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Are mock'd for valiant ignorance,

And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him?

Your enemies and his find something in him.

MENENIUS.

We are all undone unless

The noble man have mercy.

COMINIUS.

Who shall ask it?

The tribunes cannot do't for shame; the people

Deserve such pity of him as the wolf

Does of the shepherds; for his best friends, if they

Should say 'Be good to Rome'- they charg'd him even

As those should do that had deserv'd his hate,

And therein show'd fike enemies.

MENENIUS.

'Tis true;

If he were putting to my house the brand

That should consume it, I have not the face

To say 'Beseech you, cease.' You have made fair hands,

You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!

COMINIUS.

You have brought

A trembling upon Rome, such as was never

S' incapable of help.

BOTH TRIBUNES.

Say not we brought it.

MENENIUS.

How! Was't we? We lov'd him, but, like beasts

And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,

Who did hoot him out o' th' city.

COMINIUS.

But I fear

They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,

The second name of men, obeys his points

As if he were his officer. Desperation

Is all the policy, strength, and defence,

That Rome can make against them.

Enter a troop of citizens

MENENIUS.

Here comes the clusters.

And is Aufidius with him? You are they

That made the air unwholesome when you cast

Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at

Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming,

And not a hair upon a soldier's head

Which will not prove a whip; as many coxcombs

As you threw caps up will he tumble down,

And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter;

If he could burn us all into one coal

We have deserv'd it.

PLEBEIANS.

Faith, we hear fearful news.

FIRST CITIZEN.

For mine own part,

When I said banish him, I said 'twas pity.

SECOND CITIZEN.

And so did I.

THIRD CITIZEN.

And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very

many of us. That we did, we did for the best; and though we

willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.

COMINIUS.

Y'are goodly things, you voices!

MENENIUS.

You have made

Good work, you and your cry! Shall's to the Capitol?

COMINIUS.

O, ay, what else?

Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS

SICINIUS.

Go, masters, get you be not dismay'd;

These are a side that would be glad to have

This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,

And show no sign of fear.

FIRST CITIZEN.

The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's

home. I

ever said we were i' th' wrong when we banish'd him.

SECOND CITIZEN.

So did we all. But come, let's home.

Exeunt citizens

BRUTUS.

I do not like this news.

SICINIUS.

Nor I.

BRUTUS.

Let's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth

Would buy this for a lie!

SICINIUS.

Pray let's go. Exeunt

SCENE VII. A camp at a short distance from Rome

Enter AUFIDIUS with his LIEUTENANT

AUFIDIUS.

Do they still fly to th' Roman?

LIEUTENANT.

I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but

Your soldiers use him as the grace fore meat,

Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;

And you are dark'ned in this action, sir,

Even by your own.

AUFIDIUS.

I cannot help it now,

Unless by using means I lame the foot

Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier,

Even to my person, than I thought he would

When first I did embrace him; yet his nature

In that's no changeling, and I must excuse

What cannot be amended.

LIEUTENANT.

Yet I wish, sir-

I mean, for your particular- you had not

Join'd in commission with him, but either

Had borne the action of yourself, or else

To him had left it solely.

AUFIDIUS.

I understand thee well; and be thou sure,

When he shall come to his account, he knows not

What I can urge against him. Although it seems,

And so he thinks, and is no less apparent

To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly

And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state,

Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon

As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone

That which shall break his neck or hazard mine

Whene'er we come to