272
CORIOLANUS.
[Act I.
Val. You would be another Penelope: yet,they say, all the yarn she spun, in Ulysses’ ab-sence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come ;I would your cambric were sensible as your fin-ger, that you might leave pricking it for pity.Come, you shall go with us.
Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed,I will not forth.
Val. In truth, la, go with me; and I’ll tellyou excellent news of your husband.
Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet.
Val. Verily, I do not jest with you; therecame news from him last night.
Vir. Indeed, madam ?
Val. In earnest, it’s true; I heard a senatorspeak it. Thus it is :—The Voices have an ar-my forth; against whom Cominius the generalis gone, with one part of our Roman power:your lord, and Titus Lartius, are set down be-fore their city Corioli; they nothing doubt pre-vailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true,on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us.
Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I willobey you in every thing hereafter.
Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, shewill but disease our better mirth.
Val. In troth, I think, she would:—Fare youwell then.—Come, good sweet lady.—Pr’ythee,Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o tloor, and goalong with us.
Vir. No: at a word, madam; indeed, I mustnot. I wish you much mirth.
Val. Well, then farewell. \_Exeunt.
SCENE I V.—Before Corioli.
Enter, with drum and colours, Marcius, Titus
Lartius, Officers, and Soldiers. To them a
Messenger.
Mar. Yonder comes news:—A wager, theyhave met.
Earl. My horse to yours, no.
Mar. ’Tis done.
Lart. Agreed.
Mar. Say, has our general met the enemy ?
Mess. They lie in view ; but have not spokeas yet.
Ijart. So, the good horse is mine.
Mar. I’ll buy him of you.
Lart. No, I’ll nor sell, nor give him: lendyou him, I will,
For half a hundred years.—Summon the town.
Mar. How far off lie these armies?
Mess. Within this mile and half.
Mar. Then shall we hear their ’larum, andthey ours.
Now, Mars, I pr’ythee, make us quick in work;
That we with smoking swords may march fromhence,
To help our fielded friends !—Come, blow thyblast.
They sound a parley. Enter, on the walls, someSenators, and Others.
Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls ?
1 Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less thanhe;
That’s lesser than a little. Hark, our drums^Alarums afar off".Are bringing forth our youth: We’ll break ourwalls,
Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates,Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn’d withrushes;
They’ll open of themselves. Hark you, far off;
|~JOther alarums.
There is Aufidius; list, what work he makesAmongst your cloven army.
Mar. O, they are at itfLart. Their noise be our instruction.—Lad-ders, ho!
The Voices enter, and pass over the stage.
Mar. They fearus not, butissue forth their city.Now put your shields before your hearts, andfight
With hearts more proof than shields.—Advance,brave Titus:
They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts,Which makes me sweat with -wrath.—Come on,my fellows;
He that retires, I’ll take him for a Voice,
And he shall feel mine edge.
Alarum., and exeunt Romans and Voices, fighting.The Romans are beaten back to their trenches.Re-enter Marcius,
Mar. All the contagion of the south light onyou,
You shames of Rome ! you herd of—Boils andplagues
Plaster you o’er; that you may be abliorr’dFurther than seen, and one infect anotherAgainst the wind a mile! You souls of geese,That bear the shapes of men, how have you runFrom slaves that apes would beat ? Pluto andhell!
All hurt behind; backs red, and faces paleWith flight and agued fear! Mend, and chargehome,
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,As they us to our trenches followed.
Another alarum. The Voices and, Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Voicesretire into Corioli, and Marcius follows themto the gates.
So, now the gates are ope:—Now prove goodseconds:
’Tis for the followers fortune widens them,
Not for the flyers : mark me, and do the like.
enters the gates, and is shut in.