| ACT IV SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's house. |
| [
Enter CORIOLANUS in mean apparel, disguised
and muffled
] |
| CORIOLANUS | A goodly city is this Antium. City, |
| 'Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir |
| 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 | 5 |
| In puny battle slay me. |
[Enter a Citizen] |
| Save you, sir. |
| Citizen | And you. |
| CORIOLANUS | Direct me, if it be your will, |
| Where great Aufidius lies: is he in Antium? | 10 |
| Citizen | He is, and feasts the nobles of the state |
| At his house this night. |
| CORIOLANUS | Which is his house, beseech you? |
| Citizen | This, here before you. |
| CORIOLANUS | Thank you, sir: farewell. | 15 |
[Exit Citizen] |
| O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, |
| Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart, |
| Whose house, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise, |
| Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love |
| Unseparable, shall within this hour, | 20 |
| On a dissension of a doit, break out |
| 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 | 25 |
| 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, |
| I'll do his country service. | 30 |
| [Exit] |
Shakespeare's Sources for Coriolanus