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To banish your defenders; till, at length,
Your ignorance, (which finds not, till it feels,)
Making not reservation of yourselves,

(Still your own foes,) deliver you, as most
Abated' captives, to some nation

That won you without blows! Despising,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
There is a world elsewhere.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, Menenius,
Senators, and Patricians.

Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!
Cit. Our enemy's banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo!
[The People shout, and throw up their caps.

Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him,
As he hath follow'd you, with all despite;
Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard

Attend us through the city.

Cit. Come, come, let us see him out at gates; come:The gods preserve our noble tribunes!-Come.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-Before the gates of Rome.

Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, and several young Patricians.

Cor. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell :— the beast

With many heads butts me away.-Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? you were us'd
To say, extremity was the trier of spirits;

That common chances common men could bear;

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That, when the sea was calm, all boats alike

Show'd mastership in floating: fortune's blows, When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves A noble cunning: you were us'd to load me

With precepts, that would make invincible

The heart that conn'd them.

Vir. O heavens! O heavens !

Cor.

Nay, I pr'ythee, woman,

[Rome,

Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in And occupations perish!

Cor.

What, what, what!

I shall be lov'd, when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,
Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,

Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd
Your husband so much sweat.-Cominius,

Droop not; adieu :-Farewell, my wife! my mother!

I'll do well yet.

Vol.

My first son,

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius
With thee a while: Determine on some course,
More than a wild exposture to each chance
That starts i' th' way before thee.

Cor.

O the gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee
Where thou shalt rest, that thou may'st hear of us,
And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth
A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send
O'er the vast world, to seek a single man;
And lose advantage, which doth ever cool
I' th' absence of the needer.

Cor.
Fare ye well:--
Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full
Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one

That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but out at gate.

When Fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded and yet continue calm, requires a generous policy.

• Noblest and most eminent of men.

[COR. 75]

Y 2

Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch,' when I am forth,
Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come.
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me still; and never of me aught
But what is like me formerly.

Men.
That's worthily
As any ear can hear.-Come, let's not weep.—
If I could shake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,
I'd with thee every foot.

Cor.

Come.

Give me thy hand :

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same. A street near the gate.

Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and an Edile.

Sic. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further,

The nobility are vex'd, who, we see, have sided

In his behalf.

Bru.

Let us seem humbler after it is done,

Than when it was a doing.

Sic.

Now we have shown our power,

Bid them home:

Dismiss them home.

[Exit Edile.

Say, their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength.

Bru.

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Bru.

Keep on your way.

They have ta'en note of us :

Vol. O, you're well met: The hoarded plague o' th'

Requite your love!

[gods

Men.
Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,

Peace, peace; be not so loud.

Nay, and you shall hear some.—

Will you be gone?

Vir. You shall stay too: [To SICINIUS.] I would,

To say so to my husband.

Sic.

[TO BRUTUS.

[I had the power

Are you mankind?1

Vol. Ay, fool; Is that a shame?—Note but this

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Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome,
Than thou hast spoken words?

Sic.

O blessed heavens !

Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words; And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what;-Yet go:Nay, but thou shalt stay too:-I would my son

Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

His good sword in his hand.

Sic.

Vir.

What then?

What then?

He'd make an end of thy posterity.

Vol. Bastards, and all.

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

Men. Come, come, peace.

Sic. I would he had continu'd to his country,

As he began; and not unknit himself

The noble knot he made.

Bru.

I would he had.

Vol. I would he had! 'Twas you incens'd the rabble:

Sicinins asks Volumnia if she be mankind, intending to upbraid her strong masculine powers. She takes mankind for a human creature, and accordingly cries out,

Note but this fool.

Was not a man my father?

[COR. 77]

Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth,
As I can of those mysteries which heaven
Will not have earth to know.

Bru.

Pray, let us go.

Vol. Now, pray, sir, get you gone:

You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this:
As far as doth the Capitol exceed

The meanest house in Rome: so far, my son,
(This lady's husband here, this, do you see,)
Whom you have banish'd, does exceed you all.
Bru. Well, well, we'll leave you.

Sic.

Why stay we to be baited

With one that wants her wits?

Vol.

Take my prayers with you.

I would the gods had nothing else to do,

[Exeunt Tribunes. But to confirm my curses! Could I meet them But once a day, it would unclog my heart

Of what lies heavy to't.
Men.

You have told them home,

And, by my troth, you have cause.

You'll sup with Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself, [me? And so shall starve with feeding.-Come, let's go: Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,

anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.

In

Men. Fye, fye, fye.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-A highway between Rome and

Antium.

Enter a Roman and a Volce, meeting.

Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me: your name, I think, is Adrian.

Vol. It is, so, sir: truly, I have forgot you.

Rom. I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against them: Know you me yet?

Vol. Nicanor? No.

Rom. The same, sir.

[COR. 78]

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