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Enter a Gentlewoman.

Gent. Madam, the Lady Valeria is come to visit

you.

Vir. Beseech you, give me leave to retire myself. 30
Vol. Indeed, you shall not.

Methinks I hear hither your husband's drum;
See him pluck Aufidius down by the hair;
As children from a bear, the Volsces shunning him :
Methinks I see him stamp thus, and call thus:
'Come on, you cowards! you were got in fear,
Though you were born in Rome:' his bloody brow
With his mail'd hand then wiping, forth he goes,
Like to a harvest-man that's task'd to mow
Or all or lose his hire.

Vir. His bloody brow! O Jupiter, no blood!
Vol. Away, you fool! it more becomes a man
Than gilt his trophy: the breasts of Hecuba,
When she did suckle Hector, look'd not lovelier
Than Hector's forehead when it spit forth blood
At Grecian sword contemning. Tell Valeria,
We are fit to bid her welcome.

[Exit Gent.

Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius ! Vol. He'll beat Aufidius' head below his knee, And tread upon his neck.

Enter VALERIA, with an Usher and a Gentle

woman.

Val. My ladies both, good day to you.

Vol. Sweet madam.

Vir. I am glad to see your ladyship.

Val. How do you both? you are manifest house-keepers. What are you sewing here?

48. bless, protect.

54. manifest house-keepers, notorious stayers-at-home.

A

40

50

fine spot, in good faith.

son?

How does your little

Vir. I thank your ladyship; well, good madam.

Vol. He had rather see the swords, and hear 60 a drum, than look upon his schoolmaster.

Val. O' my word, the father's son: I'll swear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I looked upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together; has such a confirmed countenance. I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catched it again; or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth and tear it; O, I 70 warrant, how he mammocked it!

Vol. One on's father's moods.

Val. Indeed, la, 'tis a noble child.
Vir. A crack, madam.

Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery; I must have you play the idle huswife with me this after

noon.

Vir. No, good madam; I will not out of doors.
Val. Not out of doors!

Vol. She shall, she shall.

Vir. Indeed, no, by your patience; I'll not over the threshold till my lord return from the

wars.

Val. Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably come, you must go visit the good lady that lies in.

Vir. I will wish her speedy strength, and visit her with my prayers; but I cannot go thither.

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80

74. crack, a disparaging term applied to a boy.

Vol. Why, I pray you?

Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love.

Val. You would be another Penelope: yet, they say, all the yarn she spun in

did but fill Ithaca full of moths.

Ulysses' absence
Come; I would

your cambric were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us.

Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth.

90

Val. In truth, la, go with me; and I'll tell 100 you excellent news of your husband.

Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet. Val. Verily, I do not jest with you; there came news from him last night.

Vir. Indeed, madam?

Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak it. Thus it is the Volsces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord and Titus Lartius are set down before their 110 city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us.

Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter.

Vol. Let her alone, lady: as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth.

Val. In troth, I think she would. well, then. Come, good sweet lady.

Fare you

Prithee,

Virgilia, turn thy solemnness out o' door, and go 120 along with us.

94. moths. The word was pronounced 'motts.' There is thence, apparently, a play upon the cant meaning 'lovers,' a

sense still current in Ireland. The Slang Dict. gives 'mot,' a girl of indifferent character. L. 95. sensible, sensitive.

Vir. No, at a word, madam; indeed, I must

not. I wish you much mirth.

Val. Well, then, farewell.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Before Corioli.

Enter, with drum and colours, MARCIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Captains and Soldiers. To them a Messenger.

Mar. Yonder comes news.

met.

Lart. My horse to yours, no.

Mar.

Lart.

A wager they have

'Tis done.

Agreed.

Mar. Say, has our general met the enemy?
Mess. They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.
Lart. So, the good horse is mine.

Mar.

I'll buy him of you.

Lart. No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you

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Mar. Then shall we hear their 'larum, and

they ours.

Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work, That we with smoking swords may march from

hence,

To help our fielded friends! Come, blow thy blast.

They sound a parley. Enter two Senators with

others on the walls.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?

ΤΟ

122. at a word, in short.

9. 'larum, call 'to armis.'

First Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less

than he,

That's lesser than a little.

Hark! our drums

[Drums afar off.]

Are bringing forth our youth. We'll break our walls,

Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes ;

They'll open of themselves. [Alarum afar off.] Hark you, far off!

There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes

Amongst your cloven army.

Mar.

O, they are at it! Lart. Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, ho!

Enter the army of the Volsces.

Mar. They fear us not, but issue forth their city. Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more proof than shields. Advance, brave Titus:

They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts,
Which makes me sweat with wrath.

my fellows:

Come on,

He that retires, I'll take him for a Volsce,
And he shall feel mine edge.

Alarum.

The Romans are beat back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS, cursing.

Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you,

14. less, i.e. more; through association with the cognate assertion: There is no man that fears you less than he.'

17. pound us up, enclose us.

20

30

30. the south; the south wind was regarded as peculiarly unwholesome.

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