Deftroy what lies before 'em.

Men. 'Tis Aufidius,

Who, hearing of our Marcius' Banishment,
Thrufts forth his horns again into the world;

Which were in-fhell'd when Marcius ftood for Rome,
And durft not once peep out.

Sic. Come, what talk you of Marcius!

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.
But reafon with the fellow

Within my age.

Before you punish him, where he heard this;

Left you fhould 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.

Me. The Nobles in great earneftnefs are going
All to the Senate-houfe; 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 flave's report is feconded, and more,
More fearful is delivered.

Sic. What more fearful?

Mef. It is fpoke freely out of many mouths,
How probable I do not know, that Marcius,
Join'd with Aufidius, leads a Pow'r 'gainst Rome;
And vows Revenge as fpacious, as between
The young'ft and oldeft thing.

Sic. This is most likely!

T 3

Bru.

Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker fort may wish Good Marcius home again.

Sic. The very trick on't.

Men. This is unlikely.

He and Aufidius can no more atone,
Than violenteft contrariety.

Enter Messenger.

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

Upon our territories; and have already
O'er-borne 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 holp to ravish your own daughters,

and

To melt the city-leads upon your pates,

To fee

your Wives difhonour'd to your nofes.

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

Com. Your Temples burned in their cement, and Your franchises, whereon you ftood, confin'd

Into an augre's bore.

Men. Pray now, the news?

You've made fair work, I fear me: pray, your news? If Marcius 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 man better; and they follow him,

Against us brats, with no lefs confidence,
Than boys purfuing fummer butter-flies,

Or butchers killing flies.

Men. You've made good work,

You and your apron-men; that ftood fo much

Upon

Upon the voice of occupation, and

The breath of garlick-eaters.

Com. He'll fhake your Rome about your ears. Men. As Hercules did fhake down mellow fruit: 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 refift,

Are mock'd for valiant ignorance,

And perish conftant fools: who is't can blame him?
Your enemies and his find fomething 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 fhepherds: 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," 'Befeech 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 did hoot him out o'th' city.

Com. But I fear,

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,
Ꭲ 4

That

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 unwholsome, when you caft
Your flinking, greafy 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 should 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 faid, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And fo did I.

3 Cit. And fo did I, 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 Banifhment, yet it was against our will.

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

You and your cry. Shall's to the Capitol ?
Cam. Oh, ay, what else?

[Exeunt.

Sic. Go, maflers, get you home, be not difmay'd.

Thefe are a Side, that would be glad to have
This true, which they fo feem to fear. Go home,
And fhew no fign of fear.

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

2 Cit. So did we all; but come, let's home.

Bru. I do not like this news.

Sic. Nor I.

[Ex. Cit.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol; 'would, half my wealth

Would

Would buy this for a lie!
Sic. Pray, let us go.

[Exeunt Tribunes.

SCENE, a Camp; at a small distance from

Auf. D

Rome.

Enter Aufidius, with his Lieutenant,

O they ftill flie to th' Roman?

Licu. I do not know what witchcraft's in
him; but

Your foldiers ufe him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end:
And you are darken'd in this action, Sir,
Even by your own.

Auf. I cannot help it now,

Unless, by ufing means, I lame the foot

Of our defign. He bears himself more proudly
Even to my perfon, than, I thought, he would
When first I did embrace him. Yet his nature
In that's no changling, and I must excuse
What cannot be amended.

Lieu. Yet I wish, Sir,

(I mean for your particular) you had not
Join'd in Commiffion with him; but had borne
The action of your felf, or else to him

Had left it folely.

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou fure,
When he fhall come to his account, he knows not,
What I can urge against him; though it seems,
And fo he thinks, and is no lefs apparent

To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly;
And fhews good husbandry for the Volfcian State,
Fights dragon-like, and does atchieve as foon
As draw his fword: yet he hath left undone
That which shall break his neck, or hazard mine,
When e'er we come to our account.

Lieu. Sir, I befeech, think you, he'll carry Rome?

T 5

Auf