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Let him alone; |
He did inform the truth: but for our gentlemen, |
The common file--a plague! tribunes for them!-- |
The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat as they did budge |
From rascals worse than they. |
COMINIUS: |
But how prevail'd you? |
MARCIUS: |
Will the time serve to tell? I do not think. |
Where is the enemy? are you lords o' the field? |
If not, why cease you till you are so? |
COMINIUS: |
Marcius, |
We have at disadvantage fought and did |
Retire to win our purpose. |
MARCIUS: |
How lies their battle? know you on which side |
They have placed their men of trust? |
COMINIUS: |
As I guess, Marcius, |
Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiates, |
Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius, |
Their very heart of hope. |
MARCIUS: |
I do beseech you, |
By all the battles wherein we have fought, |
By the blood we have shed together, by the vows |
We have made to endure friends, that you directly |
Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates; |
And that you not delay the present, but, |
Filling the air with swords advanced and darts, |
We prove this very hour. |
COMINIUS: |
Though I could wish |
You were conducted to a gentle bath |
And balms applied to, you, yet dare I never |
Deny your asking: take your choice of those |
That best can aid your action. |
MARCIUS: |
Those are they |
That most are willing. If any such be here-- |
As it were sin to doubt--that love this painting |
Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear |
Lesser his person than an ill report; |
If any think brave death outweighs bad life |
And that his country's dearer than himself; |
Let him alone, or so many so minded, |
Wave thus, to express his disposition, |
And follow Marcius. |
O, me alone! make you a sword of me? |
If these shows be not outward, which of you |
But is four Volsces? none of you but is |
Able to bear against the great Aufidius |
A shield as hard as his. A certain number, |
Though thanks to all, must I select |
from all: the rest |
Shall bear the business in some other fight, |
As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march; |
And four shall quickly draw out my command, |
Which men are best inclined. |
COMINIUS: |
March on, my fellows: |
Make good this ostentation, and you shall |
Divide in all with us. |
LARTIUS: |
So, let the ports be guarded: keep your duties, |
As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch |
Those centuries to our aid: the rest will serve |
For a short holding: if we lose the field, |
We cannot keep the town. |
Lieutenant: |
Fear not our care, sir. |
LARTIUS: |
Hence, and shut your gates upon's. |
Our guider, come; to the Roman camp conduct us. |
MARCIUS: |
I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate thee |
Worse than a promise-breaker. |
AUFIDIUS: |
We hate alike: |
Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor |
More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot. |
MARCIUS: |
Let the first budger die the other's slave, |
And the gods doom him after! |
Subsets and Splits