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Vol. Then his good report should have been my fon; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely :-Had I a dozen fons, -each in my love alike, and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, -I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country, than one voluptuously furfeit out of action.

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Gent. Madam, the lady Valeria is come to visit you.
Vir. 'Beseech you, give me leave to retire myself.
Vol. Indeed, you shall not.

Methinks, I hither hear your husband's drum;
See him pluck down Aufidius by the hair;
As children from a bear, the Volces shunning him:
Methinks, I fee him stamp thus, and call thus,
Come on you cowards; you were got in fear,
Though you were born in Rome: His bloody brow
With his mail'd hand then wiping, forth he goes;
Like to a harvest-man, that's tafk'd to mow
Or all, or lofe his hire.

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Vir. His bloody brow! O, Jupiter, no blood! Vol. Away, you fool! it more becomes a man, Than gilt his trophy: The breasts of Hecuba, When she did fuckle Hector, look'd not lovelier Than Hector's forehead, when it spit forth blood At Grecian fwords' contending. - Tell Valeria 5 We are fit to bid her welcome.

[Exit Gent.

Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius!

* Than gilt bis trophy. ) Gilt means a superficial difplay of gold, a word now obfolete. So, in Hen. V. Our gayness and our gilt, are all besmirch'd.

STEEVENS.

3 At Grecian fwords contending. Telt Valeria,] The accuracy of the editors of the first folio may be known from the manner in which they have given this line :

At Grecian fword. Contending, tell Valeria.

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STEEVENS.

Vol.

1

Vol. He'll beat Aufidius' head below his knee, And tread upon his neck.

Enter Valeria, with an Usher, and a Gentlewoman.

Val. My ladies both, good day to you.
Vol. Sweet madam,--

Vir. I am glad to fee your ladyship. Val. How do you both? you are manifest housekeepers. What, are you fewing here? A fine spot, in good faith.-How does your little fon?

Vir. I thank your ladyship; well, good madam. Vol. He had rather fee the swords, and hear a drum, than look upon his school-master.

Val. O' my word, the father's fon: I'll swear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I look'd upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has such a confirm'd countenance. I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catch'd it again: or whether his fall enrag'd him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth, and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammock'd it! /

Vol. One of his father's moods.

Val. Indeed la, 'tis a noble child.

Vir. A crack, madam 7.

Val. Come, lay afide your stitchery; I must

mammock'd it.] To mammock is to cut in pieces, or to tear.

So, in The Devil's Charter, 1607.

"That he were chop'd in mammocks, I could eat him." STEEVENS.

7 A crack, madam.] Thus in Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonfon : "Since we are turn'd cracks, let's study to be like cracks, act freely, carelesly, and capricioufly."

Again, in the Four Prentices of London, 1632:

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A notable, dissembling lad, a crack."

Crack fignifies a boy child. See Mr. Tyrwhitt's note on second part of King Henry IV. Act III. fc. ii. STEEVENS,

have you play the idle huswife with me this after

noon.

Vir. No, good madam; I will not out of doors.
Val. Not out of doors!

Vol. She shall, she shall.

Vir. Indeed, no, by your patience: I will not over the threshold, 'till my lord return from the

wars.

Val. Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably: Come, you must go visit the good lady that lies in.

Vir. I will wish her speedy strength, and visit her with my prayers; but I cannot go thither.

Vol. Why, I pray you?

Vir. 'Tis not to fave labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope: yet, they say, all the yarn, she spun in Ulyffes' absence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; I would, your cambrick were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us.

Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth.

Val. In truth la; go with me; and I'll tell you excellent news of your husband.

Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet.

Val. Verily, I do not jest with you; there came news from him last night.

Vir. Indeed, madam?

Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a fenator speak it. Thus it is :-The Volces have an army forth; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power: your lord, and Titus Lartius, are fet down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us.

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Vir.

(

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Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will obey you in every thing hereafter.

Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth.

Val. In troth, I think, she would :-Fare you well, then.-Come, good sweet lady.-Pry'thee, Virgilia, turn thy folemnness out o'door, and go along with us.

Vir. No: at a word, madam; indeed, I must I wish you much mirth.

not.

Val. Well, then farewel.

SCENE IV.

Before Corioli.

[Exeunt.

Enter Marcius, Titus Lartius, with Drum and Colours, Captains and Soldiers. To them a Messenger.

Mar. Yonder comes news:-A wager, they have

met.

Lart. My horse to yours, no.

Mar. 'Tis done.

Lart. Agreed.

Mar. Say, has our general met the enemy ?
Mes. They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.

Lart. So, the good horfe is mine.

Mar. I'll buy him of you.

Lart. No, I'll not fell, nor give him: lend you

him, I will,

For half a hundred years. --Summon the town.
Mar. How far off lie these armies ?

Mes. Within this mile and half.

Mar. Then shall we hear their 'larum, and they

ours.

Now, Mars, I pr'ythee, make us quick in work; That we with smoking swords may march from hence, To help our fielded friends!-Come, blow thy blast.

They

They found a parley. Enter Senators, with others, on

the walls.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?
I Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
That's lesser than a little, Hark, our drums

[Drum afar off. Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls,

Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates,
Which yet feem shut, we have but pinn'd with

rushes;

They'll open of themselves. Hark you, far off;

[Alarum, far off.

There is Aufidius: lift, what work he makes
Amongst your cloven army.

Mar. O, they are at it!

Lart. Their noise be our instruction.-Ladders, ho!

Enter the Volces.

Mar. 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 :

They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts,
Which makes me sweat with wrath. - Come, on my

fellows;

He that retires, I'll take him for a Volce,
And he shall feel mine edge.

[Alarum; the Romans beat back to their trenches.

nor a man that fears you less than he,

-nor a man that fears you more than be;

That's leffer than a little.]

The sense requires it to be read:

Or, more probably:

That's leffer than a little.

-nor a man but fears you less than be,

JOHNSON.

Re-enter

1.

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