Methinks, thou speak'ft not well. How long is't

fince?

Mef. Above an hour, my lord.

Com. 'Tis not a mile. Briefly, we heard their drums. How could'st thou in a mile confound an hour, And bring the news fo late?

Mef. Spies of the Volfcians

Held me in chase, that I was forc'd to wheel
Three or four miles about; else had I, Sir,
Half an hour fince brought my report.

Enter Marcius.

Com. Who's yonder,

That does appear as he were flead? O Gods!
He has the stamp of Marcius, and I have

Before seen him thus.

Cor. Come I too late?

Com. The fhepherd knows not thunder from a tabor,

More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue
From every meaner man.

Cor. Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, But mantled in your own.

Cor.h! let me clip ye

In arms as found, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as when our nuptial day was done,
And tapers burnt to bedward.

Com. Flower of Warriors,

How is't with Titus Lartius?

Cor. As with a man bufied about Decrees; Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile, Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning th' other; Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

↑ Ransoming him, or pitying,-} i. e. remitting his ranfit,

Even

Even like a fawning grey-hound in the leash,

To let him flip at will.

Com. Where is that flave,

Which told me, they had beat you to your trenches? Where is he? Call him hither.

Cor. Let him alone,

He did inform the truth. But for our GentlemenThe common file; a plague !-Tribunes for them! The mouse ne'er fhunn'd the cat, as they did budge From rascals worse than they.

Com. But how prevail'd you ?

Cor. Will the time ferve to tell? I do not think— Where is the enemy? are you lords o'th' field? If not, why ceafe you 'till you are fo?

Com. Marcius, we have at difadvantage fought, And did retire, to win our purpose.

Cor. How lies their battle? Know you on what fide They have plac'd their men of truft?

Com. As I guess, Marcius,

Their bands i'th' vaward are the Antiates

Of their best truft; o'er them Aufidius,

Their very heart of hope.

Cor. I do befeech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By th' blood we'ave shed together, by the Vows
We'ave made to endure friends, that you directly

Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates;
"And that you not delay the prefent, but
Filling the air with fwords advanc'd, and darts,
We prove this very hour.--

Com. Though I could wish,

You were conducted to a gentle bath,

And balms applied to you, yet dare I never

prefent,- Delay, for let is, fwords lifted high.

And that you not delay the

dip

WARBURTON..

9-fwords advanc'd,-] That

Deny

Deny your asking; take your choice of those,
That beft can aid your action.

Cor. Thofe are they,

That most are willing.

If any fuch be here,

As it were fin to doubt, that love this Painting;
Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear
Lels for his perfon than an ill report;

If any think, brave death out-weighs bad life;
And that his Country's dearer than himself;
Let him alone, or many, if fo minded,

Wave thus, t'exprefs his difpofition,

And follow Marcius.

[Waving his band.

[They all fhout, and wave their fwords, take him up
in their arms, and coft up their caps.

Oh! Me alone! Make you a fword of me.
If these fhews be not outward, which of you
But is four Volfcians? none of you, but is
Able to bear against the great Aufidius

A fhield as hard as his. A certain number,
Tho' thanks to all, muft I felect from all :
The reft fhall bear the business in some other fight,
As caufe will be obeyed; 'pleate you to march,
And four fhall quickly draw out my Command,
Which men are beft inclin'd.

Com. March on, my fellows.

Make good this oftentation, and you fhall

Divide in all with us.

1-pleefe you to march,
And four hall quickly draw out
my Command,

Which men are best inclix'd.] I cannot but fufpect this paffage of corruption. Why fhould they murch, that four might felcet thofe that were beft incin'd? How would their inclinations be known? Who were the four that

[Exeunt

fhould felect them? Perhaps we may read,

please you to march, And fear hall quickly draw qui of my Command,

Which men are leant iscks'd. It is easy to conceive that, by ₫ little negligence, fear might be changed to four, and ira to beft.

SCENE

Titus Lartius, having fet a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward Cominius and Caius Marcius; Enter with a Lieutenant, other foldiers, and a fcout.

Lart. So, let the Ports be guarded. Keep your

duties,

As I have set them down. If I do fend, dispatch
Thofe Sentries to our aid; the reft will ferve
For a short holding; if we lose the field,

We cannot keep the town.

Lieu. Fear not our care, Sir.

Lart. Hence, and fhut your gates upon's.

Our guider, come! To the Roman camp conduct us,

SCENE XI.

Changes to the Roman Camp.

[Exeunt.

Alarum, as in battle. Enter Marcius and Aufidius, at feveral doors.

Cor.

'LL fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee

I'LL

I

Worfe than a promife-breaker,

Auf. We hate alike:

Not Africk owns a ferpent I abhor

More than thy Fame, and envy. Fix thy foot.
.Cor. Let the first budger die the other's flave,
And the Gods doom him after !

Auf. If I fly, Marcius,

Halloo me like a Hare.

... VOL. VI.

L1

Cor

Cor. Within thefe three hours, Tullus, Alone I fought in your Coricli walls,

And made what work I pleas'd; 'tis not my blood, Wherein thou fee'ft me mask'd; for thy revenge, Wrench up thy power to th' higheft.

Auf. Wert thou the Heater,

That was the whip of your bragg'd Progeny,
Thou should't not 'fcape me here

[Here they fight, and certain Volfcians come to the

aid of Aufidius.

driven in breathless.

Marcius fights, 'till they be

Officious, and not valiant!-*

In your condemned Seconds.

you have fham'd me

Flourish. Alarum. Alarum. A retreat is founded. Enter at one dcor, Cominius with the Romans; at another deer, Marcius, with his arm in a scarf.

Com. If I fhould tell thee o'er this thy day's work,
Thou'lt not believe thy deeds; but I'll report it,
Where Senators fhall mingle tears with fmiles;
Where great Patricians fhall attend and fhrug;
I'th' end, admire; where ladies fhall be frighted,
And, gladly quak'd, hear more, where the dull Tri-
bunes,

That with the fufty Plebeians, hate thine honours,
Shall fay, against their hearts,-We thank the Gods,
Our Rome bath fuch a foldier !

Yet cam'ft thou to a morfel of this feaft,
Having fully. din'd before.

mans

2 Wert thou the Hector, That was the whip of your bragg'd Progen,] The Roans boasted themselves defcended from the Trojans, how then was Hedor the whip of their progeny? It must mean the whip with which the Trojans fcourg'd the Greeks, which cannot be but by a very unufual conftruction, or the authour must have forgot

ten the original of the Romans; unlefs whip has fome meaning which includes advantage or fuperiority, as we fay, he has the whip-hand, for he has the advantage.

• you have fham'd me

In your condemned Seconds.] For condemned, we may read contemned. You have, to my shame, fent me help which I defpife.

Enter