Antium. A Hall in Aufidius's House.
 Music plays. Enter 1st SERVINGMAN.

1st Servant	Wine, wine, wine! What service is here? I think our fellows 
	are asleep.
												[Exit.
                          Enter 2nd SERVINGMAN.

2nd Servant	Where's Cotus? My master calls for him. Cotus!
												[Exit.
                            Enter CORIOLANUS.

Coriolanus	A goodly house: the feast smells well; but I
	Appear not like a guest.

                       Re-enter the 1st SERVINGMAN.

1st Servant	What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no 
	place for you. Pray go to the door.
												[Exit.
Coriolanus	I have deserved no better entertainment
	In being Coriolanus.

                         Re-enter 2nd SERVINGMAN.

2nd Servant	Whence are you sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, 
	that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray get you 
	out.

Coriolanus	Away!

2nd Servant	Away? Get you away!

Coriolanus	Now th' art troublesome.

2nd Servant	Are you so brave! I'll have you talked with anon.

           Enter 3rd SERVINGMAN, the 1st SERVINGMAN meets him.

3rd Servant	What fellow's this?

1st Servant	A strange one as ever I looked on. I cannot get him out 
	o'th' house. Prithee call my master to him.

3rd Servant	What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the 
	house.

Coriolanus	Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.

3rd Servant	What are you?

Coriolanus	A gentleman.

3rd Servant	A marvellous poor one.

Coriolanus	True, so I am.

3rd Servant	Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station; 
	here's no place for you; pray you avoid. Come.

Coriolanus	Follow your function; go, and batten on cold bits.
												[Pushes him away from him.

3rd Servant	What, you will not? Prithee tell my master what a strange 
	guest he has here.

2nd Servant	And I shall.
												[Exit.
3rd Servant	Where dwell'st thou?

Coriolanus	Under the canopy.

3rd Servant	Under the canopy?

Coriolanus	Ay.

3rd Servant	Where's that?

Coriolanus	I'th' city of kites and crows.

3rd Servant	I'th' city of kites and crows? What an ass it is! Then thou 
	dwell'st with daws too?

Coriolanus	No, I serve not thy master.

3rd Servant	How, sir? Do you meddle with my master?

Coriolanus	Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy 
	mistress. Thou prat'st and prat'st. Serve with thy trencher 
	- hence!
												[Beats him away.

                 Enter AUFIDIUS with the 2nd SERVINGMAN.

Aufidius	Where is this fellow?

2nd Servant	Here, sir. I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for 
	disturbing the lords within.
												[The SERVINGMEN stand apart.

Aufidius	Whence com'st thou? What wouldst thou? Thy name?
	Why speak'st not? Speak, man - what's thy name?

Coriolanus									[Unmuffling.] If, Tullus,
	Not yet thou know'st me, and, seeing me, dost not
	Think me for the man I am, necessity
	Commands me name myself.

Aufidius								What is thy name?

Coriolanus	A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears,
	And harsh in sound to thine.

Aufidius										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?

Coriolanus	Prepare thy brow to frown. Know'st thou me yet?

Aufidius	I know thee not. Thy name?

Coriolanus	My name is Caius Martius, who hath done
	To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces,
	Great hurt and mischief: thereto witness may
	My surname, Coriolanus. The painful service,
	The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood
	Shed for my thankless country, are requited
	But with that surname - a good memory
	And witness of the malice and displeasure
	Which thou shouldst bear me. Only that name remains.
	The cruelty and envy of the people,
	Permitted by our dastard nobles, who
	Have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest;
	And suffered me by th' voice of slaves to be
	Whooped out of Rome. Now this extremity
	Hath brought me to thy hearth; not out of hope,
	Mistake me not, to save my life - for if
	I had feared death, of all the men i'th' world
	I would have 'voided thee - but in mere spite
	To be full quit of those my banishers,
	Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast
	A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge
	Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those maims
	Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee straight,
	And make my misery serve thy turn. So use it,
	That my revengeful services may prove
	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
	Th' art tired, then, in a word, I also am
	Longer to live most weary, and present
	My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice;
	Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,
	Since I have ever followed thee with hate,
	Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
	And cannot live but to thy shame, unless
	It be to do thee service.

Aufidius								O Martius, Martius,
	Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart
	A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter
	Should from yond cloud speak divine things
	And say "'Tis true", I'd not believe them more
	Than thee, all-noble Martius. Let me twine
	Mine arms about that body, where against
	My graind ash an hundred times hath broke,
	And scarred the moon with splinters. Here I clip
	The anvil of my sword, and do contest
	As hotly and as nobly with thy love
	As ever in ambitious strength I did
	Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,
	I loved the maid I married; never man
	Sighed truer breath; but that I see thee here,
	Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart
	Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
	Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars, I tell thee
	We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
	Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
	Or lose mine arm for't. Thou hast beat me out
	Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
	Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me,
	- We have been down together in my sleep,
	Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat-
	And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius,
	Had we no other quarrel else to Rome, but that
	Thou art thence banished, we would muster all
	From twelve to seventy, and, pouring war
	Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,
	Like a bold flood o'erbear't. O come; go in,
	And take our friendly Senators by the hands
	Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
	Who am prepared against your territories,
	Though not for Rome itself.

Coriolanus									You bless me, gods!

Aufidius	Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have
	The leading of thine own revenges, take
	The one half of my commission, and set down
	As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st
	Thy country's strength and weakness, thine own ways:
	Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,
	Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
	To fright them, ere destroy. But, come in;
	Let me commend thee first to those that shall
	Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes!
	And more a friend than e'er an enemy;
	Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand - most welcome!
									 [Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS.

                     1st and 2nd SERVINGMEN advance.

1st Servant	Here's a strange alteration.

2nd Servant	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.

1st Servant	What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and 
	his thumb, as one would set up a top.

2nd Servant	Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him. He 
	had, sir, a kind of face, methought - I cannot tell how to 
	term it.

1st Servant	He had so; looking as it were - would I were hanged but I 
	thought there was more in him than I could think.

2nd Servant	So did I, I'll be sworn. He is simply the rarest man i'th' 
	world.

1st Servant	I think he is; but a greater soldier than he, you wot on.

2nd Servant	Who? my master?

1st Servant	Nay, it's no matter for that.

2nd Servant	Worth six on him.

1st Servant	Nay, not so neither: but I take him to be the greater 
	soldier.

2nd Servant	Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the 
	defence of a town our general is excellent.

1st Servant	Ay, and for an assault too.

                       Re-enter the 3rd SERVINGMAN.

3rd Servant	O slaves, I can tell you news; news you rascals.

1st & 2nd
Servants	What, what, what? Let's partake.

3rd Servant	I would not be a Roman of all nations; I had as lief be a 
	condemned man.

1st & 2nd
Servants	Wherefore? Wherefore?

3rd Servant	Why, here's he that was wont to thwack our general, Caius 
	Martius.

1st Servant	Why do you say 'thwack our general'?

3rd Servant	I do not say 'thwack our general', but he was always good 
	enough for him.

2nd Servant	Come, we are fellows and friends: he was ever too hard for 
	him; I have heard him say so himself.

1st Servant	He was too hard for him directly. To say the truth on't: 
	before Corioles he scotched him and notched him like a 
	carbonado.

2nd Servant	An he had been cannibally given he might have boiled and 
	eaten him too.

1st Servant	But more of thy news.

3rd Servant	Why, he is so made on here within as if he were son and 
	heir to Mars; set at upper end o'th' table; no question 
	asked him by any of the Senators, but they stand bald 
	before him. Our general himself makes a mistress of him; 
	sanctifies himself with's hand, and turns up the white 
	o'th' eye to his discourse. But the bottom of the news is, 
	our general is cut i'th' middle, and but one half of what 
	he was yesterday; for the other has half, by the entreaty 
	and grant of the whole table. He'll go, he says, and sowl 
	the porter of Rome gates by th' ears. He will mow all down 
	before him, and leave his passage polled.

2nd Servant	And he's as like to do't as any man I can imagine.

3rd Servant	Do't? He will do't: for look you, sir, he has as many 
	friends as enemies; which friends, sir, as it were, durst 
	not, look you sir, show themselves, as we term it, his 
	friends, whilst he's in directitude.

1st Servant 	Directitude? What's that?

3rd Servant	But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the 
	man in blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies 
	after rain, and revel all with him.

1st Servant	But when goes this forward?

3rd Servant	Tomorrow, today, presently. You shall have the drum struck 
	up this afternoon; 'tis as it were a parcel of their feast, 
	and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.

2nd Servant	Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace 
	is nothing but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed 
	ballad-makers.

1st Servant	Let me have war, say I. It exceeds peace as far as day does 
	night; it's sprightly walking, audible, and full of vent. 
	Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, 
	insensible; a getter of more bastard children than war's a 
	destroyer of men.

2nd Servant	'Tis so. And as war in some sort may be said to be a 
	ravisher, so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker 
	of cuckolds.

1st Servant	Ay, and it makes men hate one another.

3rd Servant	Reason: because they then less need one another. The wars 
	for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. 
	They are rising, they are rising.

1st & 2nd
Servants	In, in, in, in!
												[Exeunt.
