Have I heard groan and drop: then know me not; Lest that thy wives with spits, and boys with stones,

In

Enter a Citizen.

puny battle slay me.-Save you, sir.
Cit. And you.

Cor.
Direct me, if it be your will,
Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium?
Cit. He is, and feasts the Nobles of the State,
At his house this night.

Cor.

Which is his house, 'beseech you?

Cit. This, here, before you.

Cor.

Thank you, sir; farewell. [Exit Citizen. O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, Whose double bosoms seems to wear one heart, Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise, Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love Unseparable, shall within this hour,

On a dissension of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity; so, fellest foes,

Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep
To take the one the other, by some chance,

Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends, And interjoin their issues: so with me;

My birth-place hate 40 I, and my love's upon

This enemy-town. I'll enter. If he slay me,
He does fair justice; if he give me way,
I'll do his country service.

[Exit.

SCENE V. The same. A Hall in Aufidius' House.

Music within. Enter a Servant.

1 Servant.

WINE, wine, wine! What service is here!

think our fellows are asleep.

[Exit.

Enter another Servant.

2 Serv. Where's Cotus? my master calls for him. Cotus!

Enter CORIOLanus.

[Exit.

Cor. A goodly house! The feast smells well; but I Appear not like a guest.

Re-enter the first Servant.

1 Serv. What would you have, friend? whence are you? Here's no place for you; pray, go to the door.

Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.

Re-enter second Servant.

[Exit.

2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

Cor. Away!

2 Serv. Away! Get you away.

Cor. Now thou art troublesome.

2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talk'd with anon.

Enter a third Servant. The second meets him.

3 Serv. What fellow's this?

2 Serv. A strange one as ever I look'd on; I cannot get him out o' the house. Pr'ythee, call my master to him.

3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house.

Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth. 3 Serv. What are you?

Cor. A gentleman.

3 Serv. A marvellous poor one.

Cor. True, so I am.

3 Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some

352

other station; here's no place for you. Pray you, avoid. Come.

Cor. Follow your function, go! and batten on cold bits. [Pushes him away. 3 Serv. What! you will not? Pr'ythee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here.

2 Serv. And I shall.

3 Serv. Where dwell'st thou ?

Cor. Under the canopy.

3 Serv. Under the canopy!

Cor. Ay.

3 Serv. Where's that?

Cor. I' the city of kites and crows.

[Exit.

3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows! What an ass it is! Then thou dwell'st with daws too? Cor. No, I serve not thy master.

3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master? Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress.

Thou prat'st, and prat'st; serve with thy trencher, hence! [Beats him away.

Enter AUFIDIUS and the second Servant.

Auf. Where is this fellow?

2 Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within.

Auf. Whence com'st thou? what wouldest thou?
thy name?

Why speakest not? Speak, man. What is thy name?
Cor. If, Tullus, not yet thou know'st me, and
[Unmuffling.
Dost not think me for the man I am, necessity
Commands me name myself.

Auf.

seeing me,

What is thy name?

[Servants retire.

Say, what's thy name?

Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears,
And harsh in sound to thine.

Auf.
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face

Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn, Thou shew'st a noble vessel. What's thy name? Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown. Know'st thou me yet?

Auf. I know thee not.-Thy name?

Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces,
Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may
My surname, Coriolanus. The painful service,
The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood
Shed for my thankless country, are requited
But with that surname; a good memory,
And witness of the malice and displeasure
Which thou should'st bear me. Only that name
remains;

The cruelty and envy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard Nobles, who
Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest ;
And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be
Whoop'd out of Rome. Now, this extremity
Hath brought me to thy hearth; not out of hope
-Mistake me not-to save my life; for if
I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world
I would have 'voided thee: but in mere spite,
To be full quit of those my banishers,

Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast
A heart of wreak in thee, that will revenge

Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee straight,

And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it,
That my revengeful services may prove

As benefits to thee; for I will fight

Against my canker'd country with the spleen

Of all the under-fiends. But if so be

Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes Thou art tired, then, in a word, Í also am

Longer to live most weary, and present

My throat to thee, and to thy ancient malice;

Which not to cut, would shew thee but a fool:
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless

It be to do thee service.

Auf.

O Marcius, Marcius,

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

Should from yond' cloud speak divine things, and say,
'Tis true; I'd not believe them more than thee,
All-noble Marcius. Let me entwine

Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scarr'd the moon with splinters! Here I clip
The anvil of my sword; and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love,
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,
I lov'd the maid I married; never man

Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here,
Thou noble thing! more dances my rapt heart,
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell thee,
We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for't. Thou hast beat me out
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me

We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat. . .
And wark'd half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius,
Had we no other quarrel else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy; and pouring war
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,

Like a bold flood o'er-bear her. Oh! come, go in, And take our friendly Senators by the hands; Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,