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March to assault thy country than to tread-

Trust to't, thou shalt not- on thy mother's womb

That brought thee to this world.

VIRGILIA.

Ay, and mine,

That brought you forth this boy to keep your name

Living to time.

BOY.

'A shall not tread on me!

I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight.

CORIOLANUS.

Not of a woman's tenderness to be

Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.

I have sat too long. [Rising]

VOLUMNIA.

Nay, go not from us thus.

If it were so that our request did tend

To save the Romans, thereby to destroy

The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us

As poisonous of your honour. No, our suit

Is that you reconcile them: while the Volsces

May say 'This mercy we have show'd,' the Romans

'This we receiv'd,' and each in either side

Give the all-hail to thee, and cry 'Be blest

For making up this peace!' Thou know'st, great son,

The end of war's uncertain; but this certain,

That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit

Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name

Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;

Whose chronicle thus writ: 'The man was noble,

But with his last attempt he wip'd it out,

Destroy'd his country, and his name remains

To th' ensuing age abhorr'd.' Speak to me, son.

Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,

To imitate the graces of the gods,

To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' th' air,

And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt

That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?

Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man

Still to remember wrongs? Daughter, speak you:

He cares not for your weeping. Speak thou, boy;

Perhaps thy childishness will move him more

Than can our reasons. There's no man in the world

More bound to's mother, yet here he lets me prate

Like one i' th' stocks. Thou hast never in thy life

Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy,

When she, poor hen, fond of no second brood,

Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home

Loaden with honour. Say my request's unjust,

And spurn me back; but if it he not so,

Thou art not honest, and the gods will plague thee,

That thou restrain'st from me the duty which

To a mother's part belongs. He turns away.

Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.

To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride

Than pity to our prayers. Down. An end;

This is the last. So we will home to Rome,

And die among our neighbours. Nay, behold's!

This boy, that cannot tell what he would have

But kneels and holds up hands for fellowship,

Does reason our petition with more strength

Than thou hast to deny't. Come, let us go.

This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;

His wife is in Corioli, and his child

Like him by chance. Yet give us our dispatch.

I am hush'd until our city be afire,

And then I'll speak a little.

[He holds her by the hand, silent]

CORIOLANUS.

O mother, mother!

What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope,

The gods look down, and this unnatural scene

They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O!

You have won a happy victory to Rome;

But for your son- believe it, O, believe it!-

Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd,

If not most mortal to him. But let it come.

Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars,

I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius,

Were you in my stead, would you have heard

A mother less, or granted less, Aufidius?

AUFIDIUS.

I was mov'd withal.

CORIOLANUS.

I dare be sworn you were!

And, sir, it is no little thing to make

Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir,

What peace you'fl make, advise me. For my part,

I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and pray you

Stand to me in this cause. O mother! wife!

AUFIDIUS.

[Aside] I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour

At difference in thee. Out of that I'll work

Myself a former fortune.

CORIOLANUS.

[To the ladies] Ay, by and by;

But we will drink together; and you shall bear

A better witness back than words, which we,

On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd.

Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve

To have a temple built you. All the swords

In Italy,