Mifguide thy Oppofers Swords: bold Gentleman!
Profperity be thy Page.

Mar. Thy Friend no lefs,

Than those the placeth higheft: So farewel.
Lart. Thou worthieft Martins,

Go found thy Trumpet in the Market-place,
Call thither all the Officers o'th' Town,
Where they shall know our Mind. Away.

Exeunt.

Enter Cominius Retreating, with Soldiers.
Com. Breath you, my Friends, well fought, we are come
Like Romans, neither foolish in our Stands
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. The Roman Gods
Lead their Succeffes, as we wish our own,

That both our Powers, with fmiling Fronts encountring,
May give you thankful Sacrifice. Thy News?

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef The Citizens of Coriolus have iffued,
And given
to Lartius and to Martius Battel.

I faw our Party to their Trenches driven,
And then I came away.

Com. Tho' thou speakeft Truth,

Methinks thou fpeak'ft not well. How long is't fince?
Mef. 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?

Mef. Spies of the Volfcies

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

Three or four Miles about, elfe had I, Sir,
Half an Hour fince brought my Report.

Com. Who's yonder,

Enter Martius.

That does appear as he were Flea'd? O Gods,

He has the ftamp of Martins, and I have

Before time feen him thus.

Mar. Come I too late?

(off

Com. The Shepherd knows not Thunder from a Tabor, More than I know the Sound of Martius's Tongue

From

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.

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 Lartins?
Mar. As with a Man bufied about Decrees;

Condemning fome to Death, and fome to Exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning th' other
Holding Coriolus in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning Grey-hound in the Leash,
To let him flip 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! 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 think-
Where is the Enemy? Are you Lords o'th' Field?
If not, why ceafe you till you are fo?

Com. Martius, we have at difadvantage fought,

And did retire to win our purpose.

Mar. How lies their Battel? Know you on what fide they have plac'd their Men of truft?

Com. As I guess, Martius,

Their Bands i'th' Vaward are the Ancients

Of their best truft: O'er them Aufidius,

Their very heart of Hope.

Mar. I do befeech

you,

But all the Battels wherein we have fought,

By th' Blood we have fhed together,

By th' Vows we have made

To endure Friends, that you directly fet me
Against Aufidi us, and his Antiats;

And that you not delay the prefent, but

Cc 2

な

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 asking; take your choice of those
That beft can aid your Action.
Mar. Those 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 an ill Report:
If any think, brave Death out-weighs bad Life,
And that his Country's dearer than himself,
Let him alone, (or, fo many fo minded)
Wave thus to express his difpofition,

And follow Martins.

They all Shout and wave their Swords, take him up in their
Arms, and caft up their Caps..

Oh! me alone, make you a Sword of me:
If these fhews be not outward, which of you
But is four Volfcies? None of you, but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius,

A Shield 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: Pleafe you to March,
And four fhall quickly draw out my Command,
Which Men are beft inclin'd.

Com. March on my Fellows :

Make good this oftentation, and you fhall
Divide in all, with us.

[Exeunt. Titus Lartius having fet a Guard upon Coriolus, going with Drum and Trumpet toward Cominius, and Caius Martius, Enters with a Lieutenant, other Soldiers, and a Scout.

Lart. So, let the Ports be guarded; keep your Duties As I have fet them down. If I do fend, difpatch

Thofe Centuries to our aid, the reft will ferve

For a fhort holding; if we lofe the Field,

We cannot keep the Town...

Lies. Fear not our Care, Sir.

Lart. Hence, and fhut your Gates upon's:

Our Guider come, to th' Roman Camp conduct us. [Exit. [Alarum as in Battel.

Enter Martius 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 Africk owns a Serpent I abhor

More than thy Fame and Envy; Fix thy Foot.
Mar. Let the firft Budger die the other's Slave,
And the Gods doom him after.

Auf. If I fly, Martius, hollow me like a Hare.
Mar. Within these three Hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Coriolus Walls,

And made what work I pleas'd: 'Tis not my Blood,
Wherein thou fee'ft me mask'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'st not 'fcape me here.

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcies come to the aid of Aufid. Martius fights 'till they be driven in breathless.

Officious and not Valiant!-you have fham'd me

In

your condemned Seconds.

Flourish. Alarum. A Retreat is founded. Enter at one
Door Cominius, with the Romans: At another Door
Martius, with his Arm in a Scarf.

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 Senators fhall mingle Tears with Smiles;
Were great Patricians fhall attend, and fhrug;
I'th' end admire; where Ladies fhall be frighted,

And gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull Tribunes,
That with the fusty Plebeians, hate thine Honours,
Shall fay against their Hearts, we thank the Gods

Our Rome hath fuch a Soldier.

Yet cam'st 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 Steed, we the Caparison :

dft thou beheld

Mar. Pray now, no more:

My Mother, who has a Charter to extol her Blood,
When the does praife me, grieves me:

I have done as you have done, that's what I can,
Induc'd as you have been, that's for my Country;
He that has but effected his good Will,

Hath overta’en mine A&.

Com. You fhall not be the Grave of your deserving,
Rome muft know the value of her own::
'Twere a Concealment worse than a Theft,
No less than a Traducement,

To hide your doings, and to filence that,
Which to the fpire and top of Praises 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 fmart
To hear themselves remembred.

Com. Should they not,

Well might they fefter 'gainft Ingratitude,

And tent themselves 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 only choice.

Mar. I thank you, General:

But cannot make my Heart consent to take
A Bribe, to pay my Sword: I do refufe it,
And ftand upon my common part with those,
That have beheld the doing.

Along Flourish. They all cry, Martius! Martius! caft up their Caps and Launces: Cominius and Lartius stand bare.

Mar. May thefe fame Inftruments, which you prophane, Never found more: When Drums and Trumpets (hall I'th? Field prove Flatterers, let Courts and Cities be Made all of falfe-fac'd foothing:

When