Droop not; adieu: farewel, my wife! my mother!
I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are falter than a younger man's,

And venomous to thine eyes. My sometime Ge

neral,

I've seen thee sftern, and thou hast oft beheld

Heart-hardning spectacles. Tell these sad women, 'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,

As 'tis to laugh at 'em. Mother, you wot,
My hazards still have been your folace; and
Believe't not lightly, (tho' I go alone,
Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than seen :) your

Son

Will, or exceed the common, or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.

Vol. My first Son,

Where will you go? take good Cominius
With thee a while, determine on some course,
More than a wild exposure to each chance,
That starts i' th' way before thee.

Cor. O the Gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee Where thou shalt reft, that thou may'st hear of us, And we of thee. So, if the time thrust forth, A Caufe for thy Repeal, we shall not fend O'er the vast world, to feek a single man; And lose advantage, which doth ever cool I th' absence of the needer.

Cor. Fare ye well :

Thou'st years upon thee, and thou art too full
Of the war's furfeits, to go rove with one
That's yet unbruis'd; bring me but out at gate.
Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch: when I am forth,
Bid me farewel, and smile. I pray you, come.
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me still, and never of me aught

D 3

But

But what is like me formerly.

Men. That's worthily

As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep.
If I could shake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good Gods,

I'd with thee every foot.

Sic.

Cor. Give me thy hand.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus, with the Edile.

BID them all home, he's gone;

and we'll no

Vex'd are the Nobles, who, we fee, have fided
In his behalf.

Bru. Now we have shewn our Power,
Let us feem humbler after it is done,
Than when it was a doing.

Sic. Bid them home;

Say, their great enemy is gone, and they

Stand in their ancient Strength.

Bru. Difmiss them home.

Here comes his Mother.

Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.

Sic. Let's not meet her.

Bru. Why?

Sic. They fay, she's mad.

Bru. They have ta'en note of us: keep on your

way.

Vol. Oh, y'are well met:

The horded plague o' th' Gods requite your love! Men. Peace, peace; be not so loud.

Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hearNay, and you shall hear fome. - Will you be gone? You shall stay too.

Virg. I would, I had the power.

To say so to my Husband.

Sic. Are you mankind?
Vol. Ay, fool: is that a shame? note but this fool.

Was not a Man my Father? hadst thou foxship
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome,
Than thou hasst spoken words-
Sic. Oh blessed heav'ns!

Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wife words, And for Rome's good-I'll tell thee what-yet goNay, but thou shalt stay too-I would, my fon Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

His good fword in his hand.

Sic. What then?

Virg. What then? he'd make an end of thy Posterity. Vol. Bastards, and all.

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome:

Men. Come, come, peace.

Sic. I would, he had continued to his Country

As he began, and not unknit himself
The noble knot he made.

Bru. I would, he had.

:

Vol. I would, he had! -'twas you incens'd the

rabble:

Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth,
As I can of those mysteries which Heav'n
Will not have Earth to know.

Bru. Pray let us go.

Vol. Now, pray, Sir, get you gone.

You've done a brave deed: ere you go, hear this:
As far as doth the Capitol exceed

The meanest house in Rome; so far my Son,
This Lady's Husband here, this, (do you fee)
Whom you have banish'd, does exceed you all.

Bru. Well, well, we'll leave you.

Sic. Why stay you to be baited

With one that wants her wits?

[Exeunt Tribunes.

F

Vol. Take my prayers with you,
I wish, the Gods had nothing else to do,
But to confirm my curfes! Could I meet 'em

D 4

But

But once a-day, it would unclog my heart
Of what lies heavy to't.

Men. You've told them home,

And, by my troth, have cause you'll sup with me?

Vol. Anger's my meat, I sup upon myself, And so shall starve with feeding: come, let's go, Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,

In anger, Juno like: come, come, fie, fie!

Rom.

I

[Exeunt.

Know you well, Sir, and you know me; your name, I think, is Adrian.

Vol. It is fo, Sir: truly, I have forgot you.

Rom. I am a Roman, but my services are as you

are, against 'em.

Know you me yet?

Vol. Nicanor? no.

Rom. The fame, Sir.

:

Vol. You had more beard when I last saw you, but your favour is well appeal'd by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a Note from the Volfcian State to find you out there. You have well sav'd me a day's journey.

Rom. There hath been in Rome strange infurrections: the People against the Senators, Patricians, and Nobles.

Vol. Hath been! is it ended then? our State thinks not fo: they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division.

Rom. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again. For the Nobles receive fo to heart the Banishment of that worthy Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the People, and to pluck from them their Tribunes for

for ever.

This lies glowing, I can tell you; and is

almost mature for the violent breaking out. Vol. Coriolanus banish'd?

Rom. Banish'd, Sir.

Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.

Rom. The day ferves well for them now. I have heard it faid, the fittest time to corrupt a man's Wife, is when she's fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great Opposer Coriolanus being now in no request of his Country.

Vol. He cannot chuse. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.

Rom. I shall between this and supper tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their Adversaries. Have you an army ready, fay you?

Vol. A most royal one. The Centurions and their Charges distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour's warning.

Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall fet them in present action. So, Sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company..

Vol. You take my Part for me, Sir, I have the most cause to be glad of yours.

Rom. Well, let us go together.

[Exeunt.

Enter Coriolanus in mean Apparel, disguis'd and muffled.

Cor. A goodly City is this Antium. City, 'Tis I, that made thy widows: Many an heir Of these fair edifices for my wars

Have I heard groan, and drop: then know Me not, Left that thy Wives with spits, and boys with stones, In puny battle slay me. Save you, Sir.

D 5

Enter