Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius! Vol. He'll beat Aufidius' head below his knee, And tread upon his neck. Re-enter Gentlewoman, with VALERIA and her Val. My ladies both, good day to you. Vir. I am glad to see your ladyship. Val. How do you both? you are manifest housekeepers. What, are you sewing here? A fine spot, in good faith.-How does your little son? Vir. I thank your ladyship: well, good madam. Vol. He had rather see the swords and hear a drum, than look upon his schoolmaster. Val. O'my word, the father's son. I'll swear 't is a very pretty boy: o' my troth, I looked upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together. He has such a confirmed countenance! I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catched it again or whether his fall enraged him, or how 't was, he did so set his teeth and tear it: O, I warrant, how he mammocked it! Vol. One of his father's moods. Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery: I must have you play the idle huswife with me this afternoon. Vir. No, good madam: I will not out of doors. Val. Not out of doors! Vol. She shall, she shall. Vir. Indeed, no, by your patience. I will not over the threshold till my lord return from the wars. Val. Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably. Come, you must go visit the good lady that lies in. Vir. I will wish her speedy strength, and visit her with my prayers; but I cannot go thither. Vol. Why, I pray you? Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope : yet, they say, all the yarn she spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come: I would your cambric were sensible as your finger, 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 tell you excellent news of your husband. Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet. Val. Verily I do not jest with you: there came news from him last night. Vir. Indeed, madam? Val. In earnest it's true: I heard a senator speak it. Thus it is :-The Volces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord and Titus Lartius are set down before their city Corioli: they nothing doubt prevailing, 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 will obey you in everything hereafter. Vol. Let her alone, lady as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth. Val. In troth I think she would.-Fare you well, then.-Come, good sweet lady.—Pr’y thee, Virgilia, turn thy solemnness out o' door, and go along with us. Vir. No: at a word, madam: indeed I must not. I wish you much mirth. Val. Well then, farewell. SCENE IV. Before Corioli. [Exeunt. Alarum, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting. The Romans are beaten back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS. Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! you herd of—Boils and plagues Plaster you o'er; that you may be abhorred home, Or by the fires of heaven I'll leave the foe, Another alarum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Volces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates. So, now the gates are ope. Now prove good seconds: Enter certain Romans, with spoils. 1st Rom. This will I carry to Rome. 2nd Rom. And I this. 3rd Rom. A murrain on 't! I took this for silver. [Alarum still continues afar off. Enter MARCIUS and TITUS LARTIUS, with a trumpet. Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their hours At a cracked drachm!-Cushions, leaden spoons, 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, Piercing our Romans. Then, valiant Titus, take SCENE VI.-Near the Camp of COMINIUS. Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands, May give you thankful sacrifice!-Thy news? Mess. The citizens of Corioli have issued, And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle: I saw our party to their trenches driven, And then I came away. [They all shout, and wave their swords; take him Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus, Auf. [They fight, and certain Volces come to the aid of AUFidius. Officious, and not valiant-you have shamed me In your condemned seconds. [Exeunt fighting, driven in by MARCIUS. SCENE IX.-The Roman Camp. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter at one side, COMINIUS and Romans: at the other side, MARCIUS, with his arm in a scarf, and other Romans. Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou 'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles: Where great patricians shall attend and shrug; I' the end, admire: where ladies shall be frighted, And, gladly quaked, hear more: where the dull Tribunes, That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours, Shall say, against their hearts,-" We thank the But cannot make my heart consent to take [A long flourish. They all cry, "MARCIUS! MARCIUS!" cast up their caps and lances. COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare. Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane, Never sound more!-When drums and trumpets shall I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be As if I loved my little should be dieted Com. nacles; Then reason safely with you.-Therefore, be it known, As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius Bear the addition nobly ever. [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums. |