SCENE V. The same. A Hall in Aufidius's House. Music within. Enter a Servant. 1 Serv. Wine, wine, wine! What service is here! I think our fellows are asleep. Enter another Servant. [Exit. 2 Serv. Where's Cotus? My master calls for him. Cotus! Enter CORIOLANUS. [Exit. Cor. A goodly house; the feast smells well; but I Appear not like a guest. Re-enter the first Servant. 1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you. Pray, go to the door. Cor. I have deserved no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.1 Re-enter second Servant. 2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out. Cor. Away! 2 Serv. Away? Get you away. Cor. Now, thou art troublesome. 2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon. Enter a third Servant. 3 Serv. What fellow's this? The first meets him. 1 i. e. in having derived that surname from the sack of Corioli. 1 Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on; I cannot get him out o' the house. Pr'ythee call my master to him. 3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house. Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth. 3 Serv. What are you? Cor. A gentleman. 3 Serv. A marvellous poor one. Cor. True, so I am. 3 Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; here's no place for you; pray you, avoid. Come. Cor. Follow your function, go! And batten' on cold bits. [Pushes him away. 3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here. 2 Serv. And I shall. 3 Serv. Where dwellest thou? Cor. Under the canopy. 3 Serv. Under the canopy? Cor. Ay. 3 Serv. Where's that? Cor. I' the city of kites and crows. [Exit. 3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows?-What an ass it is! Then thou dwellest with daws too? 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, [Beats him away. hence! Enter AUFIDIUS and the second Servant. Auf. Where is this fellow? 2 Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. 1 Feed. Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldest thou? Thy name? Why speak'st not? Speak, man; what's thy name? Auf. What is thy name? [Servants retire. Cor. A name unmusical to the Volcians' ears, And harsh in sound to thine. Auf. Say, what's thy name? Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn, Thou show'st a noble vessel. What's thy name? Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown. Know'st thou me yet? Auf. I know thee not.-Thy name? Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done The cruelty and envy of the people, Have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest; I had feared death, of all the men i' the world Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims As benefits to thee; for I will fight Against my cankered country with the spleen Of all the under-fiends. But if so be Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes My throat to thee, and to thy ancient malice; 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, Mine arms about that body, where against 1 Wreak is an old term for revenge. 2 i. e. disgraceful diminutions of territory. 3 To clip is to embrace. He calls Coriolanus the anvil of his sword. 4 Shakspeare was unaware that a Roman bride, on her entry into her We have a power on foot; and I had purpose Like a bold flood o'erbeat.2 O, come, go in, Cor. You bless me, gods. The one half of my commission; and set down— Whether to knock against the gates of Rome, To fright them, ere destroy. But, come in; Say, Yea, to thy desires. A thousand welcomes! welcome! Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand! Most [Exeunt COR. and AUF. 1 Serv. [Advancing.] Here's a strange alteration! 2 Serv. By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel; and yet my mind gave me, his clothes made a false report of him. husband's house, was prohibited from bestriding his threshold; lest she should even touch it, she was always lifted over it. 1 i. e. fully, completely. 2 Steevens thinks that we should read o'erbear instead of o'erbeat. |