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That's lesser than a little. Hark, our drums

[Alarums 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. Hark you, far off; [Other Alarums.

There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes
Amongst your cloven army.

Mar.

O, they are at it!
Ladders, ho!

Lart. Their noise be our instruction.

The Volces enter and pass over the Stage.

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.-Come on, my fellows;

He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce,

And he shall feel mine edge.

Alarum, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting. The Romans are beaten back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS.

Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! you herd of3

plagues

Boils and

Plaster you o'er; that you may be abhorr'd
Further than seen, and one infect another
Against the wind a mile! You souls of

geese,

That bear the shapes of men, how have you run From slaves that apes would beat? Pluto and hell!

3 < You herd of

cowards!' Marcius would probably have

said, but his rage prevents him.

All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale
With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home,
Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe,
And make my wars on you: look to't: Come on;
If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives,
As they us to our trenches followed.

Another Alarum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Volces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates. So, now the gates are ope:-Now prove good seconds:

'Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like.

[He enters the gates, and is shut in.

1 Sol. Fool-hardiness; not I.

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1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels,
With them he enters: who, upon the sudden,
Clapp'd-to their gates; he is himself alone,
To answer all the city.

Lart.

O noble fellow!
Who, sensible, outdares his senseless sword,

4 The old copy reads:

'Who sensibly outdares'

Sensible is here having sensation. So before -'I would your cambrick were as sensible as your finger.' Though Coriolanus has the feeling of pain like other men, he is more hardy in daring exploits than his senseless sword; for after it is bent, he yet stands firm in the field. There is a similar thought in

And, when it bows, stands up! Thou art left, Mar

čius:

A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,

Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier
Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
Only in strokes; but, with thy grim looks, and
The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds,
Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world
Were feverous, and did tremble 7.

Re-enter MARCIUS bleeding, assaulted by the

1 Sol.

Lart.

enemy.

Look, sir.

"Tis Marcius:

Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.

SCENE V.

[They fight, and all enter the city.

Within the Town. A Street.

Enter certain Romans, with spoils.

1 Rom. This will I carry to Rome.

2 Rom. And I this.

3 Rom. A murrain on't! I took this for silver.

[Alarum continues still afar off.

Sidney's Arcadia, ed. 1633, p. 293:- Their very armour by piece-meale fell away from them: yet their flesh abode the wounds constantly, as though it were less sensible of smart than the senseless armour,' &c.

5 We have a similar thought in Othello:

If heaven had made me such another woman,

Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,

I'd not have ta'en it for her.'

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6 The old copy has erroneously Calues wish;' the error would easily arise: Shakspeare wrote, according to the mode of his time, Catoes wish,' omitting to cross the t, and forming the o inaccurately. Cato was not born till the year of Rome 519, that is, 255 years after the death of Coriolanus; but the poet was led into the anachronism by following Plutarch.

7

some say, the earth

Was feverous, and did shake.'

Macbeth.

Make remain' is an old manner of speaking, which means no more than remain.

Enter MARCIUS, and TITUS LARTIUS, with a

Trumpet.

Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their hours 1

At a crack'd drachm! Cushions, leaden spoons,
Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would

Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves, Ere yet the fight be done, pack up:-Down with them.

And hark, what noise the general makes!—To him:There is the man of my soul's hate, Aufidius, Piercing our Romans: Then, valiant Titus, take Convenient numbers to make good the city;

Whilst I, with those that have the spirit, will haste To help Cominius.

Lart.

Worthy sir, thou bleed'st;

Thy exercise hath been too violent for

A second course of fight.

Mar.

Sir, praise me not:

My work hath yet not warm'd me: Fare you well.

The blood I drop is rather physical

Than dangerous to me: To Aufidius thus

I will appear, and fight.

Lart.

Now the fair goddess, Fortune,

Fall deep in love with thee; and her great charms Misguide thy opposers' swords? Bold gentleman, Prosperity be thy page!

Mar.

Thy friend no less Than those she placeth highest! So farewell. Lart. Thou worthiest Marcius!

[Exit MARCIUS.

Go, sound thy trumpet in the market-place;

Call thither all the officers of the town,

Where they shall know our mind. Away. [Exeunt.

9 i. e. their time. Johnson adopted Pope's reading-honours; for which there was no necessity.

SCENE VI. 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,
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 :-The Roman gods,
Lead their successes as we wish our own;

That both our powers, with smiling fronts encountering,

Enter a Messenger.

May give you thankful sacrifice!-Thy news?
Mess. The citizens of Corioli have issued,
And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle:
I saw our party to their trenches driven,
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.

Com. 'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums : How could'st thou in a mile confound1 an hour, And bring thy news so late?

Mess.

Spies of the Volces Held me in chase, that I was forc'd to wheel

1 So in King Henry VI. Part I. Act i. Sc. 3 :

'He did confound the best part of an hour,' &c. Confound is here used not in its common acceptation, but in the sense of to expend: conterere tempus. We have a similar Latinism in The Taming of the Shrew :

'Please you we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health.'

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