 | Coriolanus |  |
SCENE I.
The Volscian Camp.Attius Tullus, Volusius.
Volusius.
Whence is it, Tullus, that our Arms are stopt
Here on the Borders of the Roman State?
Why sleeps that Spirit, whose Heroic Ardour
Urg'dy ou to break the Truce, and pour'd our Host,
From all th'united Cantons of the Volsci,
On their unguarded Frontier? Such Designs
Brook not an Hour's Delay; their whole Success
Depends on instant vigorous Execution.
Tullus.
Volusius, I approve thy brave Impatience;
And will to thee, in Confidence of Friendship,
Disclose my secret Soul. Thou know'st Galesus,
2
Of all the Spoil of sack'd Corioli,
Alone demanded; and who thence to Rome,
From Gratitude and Friendship, follow'd Marcius;
Whence lately to our Antium he return'd,
With Overtures of Peace propos'd by Rome.
Volusius.
I know him well; an antiquated Sage
Of that romantic School, Pythagoras
Establish'd here on our Hesperian Shore;
Whose gentle Dictates only serve to tame
Enfeebled Mortals into Slaves.
Tullus.
Galesus,
Doubtless, possesses many civil Virtues;
Is gentle, good; for Rectitude of Heart
And Innocence of Life by all rever'd.
Volusius.
Pardon me, Tullus, if my faithful Bluntness
Deems you too lib'ral in his Praise. In Peace,
Such may perhaps do well, when Prating rules
An idle World; but in tempestuous Times
They are stark naught, these visionary Statesmen,
Fit Rulers only for their golden Age.
The rugged Genius of rapacious Rome
For other Men, and other Counsels, calls.
Tullus.
Your Thoughts are mine—I only meant to tell thee
The Part he bears in this ill-tim'd Delay.
The Part he bears in this ill-tim'd Delay.
Soon as our gather'd Army march'd from Antium,
The Roman Senate, whose attentive Caution
Watch'd all our Motions, took at once th'Alarm
And sent a Herald, ere we past their Borders,
With formal Ceremony, to demand
The Cause of our Approach.—Had I been Master,
I would have answer'd at the Gates of Rome.
But this Galesus, who attends our Camp
Among the Volscian Deputies, so pleaded
The Laws of Nations, made such loud Complaints
Against th'Infraction of the Publick Faith,
So teaz'd us with the Pedantry of States,
That I was forc'd, unwilling, to permit
His Freedman, Titus, to be sent to Rome
With our Demands. If these the Senate grants,
We then are in the Toils of Peace entangled,
In spite of all my Efforts to avoid them.
The Roman Senate, whose attentive Caution
Watch'd all our Motions, took at once th'Alarm
And sent a Herald, ere we past their Borders,
With formal Ceremony, to demand
The Cause of our Approach.—Had I been Master,
I would have answer'd at the Gates of Rome.
But this Galesus, who attends our Camp
Among the Volscian Deputies, so pleaded
3
Against th'Infraction of the Publick Faith,
So teaz'd us with the Pedantry of States,
That I was forc'd, unwilling, to permit
His Freedman, Titus, to be sent to Rome
With our Demands. If these the Senate grants,
We then are in the Toils of Peace entangled,
In spite of all my Efforts to avoid them.
Volusius.
O 'tis a wild Chimera! Peace with Rome!
Dream not of that, unless the Volscian Courage
Be quite subdu'd, and only seeks to gild
A vile Submission with that specious Name.
Learn Wisdom from your Neighbours. Peace with Rome
Has quell'd the Latines, tam'd their free-born Spirit,
And by her Friendship honour'd them with Chains.
Tullus.
She ne'er will grant it on the just Conditions
I now have brought the Volsci to demand:
The Restitution of our conquer'd Cities,
And fair Alliance upon equal Terms.
I know the Roman Insolence will scorn
To yield to this: and Titus must return
Within three Days, the longest Term allow'd him;
Of which the Third is near elaps'd already.
Then even Galesus will not dare to stop us,
With superstitious Forms, and solemn Trifles,
From letting loose th'unbridled Rage of War
Against those hated Tyrants of Hesperia.
Volusius.
Thanks to the Gods! my Sword will then be free.
Then, poor Corioli! thy bleeding Wounds,
Thy Treasures sack'd, thy captivated Matrons,
Shall amply be reveng'd by thy Volusius:
Then, Tullus, from the lofty Brows of Marcius
Thou may'st regain the wreaths his conquering hand,
4
Tullus.
O my Volusius! thou, who art a Soldier,
A try'd and brave one too, say, in thy Heart
Dost thou not scorn me? thou, who saw'st me bend
Beneath the half-spent Thunder of a Foe,
Warm from the Conquest of Corioli,
Which, rushing furious in with those, whose Sally
He had repell'd, he seiz'd almost alone;
And gave to Fire and Sword. Yet thence he flew,
Scorning the Plunder of our richest City,
His Wounds undrest, without a Moment's Respite,
To where our Armies on the fearful Edge
Of Battle stood; and, asking of the Consul
To be oppos'd to me, with mighty Rage,
Resistless, bore us down.
Volusius.
True Valour, Tullus,
Lies in the Mind, the never-yielding Purpose,
Nor owns the blind Award of giddy Fortune.
Tullus.
My Soul, my Friend, my Soul is all on Fire!
Thirst of Revenge consumes me! the Revenge
Of generous Emulation, not of Hatred.
This happy Roman, this proud Marcius haunts me.
Each troubled Night when Slaves and Captives sleep,
Forgetful of their Chains, I, in my Dreams,
Anew am vanquish'd; and, beneath his Sword
With Horror sinking, feel a tenfold Death,
The Death of Honour. But I will redeem—
Yes, Marcius, I will yet redeem my Fame.
To face thee once again is the great Purpose
For which alone I live.—Till then how slow,
How tedious lags the Time! while Shame corrodes me,
With many a bitter Thought; and injur'd Honour
Sick, and desponding, preys upon itself.
5
It fast approaches now, the Hour of Vengeance,
To this fam'd Land, to ancient Latium due.
Unballanc'd Rome, at Variance with herself,
To Order lost, in deep and hot Commotion,
Stands on the dangerous Point of civil War;
Her haughty Nobles and seditious Commons
Reviling, fearing, hating one another:
While, on our part, all wears a prosperous Face:
Our Troops united, numerous, high in Spirit,
As if their Gen'ral's Soul inform'd them all.
O long-expected Day!
Tullus.
Go, brave Volusius,
Go breathe thy Ardour into every Breast,
That when the Volscian Envoy shall return,
Whom ere the Close of Evening I expect,
One Spirit may unite us in the Cause
Of generous Freedom, and our native Rights,
So long opprest by Rome's encroaching Power.
| Coriolanus | |