diff --git "a/res/coriolanus.txt" "b/res/coriolanus.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/coriolanus.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,5840 @@ +Coriolanus +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +Caius MARTIUS, later Caius Martius CORIOLANUS +VOLUMNIA, his mother +VIRGILIA, his wife +YOUNG MARTIUS, their son +VALERIA, friend to Volumnia and Virgilia +A GENTLEWOMAN, Volumnia's attendant +MENENIUS Agrippa, patrician +COMINIUS, patrician and general +Titus LARTIUS, patrician and military officer +SICINIUS Velutus, tribune +Junius BRUTUS, tribune +Roman SENATORS, PATRICIANS, NOBLES +Roman LIEUTENANT +Roman OFFICERS +Roman AEDILES +Roman HERALD +Roman SOLDIERS +Roman CITIZENS or PLEBEIANS +Roman MESSENGERS +A ROMAN defector, Nicanor +Tullus AUFIDIUS, general of the Volscians +Volscian CONSPIRATORS of his faction +Three of his SERVINGMEN +Volscian SENATORS, LORDS +Volscian LIEUTENANT +Volscian SOLDIERS +Two of the Volscian WATCH +Volscian PEOPLE +A VOLSCIAN spy, Adrian +CITIZEN of Antium +Roman Lords, Gentry, Captains, Lictors, Trumpeters, Drummers, Musicians, Attendants, and Usher + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter a company of mutinous Citizens with staves, +clubs, and other weapons.] + + +FIRST CITIZEN Before we proceed any further, hear me +speak. + +ALL Speak, speak! + +FIRST CITIZEN You are all resolved rather to die than to +famish? + +ALL Resolved, resolved! + +FIRST CITIZEN First, you know Caius Martius is chief +enemy to the people. + +ALL We know 't, we know 't! + +FIRST CITIZEN Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at +our own price. Is 't a verdict? + +ALL No more talking on 't; let it be done. Away, away! + +SECOND CITIZEN One word, good citizens. + +FIRST CITIZEN We are accounted poor citizens, the patricians +good. What authority surfeits on would +relieve us. If they would yield us but the superfluity +while it were wholesome, we might guess they +relieved us humanely. But they think we are too +dear. The leanness that afflicts us, the object of our +misery, is as an inventory to particularize their +abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them. Let +us revenge this with our pikes ere we become +rakes; for the gods know I speak this in hunger for +bread, not in thirst for revenge. + +SECOND CITIZEN Would you proceed especially against +Caius Martius? + +ALL Against him first. He's a very dog to the +commonalty. + +SECOND CITIZEN Consider you what services he has +done for his country? + +FIRST CITIZEN Very well, and could be content to give +him good report for 't, but that he pays himself +with being proud. + +SECOND CITIZEN Nay, but speak not maliciously. + +FIRST CITIZEN I say unto you, what he hath done +famously he did it to that end. Though soft-conscienced +men can be content to say it was for +his country, he did it to please his mother and to be +partly proud, which he is, even to the altitude of +his virtue. + +SECOND CITIZEN What he cannot help in his nature you +account a vice in him. You must in no way say he +is covetous. + +FIRST CITIZEN If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations. +He hath faults, with surplus, to tire in +repetition. [(Shouts within.)] What shouts are these? +The other side o' th' city is risen. Why stay we prating +here? To th' Capitol! + +ALL Come, come! + +[Enter Menenius Agrippa.] + + +FIRST CITIZEN Soft, who comes here? + +SECOND CITIZEN Worthy Menenius Agrippa, one that +hath always loved the people. + +FIRST CITIZEN He's one honest enough. Would all the +rest were so! + +MENENIUS +What work 's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go +you +With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray you. + +SECOND CITIZEN Our business is not unknown to th' +Senate. They have had inkling this fortnight what +we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in +deeds. They say poor suitors have strong breaths; +they shall know we have strong arms too. + +MENENIUS +Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest +neighbors, +Will you undo yourselves? + +SECOND CITIZEN +We cannot, sir; we are undone already. + +MENENIUS +I tell you, friends, most charitable care +Have the patricians of you. For your wants, +Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well +Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them +Against the Roman state, whose course will on +The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs +Of more strong link asunder than can ever +Appear in your impediment. For the dearth, +The gods, not the patricians, make it, and +Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack, +You are transported by calamity +Thither where more attends you, and you slander +The helms o' th' state, who care for you like fathers, +When you curse them as enemies. + +SECOND CITIZEN Care for us? True, indeed! They ne'er +cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their +storehouses crammed with grain; make edicts for +usury to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome +act established against the rich, and provide +more piercing statutes daily to chain up and restrain +the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; +and there's all the love they bear us. + +MENENIUS +Either you must confess yourselves wondrous +malicious +Or be accused of folly. I shall tell you +A pretty tale. It may be you have heard it, +But since it serves my purpose, I will venture +To stale 't a little more. + +SECOND CITIZEN Well, I'll hear it, sir; yet you must not +think to fob off our disgrace with a tale. But, an 't +please you, deliver. + +MENENIUS +There was a time when all the body's members +Rebelled against the belly, thus accused it: +That only like a gulf it did remain +I' th' midst o' th' body, idle and unactive, +Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing +Like labor with the rest, where th' other instruments +Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, +And, mutually participate, did minister +Unto the appetite and affection common +Of the whole body. The belly answered-- + +SECOND CITIZEN Well, sir, what answer made the belly? + +MENENIUS +Sir, I shall tell you. With a kind of smile, +Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus-- +For, look you, I may make the belly smile +As well as speak--it tauntingly replied +To th' discontented members, the mutinous parts +That envied his receipt; even so most fitly +As you malign our senators for that +They are not such as you. + +SECOND CITIZEN Your belly's answer--what? +The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye, +The counselor heart, the arm our soldier, +Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter, +With other muniments and petty helps +In this our fabric, if that they-- + +MENENIUS What then? +'Fore me, this fellow speaks. What then? What then? + +SECOND CITIZEN +Should by the cormorant belly be restrained, +Who is the sink o' th' body-- + +MENENIUS Well, what then? + +SECOND CITIZEN +The former agents, if they did complain, +What could the belly answer? + +MENENIUS I will tell you, +If you'll bestow a small--of what you have little-- +Patience awhile, you'st hear the belly's answer. + +SECOND CITIZEN +You're long about it. + +MENENIUS Note me this, good friend; +Your most grave belly was deliberate, +Not rash like his accusers, and thus answered: +"True is it, my incorporate friends," quoth he, +"That I receive the general food at first +Which you do live upon; and fit it is, +Because I am the storehouse and the shop +Of the whole body. But, if you do remember, +I send it through the rivers of your blood +Even to the court, the heart, to th' seat o' th' brain; +And, through the cranks and offices of man, +The strongest nerves and small inferior veins +From me receive that natural competency +Whereby they live. And though that all at once, +You, my good friends"--this says the belly, mark +me-- + +SECOND CITIZEN +Ay, sir, well, well. + +MENENIUS "Though all at once cannot +See what I do deliver out to each, +Yet I can make my audit up, that all +From me do back receive the flour of all, +And leave me but the bran." What say you to 't? + +SECOND CITIZEN +It was an answer. How apply you this? + +MENENIUS +The senators of Rome are this good belly, +And you the mutinous members. For examine +Their counsels and their cares, digest things rightly +Touching the weal o' th' common, you shall find +No public benefit which you receive +But it proceeds or comes from them to you +And no way from yourselves. What do you think, +You, the great toe of this assembly? + +SECOND CITIZEN I the great toe? Why the great toe? + +MENENIUS +For that, being one o' th' lowest, basest, poorest, +Of this most wise rebellion, thou goest foremost. +Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run, +Lead'st first to win some vantage. +But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs. +Rome and her rats are at the point of battle; +The one side must have bale. + +[Enter Caius Martius.] + +Hail, noble Martius. + +MARTIUS +Thanks.--What's the matter, you dissentious rogues, +That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, +Make yourselves scabs? + +SECOND CITIZEN We have ever your good word. + +MARTIUS +He that will give good words to thee will flatter +Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs, +That like nor peace nor war? The one affrights you; +The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you, +Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; +Where foxes, geese. You are no surer, no, +Than is the coal of fire upon the ice +Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is +To make him worthy whose offense subdues him, +And curse that justice did it. Who deserves greatness +Deserves your hate; and your affections are +A sick man's appetite, who desires most that +Which would increase his evil. He that depends +Upon your favors swims with fins of lead, +And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang you! Trust +you? +With every minute you do change a mind +And call him noble that was now your hate, +Him vile that was your garland. What's the matter, +That in these several places of the city +You cry against the noble senate, who, +Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else +Would feed on one another?--What's their seeking? + +MENENIUS +For corn at their own rates, whereof they say +The city is well stored. + +MARTIUS Hang 'em! They say? +They'll sit by th' fire and presume to know +What's done i' th' Capitol, who's like to rise, +Who thrives, and who declines; side factions and +give out +Conjectural marriages, making parties strong +And feebling such as stand not in their liking +Below their cobbled shoes. They say there's grain +enough? +Would the nobility lay aside their ruth +And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry +With thousands of these quartered slaves as high +As I could pick my lance. + +MENENIUS +Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded; +For though abundantly they lack discretion, +Yet are they passing cowardly. But I beseech you, +What says the other troop? + +MARTIUS They are dissolved. Hang +'em! +They said they were an-hungry, sighed forth +proverbs +That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat, +That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent +not +Corn for the rich men only. With these shreds +They vented their complainings, which being +answered +And a petition granted them--a strange one, +To break the heart of generosity +And make bold power look pale--they threw their +caps +As they would hang them on the horns o' th' moon, +Shouting their emulation. + +MENENIUS What is granted them? + +MARTIUS +Five tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms, +Of their own choice. One's Junius Brutus, +Sicinius Velutus, and I know not. 'Sdeath! +The rabble should have first unroofed the city +Ere so prevailed with me. It will in time +Win upon power and throw forth greater themes +For insurrection's arguing. + +MENENIUS This is strange. + +MARTIUS Go get you home, you fragments. + +[Enter a Messenger hastily.] + + +MESSENGER +Where's Caius Martius? + +MARTIUS Here. What's the matter? + +MESSENGER +The news is, sir, the Volsces are in arms. + +MARTIUS +I am glad on 't. Then we shall ha' means to vent +Our musty superfluity. + +[Enter Sicinius Velutus, Junius Brutus, (two Tribunes); +Cominius, Titus Lartius, with other Senators.] + +See our best elders. + +FIRST SENATOR +Martius, 'tis true that you have lately told us: +The Volsces are in arms. + +MARTIUS They have a leader, +Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't. +I sin in envying his nobility, +And, were I anything but what I am, +I would wish me only he. + +COMINIUS You have fought together? + +MARTIUS +Were half to half the world by th' ears and he +Upon my party, I'd revolt, to make +Only my wars with him. He is a lion +That I am proud to hunt. + +FIRST SENATOR Then, worthy Martius, +Attend upon Cominius to these wars. + +COMINIUS +It is your former promise. + +MARTIUS Sir, it is, +And I am constant.--Titus Lartius, thou +Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face. +What, art thou stiff? Stand'st out? + +LARTIUS No, Caius Martius, +I'll lean upon one crutch and fight with t' other +Ere stay behind this business. + +MENENIUS O, true bred! + +FIRST SENATOR +Your company to th' Capitol, where I know +Our greatest friends attend us. + +LARTIUS, [to Cominius] Lead you on.-- +[To Martius.] Follow Cominius. We must follow you; +Right worthy you priority. + +COMINIUS Noble Martius. + +FIRST SENATOR, [to the Citizens] +Hence to your homes, begone. + +MARTIUS Nay, let them follow. +The Volsces have much corn; take these rats thither +To gnaw their garners. +[Citizens steal away.] +Worshipful mutineers, +Your valor puts well forth.--Pray follow. +[They exit. Sicinius and Brutus remain.] + +SICINIUS +Was ever man so proud as is this Martius? + +BRUTUS He has no equal. + +SICINIUS +When we were chosen tribunes for the people-- + +BRUTUS +Marked you his lip and eyes? + +SICINIUS Nay, but his taunts. + +BRUTUS +Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods-- + +SICINIUS Bemock the modest moon. + +BRUTUS +The present wars devour him! He is grown +Too proud to be so valiant. + +SICINIUS Such a nature, +Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow +Which he treads on at noon. But I do wonder +His insolence can brook to be commanded +Under Cominius. + +BRUTUS Fame, at the which he aims, +In whom already he's well graced, cannot +Better be held nor more attained than by +A place below the first; for what miscarries +Shall be the General's fault, though he perform +To th' utmost of a man, and giddy censure +Will then cry out of Martius "O, if he +Had borne the business!" + +SICINIUS Besides, if things go well, +Opinion that so sticks on Martius shall +Of his demerits rob Cominius. + +BRUTUS Come. +Half all Cominius' honors are to Martius, +Though Martius earned them not, and all his faults +To Martius shall be honors, though indeed +In aught he merit not. + +SICINIUS Let's hence and hear +How the dispatch is made, and in what fashion, +More than his singularity, he goes +Upon this present action. + +BRUTUS Let's along. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Tullus Aufidius with Senators of Corioles.] + + +FIRST SENATOR +So, your opinion is, Aufidius, +That they of Rome are entered in our counsels +And know how we proceed. + +AUFIDIUS Is it not yours? +Whatever have been thought on in this state +That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome +Had circumvention? 'Tis not four days gone +Since I heard thence. These are the words--I think +I have the letter here. Yes, here it is. +[(He reads.)] They have pressed a power, but it is not +known +Whether for east or west. The dearth is great. +The people mutinous; and, it is rumored, +Cominius, Martius your old enemy, +Who is of Rome worse hated than of you, +And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman, +These three lead on this preparation +Whither 'tis bent. Most likely 'tis for you. +Consider of it. + +FIRST SENATOR Our army's in the field. +We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready +To answer us. + +AUFIDIUS Nor did you think it folly +To keep your great pretenses veiled till when +They needs must show themselves, which, in the +hatching, +It seemed, appeared to Rome. By the discovery +We shall be shortened in our aim, which was +To take in many towns ere almost Rome +Should know we were afoot. + +SECOND SENATOR Noble Aufidius, +Take your commission; hie you to your bands. +Let us alone to guard Corioles. +If they set down before 's, for the remove +Bring up your army. But I think you'll find +They've not prepared for us. + +AUFIDIUS O, doubt not that; +I speak from certainties. Nay, more, +Some parcels of their power are forth already, +And only hitherward. I leave your Honors. +If we and Caius Martius chance to meet, +'Tis sworn between us we shall ever strike +Till one can do no more. + +ALL The gods assist you! + +AUFIDIUS And keep your Honors safe! + +FIRST SENATOR Farewell. + +SECOND SENATOR Farewell. + +ALL Farewell. +[All exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Volumnia and Virgilia, mother and wife +to Martius. They set them down on two low stools +and sew.] + + +VOLUMNIA I pray you, daughter, sing, or express yourself +in a more comfortable sort. If my son were my +husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence +wherein he won honor than in the embracements +of his bed where he would show most love. When +yet he was but tender-bodied and the only son of +my womb, when youth with comeliness plucked +all gaze his way, when for a day of kings' entreaties +a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding, +I, considering how honor would become +such a person--that it was no better than picture-like +to hang by th' wall, if renown made it not +stir--was pleased to let him seek danger where he +was like to find fame. To a cruel war I sent him, +from whence he returned, his brows bound with +oak. I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy +at first hearing he was a man-child than now in +first seeing he had proved himself a man. + +VIRGILIA But had he died in the business, madam, how +then? + +VOLUMNIA Then his good report should have been my +son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me +profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my +love alike and none less dear than thine and my +good Martius, I had rather had eleven die nobly +for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out +of action. + +[Enter a Gentlewoman.] + + +GENTLEWOMAN Madam, the Lady Valeria is come to +visit you. + +VIRGILIA +Beseech you, give me leave to retire myself. + +VOLUMNIA Indeed you shall not. +Methinks I hear hither your husband's drum, +See him pluck Aufidius down by th' hair; +As children from a bear, the Volsces shunning him. +Methinks I see him stamp thus and call thus: +"Come on, you cowards! You were got in fear, +Though you were born in Rome." His bloody brow +With his mailed hand then wiping, forth he goes +Like to a harvestman that's tasked to mow +Or all or lose his hire. + +VIRGILIA +His bloody brow? O Jupiter, no blood! + +VOLUMNIA +Away, you fool! It more becomes a man +Than gilt his trophy. The breasts of Hecuba, +When she did suckle Hector, looked not lovelier +Than Hector's forehead when it spit forth blood +At Grecian sword, contemning.--Tell Valeria +We are fit to bid her welcome. [Gentlewoman exits.] + +VIRGILIA +Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius! + +VOLUMNIA +He'll beat Aufidius' head below his knee +And tread upon his neck. + +[Enter Valeria with an Usher and a Gentlewoman.] + + +VALERIA My ladies both, good day to you. + +VOLUMNIA Sweet madam. + +VIRGILIA I am glad to see your Ladyship. + +VALERIA How do you both? You are manifest housekeepers. +What are you sewing here? A fine spot, in +good faith. How does your little son? + +VIRGILIA I thank your Ladyship; well, good madam. + +VOLUMNIA He had rather see the swords and hear a +drum than look upon his schoolmaster. + +VALERIA O' my word, the father's son! I'll swear 'tis a +very pretty boy. O' my troth, I looked upon him o' +Wednesday half an hour together. H'as such a confirmed +countenance. I saw him run after a gilded +butterfly, and when he caught it, he let it go again, +and after it again, and over and over he comes, +and up again, catched it again. Or whether his fall +enraged him or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth +and tear it. O, I warrant how he mammocked it! + +VOLUMNIA One on 's father's moods. + +VALERIA Indeed, la, 'tis a noble child. + +VIRGILIA A crack, madam. + +VALERIA Come, lay aside your stitchery. I must have +you play the idle huswife with me this afternoon. + +VIRGILIA No, good madam, I will not out of doors. + +VALERIA Not out of doors? + +VOLUMNIA She shall, she shall. + +VIRGILIA Indeed, no, by your patience. I'll not over the +threshold till my lord return from the wars. + +VALERIA Fie, you confine yourself most unreasonably. +Come, you must go visit the good lady that lies in. + +VIRGILIA I will wish her speedy strength and visit her +with my prayers, but I cannot go thither. + +VOLUMNIA Why, I pray you? + +VIRGILIA 'Tis not to save labor, nor that I want love. + +VALERIA You would be another Penelope. Yet they say +all the yarn she spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill +Ithaca full of moths. Come, I would your cambric +were sensible as your finger, that you might leave +pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us. + +VIRGILIA No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will +not forth. + +VALERIA In truth, la, go with me, and I'll tell you excellent +news of your husband. + +VIRGILIA O, good madam, there can be none yet. + +VALERIA Verily, I do not jest with you. There came +news from him last night. + +VIRGILIA Indeed, madam! + +VALERIA In earnest, it's true. I heard a senator speak it. +Thus it is: the Volsces have an army forth, against +whom Cominius the General is gone with one +part of our Roman power. Your lord and Titus Lartius +are set down before their city Corioles. They +nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief +wars. This is true, on mine honor, and so, I pray, go +with us. + +VIRGILIA Give me excuse, good madam. I will obey you +in everything hereafter. + +VOLUMNIA Let her alone, lady. As she is now, she will +but disease our better mirth. + +VALERIA In troth, I think she would.--Fare you well, +then.--Come, good sweet lady.--Prithee, Virgilia, +turn thy solemness out o' door, and go along with +us. + +VIRGILIA No, at a word, madam. Indeed, I must not. I +wish you much mirth. + +VALERIA Well, then, farewell. +[Ladies exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Martius, Titus Lartius, with Trumpet, Drum, +and Colors, with Captains and Soldiers, as before +the city of Corioles. To them a Messenger.] + + +MARTIUS +Yonder comes news. A wager they have met. + +LARTIUS +My horse to yours, no. + +MARTIUS 'Tis done. + +LARTIUS Agreed. + +MARTIUS, [to Messenger] +Say, has our general met the enemy? + +MESSENGER +They lie in view but have not spoke as yet. + +LARTIUS +So the good horse is mine. + +MARTIUS I'll buy him of you. + +LARTIUS +No, I'll nor sell nor give him. Lend you him I will +For half a hundred years.--Summon the town. + +MARTIUS How far off lie these armies? + +MESSENGER Within this mile and half. + +MARTIUS +Then shall we hear their 'larum and they ours. +Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work, +That we with smoking swords may march from +hence +To help our fielded friends!--Come, blow thy blast. +[They sound a parley.] + +[Enter two Senators with others on the walls of Corioles.] + +Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls? + +FIRST SENATOR +No, nor a man that fears you less than he: +That's lesser than a little. [Drum afar off.] +Hark, our drums +Are bringing forth our youth. We'll break our walls +Rather than they shall pound us up. Our gates, +Which yet seem shut, we have but pinned with +rushes. +They'll open of themselves. [Alarum far off.] +Hark you, far off! +There is Aufidius. List what work he makes +Amongst your cloven army. +[They exit from the walls.] + +MARTIUS O, they are at it! + +LARTIUS +Their noise be our instruction.--Ladders, ho! + +[Enter the Army of the Volsces as through the city gates.] + + +MARTIUS +They fear us not but issue forth their city.-- +Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight +With hearts more proof than shields.--Advance, +brave Titus. +They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts, +Which makes me sweat with wrath.--Come on, my +fellows! +He that retires, I'll take him for a Volsce, +And he shall feel mine edge. +[Alarum. The Romans are beat back to their trenches.] +[They exit, with the Volsces following.] + +[Enter Martius cursing, with Roman soldiers.] + + +MARTIUS +All the contagion of the south light on you, +You shames of Rome! You herd of--Boils and +plagues +Plaster you o'er, that you may be abhorred +Farther than seen, and one infect another +Against the wind a mile! You souls of geese, +That bear the shapes of men, how have you run +From slaves that apes would beat! Pluto and hell! +All hurt behind. Backs red, and faces pale +With flight and agued fear! Mend, and charge home, +Or, by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe +And make my wars on you. Look to 't. Come on! +If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives, +As they us to our trenches. Follow 's! + +[Another alarum. The Volsces re-enter and are driven +back to the gates of Corioles, which open to admit +them.] + +So, now the gates are ope. Now prove good +seconds! +'Tis for the followers fortune widens them, +Not for the fliers. Mark me, and do the like. +[Martius follows the fleeing Volsces through +the gates, and is shut in.] + +FIRST SOLDIER Foolhardiness, not I. + +SECOND SOLDIER Nor I. + +FIRST SOLDIER See they have shut him in. +[Alarum continues.] + +ALL To th' pot, I warrant him. + +[Enter Titus Lartius.] + + +LARTIUS +What is become of Martius? + +ALL Slain, sir, doubtless. + +FIRST SOLDIER +Following the fliers at the very heels, +With them he enters, who upon the sudden +Clapped to their gates. He is himself alone, +To answer all the city. + +LARTIUS O, noble fellow, +Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword, +And when it bows, stand'st up! Thou art left, +Martius. +A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, +Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier +Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible +Only in strokes, but with thy grim looks and +The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds +Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world +Were feverous and did tremble. + +[Enter Martius, bleeding, as if from Corioles, assaulted +by the enemy.] + + +FIRST SOLDIER Look, sir. + +LARTIUS O, 'tis Martius! +Let's fetch him off or make remain alike. +[They fight, and all enter the city, exiting the stage.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter certain Romans, with spoils.] + + +FIRST ROMAN This will I carry to Rome. + +SECOND ROMAN And I this. + +THIRD ROMAN A murrain on 't! I took this for silver. + +[Enter Martius, and Titus Lartius with a Trumpet.] + + +MARTIUS +See here these movers that do prize their hours +At a cracked drachma. Cushions, leaden spoons, +Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would +Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves, +Ere yet the fight be done, pack up. Down with them! +[The Romans with spoils exit.] +[Alarum continues still afar off.] +And hark, what noise the General makes! To him! +There is the man of my soul's hate, Aufidius, +Piercing our Romans. Then, valiant Titus, take +Convenient numbers to make good the city, +Whilst I, with those that have the spirit, will haste +To help Cominius. + +LARTIUS Worthy sir, thou bleed'st. +Thy exercise hath been too violent +For a second course of fight. + +MARTIUS Sir, praise me not. +My work hath yet not warmed me. Fare you well. +The blood I drop is rather physical +Than dangerous to me. To Aufidius thus +I will appear and fight. + +LARTIUS Now the fair goddess Fortune +Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms +Misguide thy opposers' swords! Bold gentleman, +Prosperity be thy page! + +MARTIUS Thy friend no less +Than those she placeth highest! So farewell. + +LARTIUS Thou worthiest Martius! [Martius exits.] +Go sound thy trumpet in the marketplace. +Call thither all the officers o' th' town, +Where they shall know our mind. Away! +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter Cominius as it were in retire, with Soldiers.] + + +COMINIUS +Breathe you, my friends. Well fought! We are come +off +Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands +Nor cowardly in retire. Believe me, sirs, +We shall be charged again. Whiles we have struck, +By interims and conveying gusts we have heard +The charges of our friends. The Roman gods +Lead their successes as we wish our own, +That both our powers, with smiling fronts +encount'ring, +May give you thankful sacrifice! + +[Enter a Messenger.] + +Thy news? + +MESSENGER +The citizens of Corioles have issued +And given to Lartius and to Martius battle. +I saw our party to their trenches driven, +And then I came away. + +COMINIUS Though thou speakest truth, +Methinks thou speak'st not well. How long is 't +since? + +MESSENGER Above an hour, my lord. + +COMINIUS +'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums. +How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour +And bring thy news so late? + +MESSENGER Spies of the Volsces +Held me in chase, that I was forced to wheel +Three or four miles about; else had I, sir, +Half an hour since brought my report. [He exits.] + +[Enter Martius, bloody.] + + +COMINIUS Who's yonder, +That does appear as he were flayed? O gods, +He has the stamp of Martius, and I have +Before-time seen him thus. + +MARTIUS Come I too late? + +COMINIUS +The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor +More than I know the sound of Martius' tongue +From every meaner man. + +MARTIUS Come I too late? + +COMINIUS +Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, +But mantled in your own. + +MARTIUS O, let me clip you +In arms as sound as when I wooed, in heart +As merry as when our nuptial day was done +And tapers burnt to bedward! [They embrace.] + +COMINIUS +Flower of warriors, how is 't with Titus Lartius? + +MARTIUS +As with a man busied about decrees, +Condemning some to death and some to exile; +Ransoming him or pitying, threat'ning th' other; +Holding Corioles in the name of Rome +Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash, +To let him slip at will. + +COMINIUS Where is that slave +Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? +Where is he? Call him hither. + +MARTIUS Let him alone. +He did inform the truth. But for our gentlemen, +The common file--a plague! Tribunes for them!-- +The mouse ne'er shunned the cat as they did budge +From rascals worse than they. + +COMINIUS But how prevailed you? + +MARTIUS +Will the time serve to tell? I do not think. +Where is the enemy? Are you lords o' th' field? +If not, why cease you till you are so? + +COMINIUS +Martius, we have at disadvantage fought +And did retire to win our purpose. + +MARTIUS +How lies their battle? Know you on which side +They have placed their men of trust? + +COMINIUS As I guess, +Martius, +Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates, +Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius, +Their very heart of hope. + +MARTIUS I do beseech you, +By all the battles wherein we have fought, +By th' blood we have shed together, by th' vows we +have made +To endure friends, that you directly set me +Against Aufidius and his Antiates, +And that you not delay the present, but, +Filling the air with swords advanced and darts, +We prove this very hour. + +COMINIUS Though I could wish +You were conducted to a gentle bath +And balms applied to you, yet dare I never +Deny your asking. Take your choice of those +That best can aid your action. + +MARTIUS Those are they +That most are willing. If any such be here-- +As it were sin to doubt--that love this painting +Wherein you see me smeared; if any fear +Lesser his person than an ill report; +If any think brave death outweighs bad life, +And that his country's dearer than himself; +Let him alone, or so many so minded, +Wave thus to express his disposition +And follow Martius. [He waves his sword.] +[They all shout and wave their swords, +take him up in their arms, and cast up their caps.] +O, me alone! Make you a sword of me? +If these shows be not outward, which of you +But is four Volsces? None of you but is +Able to bear against the great Aufidius +A shield as hard as his. A certain number, +Though thanks to all, must I select from all. +The rest shall bear the business in some other fight, +As cause will be obeyed. Please you to march, +And I shall quickly draw out my command, +Which men are best inclined. + +COMINIUS March on, my fellows. +Make good this ostentation, and you shall +Divide in all with us. +[They exit.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Titus Lartius, having set a guard upon Corioles, going +with Drum and Trumpet toward Cominius and Caius +Martius, enters with a Lieutenant, other Soldiers, +and a Scout.] + + +LARTIUS +So, let the ports be guarded. Keep your duties +As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch +Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve +For a short holding. If we lose the field, +We cannot keep the town. + +LIEUTENANT Fear not our care, sir. + +LARTIUS Hence, and shut your gates upon 's. +[(To the Scout.)] Our guider, come. To th' Roman +camp conduct us. +[They exit, the Lieutenant one way, Lartius another.] + +Scene 8 +======= +[Alarum, as in battle. +Enter Martius and Aufidius at several doors.] + + +MARTIUS +I'll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee +Worse than a promise-breaker. + +AUFIDIUS We hate alike. +Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor +More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot. + +MARTIUS +Let the first budger die the other's slave, +And the gods doom him after! + +AUFIDIUS If I fly, Martius, +Hollo me like a hare. + +MARTIUS Within these three hours, +Tullus, +Alone I fought in your Corioles' walls +And made what work I pleased. 'Tis not my blood +Wherein thou seest me masked. For thy revenge, +Wrench up thy power to th' highest. + +AUFIDIUS Wert thou the +Hector +That was the whip of your bragged progeny, +Thou shouldst not scape me here. + +[Here they fight, and certain Volsces come in +the aid of Aufidius.] +[(To the Volsces.)] Officious and not valiant, you have +shamed me +In your condemned seconds. +[Martius fights till they be driven in breathless. +Aufidius and Martius exit, separately.] + +Scene 9 +======= +[Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter, at one +door, Cominius with the Romans; at another door +Martius, with his arm in a scarf.] + + +COMINIUS, [to Martius] +If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, +Thou 't not believe thy deeds. But I'll report it +Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles; +Where great patricians shall attend and shrug, +I' th' end admire; where ladies shall be frighted +And, gladly quaked, hear more; where the dull +tribunes, +That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honors, +Shall say against their hearts "We thank the gods +Our Rome hath such a soldier." +Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast, +Having fully dined before. + +[Enter Titus Lartius with his power, from the pursuit.] + + +LARTIUS O general, +Here is the steed, we the caparison. +Hadst thou beheld-- + +MARTIUS Pray now, no more. My mother, +Who has a charter to extol her blood, +When she does praise me grieves me. I have done +As you have done--that's what I can; +Induced as you have been--that's for my country. +He that has but effected his good will +Hath overta'en mine act. + +COMINIUS You shall not be +The grave of your deserving. Rome must know +The value of her own. 'Twere a concealment +Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement, +To hide your doings and to silence that +Which, to the spire and top of praises vouched, +Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you-- +In sign of what you are, not to reward +What you have done--before our army hear me. + +MARTIUS +I have some wounds upon me, and they smart +To hear themselves remembered. + +COMINIUS Should they not, +Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude +And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses-- +Whereof we have ta'en good and good store--of all +The treasure in this field achieved and city, +We render you the tenth, to be ta'en forth +Before the common distribution +At your only choice. + +MARTIUS I thank you, general, +But cannot make my heart consent to take +A bribe to pay my sword. I do refuse it +And stand upon my common part with those +That have beheld the doing. +[A long flourish. They all cry "Martius, Martius!" +and cast up their caps and lances. +Cominius and Lartius stand bare.] +May these same instruments, which you profane, +Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall +I' th' field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be +Made all of false-faced soothing! When steel grows +Soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made +An ovator for th' wars! No more, I say. +For that I have not washed my nose that bled, +Or foiled some debile wretch--which, without note, +Here's many else have done--you shout me forth +In acclamations hyperbolical, +As if I loved my little should be dieted +In praises sauced with lies. + +COMINIUS Too modest are you, +More cruel to your good report than grateful +To us that give you truly. By your patience, +If 'gainst yourself you be incensed, we'll put you, +Like one that means his proper harm, in manacles, +Then reason safely with you. Therefore be it known, +As to us to all the world, that Caius Martius +Wears this war's garland, in token of the which +My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him, +With all his trim belonging. And from this time, +For what he did before Corioles, call him, +With all th' applause and clamor of the host, +Martius Caius Coriolanus! Bear +Th' addition nobly ever! + +[Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums.] + + +ALL +Martius Caius Coriolanus! + +CORIOLANUS I will go wash; +And when my face is fair, you shall perceive +Whether I blush or no. Howbeit, I thank you. +I mean to stride your steed and at all times +To undercrest your good addition +To th' fairness of my power. + +COMINIUS So, to our tent, +Where, ere we do repose us, we will write +To Rome of our success.--You, Titus Lartius, +Must to Corioles back. Send us to Rome +The best, with whom we may articulate +For their own good and ours. + +LARTIUS I shall, my lord. + +CORIOLANUS +The gods begin to mock me. I, that now +Refused most princely gifts, am bound to beg +Of my lord general. + +COMINIUS Take 't, 'tis yours. What is 't? + +CORIOLANUS +I sometime lay here in Corioles +At a poor man's house; he used me kindly. +He cried to me; I saw him prisoner; +But then Aufidius was within my view, +And wrath o'erwhelmed my pity. I request you +To give my poor host freedom. + +COMINIUS O, well begged! +Were he the butcher of my son, he should +Be free as is the wind.--Deliver him, Titus. + +LARTIUS +Martius, his name? + +CORIOLANUS By Jupiter, forgot! +I am weary; yea, my memory is tired. +Have we no wine here? + +COMINIUS Go we to our tent. +The blood upon your visage dries; 'tis time +It should be looked to. Come. +[A flourish of cornets. They exit.] + +Scene 10 +======== +[Enter Tullus Aufidius bloody, with two or three Soldiers.] + + +AUFIDIUS The town is ta'en. + +SOLDIER +'Twill be delivered back on good condition. + +AUFIDIUS Condition? +I would I were a Roman, for I cannot, +Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition? +What good condition can a treaty find +I' th' part that is at mercy? Five times, Martius, +I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me +And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter +As often as we eat. By th' elements, +If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, +He's mine, or I am his. Mine emulation +Hath not that honor in 't it had; for where +I thought to crush him in an equal force, +True sword to sword, I'll potch at him some way +Or wrath or craft may get him. + +SOLDIER He's the devil. + +AUFIDIUS +Bolder, though not so subtle. My valor's poisoned +With only suff'ring stain by him; for him +Shall fly out of itself. Nor sleep nor sanctuary, +Being naked, sick, nor fane nor Capitol, +The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice, +Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up +Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst +My hate to Martius. Where I find him, were it +At home, upon my brother's guard, even there, +Against the hospitable canon, would I +Wash my fierce hand in 's heart. Go you to th' city; +Learn how 'tis held and what they are that must +Be hostages for Rome. + +SOLDIER Will not you go? + +AUFIDIUS +I am attended at the cypress grove. I pray you-- +'Tis south the city mills--bring me word thither +How the world goes, that to the pace of it +I may spur on my journey. + +SOLDIER I shall, sir. +[They exit, Aufidius through one door, +Soldiers through another.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Menenius with the two Tribunes of the people, +Sicinius and Brutus.] + + +MENENIUS The augurer tells me we shall have news +tonight. + +BRUTUS Good or bad? + +MENENIUS Not according to the prayer of the people, +for they love not Martius. + +SICINIUS Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. + +MENENIUS Pray you, who does the wolf love? + +SICINIUS The lamb. + +MENENIUS Ay, to devour him, as the hungry plebeians +would the noble Martius. + +BRUTUS He's a lamb indeed, that baas like a bear. + +MENENIUS He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. +You two are old men; tell me one thing that I shall +ask you. + +BOTH Well, sir. + +MENENIUS In what enormity is Martius poor in, that +you two have not in abundance? + +BRUTUS He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all. + +SICINIUS Especially in pride. + +BRUTUS And topping all others in boasting. + +MENENIUS This is strange now. Do you two know how +you are censured here in the city, I mean of us o' +th' right-hand file, do you? + +BOTH Why, how are we censured? + +MENENIUS Because you talk of pride now, will you not +be angry? + +BOTH Well, well, sir, well? + +MENENIUS Why, 'tis no great matter; for a very little +thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience. +Give your dispositions the reins, and be +angry at your pleasures, at the least, if you take it +as a pleasure to you in being so. You blame Martius +for being proud. + +BRUTUS We do it not alone, sir. + +MENENIUS I know you can do very little alone, for +your helps are many, or else your actions would +grow wondrous single. Your abilities are too infantlike +for doing much alone. You talk of pride. O, +that you could turn your eyes toward the napes +of your necks and make but an interior survey of +your good selves! O, that you could! + +BOTH What then, sir? + +MENENIUS Why, then you should discover a brace of +unmeriting, proud, violent, testy magistrates, alias +fools, as any in Rome. + +SICINIUS Menenius, you are known well enough, too. + +MENENIUS I am known to be a humorous patrician and +one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of +allaying Tiber in 't; said to be something imperfect +in favoring the first complaint, hasty and tinder-like +upon too trivial motion; one that converses +more with the buttock of the night than with the +forehead of the morning. What I think I utter, +and spend my malice in my breath. Meeting two +such wealsmen as you are--I cannot call you +Lycurguses--if the drink you give me touch my +palate adversely, I make a crooked face at it. I cannot +say your Worships have delivered the matter +well when I find the ass in compound with the +major part of your syllables. And though I must +be content to bear with those that say you are reverend +grave men, yet they lie deadly that tell you +have good faces. If you see this in the map of my +microcosm, follows it that I am known well enough +too? What harm can your bisson conspectuities +glean out of this character, if I be known well +enough, too? + +BRUTUS Come, sir, come; we know you well enough. + +MENENIUS You know neither me, yourselves, nor anything. +You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps +and legs. You wear out a good wholesome forenoon +in hearing a cause between an orange-wife +and a faucet-seller, and then rejourn the controversy +of threepence to a second day of audience. +When you are hearing a matter between party and +party, if you chance to be pinched with the colic, +you make faces like mummers, set up the bloody +flag against all patience, and, in roaring for a +chamber pot, dismiss the controversy bleeding, +the more entangled by your hearing. All the peace +you make in their cause is calling both the parties +knaves. You are a pair of strange ones. + +BRUTUS Come, come. You are well understood to be a +perfecter giber for the table than a necessary +bencher in the Capitol. + +MENENIUS Our very priests must become mockers if +they shall encounter such ridiculous subjects as +you are. When you speak best unto the purpose, it +is not worth the wagging of your beards, and your +beards deserve not so honorable a grave as to +stuff a botcher's cushion or to be entombed in an +ass's packsaddle. Yet you must be saying Martius is +proud, who, in a cheap estimation, is worth all +your predecessors since Deucalion, though peradventure +some of the best of 'em were hereditary +hangmen. Good e'en to your Worships. More of +your conversation would infect my brain, being +the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians. I will be +bold to take my leave of you. +[He begins to exit. Brutus and Sicinius stand aside.] + +[Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Valeria.] + +How now, my as fair as noble ladies--and the +moon, were she earthly, no nobler--whither do +you follow your eyes so fast? + +VOLUMNIA Honorable Menenius, my boy Martius approaches. +For the love of Juno, let's go! + +MENENIUS Ha? Martius coming home? + +VOLUMNIA Ay, worthy Menenius, and with most prosperous +approbation. + +MENENIUS Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee! [(He +throws his cap in the air.)] Hoo! Martius coming +home? + +VALERIA, VIRGILIA Nay, 'tis true. + +VOLUMNIA Look, here's a letter from him. [She produces +a paper.] The state hath another, his wife another, +and I think there's one at home for you. + +MENENIUS I will make my very house reel tonight. A +letter for me? + +VIRGILIA Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; I saw 't. + +MENENIUS A letter for me? It gives me an estate of +seven years' health, in which time I will make a lip +at the physician. The most sovereign prescription +in Galen is but empiricutic and, to this preservative, +of no better report than a horse drench. Is he not +wounded? He was wont to come home wounded. + +VIRGILIA O no, no, no! + +VOLUMNIA O, he is wounded, I thank the gods for 't. + +MENENIUS So do I too, if it be not too much. Brings he +victory in his pocket, the wounds become him. + +VOLUMNIA On 's brows, Menenius. He comes the third +time home with the oaken garland. + +MENENIUS Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly? + +VOLUMNIA Titus Lartius writes they fought together, +but Aufidius got off. + +MENENIUS And 'twas time for him too, I'll warrant him +that. An he had stayed by him, I would not have +been so 'fidiused for all the chests in Corioles and +the gold that's in them. Is the Senate possessed of +this? + +VOLUMNIA Good ladies, let's go.--Yes, yes, yes. The +Senate has letters from the General, wherein he +gives my son the whole name of the war. He hath +in this action outdone his former deeds doubly. + +VALERIA In troth, there's wondrous things spoke of +him. + +MENENIUS Wondrous? Ay, I warrant you, and not without +his true purchasing. + +VIRGILIA The gods grant them true. + +VOLUMNIA True? Pow waw! + +MENENIUS True? I'll be sworn they are true. Where is +he wounded? [(To the Tribunes.)] God save your +good Worships! Martius is coming home; he has +more cause to be proud.--Where is he wounded? + +VOLUMNIA I' th' shoulder and i' th' left arm. There will +be large cicatrices to show the people when he +shall stand for his place. He received in the repulse +of Tarquin seven hurts i' th' body. + +MENENIUS One i' th' neck and two i' th' thigh--there's +nine that I know. + +VOLUMNIA He had, before this last expedition, twenty-five +wounds upon him. + +MENENIUS Now it's twenty-seven. Every gash was an +enemy's grave. [(A shout and flourish.)] Hark, the +trumpets! + +VOLUMNIA These are the ushers of Martius: before him +he carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears. +Death, that dark spirit, in 's nervy arm doth lie, +Which, being advanced, declines, and then men die. +[A sennet.] + +[Enter Cominius the General and Titus Lartius, between +them Coriolanus crowned with an oaken garland, with +Captains and Soldiers and a Herald. Trumpets sound.] + + +HERALD +Know, Rome, that all alone Martius did fight +Within Corioles' gates, where he hath won, +With fame, a name to Martius Caius; these +In honor follows "Coriolanus." +Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus. +[Sound flourish.] + +ALL +Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus! + +CORIOLANUS +No more of this. It does offend my heart. +Pray now, no more. + +COMINIUS Look, sir, your mother. + +CORIOLANUS O, +You have, I know, petitioned all the gods +For my prosperity. [Kneels.] + +VOLUMNIA Nay, my good soldier, up. +[He stands.] +My gentle Martius, worthy Caius, and +By deed-achieving honor newly named-- +What is it? Coriolanus must I call thee? +But, O, thy wife-- + +CORIOLANUS My gracious silence, hail. +Wouldst thou have laughed had I come coffined +home, +That weep'st to see me triumph? Ah, my dear, +Such eyes the widows in Corioles wear +And mothers that lack sons. + +MENENIUS Now the gods crown +thee! + +CORIOLANUS +And live you yet? [(To Valeria.)] O, my sweet lady, +pardon. + +VOLUMNIA +I know not where to turn. O, welcome home!-- +And, welcome, general.--And you're welcome all. + +MENENIUS +A hundred thousand welcomes! I could weep, +And I could laugh; I am light and heavy. Welcome. +A curse begin at very root on 's heart +That is not glad to see thee! You are three +That Rome should dote on; yet, by the faith of men, +We have some old crab trees here at home that will +not +Be grafted to your relish. Yet welcome, warriors! +We call a nettle but a nettle, and +The faults of fools but folly. + +COMINIUS Ever right. + +CORIOLANUS Menenius ever, ever. + +HERALD +Give way there, and go on! + +CORIOLANUS, [to Volumnia and Virgilia] Your hand +and yours. +Ere in our own house I do shade my head, +The good patricians must be visited, +From whom I have received not only greetings, +But with them change of honors. + +VOLUMNIA I have lived +To see inherited my very wishes +And the buildings of my fancy. Only +There's one thing wanting, which I doubt not but +Our Rome will cast upon thee. + +CORIOLANUS Know, good mother, +I had rather be their servant in my way +Than sway with them in theirs. + +COMINIUS On, to the Capitol. +[Flourish of cornets. They exit in state, as before.] + +[Brutus and Sicinius come forward.] + + + +BRUTUS +All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights +Are spectacled to see him. Your prattling nurse +Into a rapture lets her baby cry +While she chats him. The kitchen malkin pins +Her richest lockram 'bout her reechy neck, +Clamb'ring the walls to eye him. Stalls, bulks, +windows +Are smothered up, leads filled, and ridges horsed +With variable complexions, all agreeing +In earnestness to see him. Seld-shown flamens +Do press among the popular throngs and puff +To win a vulgar station. Our veiled dames +Commit the war of white and damask in +Their nicely-gauded cheeks to th' wanton spoil +Of Phoebus' burning kisses. Such a pother, +As if that whatsoever god who leads him +Were slyly crept into his human powers +And gave him graceful posture. + +SICINIUS On the sudden +I warrant him consul. + +BRUTUS Then our office may, +During his power, go sleep. + +SICINIUS +He cannot temp'rately transport his honors +From where he should begin and end, but will +Lose those he hath won. + +BRUTUS In that there's comfort. + +SICINIUS Doubt +not +The commoners, for whom we stand, but they +Upon their ancient malice will forget +With the least cause these his new honors--which +That he will give them make I as little question +As he is proud to do 't. + +BRUTUS I heard him swear, +Were he to stand for consul, never would he +Appear i' th' marketplace nor on him put +The napless vesture of humility, +Nor showing, as the manner is, his wounds +To th' people, beg their stinking breaths. + +SICINIUS 'Tis right. + +BRUTUS +It was his word. O, he would miss it rather +Than carry it but by the suit of the gentry to him +And the desire of the nobles. + +SICINIUS I wish no better +Than have him hold that purpose and to put it +In execution. + +BRUTUS 'Tis most like he will. + +SICINIUS +It shall be to him then as our good wills, +A sure destruction. + +BRUTUS So it must fall out +To him, or our authority's for an end. +We must suggest the people in what hatred +He still hath held them; that to 's power he would +Have made them mules, silenced their pleaders, and +Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them +In human action and capacity +Of no more soul nor fitness for the world +Than camels in their war, who have their provand +Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows +For sinking under them. + +SICINIUS This, as you say, suggested +At some time when his soaring insolence +Shall touch the people--which time shall not want +If he be put upon 't, and that's as easy +As to set dogs on sheep--will be his fire +To kindle their dry stubble, and their blaze +Shall darken him forever. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +BRUTUS What's the matter? + +MESSENGER +You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought +That Martius shall be consul. I have seen +The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind +To hear him speak; matrons flung gloves, +Ladies and maids their scarves and handkerchiefs, +Upon him as he passed; the nobles bended +As to Jove's statue, and the Commons made +A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts. +I never saw the like. + +BRUTUS Let's to the Capitol, +And carry with us ears and eyes for th' time, +But hearts for the event. + +SICINIUS Have with you. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter two Officers, to lay cushions, as it were +in the Capitol.] + + +FIRST OFFICER Come, come. They are almost here. How +many stand for consulships? + +SECOND OFFICER Three, they say; but 'tis thought of +everyone Coriolanus will carry it. + +FIRST OFFICER That's a brave fellow, but he's vengeance +proud and loves not the common people. + +SECOND OFFICER 'Faith, there hath been many great +men that have flattered the people who ne'er loved +them; and there be many that they have loved they +know not wherefore; so that, if they love they +know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. +Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether +they love or hate him manifests the true knowledge +he has in their disposition and, out of his noble +carelessness, lets them plainly see 't. + +FIRST OFFICER If he did not care whether he had their +love or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them +neither good nor harm; but he seeks their hate with +greater devotion than they can render it him and +leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him +their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice +and displeasure of the people is as bad as that +which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. + +SECOND OFFICER He hath deserved worthily of his +country, and his ascent is not by such easy degrees +as those who, having been supple and courteous to +the people, bonneted, without any further deed to +have them at all into their estimation and report; +but he hath so planted his honors in their eyes and +his actions in their hearts that for their tongues to +be silent and not confess so much were a kind of +ingrateful injury. To report otherwise were a malice +that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof +and rebuke from every ear that heard it. + +FIRST OFFICER No more of him; he's a worthy man. +Make way. They are coming. + +[A sennet. Enter the Patricians and the Tribunes of the +people, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, +Cominius the consul. The Patricians sit. Sicinius +and Brutus take their places by themselves. +Coriolanus stands.] + + +MENENIUS +Having determined of the Volsces and +To send for Titus Lartius, it remains, +As the main point of this our after-meeting, +To gratify his noble service that +Hath thus stood for his country. Therefore please +you, +Most reverend and grave elders, to desire +The present consul and last general +In our well-found successes to report +A little of that worthy work performed +By Martius Caius Coriolanus, whom +We met here both to thank and to remember +With honors like himself. [Coriolanus sits.] + +FIRST SENATOR Speak, good Cominius. +Leave nothing out for length, and make us think +Rather our state's defective for requital, +Than we to stretch it out. [(To the Tribunes.)] +Masters o' th' people, +We do request your kindest ears and, after, +Your loving motion toward the common body +To yield what passes here. + +SICINIUS We are convented +Upon a pleasing treaty and have hearts +Inclinable to honor and advance +The theme of our assembly. + +BRUTUS Which the rather +We shall be blest to do if he remember +A kinder value of the people than +He hath hereto prized them at. + +MENENIUS That's off, that's off! +I would you rather had been silent. Please you +To hear Cominius speak? + +BRUTUS Most willingly, +But yet my caution was more pertinent +Than the rebuke you give it. + +MENENIUS He loves your people, +But tie him not to be their bedfellow.-- +Worthy Cominius, speak. +[Coriolanus rises and offers to go away.] +Nay, keep your place. + +FIRST SENATOR +Sit, Coriolanus. Never shame to hear +What you have nobly done. + +CORIOLANUS Your Honors, pardon. +I had rather have my wounds to heal again +Than hear say how I got them. + +BRUTUS Sir, I hope +My words disbenched you not? + +CORIOLANUS No, sir. Yet oft, +When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. +You soothed not, therefore hurt not; but your +people, +I love them as they weigh. + +MENENIUS Pray now, sit down. + +CORIOLANUS +I had rather have one scratch my head i' th' sun +When the alarum were struck than idly sit +To hear my nothings monstered. [Coriolanus exits.] + +MENENIUS Masters of the people, +Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter-- +That's thousand to one good one--when you now +see +He had rather venture all his limbs for honor +Than one on 's ears to hear it.--Proceed, Cominius. + +COMINIUS +I shall lack voice. The deeds of Coriolanus +Should not be uttered feebly. It is held +That valor is the chiefest virtue and +Most dignifies the haver; if it be, +The man I speak of cannot in the world +Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years, +When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought +Beyond the mark of others. Our then dictator, +Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight +When with his Amazonian chin he drove +The bristled lips before him. He bestrid +An o'erpressed Roman and i' th' Consul's view +Slew three opposers. Tarquin's self he met +And struck him on his knee. In that day's feats, +When he might act the woman in the scene, +He proved best man i' th' field and for his meed +Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age +Man-entered thus, he waxed like a sea, +And in the brunt of seventeen battles since +He lurched all swords of the garland. For this last, +Before and in Corioles, let me say, +I cannot speak him home. He stopped the flyers +And by his rare example made the coward +Turn terror into sport. As weeds before +A vessel under sail, so men obeyed +And fell below his stem. His sword, Death's stamp, +Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot +He was a thing of blood, whose every motion +Was timed with dying cries. Alone he entered +The mortal gate o' th' city, which he painted +With shunless destiny; aidless came off +And with a sudden reinforcement struck +Corioles like a planet. Now all's his, +When by and by the din of war gan pierce +His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit +Requickened what in flesh was fatigate, +And to the battle came he, where he did +Run reeking o'er the lives of men as if +'Twere a perpetual spoil; and till we called +Both field and city ours, he never stood +To ease his breast with panting. + +MENENIUS Worthy man! + +FIRST SENATOR +He cannot but with measure fit the honors +Which we devise him. + +COMINIUS Our spoils he kicked at +And looked upon things precious as they were +The common muck of the world. He covets less +Than misery itself would give, rewards +His deeds with doing them, and is content +To spend the time to end it. + +MENENIUS He's right noble. +Let him be called for. + +FIRST SENATOR Call Coriolanus. + +OFFICER He doth appear. + +[Enter Coriolanus.] + + +MENENIUS +The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased +To make thee consul. + +CORIOLANUS I do owe them still +My life and services. + +MENENIUS It then remains +That you do speak to the people. + +CORIOLANUS I do beseech you, +Let me o'erleap that custom, for I cannot +Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them +For my wounds' sake to give their suffrage. Please +you +That I may pass this doing. + +SICINIUS Sir, the people +Must have their voices; neither will they bate +One jot of ceremony. + +MENENIUS, [to Coriolanus] Put them not to 't. +Pray you, go fit you to the custom, and +Take to you, as your predecessors have, +Your honor with your form. + +CORIOLANUS It is a part +That I shall blush in acting, and might well +Be taken from the people. + +BRUTUS, [to Sicinius] Mark you that? + +CORIOLANUS +To brag unto them "Thus I did, and thus!" +Show them th' unaching scars, which I should hide, +As if I had received them for the hire +Of their breath only! + +MENENIUS Do not stand upon 't.-- +We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, +Our purpose to them, and to our noble consul +Wish we all joy and honor. + +SENATORS +To Coriolanus come all joy and honor! +[Flourish cornets. Then they exit. Sicinius and +Brutus remain.] + +BRUTUS +You see how he intends to use the people. + +SICINIUS +May they perceive 's intent! He will require them +As if he did contemn what he requested +Should be in them to give. + +BRUTUS Come, we'll inform them +Of our proceedings here. On th' marketplace +I know they do attend us. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter seven or eight Citizens.] + + +FIRST CITIZEN Once, if he do require our voices, we +ought not to deny him. + +SECOND CITIZEN We may, sir, if we will. + +THIRD CITIZEN We have power in ourselves to do it, but +it is a power that we have no power to do; for, if +he show us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we +are to put our tongues into those wounds and +speak for them. So, if he tell us his noble deeds, we +must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. +Ingratitude is monstrous, and for the multitude to +be ingrateful were to make a monster of the multitude, +of the which, we being members, should +bring ourselves to be monstrous members. + +FIRST CITIZEN And to make us no better thought of, a +little help will serve; for once we stood up about +the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed +multitude. + +THIRD CITIZEN We have been called so of many; not that +our heads are some brown, some black, some +abram, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely +colored; and truly I think if all our wits were to +issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, +north, south, and their consent of one direct way +should be at once to all the points o' th' compass. + +SECOND CITIZEN Think you so? Which way do you +judge my wit would fly? + +THIRD CITIZEN Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another +man's will; 'tis strongly wedged up in a blockhead. +But if it were at liberty, 'twould sure +southward. + +SECOND CITIZEN Why that way? + +THIRD CITIZEN To lose itself in a fog, where, being three +parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth +would return for conscience' sake, to help to get +thee a wife. + +SECOND CITIZEN You are never without your tricks. You +may, you may. + +THIRD CITIZEN Are you all resolved to give your voices? +But that's no matter; the greater part carries it. I +say, if he would incline to the people, there was +never a worthier man. + +[Enter Coriolanus in a gown of humility, with Menenius.] + +Here he comes, and in the gown of humility. Mark +his behavior. We are not to stay all together, but to +come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, +and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars, +wherein every one of us has a single honor +in giving him our own voices with our own tongues. +Therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you +shall go by him. + +ALL Content, content. [Citizens exit.] + +MENENIUS +O sir, you are not right. Have you not known +The worthiest men have done 't? + +CORIOLANUS What must I say? +"I pray, sir?"--plague upon 't! I cannot bring +My tongue to such a pace. "Look, sir, my wounds! +I got them in my country's service when +Some certain of your brethren roared and ran +From th' noise of our own drums." + +MENENIUS O me, the gods! +You must not speak of that. You must desire them +To think upon you. + +CORIOLANUS Think upon me? Hang 'em! +I would they would forget me, like the virtues +Which our divines lose by 'em. + +MENENIUS You'll mar all. +I'll leave you. Pray you, speak to 'em, I pray you, +In wholesome manner. [He exits.] + +CORIOLANUS Bid them wash their faces +And keep their teeth clean. + +[Enter three of the Citizens.] + +So, here comes a brace.-- +You know the cause, sir, of my standing here. + +THIRD CITIZEN +We do, sir. Tell us what hath brought you to 't. + +CORIOLANUS Mine own desert. + +SECOND CITIZEN Your own desert? + +CORIOLANUS Ay, but not mine own desire. + +THIRD CITIZEN How, not your own desire? + +CORIOLANUS No, sir, 'twas never my desire yet to trouble +the poor with begging. + +THIRD CITIZEN You must think if we give you anything, +we hope to gain by you. + +CORIOLANUS Well then, I pray, your price o' th' +consulship? + +FIRST CITIZEN The price is to ask it kindly. + +CORIOLANUS Kindly, sir, I pray, let me ha 't. I have +wounds to show you, which shall be yours in +private.--Your good voice, sir. What say you? + +SECOND CITIZEN You shall ha 't, worthy sir. + +CORIOLANUS A match, sir. There's in all two worthy +voices begged. I have your alms. Adieu. + +THIRD CITIZEN, [to the other Citizens] But this is something +odd. + +SECOND CITIZEN An 'twere to give again--but 'tis no +matter. [These citizens exit.] + +[Enter two other Citizens.] + + +CORIOLANUS Pray you now, if it may stand with the +tune of your voices that I may be consul, I have +here the customary gown. + +FOURTH CITIZEN You have deserved nobly of your +country, and you have not deserved nobly. + +CORIOLANUS Your enigma? + +FOURTH CITIZEN You have been a scourge to her enemies; +you have been a rod to her friends. You have +not indeed loved the common people. + +CORIOLANUS You should account me the more virtuous +that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, +flatter my sworn brother, the people, to earn a +dearer estimation of them; 'tis a condition they account +gentle. And since the wisdom of their choice +is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practice +the insinuating nod and be off to them most +counterfeitly. That is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment +of some popular man and give it bountiful +to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may +be consul. + +FIFTH CITIZEN We hope to find you our friend, and +therefore give you our voices heartily. + +FOURTH CITIZEN You have received many wounds for +your country. + +CORIOLANUS I will not seal your knowledge with showing +them. I will make much of your voices and so +trouble you no farther. + +BOTH The gods give you joy, sir, heartily. +[Citizens exit.] + +CORIOLANUS Most sweet voices! +Better it is to die, better to starve, +Than crave the hire which first we do deserve. +Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here +To beg of Hob and Dick that does appear +Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to 't. +What custom wills, in all things should we do 't? +The dust on antique time would lie unswept +And mountainous error be too highly heaped +For truth to o'erpeer. Rather than fool it so, +Let the high office and the honor go +To one that would do thus. I am half through; +The one part suffered, the other will I do. + +[Enter three Citizens more.] + +Here come more voices.-- +Your voices! For your voices I have fought; +Watched for your voices; for your voices bear +Of wounds two dozen odd. Battles thrice six +I have seen and heard of; for your voices have +Done many things, some less, some more. Your +voices! +Indeed, I would be consul. + +SIXTH CITIZEN He has done nobly, and cannot go +without any honest man's voice. + +SEVENTH CITIZEN Therefore let him be consul. The +gods give him joy, and make him good friend to +the people! + +ALL Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul. +[Citizens exit.] + +CORIOLANUS Worthy voices! + +[Enter Menenius, with Brutus and Sicinius.] + + +MENENIUS +You have stood your limitation, and the Tribunes +Endue you with the people's voice. Remains +That in th' official marks invested, you +Anon do meet the Senate. + +CORIOLANUS Is this done? + +SICINIUS +The custom of request you have discharged. +The people do admit you, and are summoned +To meet anon upon your approbation. + +CORIOLANUS +Where? At the Senate House? + +SICINIUS There, Coriolanus. + +CORIOLANUS +May I change these garments? + +SICINIUS You may, sir. + +CORIOLANUS +That I'll straight do and, knowing myself again, +Repair to th' Senate House. + +MENENIUS +I'll keep you company.--Will you along? + +BRUTUS +We stay here for the people. + +SICINIUS Fare you well. +[Coriolanus and Menenius exit.] +He has it now; and by his looks, methinks, +'Tis warm at 's heart. + +BRUTUS With a proud heart he wore +His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people? + +[Enter the Plebeians.] + + +SICINIUS +How now, my masters, have you chose this man? + +FIRST CITIZEN He has our voices, sir. + +BRUTUS +We pray the gods he may deserve your loves. + +SECOND CITIZEN +Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice, +He mocked us when he begged our voices. + +THIRD CITIZEN +Certainly, he flouted us downright. + +FIRST CITIZEN +No, 'tis his kind of speech. He did not mock us. + +SECOND CITIZEN +Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says +He used us scornfully. He should have showed us +His marks of merit, wounds received for 's country. + +SICINIUS Why, so he did, I am sure. + +ALL No, no. No man saw 'em. + +THIRD CITIZEN +He said he had wounds, which he could show in +private, +And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn, +"I would be consul," says he. "Aged custom, +But by your voices, will not so permit me; +Your voices therefore." When we granted that, +Here was "I thank you for your voices. Thank you. +Your most sweet voices! Now you have left your +voices, +I have no further with you." Was not this mockery? + +SICINIUS +Why either were you ignorant to see 't +Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness +To yield your voices? + +BRUTUS Could you not have told him +As you were lessoned? When he had no power, +But was a petty servant to the state, +He was your enemy, ever spake against +Your liberties and the charters that you bear +I' th' body of the weal; and, now arriving +A place of potency and sway o' th' state, +If he should still malignantly remain +Fast foe to th' plebeii, your voices might +Be curses to yourselves. You should have said +That as his worthy deeds did claim no less +Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature +Would think upon you for your voices, and +Translate his malice towards you into love, +Standing your friendly lord. + +SICINIUS Thus to have said, +As you were fore-advised, had touched his spirit +And tried his inclination; from him plucked +Either his gracious promise, which you might, +As cause had called you up, have held him to; +Or else it would have galled his surly nature, +Which easily endures not article +Tying him to aught. So putting him to rage, +You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler +And passed him unelected. + +BRUTUS Did you perceive +He did solicit you in free contempt +When he did need your loves, and do you think +That his contempt shall not be bruising to you +When he hath power to crush? Why, had your +bodies +No heart among you? Or had you tongues to cry +Against the rectorship of judgment? + +SICINIUS +Have you ere now denied the asker? And now +Again, of him that did not ask but mock, +Bestow your sued-for tongues? + +THIRD CITIZEN He's not confirmed. +We may deny him yet. + +SECOND CITIZEN And will deny him. +I'll have five hundred voices of that sound. + +FIRST CITIZEN +I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em. + +BRUTUS +Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends +They have chose a consul that will from them take +Their liberties, make them of no more voice +Than dogs that are as often beat for barking +As therefor kept to do so. + +SICINIUS Let them assemble +And, on a safer judgment, all revoke +Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride +And his old hate unto you. Besides, forget not +With what contempt he wore the humble weed, +How in his suit he scorned you; but your loves, +Thinking upon his services, took from you +Th' apprehension of his present portance, +Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion +After the inveterate hate he bears you. + +BRUTUS Lay +A fault on us, your tribunes, that we labored, +No impediment between, but that you must +Cast your election on him. + +SICINIUS Say you chose him +More after our commandment than as guided +By your own true affections, and that your minds, +Preoccupied with what you rather must do +Than what you should, made you against the grain +To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us. + +BRUTUS +Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you, +How youngly he began to serve his country, +How long continued, and what stock he springs of, +The noble house o' th' Martians, from whence came +That Ancus Martius, Numa's daughter's son, +Who after great Hostilius here was king, +Of the same house Publius and Quintus were, +That our best water brought by conduits hither; +And Censorinus, that was so surnamed, +And nobly named so, twice being censor, +Was his great ancestor. + +SICINIUS One thus descended, +That hath besides well in his person wrought +To be set high in place, we did commend +To your remembrances; but you have found, +Scaling his present bearing with his past, +That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke +Your sudden approbation. + +BRUTUS Say you ne'er had done 't-- +Harp on that still--but by our putting on. +And presently, when you have drawn your number, +Repair to th' Capitol. + +ALL We will so. Almost all +Repent in their election. [Plebeians exit.] + +BRUTUS Let them go on. +This mutiny were better put in hazard +Than stay, past doubt, for greater. +If, as his nature is, he fall in rage +With their refusal, both observe and answer +The vantage of his anger. + +SICINIUS To th' Capitol, come. +We will be there before the stream o' th' people, +And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own, +Which we have goaded onward. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, all the Gentry, +Cominius, Titus Lartius, and other Senators.] + + +CORIOLANUS +Tullus Aufidius then had made new head? + +LARTIUS +He had, my lord, and that it was which caused +Our swifter composition. + +CORIOLANUS +So then the Volsces stand but as at first, +Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road +Upon 's again. + +COMINIUS They are worn, lord consul, so, +That we shall hardly in our ages see +Their banners wave again. + +CORIOLANUS Saw you Aufidius? + +LARTIUS +On safeguard he came to me, and did curse +Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely +Yielded the town. He is retired to Antium. + +CORIOLANUS +Spoke he of me? + +LARTIUS He did, my lord. + +CORIOLANUS How? What? + +LARTIUS +How often he had met you sword to sword; +That of all things upon the earth he hated +Your person most; that he would pawn his fortunes +To hopeless restitution, so he might +Be called your vanquisher. + +CORIOLANUS At Antium lives he? + +LARTIUS At Antium. + +CORIOLANUS +I wish I had a cause to seek him there, +To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home. + +[Enter Sicinius and Brutus.] + +Behold, these are the tribunes of the people, +The tongues o' th' common mouth. I do despise +them, +For they do prank them in authority +Against all noble sufferance. + +SICINIUS Pass no further. + +CORIOLANUS Ha? What is that? + +BRUTUS +It will be dangerous to go on. No further. + +CORIOLANUS What makes this change? + +MENENIUS The matter? + +COMINIUS +Hath he not passed the noble and the common? + +BRUTUS +Cominius, no. + +CORIOLANUS Have I had children's voices? + +FIRST SENATOR +Tribunes, give way. He shall to th' marketplace. + +BRUTUS +The people are incensed against him. + +SICINIUS Stop, +Or all will fall in broil. + +CORIOLANUS Are these your herd? +Must these have voices, that can yield them now +And straight disclaim their tongues? What are your +offices? +You being their mouths, why rule you not their +teeth? +Have you not set them on? + +MENENIUS Be calm, be calm. + +CORIOLANUS +It is a purposed thing, and grows by plot, +To curb the will of the nobility. +Suffer 't, and live with such as cannot rule +Nor ever will be ruled. + +BRUTUS Call 't not a plot. +The people cry you mocked them; and, of late, +When corn was given them gratis, you repined, +Scandaled the suppliants for the people, called them +Timepleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness. + +CORIOLANUS +Why, this was known before. + +BRUTUS Not to them all. + +CORIOLANUS +Have you informed them sithence? + +BRUTUS How? I inform +them? + +COMINIUS You are like to do such business. + +BRUTUS +Not unlike, each way, to better yours. + +CORIOLANUS +Why then should I be consul? By yond clouds, +Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me +Your fellow tribune. + +SICINIUS You show too much of that +For which the people stir. If you will pass +To where you are bound, you must inquire your +way, +Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit, +Or never be so noble as a consul, +Nor yoke with him for tribune. + +MENENIUS Let's be calm. + +COMINIUS +The people are abused, set on. This palt'ring +Becomes not Rome, nor has Coriolanus +Deserved this so dishonored rub, laid falsely +I' th' plain way of his merit. + +CORIOLANUS Tell me of corn? +This was my speech, and I will speak 't again. + +MENENIUS +Not now, not now. + +FIRST SENATOR Not in this heat, sir, now. + +CORIOLANUS Now, as I live, I will. +My nobler friends, I crave their pardons. For +The mutable, rank-scented meiny, let them +Regard me, as I do not flatter, and +Therein behold themselves. I say again, +In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate +The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, +Which we ourselves have plowed for, sowed, and +scattered +By mingling them with us, the honored number, +Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that +Which they have given to beggars. + +MENENIUS Well, no more. + +FIRST SENATOR +No more words, we beseech you. + +CORIOLANUS How? No more? +As for my country I have shed my blood, +Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs +Coin words till their decay against those measles +Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought +The very way to catch them. + +BRUTUS You speak o' th' people +As if you were a god to punish, not +A man of their infirmity. + +SICINIUS 'Twere well +We let the people know 't. + +MENENIUS What, what? His choler? + +CORIOLANUS Choler? +Were I as patient as the midnight sleep, +By Jove, 'twould be my mind. + +SICINIUS It is a mind +That shall remain a poison where it is, +Not poison any further. + +CORIOLANUS "Shall remain"? +Hear you this Triton of the minnows? Mark you +His absolute "shall"? + +COMINIUS 'Twas from the canon. + +CORIOLANUS "Shall"? +O good but most unwise patricians, why, +You grave but reckless senators, have you thus +Given Hydra here to choose an officer, +That with his peremptory "shall," being but +The horn and noise o' th' monster's, wants not spirit +To say he'll turn your current in a ditch +And make your channel his? If he have power, +Then vail your ignorance; if none, awake +Your dangerous lenity. If you are learned, +Be not as common fools; if you are not, +Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians, +If they be senators; and they are no less +When, both your voices blended, the great'st taste +Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate, +And such a one as he, who puts his "shall," +His popular "shall," against a graver bench +Than ever frowned in Greece. By Jove himself, +It makes the consuls base! And my soul aches +To know, when two authorities are up, +Neither supreme, how soon confusion +May enter 'twixt the gap of both and take +The one by th' other. + +COMINIUS Well, on to th' marketplace. + +CORIOLANUS +Whoever gave that counsel to give forth +The corn o' th' storehouse gratis, as 'twas used +Sometime in Greece-- + +MENENIUS Well, well, no more of that. + +CORIOLANUS +Though there the people had more absolute power, +I say they nourished disobedience, fed +The ruin of the state. + +BRUTUS Why shall the people give +One that speaks thus their voice? + +CORIOLANUS I'll give my reasons, +More worthier than their voices. They know the +corn +Was not our recompense, resting well assured +They ne'er did service for 't. Being pressed to th' war, +Even when the navel of the state was touched, +They would not thread the gates. This kind of +service +Did not deserve corn gratis. Being i' th' war, +Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they showed +Most valor, spoke not for them. Th' accusation +Which they have often made against the Senate, +All cause unborn, could never be the native +Of our so frank donation. Well, what then? +How shall this bosom multiplied digest +The Senate's courtesy? Let deeds express +What's like to be their words: "We did request it; +We are the greater poll, and in true fear +They gave us our demands." Thus we debase +The nature of our seats and make the rabble +Call our cares fears, which will in time +Break ope the locks o' th' Senate and bring in +The crows to peck the eagles. + +MENENIUS Come, enough. + +BRUTUS +Enough, with over-measure. + +CORIOLANUS No, take more! +What may be sworn by, both divine and human, +Seal what I end withal! This double worship-- +Where one part does disdain with cause, the other +Insult without all reason, where gentry, title, +wisdom +Cannot conclude but by the yea and no +Of general ignorance--it must omit +Real necessities and give way the while +To unstable slightness. Purpose so barred, it follows +Nothing is done to purpose. Therefore, beseech +you-- +You that will be less fearful than discreet, +That love the fundamental part of state +More than you doubt the change on 't, that prefer +A noble life before a long, and wish +To jump a body with a dangerous physic +That's sure of death without it--at once pluck out +The multitudinous tongue; let them not lick +The sweet which is their poison. Your dishonor +Mangles true judgment and bereaves the state +Of that integrity which should become 't, +Not having the power to do the good it would +For th' ill which doth control 't. + +BRUTUS 'Has said enough. + +SICINIUS +'Has spoken like a traitor and shall answer +As traitors do. + +CORIOLANUS Thou wretch, despite o'erwhelm thee! +What should the people do with these bald tribunes, +On whom depending, their obedience fails +To th' greater bench? In a rebellion, +When what's not meet but what must be was law, +Then were they chosen. In a better hour, +Let what is meet be said it must be meet, +And throw their power i' th' dust. + +BRUTUS Manifest treason. + +SICINIUS This a consul? No. + +BRUTUS The aediles, ho! Let him be apprehended. + +[Enter an Aedile.] + + +SICINIUS +Go, call the people; [Aedile exits.] in whose name +myself +Attach thee as a traitorous innovator, +A foe to th' public weal. Obey, I charge thee, +And follow to thine answer. + +CORIOLANUS Hence, old goat. + +ALL PATRICIANS +We'll surety him. + +COMINIUS, [to Sicinius] Aged sir, hands off. + +CORIOLANUS, [to Sicinius] +Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones +Out of thy garments. + +SICINIUS Help, you citizens! + +[Enter a rabble of Plebeians with the Aediles.] + + +MENENIUS On both sides more respect! + +SICINIUS +Here's he that would take from you all your power. + +BRUTUS Seize him, aediles. + +ALL PLEBEIANS Down with him, down with him! + +SECOND SENATOR Weapons, weapons, weapons! +[They all bustle about Coriolanus.] +Tribunes, patricians, citizens, what ho! +Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens! + +ALL Peace, peace, peace! Stay, hold, peace! + +MENENIUS +What is about to be? I am out of breath. +Confusion's near. I cannot speak. You, tribunes +To th' people!--Coriolanus, patience!-- +Speak, good Sicinius. + +SICINIUS Hear me, people! Peace! + +ALL PLEBEIANS +Let's hear our tribune. Peace! Speak, speak, speak. + +SICINIUS +You are at point to lose your liberties. +Martius would have all from you, Martius, +Whom late you have named for consul. + +MENENIUS Fie, fie, fie! +This is the way to kindle, not to quench. + +FIRST SENATOR +To unbuild the city and to lay all flat. + +SICINIUS +What is the city but the people? + +ALL PLEBEIANS True, +The people are the city. + +BRUTUS +By the consent of all, we were established +The people's magistrates. + +ALL PLEBEIANS You so remain. + +MENENIUS And so are like to do. + +CORIOLANUS +That is the way to lay the city flat, +To bring the roof to the foundation +And bury all which yet distinctly ranges +In heaps and piles of ruin. + +SICINIUS This deserves death. + +BRUTUS +Or let us stand to our authority +Or let us lose it. We do here pronounce, +Upon the part o' th' people, in whose power +We were elected theirs, Martius is worthy +Of present death. + +SICINIUS Therefore lay hold of him, +Bear him to th' rock Tarpeian, and from thence +Into destruction cast him. + +BRUTUS Aediles, seize him! + +ALL PLEBEIANS +Yield, Martius, yield! + +MENENIUS Hear me one word. +Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word. + +AEDILES Peace, peace! + +MENENIUS +Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, +And temp'rately proceed to what you would +Thus violently redress. + +BRUTUS Sir, those cold ways, +That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous +Where the disease is violent.--Lay hands upon him, +And bear him to the rock. +[Coriolanus draws his sword.] + +CORIOLANUS No, I'll die here. +There's some among you have beheld me fighting. +Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. + +MENENIUS +Down with that sword!--Tribunes, withdraw awhile. + +BRUTUS +Lay hands upon him! + +MENENIUS Help Martius, help! +You that be noble, help him, young and old! + +ALL PLEBEIANS Down with him, down with him! + +[In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Aediles, and the People +are beat in.] + + +MENENIUS, [to Coriolanus] +Go, get you to your house. Begone, away. +All will be naught else. + +SECOND SENATOR Get you gone. + +CORIOLANUS Stand fast! +We have as many friends as enemies. + +MENENIUS +Shall it be put to that? + +FIRST SENATOR The gods forbid!-- +I prithee, noble friend, home to thy house; +Leave us to cure this cause. + +MENENIUS For 'tis a sore upon us +You cannot tent yourself. Begone, beseech you. + +COMINIUS Come, sir, along with us. + +CORIOLANUS +I would they were barbarians, as they are, +Though in Rome littered; not Romans, as they are +not, +Though calved i' th' porch o' th' Capitol. + +MENENIUS Begone! +Put not your worthy rage into your tongue. +One time will owe another. + +CORIOLANUS On fair ground +I could beat forty of them. + +MENENIUS I could myself +Take up a brace o' th' best of them, yea, the two +tribunes. + +COMINIUS +But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic, +And manhood is called foolery when it stands +Against a falling fabric. [To Coriolanus.] Will you +hence, +Before the tag return, whose rage doth rend +Like interrupted waters and o'erbear +What they are used to bear? + +MENENIUS, [to Coriolanus] Pray you, begone. +I'll try whether my old wit be in request +With those that have but little. This must be patched +With cloth of any color. + +COMINIUS Nay, come away. +[Coriolanus and Cominius exit.] + +PATRICIAN This man has marred his fortune. + +MENENIUS +His nature is too noble for the world. +He would not flatter Neptune for his trident +Or Jove for 's power to thunder. His heart's his +mouth; +What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent, +And, being angry, does forget that ever +He heard the name of death. [A noise within.] +Here's goodly work. + +PATRICIAN I would they were abed! + +MENENIUS +I would they were in Tiber. What the vengeance, +Could he not speak 'em fair? + +[Enter Brutus and Sicinius with the rabble again.] + + +SICINIUS Where is this viper +That would depopulate the city and +Be every man himself? + +MENENIUS You worthy tribunes-- + +SICINIUS +He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock +With rigorous hands. He hath resisted law, +And therefore law shall scorn him further trial +Than the severity of the public power +Which he so sets at naught. + +FIRST CITIZEN He shall well know +The noble tribunes are the people's mouths +And we their hands. + +ALL PLEBEIANS He shall, sure on 't. + +MENENIUS Sir, sir-- + +SICINIUS Peace! + +MENENIUS +Do not cry havoc where you should but hunt +With modest warrant. + +SICINIUS Sir, how comes 't that you +Have holp to make this rescue? + +MENENIUS Hear me speak. +As I do know the Consul's worthiness, +So can I name his faults. + +SICINIUS Consul? What consul? + +MENENIUS The consul Coriolanus. + +BRUTUS He consul? + +ALL PLEBEIANS No, no, no, no, no! + +MENENIUS +If, by the Tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, +I may be heard, I would crave a word or two, +The which shall turn you to no further harm +Than so much loss of time. + +SICINIUS Speak briefly then, +For we are peremptory to dispatch +This viperous traitor. To eject him hence +Were but one danger, and to keep him here +Our certain death. Therefore it is decreed +He dies tonight. + +MENENIUS Now the good gods forbid +That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude +Towards her deserved children is enrolled +In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam +Should now eat up her own. + +SICINIUS +He's a disease that must be cut away. + +MENENIUS +O, he's a limb that has but a disease-- +Mortal to cut it off; to cure it easy. +What has he done to Rome that's worthy death? +Killing our enemies, the blood he hath lost-- +Which I dare vouch is more than that he hath +By many an ounce--he dropped it for his country; +And what is left, to lose it by his country +Were to us all that do 't and suffer it +A brand to th' end o' th' world. + +SICINIUS This is clean cam. + +BRUTUS +Merely awry. When he did love his country, +It honored him. + +SICINIUS The service of the foot, +Being once gangrened, is not then respected +For what before it was. + +BRUTUS We'll hear no more. +Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence, +Lest his infection, being of catching nature, +Spread further. + +MENENIUS One word more, one word! +This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find +The harm of unscanned swiftness, will too late +Tie leaden pounds to 's heels. Proceed by process, +Lest parties--as he is beloved--break out +And sack great Rome with Romans. + +BRUTUS If it were so-- + +SICINIUS What do you talk? +Have we not had a taste of his obedience? +Our aediles smote! Ourselves resisted! Come. + +MENENIUS +Consider this: he has been bred i' th' wars +Since he could draw a sword, and is ill schooled +In bolted language; meal and bran together +He throws without distinction. Give me leave, +I'll go to him and undertake to bring him +Where he shall answer by a lawful form, +In peace, to his utmost peril. + +FIRST SENATOR Noble tribunes, +It is the humane way: the other course +Will prove too bloody, and the end of it +Unknown to the beginning. + +SICINIUS Noble Menenius, +Be you then as the people's officer.-- +Masters, lay down your weapons. + +BRUTUS Go not home. + +SICINIUS +Meet on the marketplace. [To Menenius.] We'll +attend you there, +Where if you bring not Martius, we'll proceed +In our first way. + +MENENIUS I'll bring him to you. +[To Senators.] Let me desire your company. He must +come, +Or what is worst will follow. + +FIRST SENATOR Pray you, let's to him. +[All exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Coriolanus with Nobles.] + + +CORIOLANUS +Let them pull all about mine ears, present me +Death on the wheel or at wild horses' heels, +Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock, +That the precipitation might down stretch +Below the beam of sight, yet will I still +Be thus to them. + +NOBLE You do the nobler. + +CORIOLANUS I muse my mother +Does not approve me further, who was wont +To call them woolen vassals, things created +To buy and sell with groats, to show bare heads +In congregations, to yawn, be still, and wonder +When one but of my ordinance stood up +To speak of peace or war. + +[Enter Volumnia.] + +I talk of you. +Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me +False to my nature? Rather say I play +The man I am. + +VOLUMNIA O sir, sir, sir, +I would have had you put your power well on +Before you had worn it out. + +CORIOLANUS Let go. + +VOLUMNIA +You might have been enough the man you are +With striving less to be so. Lesser had been +The thwartings of your dispositions if +You had not showed them how you were disposed +Ere they lacked power to cross you. + +CORIOLANUS Let them hang! + +VOLUMNIA Ay, and burn too. + +[Enter Menenius with the Senators.] + + +MENENIUS, [to Coriolanus] +Come, come, you have been too rough, something +too rough. +You must return and mend it. + +FIRST SENATOR There's no remedy, +Unless, by not so doing, our good city +Cleave in the midst and perish. + +VOLUMNIA Pray be counseled. +I have a heart as little apt as yours, +But yet a brain that leads my use of anger +To better vantage. + +MENENIUS Well said, noble woman. +Before he should thus stoop to th' herd--but that +The violent fit o' th' time craves it as physic +For the whole state--I would put mine armor on, +Which I can scarcely bear. + +CORIOLANUS What must I do? + +MENENIUS +Return to th' Tribunes. + +CORIOLANUS Well, what then? What then? + +MENENIUS Repent what you have spoke. + +CORIOLANUS +For them? I cannot do it to the gods. +Must I then do 't to them? + +VOLUMNIA You are too absolute, +Though therein you can never be too noble +But when extremities speak. I have heard you say +Honor and policy, like unsevered friends, +I' th' war do grow together. Grant that, and tell me +In peace what each of them by th' other lose +That they combine not there? + +CORIOLANUS Tush, tush! + +MENENIUS A good +demand. + +VOLUMNIA +If it be honor in your wars to seem +The same you are not, which for your best ends +You adopt your policy, how is it less or worse +That it shall hold companionship in peace +With honor as in war, since that to both +It stands in like request? + +CORIOLANUS Why force you this? + +VOLUMNIA +Because that now it lies you on to speak +To th' people, not by your own instruction, +Nor by th' matter which your heart prompts you, +But with such words that are but roted in +Your tongue, though but bastards and syllables +Of no allowance to your bosom's truth. +Now, this no more dishonors you at all +Than to take in a town with gentle words, +Which else would put you to your fortune and +The hazard of much blood. +I would dissemble with my nature where +My fortunes and my friends at stake required +I should do so in honor. I am in this +Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles; +And you will rather show our general louts +How you can frown than spend a fawn upon 'em +For the inheritance of their loves and safeguard +Of what that want might ruin. + +MENENIUS Noble lady!-- +Come, go with us; speak fair. You may salve so, +Not what is dangerous present, but the loss +Of what is past. + +VOLUMNIA I prithee now, my son, +Go to them with this bonnet in thy hand, +And thus far having stretched it--here be with +them-- +Thy knee bussing the stones--for in such business +Action is eloquence, and the eyes of th' ignorant +More learned than the ears--waving thy head, +Which often thus correcting thy stout heart, +Now humble as the ripest mulberry +That will not hold the handling. Or say to them +Thou art their soldier and, being bred in broils, +Hast not the soft way, which thou dost confess +Were fit for thee to use as they to claim, +In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame +Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far +As thou hast power and person. + +MENENIUS This but done +Even as she speaks, why, their hearts were yours; +For they have pardons, being asked, as free +As words to little purpose. + +VOLUMNIA Prithee now, +Go, and be ruled; although I know thou hadst rather +Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf +Than flatter him in a bower. + +[Enter Cominius.] + +Here is Cominius. + +COMINIUS +I have been i' th' marketplace; and, sir, 'tis fit +You make strong party or defend yourself +By calmness or by absence. All's in anger. + +MENENIUS +Only fair speech. + +COMINIUS I think 'twill serve, if he +Can thereto frame his spirit. + +VOLUMNIA He must, and will.-- +Prithee, now, say you will, and go about it. + +CORIOLANUS +Must I go show them my unbarbed sconce? Must I +With my base tongue give to my noble heart +A lie that it must bear? Well, I will do 't. +Yet, were there but this single plot to lose, +This mold of Martius, they to dust should grind it +And throw 't against the wind. To th' marketplace! +You have put me now to such a part which never +I shall discharge to th' life. + +COMINIUS Come, come, we'll prompt +you. + +VOLUMNIA +I prithee now, sweet son, as thou hast said +My praises made thee first a soldier, so, +To have my praise for this, perform a part +Thou hast not done before. + +CORIOLANUS Well, I must do 't. +Away, my disposition, and possess me +Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turned, +Which choired with my drum, into a pipe +Small as an eunuch or the virgin voice +That babies lull asleep! The smiles of knaves +Tent in my cheeks, and schoolboys' tears take up +The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue +Make motion through my lips, and my armed knees, +Who bowed but in my stirrup, bend like his +That hath received an alms. I will not do 't, +Lest I surcease to honor mine own truth +And, by my body's action, teach my mind +A most inherent baseness. + +VOLUMNIA At thy choice, then. +To beg of thee, it is my more dishonor +Than thou of them. Come all to ruin. Let +Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear +Thy dangerous stoutness, for I mock at death +With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list. +Thy valiantness was mine; thou suck'st it from me, +But owe thy pride thyself. + +CORIOLANUS Pray be content. +Mother, I am going to the marketplace. +Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves, +Cog their hearts from them, and come home +beloved +Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going. +Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul, +Or never trust to what my tongue can do +I' th' way of flattery further. + +VOLUMNIA Do your will. +[Volumnia exits.] + +COMINIUS +Away! The Tribunes do attend you. Arm yourself +To answer mildly, for they are prepared +With accusations, as I hear, more strong +Than are upon you yet. + +CORIOLANUS +The word is "mildly." Pray you, let us go. +Let them accuse me by invention, I +Will answer in mine honor. + +MENENIUS Ay, but mildly. + +CORIOLANUS Well, mildly be it, then. Mildly. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Sicinius and Brutus.] + + +BRUTUS +In this point charge him home, that he affects +Tyrannical power. If he evade us there, +Enforce him with his envy to the people, +And that the spoil got on the Antiates +Was ne'er distributed. + +[Enter an Aedile.] + +What, will he come? + +AEDILE He's coming. + +BRUTUS How accompanied? + +AEDILE +With old Menenius, and those senators +That always favored him. + +SICINIUS Have you a catalogue +Of all the voices that we have procured, +Set down by th' poll? + +AEDILE I have. 'Tis ready. + +SICINIUS +Have you collected them by tribes? + +AEDILE I have. + +SICINIUS +Assemble presently the people hither; +And when they hear me say "It shall be so +I' th' right and strength o' th' commons," be it either +For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them +If I say "Fine," cry "Fine," if "Death," cry "Death," +Insisting on the old prerogative +And power i' th' truth o' th' cause. + +AEDILE I shall inform them. + +BRUTUS +And when such time they have begun to cry, +Let them not cease, but with a din confused +Enforce the present execution +Of what we chance to sentence. + +AEDILE Very well. + +SICINIUS +Make them be strong and ready for this hint +When we shall hap to give 't them. + +BRUTUS Go about it. +[Aedile exits.] +Put him to choler straight. He hath been used +Ever to conquer and to have his worth +Of contradiction. Being once chafed, he cannot +Be reined again to temperance; then he speaks +What's in his heart, and that is there which looks +With us to break his neck. + +[Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, and Cominius, with +others (Senators).] + + +SICINIUS Well, here he comes. + +MENENIUS, [aside to Coriolanus] Calmly, I do beseech +you. + +CORIOLANUS, [aside to Menenius] +Ay, as an hostler that for th' poorest piece +Will bear the knave by th' volume.--Th' honored +gods +Keep Rome in safety and the chairs of justice +Supplied with worthy men! Plant love among 's! +Throng our large temples with the shows of peace +And not our streets with war! + +FIRST SENATOR Amen, amen. + +MENENIUS A noble wish. + +[Enter the Aedile with the Plebeians.] + + +SICINIUS Draw near, you people. + +AEDILE +List to your tribunes. Audience! Peace, I say! + +CORIOLANUS First, hear me speak. + +BOTH TRIBUNES Well, say.--Peace, ho! + +CORIOLANUS +Shall I be charged no further than this present? +Must all determine here? + +SICINIUS I do demand +If you submit you to the people's voices, +Allow their officers, and are content +To suffer lawful censure for such faults +As shall be proved upon you. + +CORIOLANUS I am content. + +MENENIUS +Lo, citizens, he says he is content. +The warlike service he has done, consider. Think +Upon the wounds his body bears, which show +Like graves i' th' holy churchyard. + +CORIOLANUS Scratches with +briars, +Scars to move laughter only. + +MENENIUS Consider further, +That when he speaks not like a citizen, +You find him like a soldier. Do not take +His rougher accents for malicious sounds, +But, as I say, such as become a soldier +Rather than envy you. + +COMINIUS Well, well, no more. + +CORIOLANUS What is the matter, +That, being passed for consul with full voice, +I am so dishonored that the very hour +You take it off again? + +SICINIUS Answer to us. + +CORIOLANUS Say then. 'Tis true, I ought so. + +SICINIUS +We charge you that you have contrived to take +From Rome all seasoned office and to wind +Yourself into a power tyrannical, +For which you are a traitor to the people. + +CORIOLANUS +How? Traitor? + +MENENIUS Nay, temperately! Your promise. + +CORIOLANUS +The fires i' th' lowest hell fold in the people! +Call me their traitor? Thou injurious tribune! +Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, +In thy hands clutched as many millions, in +Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say +"Thou liest" unto thee with a voice as free +As I do pray the gods. + +SICINIUS Mark you this, people? + +ALL PLEBEIANS To th' rock, to th' rock with him! + +SICINIUS Peace! +We need not put new matter to his charge. +What you have seen him do and heard him speak, +Beating your officers, cursing yourselves, +Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying +Those whose great power must try him--even this, +So criminal and in such capital kind, +Deserves th' extremest death. + +BRUTUS But since he hath +Served well for Rome-- + +CORIOLANUS What do you prate of service? + +BRUTUS I talk of that that know it. + +CORIOLANUS You? + +MENENIUS +Is this the promise that you made your mother? + +COMINIUS Know, I pray you-- + +CORIOLANUS I'll know no further. +Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, +Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger +But with a grain a day, I would not buy +Their mercy at the price of one fair word, +Nor check my courage for what they can give, +To have 't with saying "Good morrow." + +SICINIUS For that he has, +As much as in him lies, from time to time +Envied against the people, seeking means +To pluck away their power, as now at last +Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence +Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers +That doth distribute it, in the name o' th' people +And in the power of us the Tribunes, we, +Even from this instant, banish him our city +In peril of precipitation +From off the rock Tarpeian, never more +To enter our Rome gates. I' th' people's name, +I say it shall be so. + +ALL PLEBEIANS +It shall be so, it shall be so! Let him away! +He's banished, and it shall be so. + +COMINIUS +Hear me, my masters and my common friends-- + +SICINIUS +He's sentenced. No more hearing. + +COMINIUS Let me speak. +I have been consul and can show for Rome +Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love +My country's good with a respect more tender, +More holy and profound, than mine own life, +My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase, +And treasure of my loins. Then if I would +Speak that-- + +SICINIUS We know your drift. Speak what? + +BRUTUS +There's no more to be said, but he is banished +As enemy to the people and his country. +It shall be so. + +ALL PLEBEIANS It shall be so, it shall be so! + +CORIOLANUS +You common cry of curs, whose breath I hate +As reek o' th' rotten fens, whose loves I prize +As the dead carcasses of unburied men +That do corrupt my air, I banish you! +And here remain with your uncertainty; +Let every feeble rumor shake your hearts; +Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes, +Fan you into despair! Have the power still +To banish your defenders, till at length +Your ignorance--which finds not till it feels, +Making but reservation of yourselves, +Still your own foes--deliver you +As most abated captives to some nation +That won you without blows! Despising +For you the city, thus I turn my back. +There is a world elsewhere. +[Coriolanus, Cominius, with others (Senators) exit.] + +AEDILE +The people's enemy is gone, is gone. + +ALL PLEBEIANS +Our enemy is banished; he is gone. Hoo, hoo! +[They all shout and throw up their caps.] + +SICINIUS +Go see him out at gates, and follow him, +As he hath followed you, with all despite. +Give him deserved vexation. Let a guard +Attend us through the city. + +ALL PLEBEIANS +Come, come, let's see him out at gates! Come! +The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come! +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, +Cominius, with the young nobility of Rome.] + + +CORIOLANUS +Come, leave your tears. A brief farewell. The beast +With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother, +Where is your ancient courage? You were used +To say extremities was the trier of spirits; +That common chances common men could bear; +That when the sea was calm, all boats alike +Showed mastership in floating; fortune's blows +When most struck home, being gentle wounded +craves +A noble cunning. You were used to load me +With precepts that would make invincible +The heart that conned them. + +VIRGILIA +O heavens! O heavens! + +CORIOLANUS Nay, I prithee, +woman-- + +VOLUMNIA +Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, +And occupations perish! + +CORIOLANUS What, what, what! +I shall be loved when I am lacked. Nay, mother, +Resume that spirit when you were wont to say +If you had been the wife of Hercules, +Six of his labors you'd have done and saved +Your husband so much sweat.--Cominius, +Droop not. Adieu.--Farewell, my wife, my mother. +I'll do well yet.--Thou old and true Menenius, +Thy tears are salter than a younger man's +And venomous to thine eyes.--My sometime +general, +I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld +Heart-hard'ning spectacles. Tell these sad women +'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes +As 'tis to laugh at 'em.--My mother, you wot well +My hazards still have been your solace, and-- +Believe 't not lightly--though I go alone, +Like to a lonely dragon that his fen +Makes feared and talked of more than seen, your +son +Will or exceed the common or be caught +With cautelous baits and practice. + +VOLUMNIA My first son, +Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius +With thee awhile. Determine on some course +More than a wild exposure to each chance +That starts i' th' way before thee. + +VIRGILIA O the gods! + +COMINIUS +I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee +Where thou shalt rest, that thou mayst hear of us +And we of thee; so if the time thrust forth +A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send +O'er the vast world to seek a single man +And lose advantage, which doth ever cool +I' th' absence of the needer. + +CORIOLANUS Fare you well. +Thou hast years upon thee, and thou art too full +Of the wars' surfeits to go rove with one +That's yet unbruised. Bring me but out at gate.-- +Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and +My friends of noble touch. When I am forth, +Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come. +While I remain above the ground, you shall +Hear from me still, and never of me aught +But what is like me formerly. + +MENENIUS That's worthily +As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep. +If I could shake off but one seven years +From these old arms and legs, by the good gods, +I'd with thee every foot. + +CORIOLANUS Give me thy hand. +Come. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius, and Brutus, +with the Aedile.] + + +SICINIUS +Bid them all home. He's gone, and we'll no further. +The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided +In his behalf. + +BRUTUS Now we have shown our power, +Let us seem humbler after it is done +Than when it was a-doing. + +SICINIUS Bid them home. +Say their great enemy is gone, and they +Stand in their ancient strength. + +BRUTUS Dismiss them home. +[Aedile exits.] +Here comes his mother. + +[Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.] + + +SICINIUS Let's not meet her. + +BRUTUS Why? + +SICINIUS They say she's mad. + +BRUTUS +They have ta'en note of us. Keep on your way. + +VOLUMNIA +O, you're well met. The hoarded plague o' th' gods +Requite your love! + +MENENIUS Peace, peace! Be not so loud. + +VOLUMNIA, [to the Tribunes] +If that I could for weeping, you should hear-- +Nay, and you shall hear some. [(To Sicinius.)] Will +you be gone? + +VIRGILIA, [to Brutus] +You shall stay too. I would I had the power +To say so to my husband. + +SICINIUS, [to Volumnia] Are you mankind? + +VOLUMNIA +Ay, fool, is that a shame? Note but this, fool. +Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship +To banish him that struck more blows for Rome +Than thou hast spoken words? + +SICINIUS O blessed heavens! + +VOLUMNIA +More noble blows than ever thou wise words, +And for Rome's good. I'll tell thee what--yet go. +Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son +Were in Arabia and thy tribe before him, +His good sword in his hand. + +SICINIUS What then? + +VIRGILIA What then? +He'd make an end of thy posterity. + +VOLUMNIA Bastards and all. +Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome! + +MENENIUS Come, come, peace. + +SICINIUS +I would he had continued to his country +As he began, and not unknit himself +The noble knot he made. + +BRUTUS I would he had. + +VOLUMNIA +"I would he had"? 'Twas you incensed the rabble. +Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth +As I can of those mysteries which heaven +Will not have Earth to know. + +BRUTUS, [to Sicinius] Pray, let's go. + +VOLUMNIA Now, pray, sir, get you gone. +You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this: +As far as doth the Capitol exceed +The meanest house in Rome, so far my son-- +This lady's husband here, this, do you see?-- +Whom you have banished, does exceed you all. + +BRUTUS +Well, well, we'll leave you. + +SICINIUS Why stay we to be baited +With one that wants her wits? [Tribunes exit.] + +VOLUMNIA Take my prayers with +you. +I would the gods had nothing else to do +But to confirm my curses. Could I meet 'em +But once a day, it would unclog my heart +Of what lies heavy to 't. + +MENENIUS You have told them home, +And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup with +me? + +VOLUMNIA +Anger's my meat. I sup upon myself +And so shall starve with feeding. +[(To Virgilia.)] Come, let's go. +Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do, +In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come. [They exit.] + +MENENIUS Fie, fie, fie! +[He exits.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter a Roman (Nicanor) and a Volsce (Adrian).] + + +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 favor 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 +forever. 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 fall'n 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. + +VOLSCE He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus +accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my +business, and I will merrily accompany you home. + +ROMAN I shall between this and supper tell you most +strange things from Rome, all tending to the good +of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say +you? + +VOLSCE A most royal one. The centurions and their +charges, distinctly billeted, already in th' entertainment, +and to be on foot at an hour's warning. + +ROMAN I am joyful to hear of their readiness and am +the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. +So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of +your company. + +VOLSCE You take my part from me, sir. I have the most +cause to be glad of yours. + +ROMAN Well, let us go together. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[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 +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? + +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. +[Citizen exits.] +O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn, +Whose double bosoms seems to wear one heart, +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 +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 +And interjoin their issues. So with me: +My birthplace 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. +[He exits.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Music plays. Enter a Servingman.] + + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Wine, wine, wine! What service is +here? I think our fellows are asleep. [He exits.] + +[Enter another Servingman.] + + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Where's Cotus? My master calls +for him. Cotus! [He exits.] + +[Enter Coriolanus.] + + +CORIOLANUS +A goodly house. The feast smells well, but I +Appear not like a guest. + +[Enter the First Servingman.] + + +FIRST SERVINGMAN What would you have, friend? +Whence are you? Here's no place for you. Pray, go +to the door. [He exits.] + +CORIOLANUS +I have deserved no better entertainment +In being Coriolanus. + +[Enter Second Servingman.] + + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Whence are you, sir?--Has the +porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance +to such companions?--Pray, get you out. + +CORIOLANUS Away! + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Away? Get you away. + +CORIOLANUS Now th' art troublesome. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Are you so brave? I'll have you +talked with anon. + +[Enter Third Servingman; the First, entering, +meets him.] + + +THIRD SERVINGMAN What fellow's this? + +FIRST SERVINGMAN A strange one as ever I looked on. I +cannot get him out o' th' house. Prithee, call my +master to him. [He steps aside.] + +THIRD SERVINGMAN What have you to do here, fellow? +Pray you, avoid the house. + +CORIOLANUS Let me but stand. I will not hurt your +hearth. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN What are you? + +CORIOLANUS A gentleman. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN A marv'llous poor one. + +CORIOLANUS True, so I am. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Pray you, poor gentleman, take up +some other station. Here's no place for you. Pray +you, avoid. Come. + +CORIOLANUS Follow your function, go, and batten on +cold bits. [Pushes him away from him.] + +THIRD SERVINGMAN What, you will not?--Prithee, tell +my master what a strange guest he has here. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN And I shall. +[Second Servingman exits.] + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Where dwell'st thou? + +CORIOLANUS Under the canopy. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Under the canopy? + +CORIOLANUS Ay. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Where's that? + +CORIOLANUS I' th' city of kites and crows. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN I' th' city of kites and crows? What +an ass it is! Then thou dwell'st with daws too? + +CORIOLANUS No, I serve not thy master. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN How, sir? Do you meddle with my +master? + +CORIOLANUS Ay, 'tis an honester service than to meddle +with thy mistress. Thou prat'st and prat'st. Serve +with thy trencher. Hence! [Beats him away.] +[Third Servingman exits.] + +[Enter Aufidius with the Second Servingman.] + + +AUFIDIUS Where is this fellow? + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Here, sir. I'd have beaten him like +a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. +[He steps aside.] + +AUFIDIUS Whence com'st thou? What wouldst thou? +Thy name? Why speak'st not? Speak, man. What's +thy name? + +CORIOLANUS, [removing his muffler] If, Tullus, +Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not +Think me for the man I am, necessity +Commands me name myself. + +AUFIDIUS What is thy name? + +CORIOLANUS +A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears +And harsh in sound to thine. + +AUFIDIUS Say, what's thy name? +Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face +Bears a command in 't. Though thy tackle's torn, +Thou show'st a noble vessel. What's thy name? + +CORIOLANUS +Prepare thy brow to frown. Know'st thou me yet? + +AUFIDIUS I know thee not. Thy name? + +CORIOLANUS +My name is Caius Martius, who hath done +To thee particularly and to all the Volsces +Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may +My surname Coriolanus. The painful service, +The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood +Shed for my thankless country are requited +But with that surname, a good memory +And witness of the malice and displeasure +Which thou shouldst bear me. Only that name +remains. +The cruelty and envy of the people, +Permitted by our dastard nobles, who +Have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest, +And suffered me by th' voice of slaves to be +Whooped out of Rome. Now this extremity +Hath brought me to thy hearth, not out of hope-- +Mistake me not--to save my life; for if +I had feared death, of all the men i' th' world +I would have 'voided thee, but in mere spite, +To be full quit of those my banishers, +Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast +A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge +Thine own particular wrongs and stop those maims +Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee +straight +And make my misery serve thy turn. So use it +That my revengeful services may prove +As benefits to thee, for I will fight +Against my cankered country with the spleen +Of all the under fiends. But if so be +Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes +Thou 'rt tired, then, in a word, I also am +Longer to live most weary, and present +My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice, +Which not to cut would show thee but a fool, +Since I have ever followed thee with hate, +Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast, +And cannot live but to thy shame, unless +It be to do thee service. + +AUFIDIUS O Martius, Martius, +Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my +heart +A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter +Should from yond cloud speak divine things +And say 'tis true, I'd not believe them more +Than thee, all-noble Martius. Let me twine +Mine arms about that body, whereagainst +My grained ash an hundred times hath broke +And scarred the moon with splinters. +[They embrace.] +Here I clip +The anvil of my sword and do contest +As hotly and as nobly with thy love +As ever in ambitious strength I did +Contend against thy valor. Know thou first, +I loved the maid I married; never man +Sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here, +Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart +Than when I first my wedded mistress saw +Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars, I tell thee +We have a power on foot, and I had purpose +Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn +Or lose mine arm for 't. Thou hast beat me out +Twelve several times, and I have nightly since +Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me; +We have been down together in my sleep, +Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat, +And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius, +Had we no other quarrel else to Rome but that +Thou art thence banished, we would muster all +From twelve to seventy and, pouring war +Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome, +Like a bold flood o'erbear 't. O, come, go in, +And take our friendly senators by th' hands, +Who now are here, taking their leaves of me, +Who am prepared against your territories, +Though not for Rome itself. + +CORIOLANUS You bless me, gods! + +AUFIDIUS +Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have +The leading of thine own revenges, take +Th' one half of my commission and set down-- +As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st +Thy country's strength and weakness--thine own +ways, +Whether to knock 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 than ere an enemy-- +Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand. Most +welcome! [Coriolanus and Aufidius exit.] + +[Two of the Servingmen come forward.] + + + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Here's a strange alteration! + +SECOND SERVINGMAN By my hand, I had thought to +have strucken him with a cudgel, and yet my mind +gave me his clothes made a false report of him. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN What an arm he has! He turned me +about with his finger and his thumb as one would +set up a top. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Nay, I knew by his face that there +was something in him. He had, sir, a kind of face, +methought--I cannot tell how to term it. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN He had so, looking as it were-- +Would I were hanged but I thought there was +more in him than I could think. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN So did I, I'll be sworn. He is simply +the rarest man i' th' world. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN I think he is. But a greater soldier +than he you wot one. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Who, my master? + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, it's no matter for that. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Worth six on him. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, not so neither. But I take him +to be the greater soldier. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Faith, look you, one cannot tell +how to say that. For the defense of a town our general +is excellent. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and for an assault too. + +[Enter the Third Servingman.] + + +THIRD SERVINGMAN O slaves, I can tell you news, news, +you rascals! + +BOTH What, what, what? Let's partake! + +THIRD SERVINGMAN I would not be a Roman, of all nations; +I had as lief be a condemned man. + +BOTH Wherefore? Wherefore? + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, here's he that was wont to +thwack our general, Caius Martius. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Why do you say "thwack our +general"? + +THIRD SERVINGMAN I do not say "thwack our general," +but he was always good enough for him. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Come, we are fellows and friends. +He was ever too hard for him; I have heard him +say so himself. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN He was too hard for him directly, to +say the truth on 't, before Corioles; he scotched +him and notched him like a carbonado. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN An he had been cannibally given, +he might have boiled and eaten him too. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN But, more of thy news. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, he is so made on here within +as if he were son and heir to Mars; set at upper end +o' th' table; no question asked him by any of the +senators but they stand bald before him. Our general +himself makes a mistress of him, sanctifies +himself with 's hand, and turns up the white o' th' +eye to his discourse. But the bottom of the news is, +our general is cut i' th' middle and but one half of +what he was yesterday, for the other has half, by +the entreaty and grant of the whole table. He'll go, +he says, and sowl the porter of Rome gates by th' +ears. He will mow all down before him and leave +his passage polled. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN And he's as like to do 't as any +man I can imagine. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Do 't? He will do 't! For, look you, +sir, he has as many friends as enemies, which +friends, sir, as it were, durst not, look you, sir, show +themselves, as we term it, his friends whilest he's +in directitude. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Directitude? What's that? + +THIRD SERVINGMAN But when they shall see, sir, his +crest up again, and the man in blood, they will out +of their burrows like coneys after rain, and revel +all with him. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN But when goes this forward? + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Tomorrow, today, presently. You +shall have the drum struck up this afternoon. 'Tis, +as it were, a parcel of their feast, and to be executed +ere they wipe their lips. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN Why then, we shall have a stirring +world again. This peace is nothing but to rust iron, +increase tailors, and breed ballad-makers. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Let me have war, say I. It exceeds +peace as far as day does night. It's sprightly walking, +audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, +lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter +of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of +men. + +SECOND SERVINGMAN 'Tis so, and as wars in some sort +may be said to be a ravisher, so it cannot be denied +but peace is a great maker of cuckolds. + +FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and it makes men hate one +another. + +THIRD SERVINGMAN Reason: because they then less +need one another. The wars for my money! I hope +to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. [(Noise +within.)] They are rising; they are rising. + +FIRST AND SECOND SERVINGMEN In, in, in, in! +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter the two Tribunes. Sicinius and Brutus.] + + +SICINIUS +We hear not of him, neither need we fear him. +His remedies are tame--the present peace, +And quietness of the people, which before +Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends +Blush that the world goes well, who rather had, +Though they themselves did suffer by 't, behold +Dissentious numbers pest'ring streets than see +Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going +About their functions friendly. + +BRUTUS +We stood to 't in good time. + +[Enter Menenius.] + +Is this Menenius? + +SICINIUS +'Tis he, 'tis he. O, he is grown most kind +Of late.--Hail, sir. + +MENENIUS Hail to you both. + +SICINIUS +Your Coriolanus is not much missed +But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand, +And so would do were he more angry at it. + +MENENIUS +All's well, and might have been much better if +He could have temporized. + +SICINIUS Where is he, hear you? + +MENENIUS Nay, I hear nothing; +His mother and his wife hear nothing from him. + +[Enter three or four Citizens.] + + +ALL CITIZENS, [to the Tribunes] +The gods preserve +you both! + +SICINIUS Good e'en, our neighbors. + +BRUTUS +Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all. + +FIRST CITIZEN +Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees +Are bound to pray for you both. + +SICINIUS Live, and thrive! + +BRUTUS +Farewell, kind neighbors. We wished Coriolanus +Had loved you as we did. + +ALL CITIZENS Now the gods keep you! + +BOTH TRIBUNES Farewell, farewell. [Citizens exit.] + +SICINIUS +This is a happier and more comely time +Than when these fellows ran about the streets +Crying confusion. + +BRUTUS Caius Martius was +A worthy officer i' th' war, but insolent, +O'ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinking +Self-loving. + +SICINIUS +And affecting one sole throne, without assistance. + +MENENIUS I think not so. + +SICINIUS +We should by this, to all our lamentation, +If he had gone forth consul, found it so. + +BRUTUS +The gods have well prevented it, and Rome +Sits safe and still without him. + +[Enter an Aedile.] + + +AEDILE Worthy tribunes, +There is a slave, whom we have put in prison, +Reports the Volsces with two several powers +Are entered in the Roman territories, +And with the deepest malice of the war +Destroy what lies before 'em. + +MENENIUS 'Tis Aufidius, +Who, hearing of our Martius' banishment, +Thrusts forth his horns again into the world, +Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome, +And durst not once peep out. + +SICINIUS Come, what talk you of Martius? + +BRUTUS +Go see this rumorer whipped. It cannot be +The Volsces dare break with us. + +MENENIUS Cannot be? +We have record that very well it can, +And three examples of the like hath been +Within my age. But reason with the fellow +Before you punish him, where he heard this, +Lest you shall chance to whip your information +And beat the messenger who bids beware +Of what is to be dreaded. + +SICINIUS Tell not me. +I know this cannot be. + +BRUTUS Not possible. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER +The nobles in great earnestness are going +All to the Senate House. Some news is coming +That turns their countenances. + +SICINIUS 'Tis this slave-- +Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes--his raising, +Nothing but his report. + +MESSENGER Yes, worthy sir, +The slave's report is seconded, and more, +More fearful, is delivered. + +SICINIUS What more fearful? + +MESSENGER +It is spoke freely out of many mouths-- +How probable I do not know--that Martius, +Joined with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome +And vows revenge as spacious as between +The young'st and oldest thing. + +SICINIUS This is most likely! + +BRUTUS +Raised only that the weaker sort may wish +Good Martius home again. + +SICINIUS The very trick on 't. + +MENENIUS This is unlikely; +He and Aufidius can no more atone +Than violent'st contrariety. + +[Enter a Second Messenger.] + + +SECOND MESSENGER You are sent for to the Senate. +A fearful army, led by Caius Martius +Associated with Aufidius, rages +Upon our territories, and have already +O'erborne their way, consumed with fire and took +What lay before them. + +[Enter Cominius.] + + +COMINIUS, [to the Tribunes] O, you have made good +work! + +MENENIUS What news? What news? + +COMINIUS, [to the Tribunes] +You have holp to ravish your own daughters and +To melt the city leads upon your pates, +To see your wives dishonored to your noses-- + +MENENIUS What's the news? What's the news? + +COMINIUS, [to the Tribunes] +Your temples burned in their cement, and +Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined +Into an auger's bore. + +MENENIUS Pray now, your news?-- +You have made fair work, I fear me.--Pray, your +news? +If Martius should be joined with Volscians-- + +COMINIUS If? +He is their god; he leads them like a thing +Made by some other deity than Nature, +That shapes man better; and they follow him +Against us brats with no less confidence +Than boys pursuing summer butterflies +Or butchers killing flies. + +MENENIUS, [to the Tribunes] You have made good work, +You and your apron-men, you that stood so much +Upon the voice of occupation and +The breath of garlic eaters! + +COMINIUS +He'll shake your Rome about your ears. + +MENENIUS +As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit. +You have made fair work. + +BRUTUS But is this true, sir? + +COMINIUS Ay, and you'll look pale +Before you find it other. All the regions +Do smilingly revolt, and who resists +Are mocked for valiant ignorance +And perish constant fools. Who is 't can blame him? +Your enemies and his find something in him. + +MENENIUS We are all undone, unless +The noble man have mercy. + +COMINIUS Who shall ask it? +The Tribunes cannot do 't for shame; the people +Deserve such pity of him as the wolf +Does of the shepherds. For his best friends, if they +Should say "Be good to Rome," they charged him +even +As those should do that had deserved his hate +And therein showed like enemies. + +MENENIUS 'Tis true. +If he were putting to my house the brand +That should consume it, I have not the face +To say "Beseech you, cease."--You have made fair +hands, +You and your crafts! You have crafted fair! + +COMINIUS You have +brought +A trembling upon Rome such as was never +S' incapable of help. + +TRIBUNES Say not we brought it. + +MENENIUS +How? Was 't we? We loved him, but like beasts +And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters, +Who did hoot him out o' th' city. + +COMINIUS But I fear +They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, +The second name of men, obeys his points +As if he were his officer. Desperation +Is all the policy, strength, and defense +That Rome can make against them. + +[Enter a troop of Citizens.] + + +MENENIUS Here come the +clusters.-- +And is Aufidius with him? You are they +That made the air unwholesome when you cast +Your stinking, greasy caps in hooting at +Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming, +And not a hair upon a soldier's head +Which will not prove a whip. As many coxcombs +As you threw caps up will he tumble down +And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter. +If he could burn us all into one coal, +We have deserved it. + +ALL CITIZENS Faith, we hear fearful news. + +FIRST CITIZEN For mine own part, +When I said banish him, I said 'twas pity. + +SECOND CITIZEN And so did I. + +THIRD CITIZEN And so did I. And, to say the truth, so +did very many of us. That we did we did for the +best; and though we willingly consented to his +banishment, yet it was against our will. + +COMINIUS You're goodly things, you voices! + +MENENIUS +You have made good work, you and your cry!-- +Shall 's to the Capitol? + +COMINIUS O, ay, what else? [Both exit.] + +SICINIUS +Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed. +These are a side that would be glad to have +This true which they so seem to fear. Go home, +And show no sign of fear. + +FIRST CITIZEN The gods be good to us! Come, masters, +let's home. I ever said we were i' th' wrong when +we banished him. + +SECOND CITIZEN So did we all. But, come, let's home. +[Citizens exit.] + +BRUTUS I do not like this news. + +SICINIUS Nor I. + +BRUTUS +Let's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth +Would buy this for a lie. + +SICINIUS Pray, let's go. +[Tribunes exit.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Enter Aufidius with his Lieutenant.] + + +AUFIDIUS Do they still fly to th' Roman? + +LIEUTENANT +I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but +Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat, +Their talk at table, and their thanks at end; +And you are dark'ned in this action, sir, +Even by your own. + +AUFIDIUS I cannot help it now, +Unless by using means I lame the foot +Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier, +Even to my person, than I thought he would +When first I did embrace him. Yet his nature +In that's no changeling, and I must excuse +What cannot be amended. + +LIEUTENANT Yet I wish, sir-- +I mean for your particular--you had not +Joined in commission with him, but either +Have borne the action of yourself or else +To him had left it solely. + +AUFIDIUS +I understand thee well, and be thou sure, +When he shall come to his account, he knows not +What I can urge against him, although it seems, +And so he thinks and is no less apparent +To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly, +And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state, +Fights dragonlike, and does achieve as soon +As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone +That which shall break his neck or hazard mine +Whene'er we come to our account. + +LIEUTENANT +Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome? + +AUFIDIUS +All places yields to him ere he sits down, +And the nobility of Rome are his; +The Senators and Patricians love him too. +The Tribunes are no soldiers, and their people +Will be as rash in the repeal as hasty +To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome +As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it +By sovereignty of nature. First, he was +A noble servant to them, but he could not +Carry his honors even. Whether 'twas pride, +Which out of daily fortune ever taints +The happy man; whether defect of judgment, +To fail in the disposing of those chances +Which he was lord of; or whether nature, +Not to be other than one thing, not moving +From th' casque to th' cushion, but commanding +peace +Even with the same austerity and garb +As he controlled the war; but one of these-- +As he hath spices of them all--not all, +For I dare so far free him--made him feared, +So hated, and so banished. But he has a merit +To choke it in the utt'rance. So our virtues +Lie in th' interpretation of the time, +And power, unto itself most commendable, +Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair +T' extol what it hath done. +One fire drives out one fire, one nail one nail; +Rights by rights falter; strengths by strengths do +fail. +Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine, +Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Menenius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus (the two +Tribunes), with others.] + + +MENENIUS +No, I'll not go. You hear what he hath said +Which was sometime his general, who loved him +In a most dear particular. He called me father, +But what o' that? Go you that banished him; +A mile before his tent, fall down, and knee +The way into his mercy. Nay, if he coyed +To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home. + +COMINIUS +He would not seem to know me. + +MENENIUS Do you hear? + +COMINIUS +Yet one time he did call me by my name. +I urged our old acquaintance, and the drops +That we have bled together. "Coriolanus" +He would not answer to, forbade all names. +He was a kind of nothing, titleless, +Till he had forged himself a name o' th' fire +Of burning Rome. + +MENENIUS, [to the Tribunes] +Why, so; you have made good work! +A pair of tribunes that have wracked Rome +To make coals cheap! A noble memory! + +COMINIUS +I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon +When it was less expected. He replied +It was a bare petition of a state +To one whom they had punished. + +MENENIUS Very well. +Could he say less? + +COMINIUS +I offered to awaken his regard +For 's private friends. His answer to me was +He could not stay to pick them in a pile +Of noisome musty chaff. He said 'twas folly +For one poor grain or two to leave unburnt +And still to nose th' offense. + +MENENIUS For one poor grain or two! +I am one of those! His mother, wife, his child, +And this brave fellow too, we are the grains; +You are the musty chaff, and you are smelt +Above the moon. We must be burnt for you. + +SICINIUS +Nay, pray, be patient. If you refuse your aid +In this so-never-needed help, yet do not +Upbraid 's with our distress. But sure, if you +Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue, +More than the instant army we can make, +Might stop our countryman. + +MENENIUS No, I'll not meddle. + +SICINIUS Pray you, go to him. + +MENENIUS What should I do? + +BRUTUS +Only make trial what your love can do +For Rome, towards Martius. + +MENENIUS Well, and say that +Martius +Return me, as Cominius is returned, unheard, +What then? But as a discontented friend, +Grief-shot with his unkindness? Say 't be so? + +SICINIUS Yet your good will +Must have that thanks from Rome after the measure +As you intended well. + +MENENIUS I'll undertake 't. +I think he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip +And hum at good Cominius much unhearts me. +He was not taken well; he had not dined. +The veins unfilled, our blood is cold, and then +We pout upon the morning, are unapt +To give or to forgive; but when we have stuffed +These pipes and these conveyances of our blood +With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls +Than in our priestlike fasts. Therefore I'll watch him +Till he be dieted to my request, +And then I'll set upon him. + +BRUTUS +You know the very road into his kindness +And cannot lose your way. + +MENENIUS Good faith, I'll prove him, +Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge +Of my success. [He exits.] + +COMINIUS He'll never hear him. + +SICINIUS Not? + +COMINIUS +I tell you, he does sit in gold, his eye +Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury +The jailor to his pity. I kneeled before him; +'Twas very faintly he said "Rise"; dismissed me +Thus with his speechless hand. What he would do +He sent in writing after me; what he +Would not, bound with an oath to yield to his +Conditions. So that all hope is vain +Unless his noble mother and his wife, +Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him +For mercy to his country. Therefore let's hence +And with our fair entreaties haste them on. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Menenius to the Watch, or Guard.] + + +FIRST WATCH Stay! Whence are you? + +SECOND WATCH Stand, and go back. + +MENENIUS +You guard like men; 'tis well. But by your leave, +I am an officer of state and come +To speak with Coriolanus. + +FIRST WATCH From whence? + +MENENIUS From Rome. + +FIRST WATCH +You may not pass; you must return. Our general +Will no more hear from thence. + +SECOND WATCH +You'll see your Rome embraced with fire before +You'll speak with Coriolanus. + +MENENIUS Good my friends, +If you have heard your general talk of Rome +And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks +My name hath touched your ears. It is Menenius. + +FIRST WATCH +Be it so; go back. The virtue of your name +Is not here passable. + +MENENIUS I tell thee, fellow, +Thy general is my lover. I have been +The book of his good acts, whence men have read +His fame unparalleled happily amplified; +For I have ever verified my friends-- +Of whom he's chief--with all the size that verity +Would without lapsing suffer. Nay, sometimes, +Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground, +I have tumbled past the throw, and in his praise +Have almost stamped the leasing. Therefore, fellow, +I must have leave to pass. + +FIRST WATCH Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in +his behalf as you have uttered words in your own, +you should not pass here, no, though it were as virtuous +to lie as to live chastely. Therefore, go back. + +MENENIUS Prithee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, +always factionary on the party of your +general. + +SECOND WATCH Howsoever you have been his liar, as +you say you have, I am one that, telling true under +him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore, go back. + +MENENIUS Has he dined, can'st thou tell? For I would +not speak with him till after dinner. + +FIRST WATCH You are a Roman, are you? + +MENENIUS I am, as thy general is. + +FIRST WATCH Then you should hate Rome as he does. +Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the +very defender of them, and, in a violent popular +ignorance given your enemy your shield, think to +front his revenges with the easy groans of old +women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or +with the palsied intercession of such a decayed +dotant as you seem to be? Can you think to blow +out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in +with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived. +Therefore, back to Rome and prepare for +your execution. You are condemned. Our general +has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon. + +MENENIUS Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he +would use me with estimation. + +FIRST WATCH Come, my captain knows you not. + +MENENIUS I mean thy general. + +FIRST WATCH My general cares not for you. Back, I say, +go, lest I let forth your half pint of blood. Back! +That's the utmost of your having. Back! + +MENENIUS Nay, but fellow, fellow-- + +[Enter Coriolanus with Aufidius.] + + +CORIOLANUS What's the matter? + +MENENIUS [to First Watch] Now, you companion, I'll +say an errand for you. You shall know now that I +am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack +guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus. +Guess but by my entertainment with him +if thou stand'st not i' th' state of hanging or of some +death more long in spectatorship and crueler in +suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for +what's to come upon thee. [(To Coriolanus.)] The +glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular +prosperity and love thee no worse than thy old +father Menenius does! O my son, my son! [(He +weeps.)] Thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, +here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to +come to thee; but being assured none but myself +could move thee, I have been blown out of your +gates with sighs, and conjure thee to pardon Rome +and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods +assuage thy wrath and turn the dregs of it upon +this varlet here, this, who, like a block, hath denied +my access to thee. + +CORIOLANUS Away! + +MENENIUS How? Away? + +CORIOLANUS +Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs +Are servanted to others. Though I owe +My revenge properly, my remission lies +In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar, +Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison rather +Than pity note how much. Therefore, begone. +Mine ears against your suits are stronger than +Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee, +Take this along; I writ it for thy sake, +[He gives Menenius a paper.] +And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius, +I will not hear thee speak.--This man, Aufidius, +Was my beloved in Rome; yet thou behold'st. + +AUFIDIUS You keep a constant temper. [They exit.] +[The Guard and Menenius remain.] + +FIRST WATCH Now, sir, is your name Menenius? + +SECOND WATCH 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power. You +know the way home again. + +FIRST WATCH Do you hear how we are shent for keeping +your Greatness back? + +SECOND WATCH What cause do you think I have to +swoon? + +MENENIUS I neither care for th' world nor your general. +For such things as you, I can scarce think +there's any, you're so slight. He that hath a will to +die by himself fears it not from another. Let your +general do his worst. For you, be that you are, +long; and your misery increase with your age! I say +to you, as I was said to, away! [He exits.] + +FIRST WATCH A noble fellow, I warrant him. + +SECOND WATCH The worthy fellow is our general. He's +the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. +[Watch exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Coriolanus and Aufidius.] + + +CORIOLANUS +We will before the walls of Rome tomorrow +Set down our host. My partner in this action, +You must report to th' Volscian lords how plainly +I have borne this business. + +AUFIDIUS Only their ends +You have respected, stopped your ears against +The general suit of Rome, never admitted +A private whisper, no, not with such friends +That thought them sure of you. + +CORIOLANUS This last old man, +Whom with a cracked heart I have sent to Rome, +Loved me above the measure of a father, +Nay, godded me indeed. Their latest refuge +Was to send him, for whose old love I have-- +Though I showed sourly to him--once more offered +The first conditions, which they did refuse +And cannot now accept, to grace him only +That thought he could do more. A very little +I have yielded to. Fresh embassies and suits, +Nor from the state nor private friends, hereafter +Will I lend ear to. [Shout within.] +Ha? What shout is this? +Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow +In the same time 'tis made? I will not. + +[Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Martius, +with Attendants.] + +My wife comes foremost, then the honored mold +Wherein this trunk was framed, and in her hand +The grandchild to her blood. But out, affection! +All bond and privilege of nature, break! +Let it be virtuous to be obstinate. [Virgilia curtsies.] +What is that curtsy worth? Or those doves' eyes, +Which can make gods forsworn? I melt and am not +Of stronger earth than others. [Volumnia bows.] +My mother bows, +As if Olympus to a molehill should +In supplication nod; and my young boy +Hath an aspect of intercession which +Great Nature cries "Deny not!" Let the Volsces +Plow Rome and harrow Italy, I'll never +Be such a gosling to obey instinct, but stand +As if a man were author of himself, +And knew no other kin. + +VIRGILIA My lord and husband. + +CORIOLANUS +These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome. + +VIRGILIA +The sorrow that delivers us thus changed +Makes you think so. + +CORIOLANUS Like a dull actor now, +I have forgot my part, and I am out, +Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh, +Forgive my tyranny, but do not say +For that "Forgive our Romans." [They kiss.] +O, a kiss +Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge! +Now, by the jealous queen of heaven, that kiss +I carried from thee, dear, and my true lip +Hath virgined it e'er since. You gods! I prate +And the most noble mother of the world +Leave unsaluted. Sink, my knee, i' th' earth; [Kneels.] +Of thy deep duty more impression show +Than that of common sons. + +VOLUMNIA O, stand up blest, +[He rises.] +Whilst with no softer cushion than the flint +I kneel before thee and unproperly +Show duty, as mistaken all this while +Between the child and parent. [She kneels.] + +CORIOLANUS What's this? +Your knees to me? To your corrected son? +[He raises her up.] +Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach +Fillip the stars! Then let the mutinous winds +Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun, +Murdering impossibility to make +What cannot be slight work. + +VOLUMNIA Thou art my warrior; +I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady? + +CORIOLANUS +The noble sister of Publicola, +The moon of Rome, chaste as the icicle +That's curdied by the frost from purest snow +And hangs on Dian's temple!--Dear Valeria. + +VOLUMNIA, [presenting young Martius] +This is a poor epitome of yours, +Which by th' interpretation of full time +May show like all yourself. + +CORIOLANUS, [to young Martius] The god of soldiers, +With the consent of supreme Jove, inform +Thy thoughts with nobleness, that thou mayst prove +To shame unvulnerable, and stick i' th' wars +Like a great seamark standing every flaw +And saving those that eye thee. + +VOLUMNIA, [to young Martius] Your knee, sirrah. +[He kneels.] + +CORIOLANUS That's my brave boy! + +VOLUMNIA +Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself +Are suitors to you. [Young Martius rises.] + +CORIOLANUS I beseech you, peace; +Or if you'd ask, remember this before: +The thing I have forsworn to grant may never +Be held by you denials. Do not bid me +Dismiss my soldiers or capitulate +Again with Rome's mechanics. Tell me not +Wherein I seem unnatural; desire not +T' allay my rages and revenges with +Your colder reasons. + +VOLUMNIA O, no more, no more! +You have said you will not grant us anything; +For we have nothing else to ask but that +Which you deny already. Yet we will ask, +That if you fail in our request, the blame +May hang upon your hardness. Therefore hear us. + +CORIOLANUS +Aufidius, and you Volsces, mark, for we'll +Hear naught from Rome in private. [He sits.] Your +request? + +VOLUMNIA +Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment +And state of bodies would bewray what life +We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself +How more unfortunate than all living women +Are we come hither; since that thy sight, which +should +Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with +comforts, +Constrains them weep and shake with fear and +sorrow, +Making the mother, wife, and child to see +The son, the husband, and the father tearing +His country's bowels out. And to poor we +Thine enmity's most capital. Thou barr'st us +Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort +That all but we enjoy. For how can we-- +Alas, how can we--for our country pray, +Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory, +Whereto we are bound? Alack, or we must lose +The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person, +Our comfort in the country. We must find +An evident calamity, though we had +Our wish, which side should win, for either thou +Must as a foreign recreant be led +With manacles through our streets, or else +Triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin +And bear the palm for having bravely shed +Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son, +I purpose not to wait on fortune till +These wars determine. If I cannot persuade thee +Rather to show a noble grace to both parts +Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner +March to assault thy country than to tread-- +Trust to 't, thou shalt not--on thy mother's womb +That brought thee to this world. + +VIRGILIA Ay, and mine, +That brought you forth this boy to keep your name +Living to time. + +YOUNG MARTIUS He shall not tread on me. +I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight. + +CORIOLANUS +Not of a woman's tenderness to be +Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.-- +I have sat too long. [He rises.] + +VOLUMNIA Nay, go not from us thus. +If it were so, that our request did tend +To save the Romans, thereby to destroy +The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn +us +As poisonous of your honor. No, our suit +Is that you reconcile them, while the Volsces +May say "This mercy we have showed," the Romans +"This we received," and each in either side +Give the all-hail to thee and cry "Be blest +For making up this peace!" Thou know'st, great son, +The end of war's uncertain, but this certain, +That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit +Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name +Whose repetition will be dogged with curses, +Whose chronicle thus writ: "The man was noble, +But with his last attempt he wiped it out, +Destroyed his country, and his name remains +To th' ensuing age abhorred." Speak to me, son. +Thou hast affected the fine strains of honor +To imitate the graces of the gods, +To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' th' air +And yet to charge thy sulfur with a bolt +That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak? +Think'st thou it honorable for a noble man +Still to remember wrongs?--Daughter, speak you. +He cares not for your weeping.--Speak thou, boy. +Perhaps thy childishness will move him more +Than can our reasons.--There's no man in the world +More bound to 's mother, yet here he lets me prate +Like one i' th' stocks. Thou hast never in thy life +Showed thy dear mother any courtesy +When she, poor hen, fond of no second brood, +Has clucked thee to the wars and safely home, +Loaden with honor. Say my request's unjust +And spurn me back; but if it be not so, +Thou art not honest, and the gods will plague thee +That thou restrain'st from me the duty which +To a mother's part belongs.--He turns away.-- +Down, ladies! Let us shame him with our knees. +To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride +Than pity to our prayers. Down! An end. +[They kneel.] +This is the last. So, we will home to Rome +And die among our neighbors.--Nay, behold 's. +This boy that cannot tell what he would have, +But kneels and holds up hands for fellowship, +Does reason our petition with more strength +Than thou hast to deny 't.--Come, let us go. +[They rise.] +This fellow had a Volscian to his mother, +His wife is in Corioles, and his child +Like him by chance.--Yet give us our dispatch. +I am hushed until our city be afire, +And then I'll speak a little. +[He holds her by the hand, silent.] + +CORIOLANUS O mother, mother! +What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, +The gods look down, and this unnatural scene +They laugh at. O, my mother, mother, O! +You have won a happy victory to Rome, +But, for your son--believe it, O, believe it!-- +Most dangerously you have with him prevailed, +If not most mortal to him. But let it come.-- +Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars, +I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, +Were you in my stead, would you have heard +A mother less? Or granted less, Aufidius? + +AUFIDIUS +I was moved withal. + +CORIOLANUS I dare be sworn you were. +And, sir, it is no little thing to make +Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, +What peace you'll make advise me. For my part, +I'll not to Rome. I'll back with you; and pray you, +Stand to me in this cause.--O mother!--Wife! +[He speaks with them aside.] + +AUFIDIUS, [aside] +I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honor +At difference in thee. Out of that I'll work +Myself a former fortune. + +CORIOLANUS, [to the Women] Ay, by and by; +But we will drink together, and you shall bear +A better witness back than words, which we, +On like conditions, will have countersealed. +Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve +To have a temple built you. All the swords +In Italy, and her confederate arms, +Could not have made this peace. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Menenius and Sicinius.] + + +MENENIUS See you yond coign o' th' Capitol, yond +cornerstone? + +SICINIUS Why, what of that? + +MENENIUS If it be possible for you to displace it with +your little finger, there is some hope the ladies of +Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with +him. But I say there is no hope in 't. Our throats +are sentenced and stay upon execution. + +SICINIUS Is 't possible that so short a time can alter the +condition of a man? + +MENENIUS There is differency between a grub and a +butterfly, yet your butterfly was a grub. This Martius +is grown from man to dragon. He has wings; +he's more than a creeping thing. + +SICINIUS He loved his mother dearly. + +MENENIUS So did he me; and he no more remembers +his mother now than an eight-year-old horse. The +tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. When he +walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground +shrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce a +corslet with his eye, talks like a knell, and his hum +is a battery. He sits in his state as a thing made for +Alexander. What he bids be done is finished with +his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity +and a heaven to throne in. + +SICINIUS Yes, mercy, if you report him truly. + +MENENIUS I paint him in the character. Mark what +mercy his mother shall bring from him. There is +no more mercy in him than there is milk in a male +tiger. That shall our poor city find, and all this is +long of you. + +SICINIUS The gods be good unto us. + +MENENIUS No, in such a case the gods will not be good +unto us. When we banished him, we respected not +them; and he returning to break our necks, they +respect not us. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER, [to Sicinius] +Sir, if you'd save your life, fly to your house. +The plebeians have got your fellow tribune +And hale him up and down, all swearing if +The Roman ladies bring not comfort home, +They'll give him death by inches. + +[Enter another Messenger.] + + +SICINIUS What's the news? + +SECOND MESSENGER +Good news, good news! The ladies have prevailed. +The Volscians are dislodged and Martius gone. +A merrier day did never yet greet Rome, +No, not th' expulsion of the Tarquins. + +SICINIUS Friend, +Art thou certain this is true? Is 't most certain? + +SECOND MESSENGER +As certain as I know the sun is fire. +Where have you lurked that you make doubt of it? +Ne'er through an arch so hurried the blown tide +As the recomforted through th' gates. Why, hark you! + +[Trumpets, hautboys, drums beat, all together.] + + +The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries, and fifes, +Tabors and cymbals, and the shouting Romans +Make the sun dance. Hark you! [A shout within.] + +MENENIUS This is good news. +I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia +Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians +A city full; of tribunes such as you +A sea and land full. You have prayed well today. +This morning for ten thousand of your throats +I'd not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy! +[Sound still with the shouts.] + +SICINIUS, [to Second Messenger] First, the gods bless +you for your tidings; next, accept my thankfulness. + +SECOND MESSENGER +Sir, we have all great cause to give great thanks. + +SICINIUS They are near the city? + +SECOND MESSENGER Almost at point to enter. + +SICINIUS We'll meet them, and help the joy. +[They exit.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter two Senators, with Ladies (Volumnia, Virgilia, +Valeria) passing over the stage, with other Lords.] + + +SENATOR +Behold our patroness, the life of Rome! +Call all your tribes together, praise the gods, +And make triumphant fires. Strew flowers before +them, +Unshout the noise that banished Martius, +Repeal him with the welcome of his mother. +Cry "Welcome, ladies, welcome!" + +ALL Welcome, ladies, welcome! +[A flourish with drums and trumpets.] +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter Tullus Aufidius, with Attendants.] + + +AUFIDIUS +Go tell the lords o' th' city I am here. +Deliver them this paper. [(He gives them a paper.)] +Having read it, +Bid them repair to th' marketplace, where I, +Even in theirs and in the commons' ears, +Will vouch the truth of it. Him I accuse +The city ports by this hath entered and +Intends t' appear before the people, hoping +To purge himself with words. Dispatch. +[The Attendants exit.] + +[Enter three or four Conspirators of Aufidius's faction.] + +Most welcome! + +FIRST CONSPIRATOR +How is it with our general? + +AUFIDIUS Even so +As with a man by his own alms empoisoned +And with his charity slain. + +SECOND CONSPIRATOR Most noble sir, +If you do hold the same intent wherein +You wished us parties, we'll deliver you +Of your great danger. + +AUFIDIUS Sir, I cannot tell. +We must proceed as we do find the people. + +THIRD CONSPIRATOR +The people will remain uncertain whilst +'Twixt you there's difference, but the fall of either +Makes the survivor heir of all. + +AUFIDIUS I know it, +And my pretext to strike at him admits +A good construction. I raised him, and I pawned +Mine honor for his truth, who, being so heightened, +He watered his new plants with dews of flattery, +Seducing so my friends; and to this end, +He bowed his nature, never known before +But to be rough, unswayable, and free. + +THIRD CONSPIRATOR Sir, his stoutness +When he did stand for consul, which he lost +By lack of stooping-- + +AUFIDIUS That I would have spoke of. +Being banished for 't, he came unto my hearth, +Presented to my knife his throat. I took him, +Made him joint servant with me, gave him way +In all his own desires; nay, let him choose +Out of my files, his projects to accomplish, +My best and freshest men; served his designments +In mine own person; holp to reap the fame +Which he did end all his; and took some pride +To do myself this wrong; till at the last +I seemed his follower, not partner; and +He waged me with his countenance as if +I had been mercenary. + +FIRST CONSPIRATOR So he did, my lord. +The army marvelled at it, and, in the last, +When he had carried Rome and that we looked +For no less spoil than glory-- + +AUFIDIUS There was it +For which my sinews shall be stretched upon him. +At a few drops of women's rheum, which are +As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labor +Of our great action. Therefore shall he die, +And I'll renew me in his fall. But hark! + +[Drums and trumpets sounds, with great shouts +of the people.] + + + +FIRST CONSPIRATOR +Your native town you entered like a post +And had no welcomes home, but he returns +Splitting the air with noise. + +SECOND CONSPIRATOR And patient fools, +Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear +With giving him glory. + +THIRD CONSPIRATOR Therefore at your vantage, +Ere he express himself or move the people +With what he would say, let him feel your sword, +Which we will second. When he lies along, +After your way his tale pronounced shall bury +His reasons with his body. + +AUFIDIUS Say no more. + +[Enter the Lords of the city.] + +Here come the lords. + +ALL LORDS +You are most welcome home. + +AUFIDIUS I have not deserved it. +But, worthy lords, have you with heed perused +What I have written to you? + +ALL LORDS We have. + +FIRST LORD And grieve to hear 't. +What faults he made before the last, I think +Might have found easy fines, but there to end +Where he was to begin and give away +The benefit of our levies, answering us +With our own charge, making a treaty where +There was a yielding--this admits no excuse. + +[Enter Coriolanus marching with Drum and Colors, the +Commoners being with him.] + + +AUFIDIUS He approaches. You shall hear him. + +CORIOLANUS +Hail, lords! I am returned your soldier, +No more infected with my country's love +Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting +Under your great command. You are to know +That prosperously I have attempted, and +With bloody passage led your wars even to +The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought +home +Doth more than counterpoise a full third part +The charges of the action. We have made peace +With no less honor to the Antiates +Than shame to th' Romans, and we here deliver, +Subscribed by' th' Consuls and patricians, +Together with the seal o' th' Senate, what +We have compounded on. +[He offers the lords a paper.] + +AUFIDIUS Read it not, noble lords, +But tell the traitor in the highest degree +He hath abused your powers. + +CORIOLANUS "Traitor"? How now? + +AUFIDIUS Ay, traitor, Martius. + +CORIOLANUS Martius? + +AUFIDIUS +Ay, Martius, Caius Martius. Dost thou think +I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name +Coriolanus, in Corioles? +You lords and heads o' th' state, perfidiously +He has betrayed your business and given up +For certain drops of salt your city Rome-- +I say your city--to his wife and mother, +Breaking his oath and resolution like +A twist of rotten silk, never admitting +Counsel o' th' war, but at his nurse's tears +He whined and roared away your victory, +That pages blushed at him and men of heart +Looked wond'ring each at other. + +CORIOLANUS Hear'st thou, Mars? + +AUFIDIUS Name not the god, thou boy of tears. + +CORIOLANUS Ha? + +AUFIDIUS No more. + +CORIOLANUS +Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart +Too great for what contains it. "Boy"? O slave!-- +Pardon me, lords, 'tis the first time that ever +I was forced to scold. Your judgments, my grave +lords, +Must give this cur the lie; and his own notion-- +Who wears my stripes impressed upon him, that +Must bear my beating to his grave--shall join +To thrust the lie unto him. + +FIRST LORD Peace, both, and hear me speak. + +CORIOLANUS +Cut me to pieces, Volsces. Men and lads, +Stain all your edges on me. "Boy"? False hound! +If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there +That like an eagle in a dovecote, I +Fluttered your Volscians in Corioles, +Alone I did it. "Boy"! + +AUFIDIUS Why, noble lords, +Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune, +Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, +'Fore your own eyes and ears? + +ALL CONSPIRATORS Let him die for 't. + +ALL PEOPLE Tear him to pieces! Do it presently! He +killed my son! My daughter! He killed my cousin +Marcus! He killed my father! + +SECOND LORD Peace, ho! No outrage! Peace! +The man is noble, and his fame folds in +This orb o' th' Earth. His last offenses to us +Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius, +And trouble not the peace. + +CORIOLANUS, [drawing his sword] O, that I had him, +With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe, +To use my lawful sword. + +AUFIDIUS Insolent villain! + +ALL CONSPIRATORS Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him! + +[Draw the Conspirators, and kills Martius, who falls. +Aufidius stands on him.] + + + +LORDS Hold, hold, hold, hold! + +AUFIDIUS +My noble masters, hear me speak. + +FIRST LORD O Tullus! + +SECOND LORD +Thou hast done a deed whereat valor will weep. + +THIRD LORD +Tread not upon him.--Masters, all be quiet.-- +Put up your swords. + +AUFIDIUS +My lords, when you shall know--as in this rage, +Provoked by him, you cannot--the great danger +Which this man's life did owe you, you'll rejoice +That he is thus cut off. Please it your Honors +To call me to your senate, I'll deliver +Myself your loyal servant or endure +Your heaviest censure. + +FIRST LORD Bear from hence his body, +And mourn you for him. Let him be regarded +As the most noble corse that ever herald +Did follow to his urn. + +SECOND LORD His own impatience +Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame. +Let's make the best of it. + +AUFIDIUS My rage is gone, +And I am struck with sorrow.--Take him up. +Help, three o' th' chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.-- +Beat thou the drum that it speak mournfully.-- +Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he +Hath widowed and unchilded many a one, +Which to this hour bewail the injury, +Yet he shall have a noble memory. +Assist. +[They exit bearing the body of Martius. +A dead march sounded.] \ No newline at end of file