March to assault thy country, than to tread (Trust to't, thou shalt not) on thy mother's womb, That brought thee to this world.

Vir. Ay, and on mine, That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time.

Boy.

He shall not tread on me;

I'll run away, till I am bigger, but then I'll fight.

Cor. Not of a woman's tenderness to be, Requires nor child nor woman's face to see. I have sat too long.

[Rising.

Vol.
Nay, go not from us thus.
If it were so, that our request did tend

To save the Romans, thereby to destroy

The Volces whom you serve, you might condemn us,
As poisonous of your honour: No; our suit
Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volces
May say, This mercy we have show'd; the Romans,
This we receiv'd; and each in either side
Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, Be bless'd
For making up this peace! Thou know'st, great son,
The end of war's uncertain; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit
Which thou shalt thereby reap, is such a name,
Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses:
Whose chronicle thus writ, -The man was noble,
But with his last attempt he wip'd it out;
Destroy'd his country; and his name remains
To the ensuing age, abhorr'd. Speak to me, son:
Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,
To imitate the graces of the gods;

To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o'the air,
And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?

Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man

Still to remember wrongs?-Daughter, speak you:

He cares not for your weeping.-Speak thou, boy:
Perhaps, thy childishness will move him more
Than can our reasons.-There is no man in the world
More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate
Like one i̇'the stocks 11. Thou hast never in thy life
Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy ;

When she (poor hen!) fond of no second brood,
Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home,
Loaden with honour. Say, my request's unjust,
And spurn me back: But, if it be not so,
Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee,
That thou restrain'st from me the duty, which
To a mother's part belongs. He turns away:
Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.
To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride,
Than pity to our prayers. Down; an end:
This is the last;-So we will home to Rome,
And die among our neighbours.-Nay, behold us :
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have,
But kneels, and holds up hands, for fellowship,
Does reason our petition 12 with more strength
Than thou hast to deny't.-Come, let us go:
This fellow had a Volcian to his mother;
His wife is in Corioli, and his child

Like him by chance:-Yet give us our despatch;
I am hush'd until our city be afire,

And then I'll speak a little.

Cor.

O mother, mother!
[Holding VOLUMNIA by the Hands, silent.
What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope,
The gods look down, and this unnatural scene
They laugh at. O my mother, mother! ()!
You have won a happy victory to Rome:
But, for your son,-believe it, 0, believe it,

11Keeps me in a state of ignominy, talking to no purpose.'
12 i. e. does argue for us and our petition.

Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd,
If not most mortal to him. But, let it come:—
Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,
I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,
Were you
in my stead, say, would you have heard
A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius?
Auf. I was mov'd withal.

Cor.

I dare be sworn, you were: And, sir, it is no little thing, to make Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, What peace you'll make, advise me: For my part, I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; pray you, Stand to me in this cause.—O mother! wife! Auf. I am glad, thou hast set thy mercy and thy

honour

and

At difference in thee: out of that I'll work
Myself a former fortune 13.

Cor.

[Aside.

[The Ladies make signs to CORIOLanus.

Ay, by and by;

[To VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, &c. But we will drink together 14; and you shall bear A better witness back than words, which we, On like conditions, will have counterseal'd. Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you 15: all the swords In Italy, and her confederate arms,

Could not have made this

peace.

[Exeunt. 13 I will take advantage of this concession to restore myself to my former credit and power.'

14 Farmer has suggested that we should perhaps read think. Shakspeare has however introduced drinking as a mark of confederation in King Henry IV. Part II. :

'Let's drink together friendly, and embrace.' The text therefore may be allowed to stand, though at the expense of female delicacy, which, in the present instance, has not been sufficiently consulted.

15 Plutarch informs us that a temple dedicated to the Fortune of the Ladies was built on this occasion by order of the senate.

SCENE IV. Rome. A publick Place.

Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS.

Men. See you yond' coign o'the Capitol: yond'

corner stone?

Sic. Why, what of that?

Men. If it be possible for you to displace it with your little finger, there is some hope the ladies of Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him. But I say, there is no hope in't; our throats are sentenced, and stay1 upon execution.

Sic. Is't possible, that so short a time can alter the condition of a man?

Men. There is differency between a grub, and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon; he has wings; he's more than a creeping thing.

Sic. He loved his mother dearly.

Men. So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother now, than an eight year old horse. The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. When he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce a corslet with his eye; talks like a knell, and his hum is a battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made? for Alexander. What he bids be done, is finished with his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity, and a heaven to throne in.

Sic. Yes, mercy, if you report him truly.
Men. I paint him in the character. Mark what

mercy his mother shall bring from him: There is no more mercy in him, than there is milk in a male

1 i. e. stay but for it. So in Macbeth:~

'Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.'

2 That is, as one made to resemble Alexander.

tiger; that shall our poor city find: and all this is 'long of you.

Sic. The gods be good unto us!

Men. No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto us. When we banished him, we respected not them: and, he returning to break our necks, they respect not us.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Sir, if you'd save your life, fly to your house; The plebeians have got your fellow tribune, And hale him up and down; all swearing, if The Roman ladies bring not comfort home, They'll give him death by inches.

Sic.

Enter another Messenger.

What's the news?

Mess. Good news, good news:-The ladies have

prevail'd,

The Volces are dislodg'd, and Marcius gone:
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins.

Friend,

Sic.
Art thou certain this is true? is it most certain?
Mess. As certain as I know the sun is fire:

Where have you lurk'd, that you make doubt of it?
Ne'er through an arch so hurried the blown tide3,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark

you;

[Trumpets and Hautboys sounded, and Drums beaten, all together. Shouting also within. The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries, and fifes, Tabors, and cymbals, and the shouting Romans, Make the sun dance. Hark you! [Shouting again.

3

'As through an arch the violent roaring tide
Outruns the eye that doth behold his haste.'
Rape of Lucrece.