Auf. Oh Martius, Martius; Each word thou hast spoke, hath weeded from my heart A roote of Ancient Enuy. If Iupiter Should from yond clowd speake diuine things, And say 'tis true; I'de not beleeue them more Then thee all-Noble Martius. Let me twine Mine armes about that body, where against My grained Ash an hundred times hath broke, And scarr'd the Moone with splinters: heere I cleep The Anuile of my Sword, and do contest As hotly, and as Nobly with thy Loue, As euer in Ambitious strength, I did Contend against thy Valour. Know thou first, I lou'd the Maid I married: neuer man Sigh'd truer breath. But that I see thee heere Thou Noble thing, more dances my rapt heart, Then when I first my wedded Mistris saw Bestride my Threshold. Why, thou Mars I tell thee, We haue a Power on foote: and I had purpose Once more to hew thy Target from thy Brawne, Or loose mine Arme for't: Thou hast beate mee out Twelue seuerall times, and I haue nightly since Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thy selfe and me: We haue beene downe together in my sleepe, Vnbuckling Helmes, fisting each others Throat, And wak'd halfe dead with nothing. Worthy Martius, Had we no other quarrell else to Rome, but that Thou art thence Banish'd, we would muster all From twelue, to seuentie: and powring Warre Into the bowels of vngratefull Rome, Like a bold Flood o're-beate. Oh come, go in, And take our friendly Senators by'th' hands Who now are heere, taking their leaues of mee, Who am prepar'd against your Territories, Though not for Rome it selfe
Corio. You blesse me Gods
Auf. Therefore most absolute Sir, if thou wilt haue The leading of thine owne Reuenges, take Th' one halfe of my Commission, and set downe As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know'st Thy Countries strength and weaknesse, thine own waies Whether to knocke against the Gates of Rome, Or rudely visit them in parts remote, To fright them, ere destroy. But come in, Let me commend thee first, to those that shall Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes, And more a Friend, then ere an Enemie, Yet Martius that was much. Your hand: most welcome.
Exeunt.
Enter two of the Seruingmen.
1 Heere's a strange alteration? 2 By my hand, I had thoght to haue stroken him with a Cudgell, and yet my minde gaue me, his cloathes made a false report of him
1 What an Arme he has, he turn'd me about with his finger and his thumbe, as one would set vp a Top
2 Nay, I knew by his face that there was some-thing in him. He had sir, a kinde of face me thought, I cannot tell how to tearme it
1 He had so, looking as it were, would I were hang'd but I thought there was more in him, then I could think
2 So did I, Ile be sworne: He is simply the rarest man i'th' world
1 I thinke he is: but a greater soldier then he, You wot one
2 Who my Master? 1 Nay, it's no matter for that
2 Worth six on him
1 Nay not so neither: but I take him to be the greater Souldiour
2 Faith looke you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the Defence of a Towne, our Generall is excellent
1 I, and for an assault too. Enter the third Seruingman.
3 Oh Slaues, I can tell you Newes, News you Rascals Both. What, what, what? Let's partake
3 I would not be a Roman of all Nations; I had as liue be a condemn'd man
Both. Wherefore? Wherefore? 3 Why here's he that was wont to thwacke our Generall, Caius Martius
1 Why do you say, thwacke our Generall? 3 I do not say thwacke our Generall, but he was alwayes good enough for him 2 Come we are fellowes and friends: he was euer too hard for him, I haue heard him say so himselfe