Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of his country.

Vol. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.

Rom. I shall, between this and supper, tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?

Vol. A most royal one: the centurions, and their charges, distinctly billetted, already in the entertainment,3 and to be on foot at an hour's warning.

Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company. Vol. You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause to be glad of yours.

Rom. Well, let us go together.

SCENE IV.

Antium. Before Aufidius's House.

[Exeunt.

Enter CORIOLANUS, in mean Apparel, disguised and muffled.

Gor. A goodly city is this Antium: City, 'Tis I that made thy widows; many an heir

Of these fair edifices 'fore my wars

Have I heard groan, and drop: then know me not;
Lest that thy wives with spits, and boys with stones,
Enter a Citizen.

In puny battle slay me.-Save you, sir.

Ĉit. And you.

Cor.

Direct me, if it be your will, Where great Aufidius lies: Is he in Antium? Cit. He is, and feasts the nobles of the state, At his house this night.

Cor.

3

Which is his house, 'beseech you?

Git. This, here, before you.

Cor.

Thank you, sir; farewel. [Exit Cit.

already in the entertainment,] That is, though not ac

tually encamped, yet already in pay. To entertain an army is te

take them into pay. Johnson.

See Vol. III, p. 34, n. 6. Malone.

O, world, thy slippery turns!4 Friends now fast sworn,
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise,
Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love5
Unseparable, shall within this hour,

On a dissention of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity: So, fellest foes,

Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep
To take the one the other, by some chance,

Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends,
And interjoin their issues. So with me:-

My birth-place hate I, and my love 's upon
This enemy town. I'll enter: if he slay me,
He does fair justice; if he give me way,
I'll do his country service.

[Exit.

O, world, thy slippery turns! &c.] This fine picture of common friendship, is an artful introduction to the sudden league, which the poet made him enter into with Aufidius, and no less artful an apology for his commencing enemy to Rome. Warburton.

5 Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise,

Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love —] Our author has again used this verb in Othello:

"And he that is approv'd in this offence,

" &c.

Though he had twinn'd with me, Part of this description naturally reminds us of the following lines in A Midsummer Night's Dream:

"We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,

"Have with our neelds created both one flower,
"Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
"Both warbling of one song, both in one key:
"As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,
"Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
"Like to a double cherry, seeming parted;
"But yet a union in partition,

"Two lovely berries molded on one stem:
"So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;

"Two of the first," &c. Malone.

hate I,] The old copy instead of hate reads-have. The emendation was made by Mr. Steevens. "I'll enter," means, I'll enter the house of Aufidius. Malone.

7 This enemy town.—I 'll enter :] Here, as in other places, our author is indebted to Sir Thomas North's Plutarch:

"For he disguised him selfe in suche arraye and attire, as he thought no man could euer haue knowen him for the persone he was, seeing him in that apparell he had vpon his backe: and as Homer sayed of Vlysses:

"So dyd he enter into the enemies tovvne."

SCENE V.

The same. A Hall in Aufidius's House.

Musick within. Enter a Servant.

Serv. Wine, wine, wine! What service is here! I think our fellows are asleep.

Enter another Servant.

[Exit.

2 Serv. Where 's Cotus! my master calls for him. Cotus!

Enter CORIOLANUS.

[Exit.

Cor. A goodly house: The feast smells well: but I Appear not like a guest.

Re-enter the first Servant.

1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door. Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment,

In being Coriolanus.8

Re-enter second Servant.

2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

Cor. Away!

2 Serv. Away! Get you away.

Cor. Now thou art troublesome.

2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talk'd with

anon.

Enter a third Servant. The first meets him.

3 Serv. What fellow 's this?

1 Serv. A strange one as ever I look'd on: I cannot get him out o' the house: Pr'ythee, call my master to him.

Perhaps, therefore, instead of enemy, we should read-enemy's or enemies' town. Steevens.

8 In being Coriolanus.] i. e. in having derived that surname from the sack of Corioli. Steevens.

9 that he gives entrance to such companions?] Companion was formerly used in the same sense as we now use the word fellow

Malone.

The same term is employed in All's Well that Ends Well, King Henry VI, P. II, Cymbeline, Othello, &c. Steevens.

3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house.

Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth.1 3 Serv. What are you?

Cor. A gentleman.

3 Serv. A marvellous poor one.

Cor. True, so I am.

3 Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station: here 's no place for you; pray you, avoid: come. Cor. Follow your function, go!

And batten on cold bits.

[Pushes him away. 3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here.

2 Serv. And I shall.

3 Serv. Where dwellest thou? Cor. Under the canopy.

3 Serv. Under the canopy?

Cor. Ay.

3 Serv. Where's that?

Cor. I' the city of kites and crows.

[Exit.

3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows?What an ass it is! Then thou dwellest with daws too?

Cor. No, I serve not thy master.

3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master? Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service, than to meddle with thy mistress:

Thou prat❜st, and prat❜st; serve with thy trencher, hence! [Beats him away.

Enter AUFIDIUS and the second Servant.

Auf. Where is this fellow?

2 Serv. Here, sir; I 'd have beaten I like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within.

1 Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth. Here our author has both followed and deserted his original, the old translation of Plutarch. The silence of the servants of Aufidius, did not suit the purposes of the dramatist :

"So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius house, and when he came thither, he got him vp straight to the chimney harthe, and sat him downe, and spake not a worde to any man, his face all muffled ouer. They of the house spying him, wondered what he should be, and yet they durst not byd him rise. For ill fauoredly muffled and disguised as he was, yet there appeared a certaine maiestie in his countenance, and in his silence: whereupon they went to Tullus who was at supper, to tell him of the straunge disguising of this man." Steevens.

Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldest thou? Thy

name?

Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What 's thy name?
Cor.
If, Tullus,2 [Unmuffling.
Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not
Think me for the man I am, necessity

Commands me name myself.

Auf.

What is thy name?

[Servants retire.

Cor. A name unmusical to the Volcians' ears, And harsh in sound to thine.

2 If, Tullus, &c.] These speeches are taken from the following in Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch:

"Tullus rose presently from the borde, and comming towards him, asked him what he was, and wherefore he came. Then Martius vnmuffled him selfe, and after he had paused a while, making no answer, he sayed vnto him:

"If thou knowest me not yet, Tullus, and seeing me, dost not perhappes beleeue me to be the man I am in dede, I must of necessitie bewraye myselfe to be that I am. I am Caius Martius, who hath done to thy self particularly, and to all the Volces generally, great hurte and mischief, which I cannot denie for my surname of Coriol nus that I beare. For I never had other benefit nor recompence, of all the true and payneful seruice I haue done, and the extreme daungers I haue bene in, but this only Surname: a good memorie and witness of the malice and displeasure thou shouldest bear me. In deede the name only remaineth with me: for the rest the enuie, and crueltie of the people of Rome haue taken from me, by the sufferance of the dastardly nobilitie and magistrates, who haue forsaken me, and let me be banished by the people. This extremitie hath now driuen me to come as a poore suter, to take thy chimney harthe, not of any i felice to saue my life thereby. For if I had feared death, Ild not haue come hither to haue put my life in hazard; but prckt forward with spite and desire I haue to be reuenged of therOthat have banished me, whom now I begin to be auenged on, putting my persone betweene thy enemies. Wherefore, it thou hast any harte to be wreeked of the injuries thy enemies have done thee, spede thee now, and let my miserie serue thy turne, and so vse it, as my seruice maye be a benefit to the Voices: promising thee, that I will fight with better good will for all you, than euer I dyd when I was against you, knowing that they fight more valiantly, who know the force of their enemie, than such as haue neuer proved it. And if it be so that thou dare not, and that thou art wearye to proue fortune any more, then I am also wearye to liue any longer. And it were no wisdom in thee, to sauc the life of him, who hath bene heretofore thy mortall enemie, and whose scruice now can nothing helpe nor pleasure thee." Steevens.