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Cor.

Direct me, if it be your will,

Where great Aufidius lies: Is he in Antium?
Cit. He is, and feasts the nobles of the state,
At his house this night.

Cor.'

Which is his house, 'beseech you?

Cit. This, here, before you.

Cor.

Thank you, sir; farewell. [Exit Citizen. O, world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart, Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise, Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love Unseparable, shall within this hour,

On a dissention 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 V.

The same.

A Hall in Aufidius's House.

Musick within. Enter a Servant.

1 Serv. Wine, wine, wine! What service is here! I think our fellows are asleep.

Enter another Servant.

[Exit.

2 Serv. Where's Cotus! my master calls for him. Cotus!

[Exit.

Enter CORIOLANUS.

Cor. A goodly house: The feast smells well: but I Appear not like a guest.

Re-enter the first Servant.

1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door.

Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.

his

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Re-enter second Servant.

2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

Cor. Away!

2 Serv. Away? Get you away.

Cor. Now thou art troublesome.

2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon.

Enter a third Servant. The first meets him.

3 Serv. What fellow's this?

1 Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him out o'the house: Pr'ythee, call my master to him.

3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house."

Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.

• In being Coriolanus.] i. e. in having derived that surname from the sack of Corioli.

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that he gives entrance to such companions?] Companion was formerly used in the same sense as we now use the word fellow.

3 Serv. What are you? Cor. A gentleman.

3 Serv. A marvellous poor one. Cor. True, so I am.

3 Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; here's no place for you; pray you, avoid: come.

Cor. Follow your function, go!

And batten on cold bits.

[Pushes him away. 3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my

master what a strange guest he has here.

2 Serv. And I shall.

3 Serv. Where dwellest thou?

Cor. Under the canopy.

3 Serv. Under the canopy?

Cor. Ay.

3 Serv. Where's that?

Cor. I' the city of kites and crows.

[Exit.

3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows?-What an ass it is! Then thou dwellest with daws too? Cor. No, I serve not thy master.

3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master?

Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress:

Thou prat'st, and prat'st; serve with thy trencher, [Beats him away.

hence!

Enter AVFIDIUS and the second Servant.

Auf. Where is this fellow?

2. Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within.

Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldest thou? Thy name?i

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Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What's thy name?
Cor.
If, Tullus, [Unmuffling.
Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not

Think me for the man I am, necessity

Commands me name myself.

Auf.

What is thy name?

Servants retire.

Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears, And harsh in sound to thine.

Auf. 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? Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown: Know'st thou me yet?

Auf. I know thee not:-Thy name?

Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volces,
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 should'st bear me: only that name re
mains;

The cruelty and envy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard nobles, who

Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest;
And suffered 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,2 that will revenge

1 - a good memory,] Memory for memorial.
2 A heart of wreak in thee,] A heart of resentment.

Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims Of shame3 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

4

Of all the under fiends. But if so be

Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes
Thou art tir'd, 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.

Auf.

O Marcius, Marcius,

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my theart

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 Marcius.-O, let me twine

Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scar'd the moon' with splinters! Here I clip"

maims

Of shame-] That is, disgraceful diminutions of territory. 4 with the spleen

Of all the under fiends.] Shakspeare, by imputing a stronger degree of inveteracy to subordinate fiends, seems to intimate, and very justly, that malice of revenge is more predominant in the lower than the upper classes of society. This circumstance is repeatedly exemplified in the conduct of Jack Cade and other heroes of the mob. STEEVENS.

5 And scar'd the moon-] that is, frightened. 6 Here I clip-] To clip is to embrace.

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