fewing here? A fine fpot, in good. faith. How does your little fon?

VIR. I thank your ladyfhip; well, good madam.

VOL. He had rather fee the fwords, and hear a drum, than look upon his fchool-master.

VAL. O' my word, the father's fon: I'll fwear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I look'd upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has fuch a confirm'd countenance. I faw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catch'd it again or whether his fall enrag'd him, or how 'twas, he did fo fet his teeth, and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammock'd it!

VOL. One of his father's moods.

VAL. Indeed la, 'tis a noble child.
VIR. A crack, madam.

VAL. Come, lay afide your ftitchery; I must have you play the idle hufwife with me this afternoon.

VIR. No, good madam; I will not out of doors.
VAL. Not out of doors!

VOL. She fhall, fhe fhall.

VIR. Indeed, no, by your patience: I will not over the threshold, till my lord return from the wars.

VAL. Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably: Come, you muft go vifit the good lady that lies in. VIR. I will wish her fpeedy ftrength, and visit her with my prayers; but I cannot go thither.

VIR. 'Tis not to fave labour, nor that I want love. VAL. You would be another Penelope : yet, they say

all the yarn, fhe fpun in Ulyffes' abfence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambrick were fenfible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you fhall go with us.

VIR. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth.

VAL. In truth la, go with me; and I'll tell you excellent news of your husband.

VIR. O, good madam, there can be none yet.

VAL. Verily, I do not jeft with you; there came news from him last night.

VIR. Indeed, madam?

VAL. In earnest, it's true; I heard a fenator fpeak it. Thus it is -The Volces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord, and Titus Lartius, a e fet down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour; and fo, I pray, go with us.

in

VIR. Give me excufe, good madam; I will obey you every thing hereafter.

VOL. Let her alone, lady; as fhe is now, fhe will but difeafe our better mirth.

VAL. In troth, I think, fhe would: Fare you well then.-Come, good fweet lady.-Pr'ythee, Virgilia, turn thy folemnefs out o'door, and go along with us.

VIR. No at a word, madam; indeed, I must not.

I

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Before Corioli.

Enter, with Drum and Colours, MARCIUS, TITUS LAR

TIUS, Officers, and Soldiers. To them a MESSENGER.

MAR. Yonder comes news :-A wager, they have met. LART. My horfe to yours, no.

MAR. 'Tis done.

LART. Agreed.

MAR. Say, has our general met the enemy ?

MES. They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet. LART. So, the good horfe is mine.

MAR. I'll buy him of you.

[I will,

LART. No, I'll nor fell, nor give him: lend you him, For half a hundred years.-Summon the town.

MAR. How far off lie these armies?

MES. Within this mile and half.

MAR. Then fhall we hear their 'larum, and they ours. Now, Mars, I pr'ythee, make us quick in work; That we with fmoking fwords may march from hence, To help our fielded friends !-Come, blow thy blast. They found a parley. Enter, on the walls, fome SENATORS,

and Others.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?

I SEN. No, nor a man that fears you lefs than he, That's leffer than a little. Hark, our drums

[Alarums afar off. Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls, Rather than they fhall pound us up: our gates, Which yet feem fhut, we have but pinn'd with rushes ; They'll open of themselves. Hark

you,

far off;

[Other Alarums.

There is Aufidius: lift, what work he makes

Amongst your cloven army.

MAR. O, they are at it!

LART. Their noife be our inftruction.-Ladders, ho!
The VOLCES enter and pass over the Stage.
MAR. They fear us not, but iffue forth their city.

Now put your fhields before your hearts, and fight
With hearts more proof than fhields.-Advance, brave
They do difdain us much beyond our thoughts, [Titus:
Which makes me fweat with wrath.-Come, on my fel-
He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce,
[lows;

And he shall feel mine edge.
Alarum, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting. The Ro-
mans are beaten back to the trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS.
MAR. All the contagion of the fouth light on you,
You fhames of Rome! you herd of Boils and plagues
Plafter you o'er ;
o'er; that
you may be abhorr'd
Further than feen, and one infect another

Against the wind a mile? You fouls of geese,
That bear the fhapes of men, how have you run
From flaves that apes would beat? Pluto and hell!
All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale

With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home,
Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe,

And make my wars on you; look to't: Come on;
If you'll stand faft, we'll beat them to their wives,

As they us to our trenches follow'd.

Another Alarum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Volces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates.

So, now the gates are ope :-Now prove good feconds: 'Tis for the followers fortune widens them,

Not for the fliers: Mark me, and do the like.

[He enters the gates, and is fut in.

1 Soz. Fool-hardinefs; not I.

2 SOL. Nor I.

3 SOL. See, they

Have fhut him in.

[Alarum continues.

ALL. To the pot, I warrant him.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS.

LART. What is become of Marcius?

ALL. Slain, fir, doubtless.

I SOL. Following the fliers at the very heels,
With them he enters: who, upon the fudden,
Clapp'd-to their gates; he is himself alone,
To answer all the city.

LART. O noble fellow!

Who, fenfible, outdares his fenfelefs fword,

And, when it bows, ftands up! Thou art left, Marcius:
A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,

Were not fo rich a jewel. Thou waft a foldier
Even to Cato's wifh: not fierce and terrible
Only in ftrokes; but, with thy grim looks, and
The thunder-like percuffion of thy founds,
Thou mad'ft thine enemies fhake, as if the world
Were feverous, and did tremble.

Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, affaulted by the enemy. I SOL. Look, fir.

LART. 'Tis Marcius:

Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.

[They fight, and all enter the city.

SCENE V. Within the Town. A Street.

Enter certain ROMANS, with spoils.

I 1 ROM. This will I carry to Rome,

2 ROм. And I this.

3 ROм. A murrain on't! I took this for filver.

[Alarum continues ftill afar off.

Enter MARCIUS, and TITUS LARTIUS, with a trumpet.

MAR. See here these movers, that do prize their hours

At a crack'd drachm! Cushions, leaden fpoons,
Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would