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before them:

       Unshout the noise that banish’d Marcius,

       Repeal him with the welcome of his mother;

       Cry, ‘Welcome, ladies, welcome!’—

       ALL.

       Welcome, ladies,

       Welcome!

       [Exeunt.]

       SCENE VI. Antium. A public place.

       [Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, with attendants.]

       AUFIDIUS.

       Go tell the lords o’ the city I am here:

       Deliver them this paper; having read it,

       Bid them repair to the marketplace: where I,

       Even in theirs and in the commons’ ears,

       Will vouch the truth of it. Him I accuse

       The city ports by this hath enter’d and

       Intends t’ appear before the people, hoping

       To purge himself with words: despatch.

       [Exeunt attendants.]

       [Enter three or four CONSPIRATORS of AUFIDIUS’ faction.]

       Most welcome!

       FIRST CONSPIRATOR.

       How is it with our general?

       AUFIDIUS.

       Even so

       As with a man by his own alms empoison’d,

       And with his charity slain.

       SECOND CONSPIRATOR.

       Most noble sir,

       If you do hold the same intent wherein

       You wish’d us parties, we’ll deliver you

       Of your great danger.

       AUFIDIUS.

       Sir, I cannot tell:

       We must proceed as we do find the people.

       THIRD CONSPIRATOR.

       The people will remain uncertain whilst

       ‘Twixt you there’s difference: but the fall of either

       Makes the survivor heir of all.

       AUFIDIUS.

       I know it;

       And my pretext to strike at him admits

       A good construction. I rais’d him, and I pawn’d

       Mine honour for his truth: who being so heighten’d,

       He water’d his new plants with dews of flattery,

       Seducing so my friends; and to this end

       He bow’d his nature, never known before

       But to be rough, unswayable, and free.

       THIRD CONSPIRATOR.

       Sir, his stoutness

       When he did stand for consul, which he lost

       By lack of stooping,—

       AUFIDIUS.

       That I would have spoken of:

       Being banish’d for’t, he came unto my hearth;

       Presented to my knife his throat: I took him;

       Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way

       In all his own desires; nay, let him choose

       Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,

       My best and freshest men; serv’d his designments

       In mine own person; holp to reap the fame

       Which he made all his; and took some pride

       To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,

       I seem’d his follower, not partner; and

       He wag’d me with his countenance as if

       I had been mercenary.

       FIRST CONSPIRATOR.

       So he did, my lord:

       The army marvell’d at it; and, in the last,

       When he had carried Rome, and that we look’d

       For no less spoil than glory,—

       AUFIDIUS.

       There was it;—

       For which my sinews shall be stretch’d upon him.

       At a few drops of women’s rheum, which are

       As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour

       Of our great action: therefore shall he die,

       And I’ll renew me in his fall. But, hark!

       [Drums and trumpets sound, with great shouts of the people.]

       FIRST CONSPIRATOR.

       Your native town you enter’d like a post,

       And had no welcomes home; but he returns

       Splitting the air with noise.

       SECOND CONSPIRATOR.

       And patient fools,

       Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear

       With giving him glory.

       THIRD CONSPIRATOR.

       Therefore, at your vantage,

       Ere he express himself or move the people

       With what he would say, let him feel your sword,

       Which we will second. When he lies along,

       After your way his tale pronounc’d shall bury

       His reasons with his body.

       AUFIDIUS.

       Say no more:

       Here come the lords.

       [Enter the LORDS of the city.]

       LORDS.

       You are most welcome home.

       AUFIDIUS.

       I have not deserv’d it.

       But, worthy lords, have you with heed perus’d

       What I have written to you?

       LORDS.

       We have.

       FIRST LORD.

       And grieve to hear’t.

       What faults he made before the last, I think

       Might have found easy fines: but there to end

       Where he was to begin, and give away

       The benefit of our levies, answering us

       With our own charge: making a treaty where

       There was a yielding.—This admits no excuse.

       AUFIDIUS.

       He approaches: you shall hear him.

       [Enter CORIOLANUS, with drum and colours; a crowd of Citizens with him.]

       CORIOLANUS.

       Hail, lords! I am return’d your soldier;

       No more infected with my country’s love

       Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting

       Under your great command. You are to know

       That prosperously I have attempted, and

       With bloody passage led your wars even to

       The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home

       Do more than counterpoise a full third part

       The charges of the action. We have made peace

       With no less honour to the Antiates

       Than shame to the Romans: and we here deliver,

      

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