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Coriolanus

Act I, Scene 4

Before Corioli.
 
[Enter, with drum and colors, MARTIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Captains and Soldiers. To them a MESSENGER]
 
MARTIUS
       ,               ,
      Yonder | comes^news:
                              ,       ,          ,
                           A wag|er they | have met.
 
LARTIUS
           ,          ,      T
      My horse | to yours,| no.
 
MARTIUS
                                 T    T
                               'Tis done.
 
LARTIUS
                                             ,
                                          Agreed.
 
MARTIUS
       ,               ,       ,         ,   ,
      Say, has | our gene|ral met | the en|emy?
 
MESSENGER
            ,         ,          ,          ,         ,
      They lie | in view,| but have | not spoke | as yet.
 
LARTIUS
       ,                ,          ,
      So, the | good* horse | is mine.
 
MARTIUS
                                             ,         ,        ->
                                       I'll buy | him of || you.
 
LARTIUS
       ,       2      ,            x        ,     2          ,
      No,| I'll nor sell,| nor give him:| lend you him | I will
            ,       ,         ,      ,             ,
      For half | a hund|red years.| Summon | the town.
 
MARTIUS
       T   T   T     ,          ,
      How far off | lie these^|armies?
 
MESSENGER
          ,           ,          ,    oo
      Within | this mile | and half.|     (tetra with prev)
 
MARTIUS
             ,          ,            ,              ,    ,
      Then shall | we hear | their 'lar|um, and / they ours.
             ,        ,        ,         ,          ,
      Now* Mars,| I prith|ee make | us quick | in work,
            ,          ,         ,           ,            ,
      That we | with smok|ing swords | may march | from hence
           ,          ,         ,             ,           ,
      To help | our field|ed friends.| Come^blow | thy* blast.
       ,    2    ,  2     ,          ,           ,
      Tullus Au|fidius,| is he | within | your walls?
 
[They sound a parley. Enter two Senators with others on the walls]
 
FIRST SENATOR
       ,           ,           ,           ,          ,
      No, nor | a man | that fears | you less | than he,
              ,        ,       ,
      That's les|ser than | a lit|tle.

[Drums far off]
                                         ,          ,
                                       Hark,| our drums
            ,         ,           ,             ,           ,
      Are bring|ing forth | our youth:| we'll break | our walls
       ,              ,            ,         ,         ,
      Rather | than they | shall pound | us up | our gates,
             ,            ,     ,     2         ,            ,
      Which yet | seem* shut,| we have but | pinned with | rushes,
               ,     ,          ,       ,             ,
      They'll op|en of | themselves.| Hark you,| far^off
        ,           ,   2     ,           ,          ,
      There is | Aufid|ius. List | what work | he makes
          ,            ,      ,
      Amongst | your clov|en ar|my.
 
MARTIUS
                                     ,       2      x
                                    Oh | they are at it.
 
LARTIUS
              ,         ,        ,           ,        ,
      Their noise | be our | instruct|tion. Lad|ders ho.
 
[Enter the army of the Volces]
 
MARTIUS
               x      ,          ,        ,            ,
      They fear us | not, but | issue | forth their | city.
            ,            ,          ,            ,           ,
      Now* put | your shields | before | your hearts,| and fight
              ,             ,             ,
      With hearts | more* proof | than shields.
          ,      ___     ,
      Advance | brave | Titus:   (tri with prev)
            ,        ,         ,        ,            ,
      They do | disdain | us much | beyond | our thoughts,
              ,          ,            ,           ,       ,        ->
      Which^makes | me sweat | with wrath.| Come^on | my fel||lows
       ,       2    ,            ,     ,     2     ,
      He | that retires,| I'll take | him for a | Volsce,
           ,           ,           ,
      And he | shall feel | mine^edge.  \\
 
[Alarum. The Romans are beat back to their trenches. Enter MARTIUS cursing]
 
MARTIUS
       ,     2     ,         2      ,       T    T  T
      All the con|tagion | of the south | light on you,
             ,          ,          ,         ,            ,
      You shames | of Rome:| you herd | of boils | and plagues
        ,            ,          ,         ,        ,
      Plaster | you ore,| that you | may be | abhorred
       ,     2         ,          ,       ,     ,
      Further than | seen, and | one in|fect a|nother
          ,           ,        ,          ,          ,
      Against | the wind | a mile:| You souls | of geese,
             ,           ,         ,     ,              ,
      That bear | the shapes | of men,| how have | you run
              ,            ,            ,     ,            ,
      From slaves,| that apes | would beat;| Pluto | and hell,
             ,     .  T     T    T         ,       ,
      All* hurt | behind, backs red,| and fac|es pale
              ,          ,       ,      T   .     T     T
      With flight | and ag|ued^fear,| mend and charge home,
          ,         ,           x             ,         ,
      Or by | the fires | of heaven,| I'll leave | the foe,
            ,         ,        ,      ,    2           ,
      And make | my wars | on^you:| look to it:| come^on,
                    ,     ,            ,          ,           ,
      If you'll / stand fast,| we'll beat | them to | their wives,
           ,     ,             ,       ,      ,
      As they | us to | our trench|es fol|lowed.
 
[Another alarum. The Volces fly, and MARTIUS follows them to the gates]
       ,      2        ,          ,           ,           ,
      So, now* the | gates are | ope: now*| prove good*| seconds,  ??
            ,         ,    2       ,       ,        ,
      'Tis for | the fol|lowers, fort|une wid|ens them,
       ,     2       ,         ,            ,         ,
      Not for the | fliers:| mark me,| and do | the like.
 
[Enters the gates and is shut in]
 
FIRST SOLDIER
        ,    ,              ,
      Fool-hard/iness,| not I.
 
SECOND SOLDIER
                                   ,   oo
                               Nor I.|
 
FIRST SOLDIER
       ,                ,         ,
      See they | have shut | him in.
 
ALL
        2     ,       ,        ,
      To the pot | I war|rant him.  (tri with prev)
 
[Alarum continues. Enter TITUS LARTIUS]
 
LARTIUS
        ,    2     ,        ,
      What is be|come of | Martius?
 
ALL
                                      ,            ,
                                    Slain (sir)| doubtless.
 
FIRST SOLDIER
       ,   2           ,       ,        ,      ,
      Following | the fli|ers at | the ve|ry heels,
             ,        ,        ,      ,           x
      With them | he ent|ers: who | upon | the sudden
         ,                 ,         ,        ,       ,
      Clapped to | their gates,| he is | himself | alone,
          ,       ,         ,    2
      To ans|wer all | the ci|ty.
 
LARTIUS
                                         x      ,
                                   Oh* noble | fellow!
           ,           ,   ,           ,          ,
      Who sen|sibly / outdares | his sense|less sword,
            ,         ,            ,       2      ,     ,
      And when | it bows,| stands^up.| Thou art left | Martius:
         ,   ,    2     ,         ,             ,
      A car|buncle en|tire: as | big as | thou^art
            ,         ,        x       ,      2     ,
      Were not | so rich | a jewel.| Thou wast a | soldier
      ,   2      ,        ,             ,          ,   2
      Even to | Cato's | wish, not | fierce and | terrible
       ,           ,       ,               ,      ,
      Only | in strokes,| but with | thy grim | looks, and
            ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      The thund|er-like | percus|sion of | thy sounds
             ,            ,  2      ,         ,         ,
      Thou madst | thine^en|emies shake,| as if | the world
              ,         ,           x
      Were* feve|rous, and | did tremble.
 
[Enter MARTIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy]
 
FIRST SOLDIER
        ,
      Look sir.
 
LARTIUS
                ,         ,
                O 'tis | Martius.   (tri with prev)
              ,          ,         ,        ,       ,
      Let's fetch | him off,| or make | remain | alike.
 
[They fight, and all enter the city]

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