Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will.
COMINIUS Where is that slave
Which told me they had beat you to your trenches?
Where is he? Call him hither.
MARTIUS
Let him alone.
He did inform the truth. But for our gentlemen,
The common file—a plague—tribunes for them?—
The mouse ne’er shunned the cat as they did budge
From rascals worse than they.
COMINIUS
But how prevailed you?
MARTIUS
Will the time serve to tell? I do not think.
Where is the enemy? Are you lords o’th’ field?
If not, why cease you till you are so?
COMINIUS
Martius, we have at disadvantage fought,
And did retire to win our purpose.
MARTIUS
How lies their battle? Know you on which side
They have placed their men of trust?
COMINIUS
As I guess, Martius,
Their bands i‘th’ vanguard are the Antiates,
Of their best trust; o’er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope.
MARTIUS
I do beseech you
By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By th’ blood we have shed together, by th’ vows we
have made
To endure friends, that you directly set me
Against Aufidius and his Antiates,
And that you not delay the present, but,
Filling the air with swords advanced and darts,
We prove this very hour.
COMINIUS
Though I could wish
You were conducted to a gentle bath
And balms applied to you, yet dare I never
Deny your asking. Take your choice of those
That best can aid your action.
MARTIUS
Those are they
That most are willing. If any such be here—
As it were sin to doubt—that love this painting
Wherein you see me smeared; if any fear
Lesser his person than an ill report;
If any think brave death outweighs bad life,
And that his country’s dearer than himself,
Let him alone, or so many so minded,
He waves his sword
Wave thus to express his disposition,
And follow Martius.
They all shout and wave their swords, ⌈then some⌉ take him up in their arms and they cast up their caps
O’ me alone, make you a sword of me?
If these shows be not outward, which of you
But is four Volsces? None of you but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius
A shield as hard as his. A certain number—
Though thanks to all—must I select from all.
The rest shall bear the business in some other fight
As cause will be obeyed. Please you to march,
And I shall quickly draw out my command,
Which men are best inclined.
COMINIUS
March on, my fellows.
Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Divide in all with us. Exeunt marching
1.8 Enter Lartius ⌈Through the gates of Corioles⌉, with a drummer and a trumpeter, a Lieutenant, other soldiers, and a scout
LARTIUS (to the Lieutenant)
So, let the ports be guarded. Keep your duties
As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch
Those centuries to our aid. The rest will serve
For a short holding. If we lose the field
We cannot keep the town.
LIEUTENANT Fear not our care, sir.
LARTIUS Hence, and shut your gates upon’s.
⌈Exit Lieutenant⌉
(To the scout) Our guider, come; to th’ Roman camp
conduct us.
Exeunt towards Cominius and Caius Martius
1.9 Alarum, as in battle. Enter Martius, bloody, and Aufidius, at several doors
MARTIUS
I’ll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee
Worse than a promise-breaker.
AUFIDIUS We hate alike.
Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor
More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.
MARTIUS
Let the first budger die the other’s slave,
And the gods doom him after.
AUFIDIUS
If I fly, Martius,
Holla me like a hare.
MARTIUS Within these three hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Corioles’ walls,
And made what work I pleased. ’Tis not my blood
Wherein thou seest me masked. For thy revenge,
Wrench up thy power to th’ highest.
AUFIDIUS
Wert thou the Hector
That was the whip of your bragged progeny,
Thou shouldst not scape me here.
Here they fight, and certain Volsces come in the aid of Aufidius. Martius fights till the Volsces be driven in breathless, ⌈Martius following⌉
Officious and not valiant, you have shamed me
In your condemned seconds.
Exit
1.10 Alarum. A retreat is sounded. ⌈Flourish.⌉Enter at one door Cominius with the Romans, at another door Martius with his arm in a scarf
COMINIUS (to Martius)
If I should tell thee o‘er this thy day’s work
Thou’lt not believe thy deeds. But I’ll report it
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles,
Where great patricians shall attend and shrug,
I‘th’ end admire; where ladies shall be frighted
And, gladly quaked, hear more; where the dull
tribunes,
That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honours,
Shall say against their hearts ‘We thank the gods
Our Rome hath such a soldier.’
Yet cam’st thou to a morsel of this feast,
Having fully dined before.
Enter Lartius, with his power, from the pursuit
LARTIUS O general,
Here is the steed, we the caparison.
Hadst thou beheld—
MARTIUS
Pray now, no more. My mother,
Who has a charter to extol her blood,