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Act 1, Scene 4

Before Corioli.

  1. [Enter, with drum and colours, MARCIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Officers, and soldiers.]
  2. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  3. 435 Yonder comes news:—a wager they have met.
  4. Titus Lartius
  5. 436 My horse to yours, no.
  6. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  7. 437 'Tis done.
  8. Titus Lartius
  9. 438 Agreed.
  10. [Enter a Messenger.]
  11. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  12. 439 Say, has our general met the enemy?
  13. Messenger
  14. 440 They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.
  15. Titus Lartius
  16. 441 So, the good horse is mine.
  17. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  18. 442 I'll buy him of you.
  19. Titus Lartius
  20. 443 No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you him I will
  21. 444 For half a hundred years.—Summon the town.
  22. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  23. 445 How far off lie these armies?
  24. Messenger
  25. 446 Within this mile and half.
  26. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  27. 447 Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they ours.—
  28. 448 Now, Mars, I pr'ythee, make us quick in work,
  29. 449 That we with smoking swords may march from hence
  30. 450 To help our fielded friends!—Come, blow thy blast.
  31. [They sound a parley. Enter, on the Walls, some Senators and others.]
  32. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  33. 451 Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?
  34. First Senator
  35. 452 No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
  36. 453 That's lesser than a little.
  37. [Drum afar off]
  38. First Senator
  39. 454 Hark, our drums
  40. 455 Are bringing forth our youth! we'll break our walls
  41. 456 Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates,
  42. 457 Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes;
  43. 458 They'll open of themselves.
  44. [Alarum far off.]
  45. First Senator
  46. 459 Hark you far off!
  47. 460 There is Aufidius; list what work he makes
  48. 461 Amongst your cloven army.
  49. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  50. 462 O, they are at it!
  51. Titus Lartius
  52. 463 Their noise be our instruction.—Ladders, ho!
  53. [The Volsces enter and pass over.]
  54. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  55. 464 They fear us not, but issue forth their city.
  56. 465 Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight
  57. 466 With hearts more proof than shields.—Advance, brave Titus:
  58. 467 They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts,
  59. 468 Which makes me sweat with wrath.—Come on, my fellows:
  60. 469 He that retires, I'll take him for a Volsce,
  61. 470 And he shall feel mine edge.
  62. [Alarums, and exeunt Romeans and Volsces fighting. Romans are beaten back to their trenches. Re-enter MARCIUS.]
  63. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  64. 471 All the contagion of the south light on you,
  65. 472 You shames of Rome!—you herd of—Boils and plagues
  66. 473 Plaster you o'er, that you may be abhorr'd
  67. 474 Farther than seen, and one infect another
  68. 475 Against the wind a mile! You souls of geese
  69. 476 That bear the shapes of men, how have you run
  70. 477 From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and hell!
  71. 478 All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale
  72. 479 With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home,
  73. 480 Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe
  74. 481 And make my wars on you: look to't: come on;
  75. 482 If you'll stand fast we'll beat them to their wives,
  76. 483 As they us to our trenches.
  77. [Another alarum. The Volsces and Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Volsces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates.]
  78. Caius Marcius Coriolanus
  79. 484 So, now the gates are ope:—now prove good seconds:
  80. 485 'Tis for the followers fortune widens them,
  81. 486 Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like.
  82. [He enters the gates]
  83. First Soldier
  84. 487 Fool-hardiness: not I.
  85. Second Soldier
  86. 488 Nor I.
  87. [MARCIUS is shut in.]
  88. First Soldier
  89. 489 See, they have shut him in.
  90. All
  91. 490 To th' pot, I warrant him.
  92. [Alarum continues]
  93. [Re-enter TITUS LARTIUS.]
  94. Titus Lartius
  95. 491 What is become of Marcius?
  96. All
  97. 492 Slain, sir, doubtless.
  98. First Soldier
  99. 493 Following the fliers at the very heels,
  100. 494 With them he enters; who, upon the sudden,
  101. 495 Clapp'd-to their gates: he is himself alone,
  102. 496 To answer all the city.
  103. Titus Lartius
  104. 497 O noble fellow!
  105. 498 Who sensible, outdares his senseless sword,
  106. 499 And when it bows stands up! Thou art left, Marcius:
  107. 500 A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,
  108. 501 Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier
  109. 502 Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
  110. 503 Only in strokes; but with thy grim looks and
  111. 504 The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds
  112. 505 Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world
  113. 506 Were feverous and did tremble.
  114. [Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy.]
  115. First Soldier
  116. 507 Look, sir.
  117. Titus Lartius
  118. 508 O, 'tis Marcius!
  119. 509 Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.
  120. [They fight, and all enter the city.]