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 Lartius?
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 Leafh,
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, Martins,

Their Bands i'th' Vaward are the Ancients

Of their best trust: 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

Filling

7

Filling the Air with Swords advanc'd, and Darts,
We prove this very hour.

Com. Though I could wifh

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. 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 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 exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Martius.

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.

you fhall

Com, March on my Fellows: Make good this oftentation, and 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.

Lieu. 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.

Anf. We hate alike:

Not Africk owns a Serpent I abhor

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. 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' higheft.

Auf. Wert thou the Hector,

That was the Whip of your bragg'd Progeny,
Thou should'ft not 'cape 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 the 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 fufty Plebeians, hate thine Honours, Shall fay against their Hearts, we thank the Gods

Our Rome hath fuch a Soldier.

Yet cam'ft thou to a Morfel of this Feaft,

Having fully Din'd before.

Enter Titus Lartius with his Power, from the Purfuit.

Lart. O General,

Here is the Steed, we the Caparifon :

Hadft thou beheld

Mar. Pray now, no more:

My Mother, who has a Charter to extol her Blood,
When he does praite 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&t.

Com. You fhall not be the Grave of your deferving, Rome must 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 'gainst 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:

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

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

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

When

When Steel grows foft, as the Parafites Silk,
Let him be made an Overture for th' Wars:
No more, I fay, for that I have not wash'd
My Nose that bled, or foil'd föme debile Wretch.
Which without note, here's many else have done,
You fhout me forth in Acclamations hyperbolical,
As if I lov'd my little should be dieted
In Praifes, fauc'd with Lies.

Com. Too modeft are you:

More cruel to your good Report, than grateful
To us, that give you truly: By your Patience,
If against your felf you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm) in Manacles,
Then Reafon fafely with you: Therefore be it known,
As to us, to all the World, that Caius Martius
Wears this War's Garland: In token of the which,
My noble Steed, known to the Camp, I give to him,
With all his trim belonging, and from this time,
For what he did before Coriolus, call him,
With all th' applause and clamour of the Hoft,

Caius Martius Coriolanus. Bear th'addition Nobly ever. Flourish. Trumpets found, and Drums.

Omnes. Caius Martius Coriolanus!

Mar. I will go wash :

And when my Face is fair, you shall perceive
Whether I blush, or no. Howbeit, I thank you.
I mean to ftride your Steed, and at all times
To under-creft your good Addition,

To th' fairness of my Power.

Com. So, to our Tent:

Where, e'er we do repofe us, we will write
To Rome of our Succefs: You Titus Lartius
Muft to Coriolus back; send us to Rome
The beft, with whom we may articulate,
For their own good, and ours.
Lart. I fhall, my Lord.

Mar. The Gods begin to mock me;

I that but now refus'd moft Princely Gifts,
Am bound to beg of my Lord General.