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, | ||
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] |
Next: Coriolanus, Act 1, Scene 7