Are servanted to others: though I owe
My revenge properly, my remission lies

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

[Gives a letter.

And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius,
Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st!
Auf. You keep a constant temper.

[Exeunt COR. and AUF.

1 G. Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

2 G. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know the way home again.

I G. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back?

2 G. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

Men. I neither care for the world nor your general: for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, ye're so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. you, be that you are, long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, Away! [Exit. 1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him.

For

2 G. The worthy fellow is our general: he is the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The Tent of CORIOLANUS.

Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others.
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow
Set down our host.-My partner in this action,
You must report to the Volscian lords how plainly
I have borne this business.

Only their ends

Auf.
You have respected; stopp'd your ears against
The general suit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with such friends
That thought them sure of you.

This last old man,

Cor.
Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
Lov'd me above the measure of a father;

Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to send him; for whose old love I have,-
Though I show'd sourly to him, -once more offer'd
The first conditions, which they did refuse,
And cannot now accept, to grace him only,
That thought he could do more, a very little
I have yielded to: fresh embassies and suits,
Nor from the state nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what shout is this?

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

[Shout within.

Enter, in mourning habits, VIRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, leading young MARCIUS, VALERIA, and Attendants.

My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd mould
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 obstinate.

What is that curt'sy worth? or those doves' eyes,
Which can make gods forsworn?-I melt, and am not
Of stronger earth than others.-My mother bows,
As if Olympus to a molehill should

In supplication nod: and my young boy
Hath an aspect of intercession which

Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volsces
Plough Rome and harrow Italy: I'll never
Be such a gosling to obey instinct; but stand,
As if a man were author of himself,

And knew no other kin.

Vir.

My lord and husband!

Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome.
Vir. The sorrow that delivers us thus chang'd
Makes you think so.

Cor.
Like a dull actor now,
I have forgot my part, and I am out,
Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh,
Forgive my tyranny; but do not say,
For that, Forgive our Romans. —O, a kiss
Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge;
Now, by the jealous queen of heaven, that kiss
I carried from thee, dear; and my true lip
Hath virgin'd it e'er since.-You gods! I prate,
And the most noble mother of the world
Leave unsaluted: sink, my knee, i' the earth;

[Kneels.

Of thy deep duty more impression show
Than that of common sons.

Vol.
O, stand up bless'd!
Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,
I kneel before thee; and unproperly

Show duty, as mistaken all this while
Between the child and parent.

Cor.
What is this?
Your knees to me? to your corrected son?
Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
Fillip the stars; then let the mutinous winds
Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun;
Murdering impossibility, to make

What cannot be, slight work.

Vol.

Thou art my warrior;
I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady?
Cor. The noble sister of Publicola,

The moon of Rome; chaste as the icicle

That's curded by the frost from purest snow,
And hangs on Dian's temple:--dear Valeria !
Vol. This is a poor epitome of yours,

Which, by the interpretation of full time,
May show like all yourself.

Cor.

The god of soldiers,

With the consent of supreme Jove, inform

[Kneels.

Thy thoughts with nobleness; that thou mayst prove
To shame unvulnerable, and stick i' the wars

Like a great sea-mark, standing every flaw,

And saving those that eye thee!

Vol.

Cor. That's my brave boy.

Your knee, sirrah.

Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself,

Are suitors to you.

Cor. I beseech you, peace:

Or, if you'd ask, remember this before,

The things I have forsworn to grant may never

Be held by you denials.

Do not bid me

Dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate

Again with Rome's mechanics.-Tell me not

Wherein I seem unnatural: desire not

To allay my rages and revenges with

Your colder reasons.

Vol.

O, no more, no more!

You have said you will not grant us anything;
For we have nothing else to ask but that

Which you deny already: yet we will ask;

That, if you fail in our request, the blame
May hang upon your hardness; therefore hear us.
Cor. Aufidius, and you Volsces, mark: for we'll
Hear naught from Rome in private.-Your request?"
Vol. Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment
And state of bodies would bewray what life
We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself,
How more unfortunate than all living women

Are we come hither: since that thy sight, which should
Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comfort,
Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and sorrow;
Making the mother, wife, and child to see

The son, the husband, and the father tearing
His country's bowels out. And to poor we,
Thine enmity's most capital: thou barr'st us
Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort
That all but we enjoy; for how can we,
Alas, how can we for our country pray,
Whereto we are bound,-together with thy victory,
Whereto we are bound? alack, or we must lose
The country, our dear nurse; or else thy person,
Our comfort in the country. We must find
An evident calamity, though we had

Our wish, which side should win; for either thou
Must, as a foreign recreant, be led

With manacles thorough our streets, or else
Triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin,
And bear the palm for having bravely shed
Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son,
purpose not to wait on fortune till

I

These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee
Rather to show a noble grace to both parts
Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner
March to assault thy country than to tread,-
Trust to't, thou shalt not, -on thy mother's womb,
That brought thee to this world.
Ay, and mine,
That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name
Living to time.

Vir.

Boy.

'A shall 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 see.

I have sat too long.

Vol.

Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so that our request did tend

[Rising.

To save the Romans, thereby to destroy

The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us, As poisonous of your honour: no; our suit

Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volsces

May say, This mercy we have show'd; the Romans,
This we receiv'd; and each in either side

Give thee all-hail to thee, and cry, Be bless'd
For making up this peace! Thou know'st, great son,
The end of war's uncertain; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit

Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name,
Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;
Whose chronicle thus writ,-The man was noble,
But with his last attempt he wip'd it out;

Destroy'd his country; and his name remains
To the ensuing age abhorr'd. Speak to me, son:
Thou hast 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 sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?
Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man
Still to remember wrongs?-Daughter, speak you:
He cares not for your weeping.-Speak thou, boy:
Perhaps thy childishness will move him more

Than can our reasons.-There's no man in the world
More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate
Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life
Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy;

When she,-poor hen,-fond of no second brood,
Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home,
Loaden with honour. Say my request 's unjust,
And spurn me back: but if it be not so,

Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee,
That thou restrain'st from me the duty which
To a mother's part belongs.-He turns away:
Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.
To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride
Than pity to our prayers. Down: an end;
This is the last. So we will home to Rome,
And die among our neighbours.-Nay, behold's:
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have,
But kneels and holds up hands for fellowship,
Does reason our petition with more strength
Than thou hast to deny't.-Come, let us go:
This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;