strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of
their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?
Volsce A most royal one; the centurions and their charges,
distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment,
and to be on foot at an hour’s warning.
Roman I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the
man, I think, that shall set them in present action.
So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.
Volsce You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause
to be glad of yours.
Roman Well, let us go together.
Exeunt
Scene 4
Antium. Before Aufidius’s house.
Enter CORIOLANUS in mean apparel, disguised and muffled
CORIOLANUS A goodly city is this Antium. City,
‘Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir
Of these fair edifices ‘fore my wars
Have I heard groan and drop: then know me not,
Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones
In puny battle slay me.
Enter a Citizen
Save you, sir.
Citizen And you.
CORIOLANUS Direct me, if it be your will,
Where great Aufidius lies: is he in Antium?
Citizen He is, and feasts the nobles of the state
At his house this night.
CORIOLANUS Which is his house, beseech you?
Citizen This, here before you.
CORIOLANUS Thank you, sir: farewell.
Exit Citizen
O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn,
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose house, 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 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 5
The same. A hall in Aufidius’s house.
Music within. Enter a Servingman
First Servingman Wine, wine, wine! What service
is here! I think our fellows are asleep.
Exit
Enter a second Servingman
Second Servingman Where’s Cotus? my master calls
for him. Cotus!
Exit
Enter CORIOLANUS
CORIOLANUS A goodly house: the feast smells well; but I
Appear not like a guest.
Re-enter the first Servingman
First Servingman What would you have, friend? whence are you?
Here’s no place for you: pray, go to the door.
Exit
CORIOLANUS I have deserved no better entertainment,
In being Coriolanus.
Re-enter second Servingman
Second Servingman Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his
head; that he gives entrance to such companions?
Pray, get you out.
CORIOLANUS Away!
Second Servingman Away! get you away.
CORIOLANUS Now thou’rt troublesome.
Second Servingman Are you so brave? I’ll have you talked with anon.
Enter a third Servingman. The first meets him
Third Servingman What fellow’s this?
First Servingman A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him
out of the house: prithee, call my master to him.
Retires
Third Servingman What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid
the house.
CORIOLANUS Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.
Third Servingman What are you?
CORIOLANUS A gentleman.
Third Servingman A marvellous poor one.
CORIOLANUS True, so I am.
Third Servingman Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other
station; here’s no place for you; pray you, avoid: come.
CORIOLANUS Follow your function, go, and batten on cold bits.
Pushes him away
Third Servingman What, you will not? Prithee, tell my master what a
strange guest he has here.
Second Servingman And I shall.
Exit
Third Servingman Where dwellest thou?
CORIOLANUS Under the canopy.
Third Servingman Under the canopy!
CORIOLANUS Ay.
Third Servingman Where’s that?
CORIOLANUS I’ the city of kites and crows.
Third Servingman I’ the city of kites and crows! What an ass it is!
Then thou dwellest with daws too?
CORIOLANUS No, I serve not thy master.
Third Servingman How, sir! do you meddle with my master?
CORIOLANUS Ay; ’tis an honester service than to meddle with thy
mistress. Thou pratest, and pratest; serve with thy
trencher, hence!
Beats him away. Exit third Servingman
Enter AUFIDIUS with the second Servingman
AUFIDIUS Where is this fellow?
Second Servingman Here, sir: I’ld have beaten him like a dog, but for
disturbing the lords within.
Retires
AUFIDIUS Whence comest thou? what wouldst thou? thy name?
Why speak’st not? speak, man: what’s thy name?
CORIOLANUS If, Tullus,
Unmuffling
Not yet thou knowest me, and, seeing me, dost not
Think me for the man I am, necessity
Commands me name myself.
AUFIDIUS What is thy name?
CORIOLANUS A name unmusical to the Volscians’ ears,
And harsh in sound to thine.
AUFIDIUS Say, what’s thy name?
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in’t; though thy tackle’s torn.
Thou show’st a noble vessel: what’s thy name?
CORIOLANUS Prepare thy brow to frown: know’st
thou me yet?
AUFIDIUS I know thee not: thy name?
CORIOLANUS 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 shouldst 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 wilt 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 darest not this and that to prove more fortunes
Thou’rt tired, then, in a word, I also am
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice;
Which not to cut would show 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.
AUFIDIUS 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’ld not believe them more
Than thee, all noble Marcius. Let me twine
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 loved 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 fort: 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 waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius,
Had we no 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. O, come, go in,
And take our friendly senators by the hands;
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepared against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.
CORIOLANUS You bless me, gods!
AUFIDIUS Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have
The leading of thine own revenges, take
The one half of my commission; and set down–
As best thou art experienced, since thou know’st
Thy country’s strength and weakness,–thine own ways;
Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in: