are, long; and your mifery increafe with your age! Even to a full difgrace-Beft of my flesh, I lay to you, as 1 was faid to, Away!

[Exit.

Set down our hoft.-My partner in this action,

I

Forgive my tyranny; but do not fay,
For that, Forgive our Romans.-0, a kifs
Long as my exile, fweet as my revenge!

Now by the jealous queen of heaven 2, that kifs
I carried from thee, dear; and my true lip
Hath virgin'd it e'er fince.-You gods! I prate,
And the most noble mother of the world
Leave unfaluted: Sink, my knee, i' the earth;

Of thy deep duty more impreffion fhew
Than that of common fons.

Vel. O, ftand up bleft!

[Kneels.

You must report to the Volcian lords, how plainly Whilft, with no fofter cushion than the flint,

1 have borne this bufinefs.

Auf. Only their ends

You have refpected; ftopp'd your ears against
The general fuit of Rome; never admitted
A private whifper, no, not with fuch friends
That thought them fure of you.

Cor. This laft old man,

Whom with a crack'd heart I have fent to Rome,

Lov'd me above the measure of a father;
Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to fend him: for whofe old love, I have
(Though I fhew'd fourly to him) once more offer'd
The first conditions, which they did refufe,
And cannot now accept, to grace him only,
That thought he could do more; a very little
I have yielded too: Fresh embaffies, and suits,
Nor from the ftate, nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.-Ha! What shout is this?
[Shout within.

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow
In the fame time 'tis made? I will not.-

Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Marcius,
with Attendants, all in mourning.

My wife comes foremoft; then the honour'd mold
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grandchild to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of nature, break!
Let it be virtuous, to be obftinate.-

What is that curt'fy worth? or thofe dove's eyes,
Which can make gods forfworn ?—I melt, and

am not

I kneel before thee; and unproperly

Shew duty, as miftaken all the while [Kneels
Between the child and parent.

Gor. What is this?

Your knees to me? to your corrected fon?
Then let the pebbles on the hungry beech
Fillop the ftars; then let the mutinous winds
Murd'ring impoffibility, to make
Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery fun;

What cannot be, flight work.

Vol. Thou art my warrior;
I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady?
[Pointing to Valeria.

Cor. The noble fifter of Publicola,
The moon of Rome; chafte as the ificle
That's curdled by the froft from purest fnow,
And hangs on Dian's temple: Dear Valeria!
Vel. This is a poor epitome of yours,

[Shewing young Marcius.
Which by the interpretation of full time
May fhew like all yourself.

Cor. The god of foldiers,
With the confent of fupreme Jove, inform
Thy thoughts with nobleness; that thou may'st
prove

To fhame invulnerable, and ftick i' the wars
Like a great fea-mark, ftanding every flaw 3,
And faving thofe that eye thee!

Vol. Your knee, firrah.
Cor. That's my brave boy.

Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and my-
felf,

Of stronger earth than others.-My mother bows; Are fuitors to you.
As if Olympus to a mole-hill fhould

In fupplication nod: and my young boy
Hath an afpect of interceffion, which

Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volces
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be fuch a gofling to obey inftinct; but stand,
As if a man were author of himself,
And knew no other kin.

Virg. My lord and husband!

Cor. These eyes are not the fame I wore in Rome. Virg. The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think fo.

Cor. Like a dull actor now,

I have forgot my part, and I am out,

Cor. I befeech you, peace:

Or, if you'd afk, remember this before;
The things, I have forfworn to grant, may never
Be held by you denials. Do not bid me
Difmifs my foldiers, or capitulate
Again with Rome's mechanics :-Tell me not
Wherein I feem unnatural: Defire not
To allay my rages and revenges, with
Your colder reafons.

Vol. Oh, no more, no more!
You have faid, you will not grant us any thing;
For we have nothing elfe to afk, but that
Which you deny already: Yet we will ask;
That, if we fail in our requeft, the blame

Ii. e. how openly.

2 i. c. Juno.

3 i. e. every gul, every form.

May

May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us.
Cor. Aufidius, and you Volces, mark; for we'll
Hear nought from Rome in private.-Your requeft?
Vol. Should we be filent and not speak, our" But with his last attempt he wip'd it out:

raiment

And state of bodies would bewray what life
We have led fince thy exile. Think with thyfelf,
How more unfortunate than all living women
Are we come hither: fince that thy fight, which
should
[comforts,
Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with
Conftrains them weep, and shake with fear and
forrow;

Which thou fhalt thereby reap, is such a name,
Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;
Whofe chronicle thus writ," The man was noble,
"Deftroy'd his country, and his name remains
"To the enfuing age, abhorr'd." Speak to me, fon :
Thou haft affected the fine strains of honour,
To imitate the graces of the gods;
To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air,
And yet to charge thy fulphur with a bolt
That fhould but rive an oak 2. Why doft not speak?
Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man
Still to remember wrongs ?-Daughter, fpeak you:
He cares not for your weeping.-Speak thou, boy;
Perhaps, thy childishness will move him more
Than can our reafons.-There is no man in the
world

Making the mother, wife, and child, to fee
The fon, the husband, and the father, tearing
His country's bowels out. And to poor we,
Thine enmity's moft capital: thou barr'st us
Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate,
That all but we enjoy : For how can we,
3 Like one i' the stocks. Thou haft never in thy life
Alas! how can we for our country pray,
Shew'd thy dear mother any courtesy;
Whereto we are bound; together with thy victory, When fhe, (poor hen !) fond of no fecond brood,
Whereto we are bound? Alack! or we must lofe | Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and fafely home,

The country, our dear nurfe; or elfe thy perfon,
Our comfort in the country. We must find
An evident calamity, though we had

Loaden with honour. Say, my request's unjuft,
And spurn me back: But, if it be not fo,
Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee,

Our wifh, which fide should win: for either thou That thou reftrain'ft from me the duty, which
Muft, as a foreign recreant, be led

With manacles thorough our streets; or elfe
Triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin;
And bear the palm, for having bravely shed
Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, fon,
I purpose not to wait on fortune, 'till
Thefe wars determine: if I cannot perfuade thee
Rather to fhew a noble grace to both parts,
Than feek the end of one, thou shalt no fooner
March to affault thy country, than to tread
(Truft to 't, thou shalt not) on thy mother's womb,
That brought thee to this world.

Virg. Ay, and mine,

To a mother's part belongs.-He turns away:
Down, ladies; let us fhame him with our knees,
To his furname Coriolanus 'longs more pride,
Than pity to our prayers. Down: An end:
This is the laft :-So we will home to Rome,
And die among our neighbours.--Nay, behold us :
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have,
But kneels, and holds up hands, for fellowship,
Does reafon 4 our petition with more ftrength
Than thou haft to deny 't.-Come, let us go:
This fellow had a Volce to his mother;
His wife is in Corioli, and this child
Like him by chance :-Yet give us our dispatch:

That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name I am hufh'd until our city be afire,
Living to time,

Boy. He fhall not tread on me;

I'll run away 'till I am bigger, but then I'll fight.
Cor. Not of a woman's tenderness to be,

Requires nor child nor woman's face to fee.
I have fat too long.

Vol. Nay, go not from us thus.

[us,

If it were fo, that our request did tend
To fave the Romans, thereby to destroy
The Volces whom you ferve, you might condemn
As poisonous of your honour: No; our fuit
Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volces
May fay, "This mercy we have fhew'd;"
Romans,

the

"This we receiv'd ;" and each in either fide
Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, "Be bleft
"For making up this peace!" Thou know'ft, great
fon,

The end of war 's uncertain; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit

And then I'll speak a little.

Cor. Mother, mother!

[Holds ber by the hands, filent.
What have you done? Behoid, the heavens do ope,
The gods look down, and this unnatural scene
They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O!
You have won a happy victory to Rome:
But, for your fon,-believe it, O, believe it,
Moft dangerously you have with him prevail'd,
If not moft mortal to him. But, let it come :-
Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,
I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,
Were you in,my ftead, fay, would you have heard
A mother lefs? or granted lefs, Aufidius?
Auf. I was mov'd withal,

Car. I dare be fworn, you were:
And, fir, it is no little thing, to make
Mine eyes to fweat compaffion. But, good fir,
What peace you'll make, advife me: For my part,
I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you: and pray you,

I That is, confirains the eye to weep, and the heart to shake. 2 The meaning is, to threaten

much, and yet be merciful.

3 i. e. keeps me in a late of ignominy talking to no purpose.

4i. e. argue for.

Stand

At difference in thee: out of that I'll work
Myfelf a former fortune 1.

Ahde.
[The Ladies make figns to Coriolanus.
Cor. Ay, by and by;
But we will drink together; and you fhall bear
[To Volumnia, Virgilin, &c.
A better witness back than words, which we,
On like conditions, will have counter-feal'd.
Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve
To have a temple built you: all the fwords
In Italy, and her confederate arms,

Could not have made this peace.

[Exeunt.

Enter another Mellinger.

Sic. What's the news?

Mef. Good news, good news;-The ladies have
prevail'd,

The Volces are diflodg'd, and Marcius gone :
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
No, not the expulfion of the Tarquins.
Sic. Friend,

Art thou certain, this is true? is it most certain ?
Mef. As certain, as I know the fun is fire:
Where have you lurk'd, that you make doubt of it?
Ne'er through an arch so hurry'd the blown tide,
As the recomforted through the gates. Why,
hark you;

[Trumpets, hautboys, drums beat, all together.
The trumpets, fackbuts, pfalteries, and fifes,
Tabors, and cymbals, and the fhouting Romans,
Make the fun dance. Hark you! [A fhout within.
Men. This is good news:
This Volumnia

I will go meet the ladies.

Men. See you yon coign o' the Capitol; yon Is worth of confuls, fenators, patricians,

corner-ftone?

Sic. Why, what of that?

Men. If it be poflible for you to difplace it with your little finger, there is fome hope the ladies of Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him. But, I fay, there is no hope in 't; our throats are fentenc'd, and ftay upon execution.

Sic. Is't poffible, that fo fhort a time can alter

the condition of a man?

Men. There is difference between a grub, and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon: he has wings; he's more than a creeping thing.

Sic. He lov'd his mother dearly.

Sic. They are near the city
Mef. Almoft at point to enter.

Sic. We'll meet them, and help the joy. [Exeunt. Enter two Senators, with the Ladies, paffing over the flage, Sc. &c.

Men. So did he me: and he no more remembers his mother now, than an eight year old horfe2. Sen. Behold our patronefs, the life of Rome: The tartnefs of his face fours ripe grapes. When Call all your tribes together, praife the gods, he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground And make triumphant fires; itrew flowers before fhrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce them :

a corflet with his eye; talks like a knell, and his Unfhout the noife that banith'd Marcius, hum is a battery. He fits in his ftate, as a thing| Repeal him with the welcome of his mother: made for Alexander. What he bids be done, is Cry,-Welcome, ladies, welcome ! finish'd with his bidding. He wants nothing of a All. Welcome, ladies, welcome! god, but eternity, and a heaven to throne in.

Sic. Yes, mercy, if you report him truly. Men. I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy his mother fhall bring from him: There is no more mercy in him, than there is milk in a male tyger; and that fhall our poor city find: and all this is 'long of you.

Sic. The gods be good unto us!

Men. No, in fuch a cafe the gods will not be good unto us. When we banish'd him, we refpected not them: and, he returning to break our necks, they refpect not us.

A flourish with drums and trumpets. Exeunt.
SCENE V.

A publick Place in Antium.

Enter Tullus Aufidius, with Attendants.
Auf. Go tell the lords of the city, I am here:
Deliver them this paper: having read it,
Bid them repair to the market-place; where I,
Even in theirs and in the commons' ears,
Will vouch the truth of it. He I accufe,
The city ports by this hath enter'd, and
Intends to appear before the people, hoping
To purge himself with words: Dispatch.-Moft
welcome!

Enter three or four Confpirators of Aufidius' faction,
I Con. How is it with our general ?
Auf. Even fo,

As with a man by his own alms impoison'd,

1 I will take advantage of this conceffion to reftore myself to my former credit and power. 2 Subintelligitur remembers his dam.

3 B

And,

And my pretext to strike at him admits

A good conftruction. I rais'd him, and I pawn'd
Mine honour for his truth: Who being fo heighten'd,
He water'd his new plants with dews of flattery,
Seducing fo my friends: and, to this end,
He bow'd his nature, never known before
But to be rough, unfwayable, and free.

I had been mercenary.

I Con. So he did, my lord:

The army marvell'd at it. And, in the laft,
When he had carried Rome; and that we look'd]
For no lefs fpoil, than glory,---

Whofe children he hath flain, their bafe throats tear, That pages blufh'd at him, and men of heart

1 The meaning, according to Dr. Johnfon, is. He trefoiled to me with an air of authority, and gave me his countenance for my wages; thought me fufficiently rewarded with good looks. 2 This is the point on which I wili attack hip with my utmolt abilities. 3 That is, rewarding us with our own expences.

T