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Auf

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A Camp at a small diftance from Rome.

Enter Aufidius, with his Lieutenant.

O they still fly to th' Roman?

Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in
him, but

Your foldiers ufe him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;
And you are darken'd in this action, Sir,
Even by your own.

Auf. I cannot help it now,

Unless, by using means, I lame the foot

Of our defign. He bears himself more proudly
Even to my perfon, than, I thought, he would
When firft I did embrace him. Yet his nature
In that's no changling, and I muft excufe
What cannot be amended.

"Lieu. Yet I wish, Sir,

I mean, for your particular, you had not
Join'd in Commiffion with him; but had borne
The action of yourself, or elfe to him

Had left it folely.

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou fure, When he shall come to his account, he knows not, What I can urge against him; though it seems, And fo he thinks, and is no lefs apparent To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly, And fhews good husbandry for the Volfcian State, Fights dragon-like, and does atchieve as foon As draw his fword; yet he hath left undone That which fhall break his neck, or hazard mine, When e'er we come to our account.

Lieu. Sir, I befeech you, think you, he'll carry

Rome?

Auf

Auf. All places yield to him ere he fits down,
And the Nobility of Rome are his :

The Senators and Patricians love him too :
The Tribunes are no foldiers; and their people
Will be as rafh in the Repeal, as hafty

To expel him thence. I think, he'll be to Rome 5 As is the Ofprey to the fifh, who takes it By Sovereignty of Nature. First, he was - A noble fervant to them, but he could not Carry his Honours even; whether pride, Which out of daily fortune ever taints The happy man, whether defect of judgment, To fail in the difpofing of those chances, Whereof he was the Lord, or whether nature, Not to be other than one thing; not moving From th' cafk to th' cufhion; but commanding peace Even with the fame aufterity and garb, As he controll'd the war; but one of thefe, As he hath spices of them all, not all, For I dare fo far free him, made him fear'd, So hated, and fo banifh'd. But he has merit To choak it in the utt'rance; fo our virtues Lie in th' interpretation of the time; "And Power, unto itself moft commendable,

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Hath not a tomb fo evident, as a chair
T' extol what it hath done.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
Right's by right fouler, ftrengths by ftrengths do fail.
Come, let's away; when, Caius, Rome is thine,
Thou'rt poor'ft of all; then fhortly art thou mine,

[Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A publick Place in Rome.

Enter Menenius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus, with others.

N

MENENIU S.

O, I'll not go.

You hear, what he hath faid, Which was fometime his General, who lov'd him

In a moft dear particular. He call'd me father;
But what o' that? Go you, that banish'd him,
A mile before his Tent fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy. Nay, if he coy'd
To hear Cominius fpeak, I'll keep at home.

miferably ill expreffed. The fenfe is, the virtue which delights to commend itfelf, will find the fureft Tomb in that Chair wherein it holds forth its own commendations.

-unto itself most commendable. i. e. which hath a very high opinion of itself.

WARB.

9 Right's by right FOULER,] This has no manner of fenfe. We should read,

Right's by right FOULED, Or, as it is commonly written in Euglife, foiled, from the French, fouler, to tread or trample under foot. WARBURTON. I believe rights, like ftrengths, is a plural noun. I read, Rights by rights founder,

frengths by firengths do fail. That is, by the exertion of one right another right is lamed.

Сст.

Com. He would not feem to know me.

Men. Do you hear?

Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name,
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not anfwer to; forbad all names;
He was a kind of Nothing, titlelefs,

'Till he had forg'd himfelf a name i' th' fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, fo. You've made good work:
A pair of Tribunes,' that have rack'd for Rome,
To make coals cheap. A noble memory!
Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon
When it was leaft expected. He reply'd,
It was a bare petition of a State

To one whom they had punifh'd.
Men. Very well,

Could he fay lefs?

Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard
For's private friends. His answer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noiiom mufty chaff. He faid, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt
And ftill to nofe, th' offence.

Men. For one poor grain or two?

I'm one of thofe, his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too, we are the grains;
You are the mufty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the Moon. We must be burnt for you.

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Sic. Nay, pray, be patient; if you refuse your aid In this fo never-needed help, yet do not

Upbraid us with our diftrefs. But, fure, if you
Would be your Country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the inftant army we can make,
Might stop our Country-man.

Men. No: I'll not meddle.

Sic. Pray you, go to him.

Men. What fhould I do?

Bru. Only make trial what your love can do For Rome, tow'rds Marcius.

Men. Well, and fay, that Marcius
Return'd me, as Cominius is return'd,
Unheard? what then?

But as a difcontented friend, grief shot
With his unkindness. Say't be fo?
Sic. Yet your good will

Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure
As you intended well.

Men. I'll undertake it :

I think, he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip,
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well, he had not din'd.
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We powt upon the morning, are unapt,
To give or to forgive; but when we've stuff'd
Thefe pipes, and thefe conveyances of blood
With wine and feeding, we have fuppler fouls
Than in our prieft-like fafts. Therefore I'll watch him
'Till he be dieted to my requeft,

And then I'll fet upon him.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lose your way.

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,

3 He was not taken well, he had not dined, &c.] This obfervation is not only from nature, and finely expreffed but

admirably befits the mouth of one, who in the beginning of the play had told us, that he loved convivial doings. WARBURTON.

Speed

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