Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 4
Before Corioli.
Coriolanus : Yonder comes news. A wager they have met.
Titus Lartius : My horse to yours, no.
Coriolanus : 'Tis done.
Titus Lartius : Agreed.
Coriolanus : Say, has our general met the enemy?
Messenger : They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.
Titus Lartius : So, the good horse is mine.
Coriolanus : I'll buy him of you.
Titus Lartius : No, I'll nor sell nor give him: lend you him I will
[p]For half a
hundred years. Summon the town.
Coriolanus : How far off lie these armies?
Messenger : Within this mile and half.
Coriolanus : Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they ours.
[p]Now, Mars, I
prithee, make us quick in work,
[p]That we with smoking swords may
march from hence,
[p]To help our fielded friends! Come, blow thy
blast.
[p][They sound a parley. Enter two Senators with others]
[p]on
the walls]
[p]Tutus Aufidius, is he within your walls?
First Senator : No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
[p]That's lesser than a
little.
[p][Drums afar off]
[p]Hark! our drums
[p]Are bringing forth
our youth. We'll break our walls,
[p]Rather than they shall pound us
up: our gates,
[p]Which yet seem shut, we, have but pinn'd with
rushes;
[p]They'll open of themselves.
[p][Alarum afar off]
[p]Hark
you. far off!
[p]There is Aufidius; list, what work he
makes
[p]Amongst your cloven army.
Coriolanus : O, they are at it!
Titus Lartius : Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, ho!
Coriolanus : They fear us not, but issue forth their city.
[p]Now put your shields
before your hearts, and fight
[p]With hearts more proof than shields.
Advance,
[p]brave Titus:
[p]They do disdain us much beyond our
thoughts,
[p]Which makes me sweat with wrath. Come on, my
fellows:
[p]He that retires I'll take him for a Volsce,
[p]And he
shall feel mine edge.
[p][Alarum. The Romans are beat back to
their]
[p]trenches. Re-enter CORIOLANUS cursing]
Coriolanus : All the contagion of the south light on you,
[p]You shames of Rome!
you herd of--Boils and plagues
[p]Plaster you o'er, that you may be
abhorr'd
[p]Further than seen and one infect another
[p]Against the
wind a mile! You souls of geese,
[p]That bear the shapes of men, how
have you run
[p]From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and
hell!
[p]All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale
[p]With flight and
agued fear! Mend and charge home,
[p]Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll
leave the foe
[p]And make my wars on you: look to't: come on;
[p]If
you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives,
[p]As they us to
our trenches followed.
[p][Another alarum. The Volsces fly, and
CORIOLANUS]
[p]follows them to the gates]
[p]So, now the gates are
ope: now prove good seconds:
[p]'Tis for the followers fortune widens
them,
[p]Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like.
First Soldier : Fool-hardiness; not I.
Second Soldier : Nor I.
First Soldier : See, they have shut him in.
All : To the pot, I warrant him.
Titus Lartius : What is become of CORIOLANUS?
All : Slain, sir, doubtless.
First Soldier : Following the fliers at the very heels,
[p]With them he enters; who,
upon the sudden,
[p]Clapp'd to their gates: he is himself alone,
[p]To
answer all the city.
Titus Lartius : O noble fellow!
[p]Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword,
[p]And,
when it bows, stands up. Thou art left, CORIOLANUS:
[p]A carbuncle
entire, as big as thou art,
[p]Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a
soldier
[p]Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
[p]Only in
strokes; but, with thy grim looks and
[p]The thunder-like percussion
of thy sounds,
[p]Thou madst thine enemies shake, as if the
world
[p]Were feverous and did tremble.
First Soldier : Look, sir.
Titus Lartius : O,'tis CORIOLANUS!
[p]Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.
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Next: Act 1 - Scene 5
