SCENE VI. Near the camp of Cominius. The Tragedy of Coriolanus  Shakespeare homepage  |  Coriolanus  | Act 1, Scene 6 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE VI. Near the camp of Cominius. 

 Enter COMINIUS, as it were in retire, with soldiers  COMINIUS  Breathe you, my friends: well fought; 

 we are come off 

 Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands, 

 Nor cowardly in retire: believe me, sirs, 

 We shall be charged again. Whiles we have struck, 

 By interims and conveying gusts we have heard 

 The charges of our friends. Ye Roman gods! 

 Lead their successes as we wish our own, 

 That both our powers, with smiling 

 fronts encountering, 

 May give you thankful sacrifice. 



 Enter a Messenger  Thy news? 

 Messenger  The citizens of Corioli have issued, 

 And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle: 

 I saw our party to their trenches driven, 

 And then I came away. 

 COMINIUS  Though thou speak'st truth, 

 Methinks thou speak'st not well. 

 How long is't since? 

 Messenger  Above an hour, my lord. 

 COMINIUS  'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums: 

 How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour, 

 And bring thy news so late? 

 Messenger  Spies of the Volsces 

 Held me in chase, that I was forced to wheel 

 Three or four miles about, else had I, sir, 

 Half an hour since brought my report. 

 COMINIUS  Who's yonder, 

 That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods 

 He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have 

 Before-time seen him thus. 

 MARCIUS  [Within]                 Come I too late? 

 COMINIUS  The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabour 

 More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue 

 From every meaner man. 



 Enter MARCIUS  MARCIUS  Come I too late? 

 COMINIUS  Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, 

 But mantled in your own. 

 MARCIUS  O, let me clip ye 

 In arms as sound as when I woo'd, in heart 

 As merry as when our nuptial day was done, 

 And tapers burn'd to bedward! 

 COMINIUS  Flower of warriors, 

 How is it with Titus Lartius? 

 MARCIUS  As with a man busied about decrees: 

 Condemning some to death, and some to exile; 

 Ransoming him, or pitying, threatening the other; 

 Holding Corioli in the name of Rome, 

 Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash, 

 To let him slip at will. 

 COMINIUS  Where is that slave 

 Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? 

 Where is he? call him hither. 

 MARCIUS  Let him alone; 

 He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen, 

 The common file--a plague! tribunes for them!-- 

 The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat as they did budge 

 From rascals worse than they. 

 COMINIUS  But how prevail'd you? 

 MARCIUS  Will the time serve to tell? I do not think. 

 Where is the enemy? are you lords o' the field? 

 If not, why cease you till you are so? 

 COMINIUS  Marcius, 

 We have at disadvantage fought and did 

 Retire to win our purpose. 

 MARCIUS  How lies their battle? know you on which side 

 They have placed their men of trust? 

 COMINIUS  As I guess, Marcius, 

 Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates, 

 Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius, 

 Their very heart of hope. 

 MARCIUS  I do beseech you, 

 By all the battles wherein we have fought, 

 By the blood we have shed together, by the vows 

 We have made to endure friends, that you directly 

 Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates; 

 And that you not delay the present, but, 

 Filling the air with swords advanced and darts, 

 We prove this very hour. 

 COMINIUS  Though I could wish 

 You were conducted to a gentle bath 

 And balms applied to, you, yet dare I never 

 Deny your asking: take your choice of those 

 That best can aid your action. 

 MARCIUS  Those are they 

 That most are willing. If any such be here-- 

 As it were sin to doubt--that love this painting 

 Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear 

 Lesser his person than an ill report; 

 If any think brave death outweighs bad life 

 And that his country's dearer than himself; 

 Let him alone, or so many so minded, 

 Wave thus, to express his disposition, 

 And follow Marcius. 



 They all shout and wave their swords, take him up in their arms, and cast up their caps  O, me alone! make you a sword of me? 

 If these shows be not outward, which of you 

 But is four Volsces? none of you but is 

 Able to bear against the great Aufidius 

 A shield as hard as his. A certain number, 

 Though thanks to all, must I select 

 from all: the rest 

 Shall bear the business in some other fight, 

 As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march; 

 And four shall quickly draw out my command, 

 Which men are best inclined. 

 COMINIUS  March on, my fellows: 

 Make good this ostentation, and you shall 

 Divide in all with us. 



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