William Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Coriolanus

ACT IV. 3. SCENE III. A highway between Rome and Antium.

[Enter a ROMAN and a VOLSCE, meeting.]

ROMAN.
I know you well, sir, and you know me; your name, I think,
is Adrian.

VOLSCE.
It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you.

ROMAN.
I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against 'em: know
you me yet?

VOLSCE.
Nicanor? no!

ROMAN.
The same, sir.

VOLSCE.
You had more beard when I last saw you; but your favour is
well approved by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a
note from the Volscian state, to find you out there; you have
well saved me a day's journey.

ROMAN.
There hath been in Rome strange insurrections: the people
against the senators, patricians, and nobles.

VOLSCE.
Hath been! is it ended, then? Our state thinks not so;
they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon
them in the heat of their division.

ROMAN.
The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it
flame again; for the nobles receive so to heart the banishment
of that worthy Coriolanus that they are in a ripe aptness to take
all power from the people, and to pluck from them their tribunes
for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature
for the violent breaking out.

VOLSCE.
Coriolanus banished!

ROMAN.
Banished, sir.

VOLSCE.
You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.

ROMAN.
The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said the
fittest time to corrupt a man's wife is when she's fallen out
with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in
these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no
request of his country.