Re-enter second Servingman.

Sec. Serv. Whence are you, sir?

Has the

porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

Cor. Away!

Sec. Serv. Away! get you away.

Cor. Now thou 'rt troublesome. Sec. Serv. Are you so brave? talked with anon.

I'll have you

Enter a third Servingman. The first meets him. Third Serv. What fellow's this?

First Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him out o' the house: prithee, call my master to him. [Retires. Third Serv. What have you to do here, fellow ? Pray you, avoid the house.

Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.

Third Serv. What are you?

Cor. A gentleman.

Third Serv. A marvellous poor one.

Cor. True, so I am.

Third Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; here's no place for you; pray you, avoid: come.

Cor. Follow your function, go, and batten on cold bits. [Pushes him away. Third Serv. What, you will not? Prithee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here. Sec. Serv. And I shall,

Third Serv. Where dwellest thou?

Cor. Under the canopy!

૦૪

30

[Exit.

40

Third Serv. Under the canopy!

Cor. Ay.

Third Serv. Where's that?

Cor. I' the city of kites and crows.

Third Serv. I' the city of kites and crows!

What an ass it is!

daws too?

Then thou dwellest with

Cor. No, I serve not thy master.

Third Serv. How, sir! do you meddle with 50 my master ?

Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress.

Thou pratest, and pratest; serve with thy trencher,

hence !

[Beats him away. Exit third Servingman.

Enter AUFIDIUS with the second Servingman. Auf. Where is this fellow?

Sec. Serv. Here, sir: I'ld have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within.

[Retires. Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldst thou? thy name?

Why speak'st not? speak, man: what's thy name?
Cor. If, Tullus,
[Unmuffling. 60
Not yet thou knowest me, and, seeing me,

dost not

Think me for the man I am, necessity

Commands me name myself.

Auf.

What is thy name?

Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears, And harsh in sound to thine.

Auf.

Say, what's thy name?
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in 't; though thy tackle's torn,
Thou show'st a noble vessel: what's thy name?

Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown: know'st thou me yet?

Auf. I know thee not: thy name?

Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done
To thee particularly and to all the Volsces
Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may
My surname, Coriolanus: the painful service,
The extreme dangers and the drops of blood
Shed for my thankless country are requited
But with that surname; a good memory,
And witness of the malice and displeasure
Which thou shouldst bear me: only that name
remains :

The cruelty and envy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard nobles, who

Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest;
And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be
Hooped out of Rome. Now this extremity
Hath brought me to thy hearth; not out of hope-
Mistake me not-to save my life, for if

I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world
I would have 'voided thee, but in mere spite,
To be full quit of those my banishers,

Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast
A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge
Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims
Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee
straight,

And make my misery serve thy turn so use it
That my revengeful services may prove

As benefits to thee, for I will fight

Against my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. But if so be

Thou darest not this and that to prove more fortunes

77. memory, memorial,

70

80

90

92. maims of shame, shameful

84. Hooped, whooped, hooted. injuries.

Thou 'rt tired, 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 show thee but a fool,
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless

It be to do thee service.

Auf.

O Marcius, Marcius!

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

Should from yond cloud speak divine things,
And say 'Tis true,' I'ld not believe them more
Than thee, all noble Marcius. Let me twine
Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scarr'd the moon with splinters: here I clip
The anvil of my sword, and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,
I loved the maid I married; never man
Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here,
Thou noble thing! more dances my rapt heart
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold.

thee,

Why, thou Mars! I tell

We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for 't: thou hast beat me out
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me:
We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat;
And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius,

130

Had we no quarrel else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy, and pouring war
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,

Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O, come, go in,
And take our friendly senators by the hands;
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepared against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.

Cor.

You bless me, gods! Auf. Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have

The leading of thine own revenges, take

The one half of my commission; and set down-
As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st
Thy country's strength and weakness,-thine own

ways;

Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,

To fright them, ere destroy. But come in :
Let me commend thee first to those that shall
Say yea to thy desires.

A thousand welcomes!

And more a friend than e'er an enemy; Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand: most welcome!

[Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius. The two Servingmen come forward.

First Serv. Here's a strange alteration !

Sec. Serv. By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel; and yet my mind gave me his clothes made a false report of him.

140

150

First Serv. What an arm he has! he turned me about with his finger and his thumb, as one 160 would set up a top.

Sec. Serv. Nay, I knew by his face that there