Near the Camp of COMINIUS. | |
| |
Enter COMINIUS and Forces, retreating. | |
| Com. Breathe you, my friends: well fought; we are come off | |
| Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands, | 4 |
| Nor cowardly in retire: believe me, sirs, | |
| We shall be charg’d again. Whiles we have struck, | |
| By interims and conveying gusts we have heard | |
| The charges of our friends. Ye Roman gods! | 8 |
| Lead their successes as we wish our own, | |
| That both our powers, with smiling fronts encountering, | |
| May give you thankful sacrifice. | |
| |
Enter a Messenger. | 12 |
| Thy news? | |
| Mess. The citizens of Corioli have issu’d, | |
| And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle: | |
| I saw our party to their trenches driven, | 16 |
| And then I came away. | |
| Com. Though thou speak’st truth, | |
| Methinks thou speak’st not well. How long is ’t since? | |
| Mess. Above an hour, my lord. | 20 |
| Com. ’Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums: | |
| How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour, | |
| And bring thy news so late? | |
| Mess. Spies of the Volsces | 24 |
| Held me in chase, that I was forc’d to wheel | |
| Three or four miles about; else had I, sir, | |
| Half an hour since brought my report. | |
| Com. Who’s yonder, | 28 |
| That does appear as he were flay’d? O gods! | |
| He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have | |
| Before-time seen him thus. | |
| Mar. [Within.] Come I too late? | 32 |
| Com. The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, | |
| More than I know the sound of Marcius’ tongue | |
| From every meaner man. | |
| |
Enter MARCIUS. | 36 |
| Mar. Come I too late? | |
| Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, | |
| But mantled in your own. | |
| Mar. O! let me clip ye | 40 |
| In arms as sound as when I woo’d, in heart | |
| As merry as when our nuptial day was done, | |
| And tapers burn’d to bedward. | |
| Com. Flower of warriors. | 44 |
| How is ’t with Titus Lartius? | |
| Mar. As with a man busied about decrees: | |
| Condemning some to death, and some to exile; | |
| Ransoming him, or pitying, threat’ning the other; | 48 |
| Holding Corioli in the name of Rome, | |
| Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash, | |
| To let him slip at will. | |
| Com. Where is that slave | 52 |
| 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, | 56 |
| The common file—a plague! tribunes for them!— | |
| The mouse ne’er shunn’d the cat as they did budge | |
| From rascals worse than they. | |
| Com. But how prevail’d you? | 60 |
| Mar. Will the time serve to tell? I do not think. | |
| Where is the enemy? Are you lords o’ the field? | |
| If not, why cease you till you are so? | |
| Com. Marcius, we have at disadvantage fought, | 64 |
| And did retire to win our purpose. | |
| Mar. How lies their battle? Know you on which side | |
| They have plac’d their men of trust? | |
| Com. As I guess, Marcius, | 68 |
| Their bands i’ the vaward are the Antiates, | |
| Of their best trust; o’er them Aufidius, | |
| Their very heart of hope. | |
| Mar. I do beseech you, | 72 |
| By all the battles wherein we have fought, | |
| By the blood we have shed together, by the vows | |
| We have made to endure friends, that you directly | |
| Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates; | 76 |
| And that you not delay the present, but, | |
| Filling the air with swords advanc’d and darts, | |
| We prove this very hour. | |
| Com. Though I could wish | 80 |
| 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 best can aid your action. | 84 |
| Mar. Those are they | |
| That most are willing. If any such be here— | |
| As it were sin to doubt—that love this painting | |
| Wherein you see me smear’d; if any fear | 88 |
| Lesser his person than an ill report; | |
| If any think brave death outweighs bad life, | |
| And that his country’s dearer than himself; | |
| Let him, alone, or so many so minded, | 92 |
| Wave thus, to express his disposition, | |
| And follow Marcius. [They all shout, and wave their swords; take him up in their arms, and cast up their caps. | |
| O! me alone? Make you a sword of me? | |
| If these shows be not outward, which of you | 96 |
| But is four Volsces? None of you but is | |
| Able to bear against the great Aufidius | |
| A shield as hard as his. A certain number, | |
| Though thanks to all, must I select from all: the rest | 100 |
| Shall bear the business in some other fight, | |
| As cause will be obey’d. Please you to march; | |
| And four shall quickly draw out my command, | |
| Which men are best inclin’d. | 104 |
| Com. March on, my fellows: | |
| Make good this ostentation, and you shall | |
| Divide in all with us. [Exeunt. | |
