Enter Martius, Titus Lartius, with ⌜Trumpet,⌝ Drum,
and Colors, with Captains and Soldiers, as before
the city ⌜of⌝ Corioles. To them a Messenger.MARTIUS Yonder comes news. A wager they have met.LARTIUS My horse to yours, no.MARTIUS ’Tis done.LARTIUS Agreed.MARTIUS, ⌜to Messenger⌝ 5 Say, has our general met the enemy?MESSENGER They lie in view but have not spoke as yet.LARTIUS So the good horse is mine.MARTIUS I’ll buy him of you.LARTIUS No, I’ll nor sell nor give him. Lend you him I will10 For half a hundred years.—Summon the town.MARTIUS How far off lie these armies?MESSENGER Within this mile and half.MARTIUS Then shall we hear their ’larum and they ours. Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work,15 That we with smoking swords may march from hence To help our fielded friends!—Come, blow thy blast.They sound a parley.
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ACT 1. SC. 4
Enter two Senators with others on the walls of Corioles. Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?FIRST SENATOR No, nor a man that fears you less than he:20 That’s lesser than a little.Drum afar off. Hark, our drums Are bringing forth our youth. We’ll break our walls Rather than they shall pound us up. Our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinned with25 rushes. They’ll open of themselves.Alarum far off. Hark you, far off! There is Aufidius. List what work he makes Amongst your cloven army.⌜They exit from the walls.⌝MARTIUS 30 O, they are at it!LARTIUS Their noise be our instruction.—Ladders, ho!Enter the Army of the Volsces ⌜as through the city gates.⌝MARTIUS They fear us not but issue forth their city.— Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more proof than shields.—Advance,35 brave Titus. They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts, Which makes me sweat with wrath.—Come on, my fellows! He that retires, I’ll take him for a Volsce,40 And he shall feel mine edge.Alarum. The Romans are beat back to their trenches.⌜They exit, with the Volsces following.⌝Enter Martius cursing, ⌜with Roman soldiers.⌝
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Coriolanus
ACT 1. SC. 4
MARTIUS All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! You herd of—Boils and plagues Plaster you o’er, that you may be abhorred45 Farther than seen, and one infect another Against the wind a mile! You souls of geese, That bear the shapes of men, how have you run From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and hell! All hurt behind. Backs red, and faces pale50 With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home, Or, by the fires of heaven, I’ll leave the foe And make my wars on you. Look to ’t. Come on! If you’ll stand fast, we’ll beat them to their wives, As they us to our trenches. Follow ’s!Another alarum. ⌜The Volsces re-enter and are driven
back to the gates of Corioles, which open to admit
them.⌝55 So, now the gates are ope. Now prove good seconds! ’Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Not for the fliers. Mark me, and do the like.Martius follows ⌜the fleeing Volsces through⌝
the gates, and is shut in.FIRST SOLDIER Foolhardiness, not I.SECOND SOLDIER 60Nor I.FIRST SOLDIER See they have shut him in.Alarum continues.ALL To th’ pot, I warrant him.Enter Titus Lartius.LARTIUS What is become of Martius?ALL Slain, sir, doubtless.
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ACT 1. SC. 5
FIRST SOLDIER 65 Following the fliers at the very heels, With them he enters, who upon the sudden Clapped to their gates. He is himself alone, To answer all the city.LARTIUS O, noble fellow,70 Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword, And when it bows, stand’st up! Thou art left, Martius. A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier75 Even to ⌜Cato’s⌝ wish, not fierce and terrible Only in strokes, but with thy grim looks and The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds Thou mad’st thine enemies shake, as if the world Were feverous and did tremble.Enter Martius, bleeding, ⌜as if from Corioles,⌝ assaulted
by the enemy.FIRST SOLDIER 80Look, sir.LARTIUS O, ’tis Martius! Let’s fetch him off or make remain alike.They fight, and all enter the city, ⌜exiting the stage.⌝