He has the stamp of Marcius, and I have

Before-time seen him thus.

Mar.

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.

Mar.

Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, But mantled in your own.

O! let me clip you

Mar.
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 you to your trenches?

Where is he? Call him hither.

Mar.

Let him alone,

He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen,

The common file, (A plague!
The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat,
From rascals worse than they.

Com.

Mar.

Tribunes for them?)
as they did budge

But how prevail'd you?

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. Marcius, we have at disadvantage fought,

And did retire to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their battle? Know you on which side They have plac'd 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 advanc'd 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,
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 inclin'd.

TITUS LARTIUS, having set a Guard upon Corioli, going with Drum and Trumpet toward COMINIUS and CAIUs Marcius, enters with a Lieutenant, a Party of Soldiers, and a Scout. Lart. So; let the ports be guarded: keep your duties,

As I have set them down. If I do send, despatch

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

SCENE VIII.

[Exeunt.

A Field of Battle between the Roman and the Volscian Camps.

Alarum. Enter MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS.

Mar. I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate thee Worse than a promise-breaker.

Auf.

Not Afric owns a serpent, I abhor

We hate alike:

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.

Halloo me like a hare.

If I fly, Marcius,

Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,

Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd. 'T is 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,

Thou should'st not scape me here.

[They fight, and certain Volsces come to the aid of AUFIDIUS.

Officious, and not valiant you have sham'd me

In your condemned seconds.

[Exeunt fighting, all driven in by MARCIUS.

SCENE IX.

The Roman Camp.

Alarum. A Retreat sounded. Flourish. Enter at one side, Co-
MINIUS, and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, with his
Arm in a Scarf, and other Romans.

Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work,
Thou 'It not believe thy deeds; but I'll report it,
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles,
Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,
I' the end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted,
And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tribunes,
That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honours,

"

Shall say, against their hearts, We thank the gods,
Our Rome hath such a soldier!

Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,

Having fully dined before.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS with his Power, from the pursuit.

Pray now, no more: my mother,

I have done,

Who has a charter to extol her blood,
When she does praise me, grieves me.
As you have done; that's what I can; induc'd

The grave of your deserving: Rome must know
The value of her own: 't were a concealment
Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,
To hide your doings; and to silence that,
Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you,
In sign of what you are, not to reward

What you have done, before our army hear me.

Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart

To hear themselves remember'd.

Com.

Should they not,

Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude,

And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses,
(Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store) of all
The treasure, in this field achiev'd and city,
We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution,

At your only choice.

Mar.

I thank you, general;

But cannot make my heart consent to take
A bribe to pay my sword: I do refuse it;
And stand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

[A long Flourish. They all cry, MARCIUS! MARCIUS! cast up their Caps and Lances: COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare.

Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane,
Never sound more, when drums and trumpets shall

I' the field prove flatterers: let courts and cities be
Made all of false-fac'd soothing,

When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk:
Let them be made an overture for the wars!
No more, I say. For that I have not wash'd