The Tragedy Of Coriolanus

1 Enter the two Tribunes. Sicinius and Brutus.
2 SICINIUS.
3 We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.
4 His remedies are tame—the present peace,
5 And quietness of the people, which before
6 Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
7 Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,
8 Though they themselves did suffer by’t, behold
9 Dissentious numbers pest’ring streets than see
10 Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going
11 About their functions friendly.
12 BRUTUS.
13 We stood to’t in good time.
14 Enter Menenius.
15 Is this Menenius?
16 SICINIUS.
17 ’Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kind
18 Of late.—Hail, sir!
19 MENENIUS.
20 Hail to you both.
21 SICINIUS.
22 Your Coriolanus is not much missed
23 But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,
24 And so would do were he more angry at it.
25 MENENIUS.
26 All’s well, and might have been much better if
27 He could have temporized.
28 SICINIUS.
29 Where is he, hear you?
30 MENENIUS.
31 Nay, I hear nothing;
32 His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.
33 Enter three or four Citizens.
34 ALL CITIZENS.
35 The gods preserve you both!
36 SICINIUS.
37 Good e’en, our neighbours.
38 BRUTUS.
39 Good e’en to you all, good e’en to you all.
40 FIRST CITIZEN.
41 Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees
42 Are bound to pray for you both.
43 SICINIUS.
44 Live and thrive!
45 BRUTUS.
46 Farewell, kind neighbours. We wished Coriolanus
47 Had loved you as we did.
48 CITIZENS.
49 Now the gods keep you!
50 BOTH TRIBUNES.
51 Farewell, farewell.
52 [_Exeunt Citizens._]
53 SICINIUS.
54 This is a happier and more comely time
55 Than when these fellows ran about the streets
56 Crying confusion.
57 BRUTUS.
58 Caius Martius was
59 A worthy officer i’ th’ war, but insolent,
60 O’ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinking
61 Self-loving.
62 SICINIUS.
63 And affecting one sole throne, without assistance.
64 MENENIUS.
65 I think not so.
66 SICINIUS.
67 We should by this, to all our lamentation,
68 If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
69 BRUTUS.
70 The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
71 Sits safe and still without him.
72 Enter an Aedile.
73 AEDILE.
74 Worthy tribunes,
75 There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
76 Reports the Volsces with two several powers
77 Are entered in the Roman territories,
78 And with the deepest malice of the war
79 Destroy what lies before ’em.
80 MENENIUS.
81 ’Tis Aufidius,
82 Who, hearing of our Martius’ banishment,
83 Thrusts forth his horns again into the world,
84 Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome,
85 And durst not once peep out.
86 SICINIUS.
87 Come, what talk you of Martius?
88 BRUTUS.
89 Go see this rumourer whipped. It cannot be
90 The Volsces dare break with us.
91 MENENIUS.
92 Cannot be?
93 We have record that very well it can,
94 And three examples of the like hath been
95 Within my age. But reason with the fellow
96 Before you punish him, where he heard this,
97 Lest you shall chance to whip your information
98 And beat the messenger who bids beware
99 Of what is to be dreaded.
100 SICINIUS.
101 Tell not me.
102 I know this cannot be.
103 BRUTUS.
104 Not possible.
105 Enter a Messenger.
106 MESSENGER.
107 The nobles in great earnestness are going
108 All to the Senate House. Some news is coming
109 That turns their countenances.
110 SICINIUS.
111 ’Tis this slave—
112 Go whip him ’fore the people’s eyes—his raising,
113 Nothing but his report.
114 MESSENGER.
115 Yes, worthy sir,
116 The slave’s report is seconded, and more,
117 More fearful, is delivered.
118 SICINIUS.
119 What more fearful?
120 MESSENGER.
121 It is spoke freely out of many mouths—
122 How probable I do not know—that Martius,
123 Joined with Aufidius, leads a power ’gainst Rome
124 And vows revenge as spacious as between
125 The young’st and oldest thing.
126 SICINIUS.
127 This is most likely!
128 BRUTUS.
129 Raised only that the weaker sort may wish
130 Good Martius home again.
131 SICINIUS.
132 The very trick on ’t.
133 MENENIUS.
134 This is unlikely;
135 He and Aufidius can no more atone
136 Than violent’st contrariety.
137 Enter a Second Messenger.
138 SECOND MESSENGER.
139 You are sent for to the Senate.
140 A fearful army, led by Caius Martius
141 Associated with Aufidius, rages
142 Upon our territories, and have already
143 O’erborne their way, consumed with fire and took
144 What lay before them.
145 Enter Cominius.
146 COMINIUS.
147 O, you have made good work!
148 MENENIUS.
149 What news? What news?
150 COMINIUS.
151 You have holp to ravish your own daughters and
152 To melt the city leads upon your pates,
153 To see your wives dishonoured to your noses—
154 MENENIUS.
155 What’s the news? What’s the news?
156 COMINIUS.
157 Your temples burned in their cement, and
158 Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
159 Into an auger’s bore.
160 MENENIUS.
161 Pray now, your news?—
162 You have made fair work, I fear me.—Pray, your news?
163 If Martius should be joined with Volscians—
164 COMINIUS.
165 If?
166 He is their god; he leads them like a thing
167 Made by some other deity than Nature,
168 That shapes man better; and they follow him
169 Against us brats with no less confidence
170 Than boys pursuing summer butterflies
171 Or butchers killing flies.
172 MENENIUS.
173 You have made good work,
174 You and your apron-men, you that stood so much
175 Upon the voice of occupation and
176 The breath of garlic eaters!
177 COMINIUS.
178 He’ll shake your Rome about your ears.
179 MENENIUS.
180 As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit.
181 You have made fair work.
182 BRUTUS.
183 But is this true, sir?
184 COMINIUS.
185 Ay, and you’ll look pale
186 Before you find it other. All the regions
187 Do smilingly revolt, and who resists
188 Are mocked for valiant ignorance
189 And perish constant fools. Who is’t can blame him?
190 Your enemies and his find something in him.
191 MENENIUS.
192 We are all undone unless
193 The noble man have mercy.
194 COMINIUS.
195 Who shall ask it?
196 The Tribunes cannot do’t for shame; the people
197 Deserve such pity of him as the wolf
198 Does of the shepherds. For his best friends, if they
199 Should say “Be good to Rome,” they charged him even
200 As those should do that had deserved his hate
201 And therein showed like enemies.
202 MENENIUS.
203 ’Tis true.
204 If he were putting to my house the brand
205 That should consume it, I have not the face
206 To say “Beseech you, cease.”—You have made fair hands,
207 You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!
208 COMINIUS.
209 You have brought
210 A trembling upon Rome such as was never
211 S’ incapable of help.
212 TRIBUNES.
213 Say not we brought it.
214 MENENIUS.
215 How? Was it we? We loved him, but like beasts
216 And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
217 Who did hoot him out o’ th’ city.
218 COMINIUS.
219 But I fear
220 They’ll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
221 The second name of men, obeys his points
222 As if he were his officer. Desperation
223 Is all the policy, strength, and defence
224 That Rome can make against them.
225 Enter a troop of Citizens.
226 MENENIUS.
227 Here comes the clusters.—
228 And is Aufidius with him? You are they
229 That made the air unwholesome when you cast
230 Your stinking, greasy caps in hooting at
231 Coriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming,
232 And not a hair upon a soldier’s head
233 Which will not prove a whip. As many coxcombs
234 As you threw caps up will he tumble down
235 And pay you for your voices. ’Tis no matter.
236 If he could burn us all into one coal
237 We have deserved it.
238 ALL CITIZENS.
239 Faith, we hear fearful news.
240 FIRST CITIZEN.
241 For mine own part,
242 When I said banish him, I said ’twas pity.
243 SECOND CITIZEN.
244 And so did I.
245 THIRD CITIZEN.
246 And so did I. And, to say the truth, so did very many of us. That we
247 did we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his
248 banishment, yet it was against our will.
249 COMINIUS.
250 You are goodly things, you voices!
251 MENENIUS.
252 You have made good work, you and your cry!—
253 Shall’s to the Capitol?
254 COMINIUS.
255 O, ay, what else?
256 [_Exeunt Cominius and Menenius._]
257 SICINIUS.
258 Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.
259 These are a side that would be glad to have
260 This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
261 And show no sign of fear.
262 FIRST CITIZEN.
263 The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let’s home. I ever said we were
264 i’ th’ wrong when we banished him.
265 SECOND CITIZEN.
266 So did we all. But, come, let’s home.
267 [_Exeunt Citizens._]
268 BRUTUS.
269 I do not like this news.
270 SICINIUS.
271 Nor I.
272 BRUTUS.
273 Let’s to the Capitol. Would half my wealth
274 Would buy this for a lie!
275 SICINIUS.
276 Pray let’s go.
277 [_Exeunt._]