| 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, |
| We shall be charged again. Whiles we have struck, | 5 |
| 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 |
| fronts encountering, | 10 |
| 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: |
| I saw our party to their trenches driven, | 15 |
| 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. | 20 |
| 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 |
| Held me in chase, that I was forced to wheel | 25 |
| 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 |
| He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have | 30 |
| Before-time seen him thus. |
| MARCIUS | [Within] Come I too late?
|
| 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 in
their 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] |
Shakespeare's Sources for Coriolanus