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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. |
MARCIUS. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart |
To hear themselves rememb'red. |
COMINIUS. 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. |
MARCIUS. 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 |
May these same instruments which you profane |
Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall |
I' th' 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 th' 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 lov'd my little should be dieted |
In praises sauc'd with lies. |
COMINIUS. 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, can him |
With all th' applause-and clamour of the host, |
Caius Marcius Coriolanus. |
Bear th' addition nobly ever! |
[Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums] |
ALL. Caius Marcius Coriolanus! |
CORIOLANUS. 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 th' fairness of my power. |
COMINIUS. 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. |
LARTIUS. I shall, my lord. |
CORIOLANUS. The gods begin to mock me. I, that now |
Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg |
Of my Lord General. |
COMINIUS. Take't- 'tis yours; what is't? |
CORIOLANUS. 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. |
COMINIUS. O, well begg'd! |
Were he the butcher of my son, he should |
Be free as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus. |
LARTIUS. Marcius, his name? |
CORIOLANUS. By Jupiter, forgot! |
I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd. |
Have we no wine here? |
COMINIUS. Go we to our tent. |
The blood upon your visage dries; 'tis time |
It should be look'd to. Come. Exeunt |
SCENE X. |
The camp of the Volsces |
A flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS bloody, with two or three soldiers |
AUFIDIUS. The town is ta'en. |
FIRST SOLDIER. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition. |
AUFIDIUS. Condition! |
I would I were a Roman; for I cannot, |
Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition? |
What good condition can a treaty find |
I' th' part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius, |
I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me; |
And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter |
As often as we eat. By th' elements, |
If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, |
He's mine or I am his. Mine emulation |
Hath not that honour in't it had; for where |
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