Vol. He had rather see the swords, and hear a drum, than look upon his school-master.

Val. O' my word, the father's son: I'll swear, 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I looked upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has such a confirmed 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; catched it again or whether his fall enraged him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth, and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammocked it!

Vol. One of his father's moods.

Val. Indeed la, 'tis a noble child.

Vir. A crack, madam.

Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery; I must 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. Fye, 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.

6 To mammock is to tear or cut in pieces.

7 A crack signifies a sprightly forward boy: it is often used by Jonson and his cotemporaries :

'If we could get a witty boy now, Eugine,

That were an excellent crack, I could instruct him
To the true height.'

'A notable dissembling lad, a crack.'

Devil is an Ass.

Four Prentices of London, 1615.

Vol. Why, I pray you?

Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love. Val. You would be another Penelope: yet they say, all the yarn she spun, in Ulysses' 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 senator 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 set down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it briet wars. This is true, on mine honour; and so, I pray, go with us.

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

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

she

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

not.

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

VOL. VIII.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Before Corioli.

Enter, with Drum and Colours, MARCIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Officers and Soldiers. To them a Messenger.

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

Mar. Say, has our general met the enemy?
Mess. They lie in view; but have not spoke as yet.
Lart. So, the good horse is mine.

Mar.

I'll buy him of you.

Lart. No, I'll nor sell, nor give him: lend you him, I will,

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

Mess.
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 friends1!Come, blow thy blast.
They sound a parley. Enter, on the walls, some
Senators, and Others.

Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls?

1 Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he 2,

1 i.e. our friends who are in the field of battle.

2 The poet meanss-No, nor a man that fears you more than he; but he often entangles himself in the use of less and more. In the Winter's Tale we meet with an inaccuracy of the same kind. See vol. iv. p. 49:

I ne'er heard yet,

That any of these bolder vices wanted

Less impudence to gainsay what they did,

Than to perform it first.'

And in Cymbeline: Be it but to fortify her judgment, which else an easy battery might lay flat, for taking a beggar without less quality.' Here also less should be more.

That's lesser than a little. Hark, our drums

[Alarums afar off. Are bringing forth our youth: We'll break our walls, Rather than they shall pound us up: our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with rushes; They'll open of themselves. Hark you, far off;

[Other Alarums.

There is Aufidius; list, what work he makes
Amongst your cloven army.

Mar.
O, they are at it!
Lart. Their noise be our instruction.-Ladders, ho!

The Volces enter and pass over the Stage. 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, and exeunt Romans and Volces, fighting.
The Romans are beaten back to their trenches.
Re-enter MARCIUS.

Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome! you herd of3- -Boils and

plagues

Plaster you o'er; that you may be abhorr'd
Further than seen, and one infect another
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!

3. You herd of cowards!' Marcius would probably have said, but his rage prevents him.

All hurt behind; backs red, and faces pale
With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home,
Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe,

And make my wars on you: look to't: Come on ;
If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives,
As they us to our trenches followed.

Another Alarum. The Volces and Romans re-enter, and the fight is renewed. The Volces retire into Corioli, and MARCIUS follows them to the gates. So, now the gates are ope:-Now prove good seconds:

"Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like.

[He enters the gates, and is shut in.

1 Sol. Fool-hardiness; not I.

1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels,
With them he enters: who, upon the sudden,
Clapp'd-to their gates; he is himself alone,
To answer all the city.

Lart.

O noble fellow!
Who, sensible, outdares his senseless sword,

Sensible is here having sensation. So before:-'I would your cambrick were as sensible as your finger.' Though Coriolanus has the feeling of pain like other men, he is more hardy in daring exploits than his senseless sword; for after it is bent, he yet stands firm in the field. There is a similar thought in