SCENE IX.

The Roman Camp.

Alarum. A Retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter at one side, COMINIUS, and Romans; at the other side, MARCIUS, with his Arm in a Scarf, and other Romans.

Com. 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 siniles; Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug, I' the end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted, And, gladly quak'd,' 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 TITUS LARTIUS, with his Power, from the

Lart.

pursuit.

O general,

Pray now, no more: my mother,

Here is the steed, we the caparison:

Hadst thou beheld

Mar.

Who has a charter to extol her blood,

When she does praise me, grieves me. I have done, As you have done: that's what I can; induc'd

And, gladly quak'd,] i. e. thrown into grateful trepidation. Here is the steed, we the caparison;] This is an odd encomium. The meaning is, this man performed the action, and we only filled up the show. JOHNSON.

6

a charter to extol-] A privilege to praise her own son.

As you have been; that's for my country:
He, that has but effected his good will,
Hath overta'en mine act."

Com. You shall not be The grave of your deserving; Rome must know The value of her own: 'twere a concealment Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement, To hide your doings; and to silence that, Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd, Would seem but modest: Therefore, I beseech you, (In sign of what you are, not to reward

What you have done,) before our army hear me. Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they

smart

To hear themselves remember'd.

Com.

Should they not,

Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude,

And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses, (Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store,) of all The treasure, in this field achiev'd, and city,

We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution, at

Your only choice.

Mar.
I thank you, general;
But cannot make my heart consent to take
A bribe to pay my sword: I do refuse it;
And stand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

[A long Flourish. They all cry, Marcius!
Marcius! cast up their Caps and Lances :
COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare.

1 He, that hath but effected his good will,

Hath overta'en mine act.] That is, has done as much as I have done, inasmuch as my ardour to serve the state is such that I have never been able to effect all that I wish'd.

Should they not,] That is, not be remembered.

Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane,

Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall
I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be
Made all of false-fac'd soothing! When steel grows
Soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made
An overture for the wars! No more, I say;
For that I have not wash'd my nose that bled,
Or foil'd some debile wretch,-which, without note,
Here's many else have done,-you shout me forth
In acclamations hyperbolical;

As if I loved my little should be dieted

In praises sauc'd with lies.

Com.
Too modest are you;
More cruel to your good report, than grateful
To us that give you truly: by your patience,
If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm,) in manacles,
Then reason safely with you. Therefore, be it known,
As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius
Wears this war's garland: in token of the which
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,
With all his trim belonging; and, from this time,
For what he did before Corioli, call him,

With all the applause and clamour of the host,
CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS.-

Bear the addition nobly ever!

[Flourish. Trumpets sound, and Drums.

All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus!

Cor. I will go wash;

And when my face is fair, you shall perceive Whether I blush, or no: Howbeit, I thank you:I mean to stride your steed; and, at all times,

To undercrest your good addition,

To the fairness of my power."

9 To undercrest your good addition,

To the fairness of my power.] I understand the meaning to be,

Com.

So, to our tent:

Where, ere we do repose us, we will write

To Rome of our success.-You, Titus Lartius,
Must to Corioli back: send us to Rome

The best,' with whom we may articulate,"
For their own good, and ours.

Lart.

I shall, my lord.

Cor. The gods begin to mock me. I that now Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg Of my lord general.

Com.

Take it: 'tis yours.-What is't?

Cor. I sometime lay, here in Corioli,

At a poor man's house; he us'd me kindly:
He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;

But then Aufidius was within my view,

And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you
To give my poor host freedom.

Com.

O, well begg'd! Were he the butcher of my son, he should Be free, as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus. Lart. Marcius, his name?

Cor.

By Jupiter, forgot:

I am weary; yea, my memory is tird.
Have we no wine here?

Com.

Go we to our tent:

The blood upon your visage dries: 'tis time
It should be look'd to: come.

[Exeunt.

to illustrate this honourable distinction you have conferred on me by fresh deservings to the extent of my power. To undercrest, I should guess, signifies properly, to wear beneath the crest as a part of a coat of arms. The name or title now given seems to be considered as the crest; the promised future achievements as the future additions to that coat. HEATH.

2

The best,] The chief men of Corioli.

with whom we may articulate,] i. e. enter into articles.

A Flourish.

SCENE X.

The Camp of the Volces.

Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS,

bloody, with Two or Three Soldiers.

Auf. The town is ta'en!

1 Sol. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition. Auf. Condition?

I would, I were a Roman; for I cannot,
Being a Volce, be that I am.-Condition!
What good condition can a treaty find

I' the part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius,
I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me;
And would'st do so, I think, should we encounter
As often as we eat.-By the elements,

If e'er again I meet him beard to beard,
He is mine, or I am his: Mine emulation
Hath not that honour in't, it had; for where

I thought to crush him in an equal force,

(True sword to sword,) I'll potch at him some way;3 Or wrath, or craft, may get him.

1 Sol.

He's the devil. Auf. Bolder, though not so subtle: My valour's poison'd,

With only suffering stain by him; for him

Shall fly out of itself: nor sleep, nor sanctuary,
Being naked, sick: nor fane, nor Capitol,
The prayers of priests, nor times of sacrifice,

3

I'll potch at him some way;] Mr. Heath reads-poach; but potch, to which the objection is made as no English word, is used in the midland counties for a rough, violent push.

-for him

Shall fly out of itself:] To mischief him, my valour should deviate from its own native generosity. JOHNSON.