1 Cit. He's one honest enough; 'Would, all the rest were so! Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray you. 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know, we have strong arms too. Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours, Will you undo yourselves? 1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them Against the Roman state; whose course will on The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs Of more strong link asunder, than can ever Appear in your impediment: For the dearth, The gods, not the patricians, make it; and Your knees to them, not arms, must help. You are transported by calamity Thither where more attends you; and The helms o'the state, who care for you like fathers, When you curse them as enemies. Alack, you slander 1 Cit. Care for us! - True, indeed! They ne er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers: repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must Confess yourselves wondrous malicious, 1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver. Men. There was a time, when all the body's Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it : I' the midst o'the body, idle and inactive, Like labour with the rest; where the other instru ments Did see, and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, 1 Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the belly? 1 Cit. Your belly's answer: What! The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye, The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier, 1 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer? I will tell you ; Men. If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little,) Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer. 1 Cit. You are long about it. Whereby they live: And though that all at once, 1 Cit. Ay, sir; well, well. Men. Though all at once cannot See what I do deliver out to each; Yet I can make my audit up, that all From me do back receive the flower of all, And leave me but the bran. What say you to't? 1 Cit. It was an answer: How apply you this? Men. The senators of Rome are this good belly, And you the mutinous members: For examine Their counsels, and their cares; digest things rightly, Touching the weal o'the common; you shall find, No publick benefit, which you receive, But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you, And no way from yourselves. What do you think? You, the great toe of this assembly? That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you, The other makes you proud. He that trusts you, Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; Where foxes, geese: You are no surer, no, Than is the coal of fire upon the ice, To make him worthy, whose offence subdues him, And curse that justice did it. Who deserves great ness, Deserves your hate: and your affections are And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust ye? With every minute you do change a mind; That in these several places of the city The city is well stor❜d. Mar. Conjectural marriages; making parties strong, Would the nobility lay aside their ruth, Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded; Mar. They are dissolved: Hang 'em! They said, they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs ; Noble Lartius! 1 Sen. Hence! To your homes, be gone. [To the Citizens. Mar. Nay, let them follow: The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither, To gnaw their garners: - Worshipful mutineers, Your valour puts well forth: pray, follow. [Exeunt Senators, Coм. MAR. TIT. and MENEN. Citizens steal away. Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius? Bru. He has no equal. Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the people, Bru. Mark'd you his lip, and eyes? Sic. Nay, but his taunts. Bru. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird the gods. Sic. Be-mock the modest moon. Bru. The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant. Such a nature, Sic. Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon: But I do wonder, His insolence can brook to be commanded Under Cominius. Bru. - cannot Fame, at the which he aims, In whom already he is well grac'd, Better be held, nor more attain'd, than by A place below the first for what miscarries Shall be the general's fault, though he perform To the utmost of a man; and giddy censure Will then cry out of Marcius, 0, if he Had borne the business! : Sic. Opinion, that so sticks on Marcius, shall Bru. Come: Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius, Let's hence, and hear Besides, if things go well, self in a more comfortable sort: If my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honour, than in the embrace...ents of his bed, where he would show most love. When yet he was but tender-bodied, and the only son of my womb; when youth with comeliness plucked all gaze his way; when, for a day of kings' entreaties, a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding; I,-considering how honour would become such a person; that it was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir, was pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame. To a cruel war I sent him; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter,-I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child, than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man. Sic. Upon his present action. Bru. Let's along. [Exeunt. SCENE II. — Corioli. The Senate-House. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, and certain Senators. 1 Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels, And know how we proceed. [Reads. Auf. 1 Sen. Our army's in the field: Take your commission; hie you to your bands: If they set down before us, for the remove O, doubt not that; Vol. Indeed, you shall not. Methinks, I hear hither your husband's drum; As children from a bear, the Volces shunning him: Vir. His bloody brow! O, Jupiter, no blood! Val. How do you both? you are manifest housekeepers. What, are you sewing here? A fine spot, in good faith. How does your little son? Vir. I thank your ladyship; well, good madam. Vol. He had rather see the swords, and hear a drum, than look upon his school-master. Val. O' my word, the father's son: I'll swear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I looked upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has such a confirmed countenance. I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope: yet, they say, all the yarn she spun, in Ulysses' absence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambrick were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shal 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 jest with you; there came news from him last night. Vir. Indeed, madam ? Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak 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, are set down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us. Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter. Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth. Val. In troth, I think, she would: Fare you well then. - Come, good sweet lady. Pr'ythee, Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o'door, and go along with us. Vir. No at a word, madam; indeed, I must not. I wish you much mirth. Val. Well, then farewell. [Exeunt. For half a hundred years. — Summon the town. ours. Now, Mars, I pr'ythee, make us quick in work; That we with smoking swords may march from hence, To help our fielded friends!— Come, blow thy blast. They sound a parley. Enter, on the walls, some Senators, and others. Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls 1 Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he, That's lesser than a little. Hark, our drums [Alarums afar off. Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls, Rather than they shall pound us up: Our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes; They'll open of themselves. Hark you, afar off; [Other alarums. There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes Amongst your cloven army. Mar. The Volces enter, and pass over the stage. Mar. They fear us not, but issue forth their city. Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more proof than shields. Advance, brave Titus: They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts, Which makes me sweat with wrath. Come on, my fellows; He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce, Alarums, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting. Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome!-you herd of Boils and plagues Plaster you o'er; that you may be abhorr'd Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe, Another ularum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, seconds: 'Tis for the followers fortune widens them. Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like. [He enters the gates, vnú is shut m A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy. 1 Sol. Lart. Look, sir. 'Tis Marcius: Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike. May give you thankful sacrifice! - Thy news? Com. Mess. Above an hour, my lord. [They fight, and all enter the city. How could'st thou in a mile confound an hour, SCENE V. Within the Town. A Street. Enter certain Romans, with spoils. 1 Rom. This will I carry to Rome. 3 Rom. A murrain on't! I took this for silver. Enter MARCIUS and TITUS LARTIUS, with a trumpet. Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their At a crack'd drachm! Cushions, leaden spoons, them. Mess. More than I know the sound of Marcius tongue 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 you How i'st with Titus Lartius? Flower of warriors, Mar. As with a man busied about decrees: Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash, Com. Where is that slave. Which told me they had beat you to your trenchies ? Mar. Let him alone, He did inform the truth: But for our gentlemen, Com. But how prevail'd you? |