Enter three or four Citizens.

Cit. The gods preserve you both!

Sic.

Good-e'en, our neighbours. Bru. Good-e'en to you all, good-e'en to you all. 1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our Are bound to pray for you both.

Sic.

[knees, Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours: We wish'd CorioHad loved you as we did.

Cit.

Live and thrive!

Now the gods keep you!

Both Tri. Farewell, farewell.

[lanus [Exeunt Citizens.

Sic. This is a happier and more comely time, Than when these fellows ran about the streets, Crying, Confusion.

Bru.

Caius Marcius was

A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
Self-loving,-

Sic.

And affecting one sole throne,

Without assistance,

Men.

I think not so.

Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him.

#d.

Enter Edile.

Worthy tribunes,

There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
Reports, the Volces with two several powers
Are enter'd in the Roman territories;

And with the deepest malice of the war
Destroy what lies before them.

Men.

'Tis Aufidius,

Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,

Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;

Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood for Rome,

And durst not once peep out.

Sic.

Of Marcius?

Come, what talk you

Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd.-It cannot be, The Volces dare break with us.

Men.

Cannot be !

We have record, that very well it can;

And three examples of the like have been

Within my age. But reason with the fellow,
Before you punish him, where he heard this;
Lest, you should chance to whip your information,
And beat the messenger, who bids beware

Of what is to be dreaded.

Mess. The nobles, in great earnestness, are going All to the senate-house: some news is come,

That turns their countenances.

Sic.

'Tis this slave;

Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes :-his raising!
Nothing but his report!

Mess.
Yes, worthy sir,
The slave's report is seconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver d.

Sie.

What more fearful?
Mess. It is spoke freely out of many mouths,
(How probable, I do not know,) that Marcius,
Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome;
And vows revenge as spacious, as between

The young'st and oldest thing.

Sic.

This is most likely!

Bru. Raised only, that the weaker sort may wish Good Marcius home again.

Sic.

Men. This is unlikely :

The very trick on't.

He and Aufidius can no more atone,

Than violentest contrariety.

Enter another Messenger.

Mess. You are sent for to the senate:

A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius,
Associated with Aufidius, rages

Upon our territories; and have already

O'erborne their way, consumed with fire, and took
What lay before them.

Enter COMINIUS.

Com. O, you have made good work!

Men.

What news? what news?

Com. You have holp to ravish your own daughters,

and

To melt the city leads upon your pates;

To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses ;-
Men. What's the news? what's the news?

Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined

Into an augre's bore.

Men.

Prav now, your news?

You have made fair work, I fear me :-Pray, your news? If Marcius should be join'd with Volcians,

Com.

He is their god; he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than nature,

That shapes man better: and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence,
Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,

Or butchers killing flies.

Men.
You, and your apron-men; you, that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation, and

You have made good work,

The breath of garlick-eaters!

Com.

Your Rome about your ears.

Men.

He will shake

As Hercules

Did shake down mellow fruit: You have made fair work!
Bru. But is this true, sir?
Com.

Ay; and you'll look pale

Before you find it other. All the regions

Do smilingly revolt; and who resist

Are only mock'd for valiant ignorance,

And perish constant fools. Who is 't can blame him? Your eneniies, and his, find something in him.

Men. We are all undone, unless

The noble man have mercy.

Com.

Who shall ask it?

The tribunes cannot do't for shame: the people
Deserve such pity of him, as the wolf

Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they

Should say, Be good to Rome, they charged him even As those should do that had deserved his hate,

And therein shew'd like enemies.

Men.

'Tis true:

If he were putting to my house the brand

That should consume it, I have not the face

To say, Beseech you, cease. You have made fair hands, You, and your crafts! you have crafted fair!

Com.

You have brought

Say not, we brought it.

A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
So incapable of help.

Tri.

Men. How! Was it we? We loved him; but, like

beasts,

And cowardly nobles, gave way to your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o' the city.

Com.
But, I fear,
They 'il roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer:- Desperation
Is all the policy, strength, and defence,
That Ronie can make against them.

Men.

Enter à Troop of Citizens.

Here come the clusters.

And is Aufidius with him?-You are they
That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
Your stinking, greasy caps, in hooting at
Ceriolanus' exile. Now, he's coming;
And not a hair upon a soldier's head,

Which will not prove a whip; as many coxcombs,
As you threw caps up, will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter;
If he could burn us all into one coal,

We have deserved it.

Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news.

1 Cit.

For mine own part,

When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity.

. 2 Cit. And so did I.

3 Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: That we did, we did for the best: and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.

Com. You are goodly things, you voices!

Men.

You have made

Good work, you and your cry!-Shall us to the Capitol ? Com. O, ay; what else?

[Exeunt Com. and Men. Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd; These are a side, that would be glad to have This true, which they so seem to fear. Go home, And shew no sign of fear.

1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. I ever said, we were i' the wrong, when

2 Cit. So did we all. But come, let's home.

Bru. I do not like this news.

Sic. Nor 1.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol :-'Would, half my wealth Would buy this for a lie!

Sic.

Pray let us go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.-A Camp at a small distance from

Rome.

Enter AUFIDIUS, and his Lieutenant.

Auf. Do they still fly to the Roman ?

Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in him; but
Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;

And you are darken'd in this action, sir,
Even by your own.

Auf.
I cannot help it now;
Unless, by using means, I lame the foot

Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier
Even to my person, than I thought he would,
When first I did embrace him: Yet his nature
In that 's no changeling; and I must excuse
What cannot be amended.

Lieu.

Yet I wish, sir,
(I mean for your particular,) you had not
Join'd in commission with him: but either
Had borne the action of yourself, or else
To him had left it solely.

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou sure,
When he shall come to his account, he knows not
What I can urge against him. Although it seems,
And so he thinks, and is no less apparent

To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly,
And shews good husbandry for the Volcian state;
Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon
As draw his sword: yet he hath left undone
That, which shall break his neck, or hazard mine,
Whene'er we come to our account.

Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he 'll carry Rome
Auf. All places yield to him, ere he sits down,

And the nobility of Rome are his :

The senators, and patricians, love him too :
The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people
Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty