Cor. 1' the city of kites and crows.

3 Serv. I'the city of kites and crows i-What an ass it is!—Then thou dwell'st with daws too? 261

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, hence!

[Beats him away. Enter Aufidius, with the Second Serving-Man. 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?

270 Why speak’st not? Speak, man: What's thy name?

Cor. If, Tullus, Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not Think me for the man I am, necessity Commands me nanie myself.

Auf. What is thy name?

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

Auf. Say, what's thy name ? Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face 28 Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn, Thou shew'st a noble vessel : What's thy name? Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown : Know'st thou me yet?

Auf,

Auf. I know thee not :- -Thy name?

Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces, 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 290 But with that surname; a good memory, And witness of the malice and displeasure Which thou shouldst bear me, only that name rea

mains : The cruelty and envy of the people, Permitted by our dastard nobles, who Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest; And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be Whoop'd out Rome. Now, this extremity Hath brought me to thy hearth ; Not out of hope, Mistake me not, to save my life; for if

300
I had fear's 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, that wilt revenge
Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims
Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee

straight,
And make my misery serve thy turn ; $o use it,
That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee; for I will fight

310 Against my canker'd country with the spleen K

Of

a

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 shew 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 320
It be to do thee service.

Auf. O Marcius, Marcius,
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my

heart 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 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 330 The anvil of my sword; and do contest As hotly and as nobly with thy love, As ever in ambitious strength I did Contend against thy valour. Know thou first, I lov'd the maid I marry'd ; never man Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here,

? Thou noble thing ! more dances my rapt heart, Than when I first my wedded mistress saw Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell thee,

We

We have a power on foot; and I had purpose 340
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for't: Thou hast beat me out
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dream't of encounters 'twixt thyself and me;
We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat,
And wak'd half dead with nothing. Worthy Mar-

cius,
Had we no quarrel else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish’d, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy ; and, pouring war 350
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,
Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O, come, go in,
And take our friendly senators by the hands;
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepar'd against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.

Cor. You bless me, Gods!
Auf. Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt

have
The leading of thine own revenges, take
The one half of my commission; and set down-
As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know’st 361
Thy country's strength and weakness-thine own

ways:
Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in :

Kij

Let

Let me commend thee first to those, that shall
Say, yea, to thy desires. A thousand welcomes !
And more a friend than e'er an enemy;
Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand : Most
welcome!

[ Exeunt. i Serv. Here's a strange alteration!

370 2 Serv. By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel; and yet my mind gave ine, his clothes made a false report of him.

1 Serv. What an arm he has ! He turn'd me about with his finger and his thumb, as one would set up a top

2 Serv. Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him: He had, sir, a kind of face, methought I cannot tell how to term it.

379 1 Serv. He had so; looking, as it were-'Would I were hang'd, but I thought there was more in him than I could think.

2 Serv. So did I, I'll be sworn : He is simply the rarest man i' the world.

1 Serv. I think, he is : but a greater soldier than he, you wot one.

2 Serv. Who? my master ?
1 Serv. Nay, it's no matter for that.
2 Serv. Worth six of him.

1 Serv. Nay, not so neither : but I take him to be the greater soldier.

391 2 Serv. 'Faith, look yoli, one cannot tell how to say that : for the defence of a town, our general is excellent.