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From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and hell!
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;
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If you’ll stand fast, we’ll beat them to their wives,
As they us to our trenches. Follow me!
[Another alarum, and Martius 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!
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[Enters the gates.]
1 SOLDIER Foolhardiness! not I.
2 SOLDIER Nor I.
[Martius is shut in.]
1 SOLDIER See, they have shut him in.
[Alarum continues.]
ALL To th’ pot, I warrant him.
Enter TITUS LARTIUS.
LARTIUS What is become of Martius?
ALL Slain, sir, doubtless.
1 SOLDIER Following the fliers at the very heels,
With them he enters; who, upon the sudden,
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Clapp’d to their gates; he is himself alone,
To answer all the city.
LARTIUS Oh noble fellow!
Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword,
And when it bows, stand’st up. Thou art left,
Martius:
A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,
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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
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Were feverous and did tremble.
Enter MARTIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy.
1 SOLDIER Look sir!
LARTIUS Oh, ’tis Martius!
Let’s fetch him off, or make remain alike.
[They fight, and all enter the city.]
1.5 Enter certain Romans, with spoils.
1 ROMAN This will I carry to Rome.
2 ROMAN And I this.
3 ROMAN A murrain on’t! I took this for silver. Exeunt.
[Alarum continues still afar off.]
Enter MARTIUS and TITUS LARTIUS with a trumpet.
MARTIUS
See here these movers, that do prize their hours
At a crack’d drachma! Cushions, leaden spoons,
5
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,
10
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.
LARTIUS Worthy sir, thou bleed’st;
Thy exercise hath been too violent
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For a second course of fight.
MARTIUS 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.
LARTIUS Now the fair goddess, Fortune,
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Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms
Misguide thy opposers’ swords! Bold gentleman,
Prosperity be thy page!
MARTIUS Thy friend no less
Than those she placeth highest! So farewell.
LARTIUS
Thou worthiest Martius! Exit Martius.
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Go sound thy trumpet in the market-place;
Call thither all the officers o’th’town,
Where they shall know our mind. Away. Exeunt.
1.6 Enter COMINIUS, as it were in retire, with soldiers.
COMINIUS
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
5
The charges of our friends. The Roman gods
Lead their successes as we wish our own,
That both our powers, with smiling fronts
encount’ring,
May give you thankful sacrifice.
Enter a Messenger.
Thy news?
MESSENGER The citizens of Corioles have issued,
10
And given to Lartius and to Martius battle.
I saw our party to their trenches driven,
And then I came away.
COMINIUS Though thou speak’st truth,
Methinks thou speak’st not well. How long is’t since?
MESSENGER Above an hour, my lord.
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COMINIUS
’Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums.
How could’st thou in a mile confound an hour,
And bring thy news so late?
MESSENGER Spies of the Volsces
Held me in chase, that I was forc’d to wheel
Three or four miles about; else had I, sir,
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Half an hour since brought my report.
Enter MARTIUS.
COMINIUS Who’s yonder,
That does appear as he were flay’d? O Gods,
He has the stamp of Martius, and I have
Beforetime seen him thus.
MARTIUS Come I too late?
COMINIUS
The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor,
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More than I know the sound of Martius’ tongue
From every meaner man.
MARTIUS Come I too late?
COMINIUS Ay, if you come not in the blood of others,
But mantled in your own.
MARTIUS Oh! let me clip ye
In arms as sound as when I woo’d; in heart
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As merry as when our nuptial day was done,
And tapers burn’d to bedward.
COMINIUS Flower of warriors,
How is’t with Titus Lartius?
MARTIUS As with a man busied about decrees:
Condemning some to death, and some to exile,
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Ransoming him, or pitying, threat’ning th’other;
Holding Corioles in the name of Rome,
Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will.
COMINIUS Where is that slave
Which told me they had beat you to your trenches?
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Where is he? Call him hither.
MARTIUS 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.
COMINIUS But how prevail’d you?
45
MARTIUS Will the time serve to tell? I do not think.
Where is the enemy? Are you lords o’th’ field?
If not, why cease you till you are so?
COMINIUS Martius, we have at disadvantage fought,
And did retire to win our purpose.
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MARTIUS
How lies their battle? Know you on which side
They have plac’d their men of trust?
COMINIUS As I guess, Martius,
Their ban
ds i’th’ vaward are the Antiates
Of their best trust: o’er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope.
MARTIUS I do beseech you,
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By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By th’ blood we have shed together, by th’ 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,
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Filling the air with swords advanc’d and darts,
We prove this very hour.
COMINIUS 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
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That best can aid your action.
MARTIUS Those are they
That most are willing. If any such be here –
As it were sin to doubt – that love this painting
Wherein you see me smear’d; if any fear
Lesser his person than an ill report;
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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 to express his disposition,
And follow Martius.
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[They all shout and wave their swords.]
ALL O me alone! Make you a sword of me!
[They take him up in their arms, and cast up their caps.]
MARTIUS If these shows be not outward, which of you
But is four Volsces? None of you but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A shield as hard as his. A certain number
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(Though thanks to all) must I select from all: the rest
Shall bear the business in some other fight,
As cause will be obey’d. Please you to march,
And I shall quickly draw out my command,
Which men are best inclin’d.
COMINIUS March on, my fellows:
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Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us. Exeunt.
1.7 TITUS LARTIUS, having set a guard upon Corioles, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Martius, enters with a Lieutenant, other soldiers and a scout.
LARTIUS So, let the ports be guarded; keep your duties
As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch
Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve
For a short holding: if we lose the field,
We cannot keep the town.
LIEUTENANT Fear not our care, sir.
5
LARTIUS Hence; and shut your gates upon’s.
Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us.
Exeunt.
1.8 Alarum as in battle.
Enter MARTIUS and AUFIDIUS at several doors.
MARTIUS
I’ll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee
Worse than a promise-breaker.
AUFIDIUS We hate alike:
Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor
More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.
MARTIUS Let the first budger die the other’s slave,
5
And the gods doom him after!
AUFIDIUS If I fly, Martius,
Holloa me like a hare.
MARTIUS Within these three hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Corioles walls,
And made what work I pleas’d: ’tis not my blood
Wherein thou seest me mask’d. For thy revenge,
10
Wrench up thy power to th’highest.
AUFIDIUS Wert thou the Hector
That was the whip of your bragg’d progeny,
Thou shouldst not ’scape me here.
[Here they fight, and certain Volsces come in the aid of
Aufidius. Martius fights till they be driven in breathless.]
Officious, and not valiant, you have sham’d me
In your condemned seconds. Exeunt.
15
1.9 Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Enter at one door, COMINIUS, with the Romans; at another door, MARTIUS, with his arm in a scarf.
COMINIUS If I should tell thee o’er this thy day’s work,
Thou’t not believe thy deeds; but I’ll report it,
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles,
Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,
I’th’end admire; where ladies shall be frighted,
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 88
