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Cor. Direct me, if it be your will, where great Aufidins lies: Is he in Antium?

Cit. He is, and Feafts the Nobles of the State, at his Houle this Night.

Cor. Which is his House, I beseech you?

Cit. This here before you.

Cor. Thank you, Sir: Farewel.

[Exit Citizen.

Oh World, thy flippery turns! Friends now faft fworn,
Whole double Bofoms feem to wear one Heart,

Whofe Hours, whofe Bed, whofe Meal and Exercife
Are ftill together; who twine (as 'twere) in Love
Unfeparable, fhall within this Hour,

On a diffention of a Doit, break out
To bittereft Enmity. So felleft Foes,

Whofe Paffions, and whofe Plots have broke their Sleep
To take the one the other, by fome chance,

Some Trick not worth an Egg, fhall grow dear Friends,
And inter-join their Iffues. So with me,

My Birth-p'ace have I, and my Lovers left; upon
This Enemy's Town I'll enter; if he flay me,
He does fair Juftice: If he give me way,

I'll do his Country Service

[Exit.

SCENE III. A Hall in Aufidius's House.

Mufick plays. Enter a Serving-man.

1 Ser. Wine, Wine, Wine! What Service is here? 1 think our Fellows are afleep.

Enter another Serving-man,

[Exit. 2 Ser. Where's Cotus? My Mafter calls for him: Cotus.

Enter Coriolanus.

Cor. A goodly Houfe;

The Feaft smells; but I appear not like a Guest.

Enter the firft Serving-man.

[Exit.

1 Ser. What would you have, Friend? whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray go to the Door.

[Exit. Cor. I have deferv'd no better Entertainment, in being Coriolanus. Enter fecond Servant.

2 Ser. Whence are you,Sir? Has the Porter his Eyes in his Head, that he gives entrance to fuch Companions?

Pray get you out.

Cor. Away!

2 Ser. Away: Get you away.

Cor.

Cor. Now thou'rt troublefom,

2 Ser. Are you fo brave? I'll have you talk'd with anon. Enter a third Servant. The first meets him.

3

Ser. What Follow's this?

1 Ser. A ftrange one as ever I lock'd on: I cannot get him out o'th' House Prithee call my Mafter to him.

3 Ser. What have you to do here, Fellow? Pray you

avoid the Houfe.

Cor. Let me but ftand, I will not hurt

3 Ser. What are you?
Cor. A Gentleman.

3 Ser. A marvellous poor one.
Cor. True; fo I am.

your Hearth.

3 Ser. Pray you, poor Gentleman, take up fome other Station, here's no place for you; pray you avoid : Come. Cor. Follow your Function, go and batten on cold bits.

[Pufies him away from him.

3 Ser. What, you will not? Prithee tell my Mafter, what a ftrange Gueft he has here.

2 Ser. And I fhall.

3 Ser. Where dwell'ft thou?
Cor. Under the Canopy.
3 Ser. Under the Canopy?
Cor. Ay,

3 Ser. Where's that?

[Exit fecond Serving-man.

Cor. I'th City of Kites and Crows.

3 Ser. Ith City of Kites and Crows? What an Afs it is; then thou dwell'ft with Daws too?

Cor. No, I ferve not thy Mafter.

3 Ser. How, Sir! Do you meddle with my Mafter? Cor. Ay, 'tis an honefter Service, than to meddle with thy Miftrefs: Thou prat'ft, and prat'ft; ferve with thy Trencher: Hence. [Beats him away. Enter Aufidius, with a Serving-man.

Auf. Where is this Fellow?

2 Ser. Here, Sir ; I'd have beaten him like a Dog, but for difturbing the Lords within.

(Name ? Auf. Whence com'ft thou? What would't thou? Thy Why Speak'ft not? Speak Man: What's thy Name?

Cor. If, Tullus, not yet thou know'st me, and feeing me, do not take me for the Man I am, neceffity commands me name my Self.

Ff3

Auf.

Auf. What is thy Name?

Cor. A Name unmufical to Volfcians Ears, And harth in found to thine.

Auf. Say, what's thy Name?

Thou haft a grim appearance, and thy Face
Bears a Command in't; though thy Tackle's torn,
Thou fhew'ft a noble Veffel: What's thy Name?

Cor. Prepare thy Brow to frown; know'ft thou me not?
Auf. I know thee not; thy Name?

Cor. My Name is Caius Martius, who hath done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volfcies,
Great Hurt and Mischief; thereto witness may
My Sirname, Coriolanus. The painful Service,
The extream Dangers, and the drops of Blood
Shed for my thankless Country, are requited
But with that Sirname; a good Memory
And witness of the Malice and Displeasure
Which thou could'st bear me; only that Name remains
The Cruelty and Envy of the People,
Permitted by our daftard Nobles, who

Have all forfook me, hath devour'd the reft;
And fuffer'd me by th' voice of Slaves to be
Hoop'd out of Rome. Now this extremity
Hath brought me to thy Hearth, not out of hope
(Miftake me not) to fave my Life; for if

I had fear'd Death, of all the Men i'th' World
I would have avoided thee. But in meer fpite
To be full quit of thofe my Banishers,

Stand I before thee here: Then if thou haft
A Heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge

Thine own particular Wrongs, and ftop thofe maims

Of hame feen through thy Country, fpeed thee ftraight, And make my mifery ferve thy turn: So ufe it,

That my revengeful Services may prove

As Benefits to thee. For I will fight

Against my Cankred Country, with the spleen

Of all the under Fiends. But if fo be,

Thou dar'ft not this, and that to prove more Fortunes
Thou'rt tir'd, then in a word, I also am

Longer to live most weary, and present

My Throat to thee, and to thy ancient Malice:

Which not to cut, would fhew thee but a Fool,
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,

Drawn Tuns of Blood out of thy Country's Breaft,
And cannot live, but to thy Shame, unless
It be to do thee Service.

Auf. Oh, Martius, Martius,

Each word thou haft fpoke, hath weeded from my Heart A root of ancient Envy. If Jupiter

Should from yon Cloud fpeak Divine things,

And fay, 'tis true; I'd not believe them more
Than thee, all-noble Martius.

Let me twine

Mine Arms about that Body, where against
My grained Afh an hundred times hath broke,
And scar'd the Moon with Splinters; here I cleep
The Anvile of my Sword, and do conteft
As hotly and as nobly with thy Love,
As ever in ambitious Strength, I did

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Contend against thy Valour. Know thou, first
I lov'd the Maid I married; never Man
Sigh'd truer Breath. But that I fee thee here,
Thou Noble thing, more dances my rapt Heart,
Than when I first my wedded Mistress faw
Beftride my Threshold. Why, thou Mars, I tell thee,
We have a Power on foot; and I had purpofe
Once more to hew thy Target from thy Brawn,
Or lofe mine Arm for't: Thou haft bear me out
Twelve feveral times, and I have nightly fince
Dream't of Encounters 'twixt thy felf and me:
We have been down together in my Sleep,
Unbuckling Helms, fifting each others Throat,
And wak'd half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius,
Had we no Quarrel elfe to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish'd, we would mufter all
From twelve to feventy; and pouring War
Into the Bowels of ungrateful Rome,

Like a bold Flood o'er-bear. Oh come, go in,
And take our Friendly Senators by th' Hands,
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepar'd against your Territories,
Though not for Rome it felf.

Ff 4

Cor.

Cor. You blefs me, Gods.

Auf. Therefore, muft abfolute Sir, if thou wilt have
The Leading of thine own Revenges, take

The one ha f of my Commiffion, and fet down
As bift thou art experienc'd, fince thou know'ft

y Country's Strength and Weakness, thine own ways;
Whether to knock against the Gates of Rome,
Or uicly vifit them in parts remote,

To tright them, e'er diftroy. But come in,
Let me commend thee firft to those that shall
Say yea to thy Defires. A thousand welcomes,
And more a Friend, than e'er an Enemy:

Yet, Martius, that was much. Your Hand; moft welcome.

Enter two Servants.

1 Ser. Here's a ftrange Alteration.

[Exeunt.

2 Ser. By my Hand, I had thought to have ftrucken him with a Cudgel, and yet my Mind gave me, his Clothes made a falfe report of him.

I Ser. What an Arm he has, he turn'd me about with his Finger and his Thumb, as one would fet up a Top.

2 Ser. Nay, I knew by his Face that there was fomething in him. He had, Sir, a kind of Face, methought-I cannot tell how to term it.

1 Ser. He ha foi looking, as it were---would I were hanged but I thought there was more in him than I could think. 2 Ser. So did I, I'll be fworn; He is fimply the rareft Man

i'th' World.

1 Ser. I think he is; but a greater Soldier than he,

You wot one.

2 Ser. Who, my Mafter?

1 Ser. Nay, it's no matter for that,

2 Ser. Worth fix on him.

1 Ser. Nay, not fo neither; but I take him to be the greater Soldier.

2 Ser. Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to fay that; for the defence of a Town, our General is excellent.

1 Ser. Ay, and for an Affault too.

Enter a third Servant.

3 Ser, Oh Slaves, I can tell you News; News, you Rafcals.

Both

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