Coriolanus

Coriolanus

ACT I SCENE VI	Near the camp of Cominius.
	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,	5
	We shall be charged again. Whiles we have struck,
	By interims and conveying gusts we have heard
	The charges of our friends. Ye Roman gods!
	Lead their successes as we wish our own,
	That both our powers, with smiling	10
	fronts encountering,
	May give you thankful sacrifice.
	Enter a Messenger
	Thy news?
Messenger	The citizens of Corioli have issued,
	And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle:	15
	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?	20
Messenger	Above an hour, my lord.
COMINIUS	'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums:
	How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour,
	And bring thy news so late?
Messenger	Spies of the Volsces	25
	Held me in chase, that I was forced to wheel
	Three or four miles about, else had I, sir,
	Half an hour since brought my report.
COMINIUS	Who's yonder,
	That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods	30
	He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have
	Before-time seen him thus.
MARCIUS	Within
COMINIUS	The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabour
	More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue
	From every meaner man.	35
	Enter MARCIUS
MARCIUS	Come I too late?
COMINIUS	Ay, if you come not in the blood of others,
	But mantled in your own.
MARCIUS	O, let me clip ye
	In arms as sound as when I woo'd, in heart	40
	As merry as when our nuptial day was done,
	And tapers burn'd to bedward!
COMINIUS	Flower of warriors,
	How is it with Titus Lartius?
MARCIUS	As with a man busied about decrees:	45
	Condemning some to death, and some to exile;
	Ransoming him, or pitying, threatening the other;
	Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,
	Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
	To let him slip at will.	50
COMINIUS	Where is that slave
	Which told me they had beat you to your trenches?
	Where is he? call him hither.
MARCIUS	Let him alone;
	He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen,	55
	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?
MARCIUS	Will the time serve to tell? I do not think.	60
	Where is the enemy? are you lords o' the field?
	If not, why cease you till you are so?
COMINIUS	Marcius,
	We have at disadvantage fought and did
	Retire to win our purpose.	65
MARCIUS	How lies their battle? know you on which side
	They have placed their men of trust?
COMINIUS	As I guess, Marcius,
	Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates,
	Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius,	70
	Their very heart of hope.
MARCIUS	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	75
	Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates;
	And that you not delay the present, but,
	Filling the air with swords advanced and darts,
	We prove this very hour.
COMINIUS	Though I could wish	80
	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.
MARCIUS	Those are they	85
	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;
	If any think brave death outweighs bad life	90
	And that his country's dearer than himself;
	Let him alone, or so many so minded,
	Wave thus, to express his disposition,
	And follow Marcius.
	They all shout and wave their swords, take him up intheir arms, and cast up their caps
	O, me alone! make you a sword of me?	95
	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,
	Though thanks to all, must I select	100
	from all: 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 inclined.	105
COMINIUS	March on, my fellows:
	Make good this ostentation, and you shall
	Divide in all with us.
	Exeunt