Act IV. Scene IV. Coriolanus. Craig, W.J., ed. 1914. The Oxford Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The Oxford Shakespeare. 1914.

Coriolanus

Act IV. Scene IV.

Antium. Before AUFIDIUS’ House.

Enter CORIOLANUS, in mean apparel, disguised and muffled.
Cor. A goodly city is this Antium. City,
’Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir	4
Of these fair edifices ’fore my wars
Have I heard groan and drop: then, know me not,
Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones
In puny battle slay me.	8

Enter a Citizen.
Save you, sir.
Cit. And you.
Cor. Direct me, if it be your will,	12
Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium?
Cit. He is, and feasts the nobles of the state
At his house this night.
Cor. Which is his house, beseech you?	16
Cit. This, here before you.
Cor. Thank you, sir. Farewell. [Exit Citizen.
O world! thy slippery turns. Friends now fast sworn,
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,	20
Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise,
Are still together, who twin, as ’twere, in love
Unseparable, shall within this hour,
On a dissension of a doit, break out	24
To bitterest enmity: so, fellest foes,
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep
To take the one the other, by some chance,
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends	28
And interjoin their issues. So with me:
My birth-place hate I, and my love’s upon
This enemy town. I’ll enter: if he slay me,
He does fair justice; if he give me way,	32
I’ll do his country service. [Exit.