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Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS and SICINIUS VELUTUS.

First Sen. Marcius, 'tis true that you have lately told us;

The Volsces are in arms.

Mar.

They have a leader,

Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't.

I sin in envying his nobility,

And were I any thing but what I am,

I would wish me only he.

Com.

You have fought together?

Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears,

and he

Upon my party, I'ld revolt, to make

Only my wars with him: he is a lion

That I am proud to hunt.

First Sen.

Attend upon Cominius to these wars.

Then, worthy Marcius, 240

Sir, it is;

Com. It is your former promise.
Mar.

And I am constant. Titus Lartius, thou
Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face.
What, art thou stiff? stand'st out?

Tit.
No, Caius Marcius;
I'll lean upon one crutch and fight with t'other,
Ere stay behind this business.

Men.

O, true-bred!

First Sen. Your company to the Capitol; where,
I know,

Our greatest friends attend us.

Tit.

[To Com.] Lead you on.

[To Mar.] Follow Cominius; we must follow you ; 250

Right worthy you priority.

Com.

Noble Marcius!

245. stiff, stubborn.

First Sen. [To the Citizens] Hence to your

homes; be gone!

Mar.

Nay, let them follow:

The Volsces have much corn; take these rats

thither

To gnaw their garners. Worshipful mutiners,
Your valour puts well forth: pray, follow.

[Citizens steal away. Exeunt all but
Sicinius and Brutus.

Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius? Bru. He has no equal.

Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the people,

Bru. Mark'd you his lip and eyes?

Sic.

Nay, but his taunts.

Bru. Being moved, he will not spare to gird

the gods.

Sic. Be-mock the modest moon.

Bru. The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant.

Such a nature,

Sic.
Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow
Which he treads on at noon: but I do wonder
His insolence can brook to be commanded
Under Cominius.

Bru.

Fame, at the which he aims,

In whom already he's well graced, can not
Better be held nor more attain'd than by
A place below the first: for what miscarries
Shall be the general's fault, though he perform
To the utmost of a man; and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Marcius 'O, if he
Had borne the business!'

Sic.

Besides, if things go well,

Opinion that so sticks on Marcius shall

263. to be, of being.

260

270

Of his demerits rob Cominius.

Bru.

Come:

Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius,

Though Marcius earn'd them not, and all his faults
To Marcius shall be honours, though indeed

In aught he merit not.

Sic.

Let's hence, and hear 280

How the dispatch is made, and in what fashion,
More than his singularity, he goes

Upon this present action.

Bru.

Let's along. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Corioli.

The Senate-house.

Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS and certain Senators.

First Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels, And know how we proceed.

Is it not yours?

Auf.
What ever have been thought on in this state,
That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome
Had circumvention ? 'Tis not four days gone

Since I heard thence;

these are the words: I think

I have the letter here; yes, here it is.

[Reads] They have press'd a power, but it is not

known

Whether for east or west: the dearth is great;
The people mutinous: and it is rumour'd,
Cominius, Marcius your old enemy,

Who is of Rome worse hated than of you,
And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman,
These three lead on this preparation

276. demerits, desert (in a good sense).

282. More than his singu

10

larity, apart from his individual temperament.

2. enter'd in, privy to.

Whither 'tis bent: most likely 'tis for you:

Consider of it.'

First Sen.

Our army's in the field:

We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready
To answer us.

Auf.

Nor did you think it folly

To keep your great pretences veil'd till when They needs must show themselves; which in the hatching,

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It seem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery
We shall be shorten'd in our aim, which was

To take in many towns ere almost Rome

Should know we were afoot.

Sec. Sen.

Noble Aufidius,

Take your commission; hie you to your bands:
Let us alone to guard Corioli:

If they set down before's, for the remove
Bring up your army; but, I think, you'll find
They've not prepared for us.

Auf.

20

O, doubt not that; 30 I speak from certainties. Nay, more,

Some parcels of their power are forth already,
And only hitherward. I leave your honours.
If we and Caius Marcius chance to meet,
'Tis sworn between us we shall ever strike
Till one can do no more.

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SCENE III. Rome.

A room in Marcius' house.

Enter VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA: they set them
down on two low stools, and sew.

Vol. I pray you, daughter, sing; or express yourself in a more comfortable sort: if my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honour than in the embracements of his bed where he would show most love. When yet he was but tender-bodied and the only son of my womb; when youth with comeliness plucked all gaze his way; when, for a day of kings' entreaties, a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding; I, considering how honour would become such a person; that it was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir, was pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame. a cruel war I sent him; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man.

To

ΙΟ

Vir. But had he died in the business, madam: 20 how then?

Vol. Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action.

8. plucked, attracted.

16. his brows bound with oak.

A crown of oak-leaves was the reward for saving the life of a fellow-citizen in battle.

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