Coriolanus

Coriolanus

ACT I SCENE IV	Before Corioli.
	Enter, with drum and colours, MARCIUS, TITUSLARTIUS, Captains and Soldiers. To them aMessenger
MARCIUS	Yonder comes news. A wager they have met.
LARTIUS	My horse to yours, no.
MARCIUS	'Tis done.
LARTIUS	Agreed.	5
MARCIUS	Say, has our general met the enemy?
Messenger	They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.
LARTIUS	So, the good horse is mine.
MARCIUS	I'll buy him of you.
LARTIUS	No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you him I will	10
	For half a hundred years. Summon the town.
MARCIUS	How far off lie these armies?
Messenger	Within this mile and half.
MARCIUS	Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they ours.
	Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work,	15
	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 otherson the walls
	Tutus Aufidius, is he within your walls?
First Senator	No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
	That's lesser than a little.	20
	Drums afar off
	Hark! our drums
	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.	25
	Alarum afar off
	Hark you. far off!
	There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes
	Amongst your cloven army.
MARCIUS	O, they are at it!
LARTIUS	Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, ho!	30
	Enter the army of the Volsces
MARCIUS	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,	35
	Which makes me sweat with wrath. Come on, my fellows:
	He that retires I'll take him for a Volsce,
	And he shall feel mine edge.
	Alarum. The Romans are beat back to theirtrenches. Re-enter MARCIUS cursing
MARCIUS	All the contagion of the south light on you,
	You shames of Rome! you herd of--Boils and plagues	40
	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!	45
	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,	50
	As they us to our trenches followed.
	Another alarum. The Volsces fly, and MARCIUSfollows 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.
	Enters the gates
First Soldier	Fool-hardiness; not I.	55
Second Soldier	Nor I.
	MARCIUS is shut in
First Soldier	See, they have shut him in.
All	To the pot, I warrant him.
	Alarum continues
	Re-enter TITUS LARTIUS
LARTIUS	What is become of Marcius?
All	Slain, sir, doubtless.	60
First Soldier	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.
LARTIUS	O noble fellow!	65
	Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword,
	And, when it bows, stands up. Thou art left, Marcius:
	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	70
	Only in strokes; but, with thy grim looks and
	The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds,
	Thou madst thine enemies shake, as if the world
	Were feverous and did tremble.
	Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy
First Soldier	Look, sir.	75
LARTIUS	O,'tis Marcius!
	Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.
	They fight, and all enter the city