Call thither all the officers o' th' town,
Where they shall know our mind. Away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX. Changes to the Roman camp.

Enter Cominius retreating, with Soldiers.

Com. Breathe you, my friends; well fought; we are come off

Like Romans, neither foolish in our ftands,

Nor cowardly in retire: believe me, Sirs,

We fhall be charg'd again. Whiles we have ftruck,
By interims and conveying gufts, we have heard
The charges of our friends. Ye Roman gods,
Lead their fucceffes, as we wifh our own;

That both our powers, with fmiling fronts encountring,
May give you thankful facrifice! Thy news?
Enter a Meffenger.

Me. The citizens of Corioli have iffued,
And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle.
I faw our party to the trenches driven,

And then I came away.

Com. Though thou fpeak'ft truth,

Methinks thou fpeak'ft not well. How long is't fince? Melf. Above an hour, my Lord.

Com. 'Tis not a mile: briefly we heard their drums. How could't thou in a mile confound an hour,

And bring the news fo late?

Me. Spies of the Volfcians

Held me in chace, that I was forc'd to wheel

Three or four miles about; else had I, Sir,
Half an hour fince brought my report.

Enter Marcius.

Com. Who's yonder,

That does appear as he were flea'd? O gods!
He has the ftamp of Marcius, and I have

Before time feen him thus.

D'ar. Come I too late?

Com. "The fhepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, "More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue "From every meaner man."

Mar.

Mar. Come I too late?

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

Mar, Oh! let me clip ye,

In arms as found, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as when our nuptial-day was done,
And tapers burnt to bedward.

Com. Flower of warriors,

How is't with Titus Lartius?

Mar. As with a man busied about decrees;
Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying *, threat'ning th' other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning greyhound in the leafh,
To let him flip at will.

Com. Where is that flave

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! Tribunes for them!),
The mouse ne'er fhunn'd the cat, as they did budge
From rafcals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you?

Mar. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not thinkWhere is the enemy? are you lords o' th' field?

If not, why cease you till you are fo?

Com. Marcius, we have at difadvantage fought, 1 And did retire to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their battle? know you on what fide They have plac'd their men of trust?

Com As I guefs, Marcius,

Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates

Of their best truft: o'er them Aufidius,

Their very heart of hope.

Mar. 1 do befeech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By th' blood we've hed together, by the vows
We've made to endure friends, that you directly
Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates;

i.e, remitting his ranfom,

And

And that you not delay * the prefent, but
Filling the air with swords advanc'd, and darts,
We prove this very hour.-

Com. Though I could with

You were conducted to a gentle bath,
And balms applied to you, yet dare I never
Deny your afking; take your choice of those
That beft can aid your action.

Mar. Thofe are they

That most are willing: if any fuch be here
(As it were fin to doubt) that love this painting,
Wherein you fee me fmear'd; if any fear
Lefs for his perfon than ill report;

If any think brave death outweighs had life,
And that his country's dearer than himself,
Let him alone (or many, if fo minded)
Wave thus, t' exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Marcius.

[They all bout, and wave their fwords, take him up
in their arms, and caft up their caps.

Oh! me alone, make you a fword of me.
If these fhews be not outward, which of
you
But is four Volfcians? none of you but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A fhield as hard as his.

A certain number

(Tho' thanks to all) muft I felect from all.

The reft fhall bear the bufinefs in fome other fight,
As caufe + will be obey'd; please you to march,
And four fhall quickly draw out my command,
Which men are best inclin'd.

Com. March on, my fellows.

Make good this oftentation, and you shall

Divide in all with us.

SCENE X. Changes to Corioli.

[Exeunt,

Titus Lartius having fet a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Marcius, enter with a Lieutenant, other Soldiers, and a scout.

Lart. So, let the ports be guarded; keep your duties,

delay, for let flip. † caufe, for occafion.

Dd 2

As

As I have fet them down. If I do fend, difpatch
Thofe centries to our aid; the reft will serve

For a fhort holding; if we lofe the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieut. Fear not our care, Sir.

Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon's.

Our guider, come ! to th' Roman camp conduct us.

SCENE XI.

Alarum, as in battle.

[Exeunt.

Changes to the Roman camp.

Enter Marcius and Aufidius, at feveral doors.

Mar. I'll fight with none but thee: for I do hate thee Worfe than a promife-breaker.

Auf. We hate alike.

Not Afric owns a ferpent I abhor

More than thy fame, and envy; fix thy foot.

Mar Let the first budger die the other's flave, And the gods doom him after!

Auf. If I fly, Marcius,

Halloo me like a hare.

Mar. Within thefe three hours, Tullus,

Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd: 'tis not my blood
Wherein thou feeft me mafk'd; for thy revenge,
Wrench up thy power to th' highest.

Auf. Wert thou the Hector

That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,"
Thou should'ft not 'fcape me here,

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcians come to the aid
of Aufidius. Marcius fights, till they be driven ın
breathlefs.

Officious, and not valiant!- -you have fham'd me
In your condemned feconds.

[Exeunt Mar. and Auf. fighting.

Flourish. Alarum.
Alarum. A retreat is founded. Enter at one
door, Cominius with the Romans; at another door,
Marcius, with his arm in a fearf.

Com. If I fhould tell thee o'er this thy day's work,
Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it,
Where fenators thall mingle tears with smiles;

Where

Where great Patricians shall attend and shrug ;
I' th' end, admire; where ladies fhall be frighted,

And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tribunes,
That, with the fufty Plebeians, hate thine honours,
Shall fay against their hearts,-We thank the gods,
Our Rome hath fuch a foldier !-

Yet cam'it thou to a morfel of this feast,
Having fully din'd before.

Enter Titus Lartius with his power, from the purfuit.

Lart. O General,.

Here is the fteed, we the caparifon,.

Hadft thou beheld

Mar. "Pray now no more: my mother, "Who has a charter to extol her blood, "When she does praise me, grieves me.

my country..

I have done as you have done; that's, what I can ;,
Induc'd, as you have been; that's for
He that has but effected his good-will,
Hath overta'en mine act..

Com. You fhall not be

The. grave of your deferving. Rome must know
The value of her own: 'twere a concealment,
Worfe than a theft, no less than a traducement,
To hide your doings; and to filence that,
Which, to the top and fpire of praifes vouch'd,
Would feem but modeft: therefore: I befeech you,
(In fign of what you are, not to reward

What you have done), before our army hear me.

Mar: I have fome wounds upon me, and they finart To hear themselves remembred..

Com. Should they not,,

Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude,.

And tent themfelves with death.

Of all the horfes,,

Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store, of all

The treasure in the field atchiev'd, and city,

We render you the tenth, to be ta’en forth,.
Before the common diftribution, at

Your own choice.

Mar. I thank you, General;

But cannot make my heat content to take

A bribe, to pay my award.