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Home > Coriolanus > ACT IV - SCENE VII. A camp, at a small distance from Rome.

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ACT IV - SCENE VII. A camp, at a small distance from Rome.
Enter AUFIDIUS and his Lieutenant

AUFIDIUS
1    Do they still fly to the Roman?
Lieutenant
2    I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but
3    Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
4    Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;
5    And you are darken'd in this action, sir,
6    Even by your own.
AUFIDIUS
7    I cannot help it now,
8    Unless, by using means, I lame the foot
9    Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier,
10   Even to my person, than I thought he would
11   When first I did embrace him: yet his nature
12   In that's no changeling; and I must excuse
13   What cannot be amended.
Lieutenant
14   Yet I wish, sir,--
15   I mean for your particular,--you had not
16   Join'd in commission with him; but either
17   Had borne the action of yourself, or else
18   To him had left it solely.
AUFIDIUS
19   I understand thee well; and be thou sure,
20   when he shall come to his account, he knows not
21   What I can urge against him. Although it seems,
22   And so he thinks, and is no less apparent
23   To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly.
24   And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state,
25   Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon
26   As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone
27   That which shall break his neck or hazard mine,
28   Whene'er we come to our account.
Lieutenant
29   Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome?
AUFIDIUS
30   All places yield to him ere he sits down;
31   And the nobility of Rome are his:
32   The senators and patricians love him too:
33   The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people
34   Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty
35   To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome
36   As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it
37   By sovereignty of nature. First he was
38   A noble servant to them; but he could not
39   Carry his honours even: whether 'twas pride,
40   Which out of daily fortune ever taints
41   The happy man; whether defect of judgment,
42   To fail in the disposing of those chances
43   Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
44   Not to be other than one thing, not moving
45   From the casque to the cushion, but commanding peace
46   Even with the same austerity and garb
47   As he controll'd the war; but one of these--
48   As he hath spices of them all, not all,
49   For I dare so far free him--made him fear'd,
50   So hated, and so banish'd: but he has a merit,
51   To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
52   Lie in the interpretation of the time:
53   And power, unto itself most commendable,
54   Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair
55   To extol what it hath done.
56   One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
57   Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.
58   Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine,
59   Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine.
Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT IV, SCENE VIACT V, I (Next) >
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII
  • SCENE VIII
  • SCENE IX
  • SCENE X


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE III


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI
  • SCENE VII


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V
  • SCENE VI

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