Whooped 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 feared death, of all the men i‘th’ 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 cankered 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’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 followed 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 Martius, Martius!

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

Should from yon cloud speak divine things

And say “Tis true’, I’d not believe them more

Than thee, all-noble Martius. Let me twine

Mine arms about that body whereagainst

My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,

And scarred the moon with splinters.

(He embraces Coriolanus)

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

Sighed 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 waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius,

Had we no other quarrel else to Rome but that

Thou art thence banished, we would muster all

From twelve to seventy, and, pouring war

Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,

Like a bold flood o’erbear’t. O, come, go in,

And take our friendly senators by th’ 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

Th‘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.

Let me commend thee first to those that shall

Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes!

And more a friend than ere an enemy;

Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand. Most

welcome!

Exeunt

⌈The two Servingmen come forward⌉

FIRST SERVINGMAN Here’s a strange alteration!

SECOND SERVINGMAN By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel, and yet my mind gave me his clothes made a false report of him.

FIRST SERVINGMAN What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his thumb as one would set up a top.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him. He had, sir, a kind of face, methought—I cannot tell how to term it.

FIRST SERVINGMAN He had so, looking, as it were—wou)d I were hanged but I thought there was more in him than I could think.

SECOND SERVINGMAN So did I, I’ll be sworn. He is simply the rarest man i’th’ world.

FIRST SERVINGMAN I think he is yet a greater soldier than he you wot on.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Who, my master?

FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, it’s no matter for that.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Worth six on him.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, not so, neither; but I take him to be the greater soldier.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that. For the defence of a town our general is excellent.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and for an assault too.

Enter the Third Servingman

THIRD SERVINGMAN O, slaves, I can tell you news—news, you rascals!

FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMEN What, what, what? Let’s partake.

THIRD SERVINGMAN I would not be a Roman of all nations.

I had as lief be a condemned man.

FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMEN Wherefore? Wherefore?

THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, here’s he that was wont to thwack our general, Caius Martius.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Why do you say ‘thwack our general’?

THIRD SERVINGMAN I do not say ‘thwack our general’; but he was always good enough for him.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Come, we are fellows and friends. He was ever too hard for him. I have heard him say so himself.

FIRST SERVINGMAN He was too hard for him directly. To say the truth on’t, before Corioles he scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.