His arrival at Antium was about evening, and though several met him in
the streets, yet he passed along without recognition, and went directly
to the house of Tullus, and entering undiscovered, went up to the
fire-hearth, and seated himself there without speaking a work, covering
up his head. Those of the family could not but wonder, and yet they were
afraid either to raise or question him, for there was a certain air of
majesty both in his posture and silence, but they recounted to Tullus,
then at supper, the strangeness of this accident. He immediately rose
from table and came in, and asked him who he was, and for what business
he came there; and then Marcius, unmuffling himself, and pausing awhile
said, "If you cannot yet call me to mind, Tullus, or do not believe your
eyes concerning me, I must of necessity be my own accuser. I am Gaius
Marcius, the author of so much mischief to the Volscians; of which, were
I seeking to deny it, the surname of Coriolanus I now bear would be a
sufficient evidence against me. The one recompense I received for
all the hardships and perils I have gone through, was the title that
proclaims my enmity to your nation, and this is the only thing which
is still left me. Of all other advantages, I have been stripped
and deprived by the envy of the Roman people, and the cowardice and
treachery of the magistrates and those of my own order. I am driven out
as an exile, and become an humble suppliant at your hearth, not so much
for safety and protection (should I have come hither, had I been afraid
to die?), as to seek vengeance against those that expelled me; which,
methinks, I have already obtained, by putting myself into your hands.
If, therefore, you have really a mind to attack your enemies, make use
of that affliction you see me in to assist the enterprise, and convert
my personal infelicity into a common blessing to the Volscians; as I am
likely to be more serviceable in fighting for than against you, with the
advantage, which I now possess, of knowing all the secrets of the enemy
that I am attacking."
Tullus, on hearing this, was extremely rejoiced, and giving him his
right hand, exclaimed, "rise, Marcius, and be of good courage; it is
a great happiness you bring to Antium, in the present you make us of
yourself; expect everything that is good from the Volscians." he then
proceeded to feast and entertain him with every display of kindness, and
for several days after they were in close deliberation together on the
prospects of a war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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