Oh me alone, make you a sword of me:
If these shewes be not outward, which of you
But is foure Volces? None of you, but is
Able to beare against the great Auffidious
A Shield, as hard as his. A certaine number
(Though thankes to all) must I select from all:
The rest shall beare the businesse in some other fight
(As cause will be obey'd:) please you to March,
And foure shall quickly draw out my Command,
Which men are best inclin'd
Com. March on my Fellowes:
Make good this ostentation, and you shall
Diuide in all, with vs.
Exeunt.
Titus Lartius, hauing set a guard vpon Carioles, going with Drum
and
Trumpet toward Cominius, and Caius Martius, Enters with a
Lieutenant,
other Souldiours, and a Scout.
Lar. So, let the Ports be guarded; keepe your Duties
As I haue set them downe. If I do send, dispatch
Those Centuries to our ayd, the rest will serue
For a short holding, if we loose the Field,
We cannot keepe the Towne
Lieu. Feare not our care Sir
Lart. Hence; and shut your gates vpon's:
Our Guider come, to th' Roman Campe conduct vs.
Exit
Alarum, as in Battaile.
Enter Martius and Auffidius at seueral doores.
Mar. Ile fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee
Worse then a Promise-breaker
Auffid. We hate alike:
Not Affricke ownes a Serpent I abhorre
More then thy Fame and Enuy: Fix thy foot
Mar. Let the first Budger dye the others Slaue,
And the Gods doome him after
Auf. If I flye Martius, hollow me like a Hare
Mar. Within these three houres Tullus
Alone I fought in your Corioles walles,
And made what worke I pleas'd: 'Tis not my blood,
Wherein thou seest me maskt, for thy Reuenge
Wrench vp thy power to th' highest
Auf. Wer't thou the Hector,
That was the whip of your bragg'd Progeny,
Thou should'st not scape me heere.
Heere they fight, and certaine Volces come in the ayde of Auffi.
Martius
fights til they be driuen in breathles.
Officious and not valiant, you haue sham'd me
In your condemned Seconds.
Flourish. Alarum. A Retreat is sounded. Enter at one Doore
Cominius, with
the Romanes: At another Doore Martius, with his Arme in a
Scarfe.
Com. If I should tell thee o're this thy dayes Worke,
Thou't not beleeue thy deeds: but Ile report it,
Where Senators shall mingle teares with smiles,
Where great Patricians shall attend, and shrug,
I'th' end admire: where Ladies shall be frighted,
And gladly quak'd, heare more: where the dull Tribunes,
That with the fustie Plebeans, hate thine Honors,
Shall say against their hearts, We thanke the Gods
Our Rome hath such a Souldier.
Yet cam'st thou to a Morsell of this Feast,
Hauing fully din'd before.
Enter Titus with his Power, from the Pursuit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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