Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 7

A camp at a short distance from Rome.

  1. [Enter AUFIDIUS and his LIEUTENANT.]
  2. Tullus Aufidius
  3. 2914 Do they still fly to the Roman?
  4. Lieutenant
  5. 2915 I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but
  6. 2916 Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
  7. 2917 Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;
  8. 2918 And you are darken'd in this action, sir,
  9. 2919 Even by your own.
  10. Tullus Aufidius
  11. 2920 I cannot help it now,
  12. 2921 Unless by using means, I lame the foot
  13. 2922 Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier,
  14. 2923 Even to my person, than I thought he would
  15. 2924 When first I did embrace him: yet his nature
  16. 2925 In that's no changeling; and I must excuse
  17. 2926 What cannot be amended.
  18. Lieutenant
  19. 2927 Yet I wish, sir,—
  20. 2928 I mean, for your particular,—you had not
  21. 2929 Join'd in commission with him; but either
  22. 2930 Had borne the action of yourself, or else
  23. 2931 To him had left it solely.
  24. Tullus Aufidius
  25. 2932 I understand thee well; and be thou sure,
  26. 2933 When he shall come to his account, he knows not
  27. 2934 What I can urge against him. Although it seems,
  28. 2935 And so he thinks, and is no less apparent
  29. 2936 To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly,
  30. 2937 And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state,
  31. 2938 Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon
  32. 2939 As draw his sword: yet he hath left undone
  33. 2940 That which shall break his neck or hazard mine
  34. 2941 Whene'er we come to our account.
  35. Lieutenant
  36. 2942 Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome?
  37. Tullus Aufidius
  38. 2943 All places yield to him ere he sits down;
  39. 2944 And the nobility of Rome are his;
  40. 2945 The senators and patricians love him too:
  41. 2946 The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people
  42. 2947 Will be as rash in the repeal as hasty
  43. 2948 To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome
  44. 2949 As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it
  45. 2950 By sovereignty of nature. First he was
  46. 2951 A noble servant to them; but he could not
  47. 2952 Carry his honours even: whether 'twas pride,
  48. 2953 Which out of daily fortune ever taints
  49. 2954 The happy man; whether defect of judgment,
  50. 2955 To fail in the disposing of those chances
  51. 2956 Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
  52. 2957 Not to be other than one thing, not moving
  53. 2958 From the casque to the cushion, but commanding peace
  54. 2959 Even with the same austerity and garb
  55. 2960 As he controll'd the war; but one of these,—
  56. 2961 As he hath spices of them all, not all,
  57. 2962 For I dare so far free him,—made him fear'd,
  58. 2963 So hated, and so banish'd: but he has a merit
  59. 2964 To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
  60. 2965 Lie in the interpretation of the time:
  61. 2966 And power, unto itself most commendable,
  62. 2967 Hath not a tomb so evident as a cheer
  63. 2968 To extol what it hath done.
  64. 2969 One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
  65. 2970 Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.
  66. 2971 Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine,
  67. 2972 Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine.
  68. [Exeunt.]