Characters of Shakespeare's Plays eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 337 pages of information about Characters of Shakespeare's Plays.

Characters of Shakespeare's Plays eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 337 pages of information about Characters of Shakespeare's Plays.

It was even twilight when he entered the city of Antium, and many people met him in the streets, but no man knew him.  So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius’ house, and when he came thither, he got him up straight to the chimney-hearth, and sat him down, and spake not a word to any man, his face all muffled over.  They of the house spying him, wondered what he should be, and yet they durst not bid him rise.  For ill-favouredly muffled and disguised as he was, yet there appeared a certain majesty in his countenance and in his silence:  whereupon they went to Tullus, who was at supper, to tell him of the strange disguising of this man.  Tullus rose presently from the board, and coming towards him, asked him what he was, and wherefore he came.  Then Martius unmuffled himself, and after he had paused awhile, making no answer, he said unto himself, If thou knowest me not yet, Tullus, and seeing me, dost not perhaps believe me to be the man I am indeed, I must of necessity discover myself to be that I am.  ’I am Caius Martius, who hath done to thyself particularly, and to all the Volsces generally, great hurt and mischief, which I cannot deny for my surname of Coriolanus that I bear.  For I never had other benefit nor recompence of the true and painful service I have done, and the extreme dangers I have been in, but this only surname; a good memory and witness of the malice and displeasure thou shouldest bear me.  Indeed the name only remaineth with me; for the rest, the envy and cruelty of the people of Rome have taken from me, by the sufferance of the dastardly nobility and magistrates, who have forsaken me, and let me be banished by the people.  This extremity hath now driven me to come as a poor suitor, to take thy chimney-hearth, not of any hope I have to save my life thereby.  For if I had feared death, I would not have come hither to put myself in hazard; but pricked forward with desire to be revenged of them that thus have banished me, which now I do begin, in putting my person into the hands of their enemies.  Wherefore if thou hast any heart to be wrecked of the injuries thy enemies have done thee, speed thee now, and let my misery serve thy turn, and so use it as my service may be a benefit to the Volsces:  promising thee, that I will fight with better good will for all you, than I did when I was against you.  Knowing that they fight more valiantly who know the force of the enemy, than such as have never proved it.  And if it be so that thou dare not, and that thou art weary to prove fortune any more, then am I also weary to live any longer.  And it were no wisdom in thee to save the life of him who hath been heretofore thy mortal enemy, and whose service now can nothing help, nor. pleasure thee.’  Tullus hearing what he said, was a marvellous glad man, and taking him by the hand, he said unto him:  ’Stand up, O Martius, and be of good cheer, for in proffering thyself unto us, thou doest us great honour:  and by this means thou mayest hope also of greater things at all the Volsces’ hands.’  So he feasted him for that time, and entertained him in the honourablest manner he could, talking with him of no other matter at that present:  but within few days after, they fell to consultation together in what sort they should begin their wars.

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Characters of Shakespeare's Plays from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.