How is't with Titus Lartius?

Mar. As with a man busied about decrees : Condensning some to death, and some to exile; Ransoming him, or pitying, 3 threatening the other; 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,

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 shunn'd the cat, as they did budge From rascals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you ?

Mar. Will the time serve to tell? I do not thinkWhere 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,

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,

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,

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 :
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

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.

Mar. Those are they

That most are willing:- If any such be here

(As it were sin to doubt) that love this painting

[3] That is, remitting his ransom. JOHNS.

[4] Delay, for let slip. WARR. [5] That is, swords lifted high. JOHNS

Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear
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,
Wave thus, [Waving his hand] 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
But is four Volces? 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: the rest
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.

Com. March on, my fellows:
Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us.

SCENE VII.

[Exeunt.

The Gates of Corioli. TITUS LARTIUS, having set a Guard upon Corioli, going with a Drum and Trumpet toward COMINIUS and CAIUS MARCIUS, enters with a Lieutenant, a party of Soldiers, and a Scout.

Lart. So, let the ports be guarded: Keep your duties, As I have set them down. If I do send, despatch Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve For a short holding: If we lose the field, We cannot keep the town.

Lieut. Fear not our care, sir.

Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon us. -Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us.

[6] Perhaps we may read:

-Please you to march;

And fear shall quickly draw out my command,

[Exeunt.

Which men are least inclin'd.

Let us march, and that fear which incites desertion will free my army from cowards.

JOHNS.

[7] That is, companies consisting each of a hundred men. Our author sometimes uses this word to express simply-a hundred. STEEV.

SCENE VIII.

A Field of Battle between the Roman and the Volcian Camps. Alarum. Enter MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS.

Mar. I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate thee

Worse than a promise-breaker.

Auf. 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, Marcius,

Halloo me like a hare.

Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,

Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd: 'Tis not my blood,
Wherein thou seest me mask'd; for thy revenge,
Wrench up thy power to the highest.
Auf. Wert thou the Hector,

That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny, 8

Thou should'st not 'scape me here.

[They fight, and certain Volces come

to the aid of AUFIDIUS.

Officious, and not valiant-you have sham'd me
In your condemned seconds.o

[Exeunt, driven in by MARCIUS.

SCENE IX.

The Roman Camp. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter at one side, COMINIUS, and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, withhis arm in a scarf, and other Romans.

Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it, Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles; Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug, I'the end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted, And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull tribunes, That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours, Shall say, against their hearts, - We thank the gods, Our Rome hath such a soldier!

Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,

[8] An anonymous correspondent justly observes, that these words mean, "the whip that your bragg'd progeny was possess'd of." MAL. [9] For condemned, we may read contemned. You have, to my shame,

sent me help that I despise. JOHNS.

[1] That is, thrown into a grateful trepidation.

STEEV.

Having fully din'd before.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS, wih his Power, from the pursuit.
Lart. O general,

Here is the steed, we the caparison : 2
Had'st thou beheld

Mar. Pray now, no more. My mother,
Who has a charter to extol her blood, 3
When she does praise 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 act.

Com. You shall not be

The grave of your deserving; 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 silence that,
Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would seem but modest: Therefore, I beseech you,
(In sign of what you are, not to reward

What you have done), before our army hear me.

Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remember'd.

Com. Should they not,

Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude,
And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses
(Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store), of all
The treasure, in this field achiev'd, and city,
We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution, at
Your only choice.

Mar. 1 thank you, general;
But cannot make my heart consent to take
A bribe to pay my sword: I do refuse it;
And stand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

[A long flourish. They all cry, MARCIUS! MARCIUS! cast up their caps and lances: COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare.]

Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane, Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall

[2] This is an odd encomium. The meaning is, This man performed the action, and we only filled up the show. JOHNS.

[3] A privilege to praise her own son. JOHNS. [4] That is, not be remembered. JOHNS.

I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be
Made all of false-fac'd soothing! When steel grows
Soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made
An overture for the wars !5-No more, I say;
For that I have not wash'd my nose that bled,
Or foil'd some debile wretch, which, without note,
Here's many else have done, you shout me forth
In acclamations hyperbolical;
As if I loved, my little should be dieted
In praises sauc'd with lies.

Com. Too modest are you;
More cruel to your good report, than grateful
To us that give you truly : y: by your patience,
If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm,) in manacles,
Then reason safely with you. Therefore, be it known,
As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius
Wears this war's garland: in token of the which
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,
With all his trim belonging; and, from this time,
For what he did before Corioli, call him,
With all the applause and clamour of the host,
CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS-

Bear the addition nobly ever!

[Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums.

All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus!

Cor. 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 stride your steed; and, at all times,

To undercrest your good addition,

To the fairness of my power.6

Com. So, to our tent:

Where, ere we do repose us, we will write
To Rome of our success. You, Titus Lartius,
Must to Corioli back: send us to Rome
The best, with whom we may articulate,
For their own good, and ours.

[5] It should be remembered, that the personal him, is not unfrequently used by our author, and other writers of his age, instead of it, the neuter; and that overture, in its musical sense, is not so ancient as the age of Shak. speare. STEEV.-When steel grows soft as silk, let silk be suddenly converted to the use of war. Overture, was used by the writers of Shakspeare's time in the sense of prelude or preparation. MAL.

[6] A phrase from heraldry, signifying, that he would endeavour to sup