I pr'ythee noble friend, home to thy house; Cor. I would they were barbarians (as they are, Though in Rome litter'd,) not Romans (as they are not, Though calv'd i'the porch o'the Capitol,)— Be gone; Put not your worthy rage into your tongue; I could beat forty of them. On fair ground, I could myself Take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tribunes. Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic; Pray you, be gone: Nav, come away. [Exeunt Cor. Com. and others. 1 Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune. Men. His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for his power to thunder. His heart's his mouth: What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent; 2 Pat. [A noise within. I would they were a-bed! Men. I would they were in Tyber!-What, the vengeance, Could he not speak them fair? Re-enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the Rabble. Sic. Where is this viper, That would depopulate the city, and Be every man himself? Men. You worthy tribunes, Sic. 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 nought. I Consul?-what consul? He a consul? Men. The consul Coriolanus. Cit. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which shall turn to you no further harm, Than so much loss of time. Sic. Speak briefly then; For we are peremptory to despatch Men. Now the good gods forbid, Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away. Men. 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 dropp'd 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 the end o'the world. Sic. This is clean kam. Bru. Merely awry: when he did love his country, It honour'd him. Men. The service of the foot Being once gangrén'd, is it not then respected For what before it was? Bru. We'll hear no more:Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Spread further. Have we not had a taste of his obedience? Our ædiles smote? ourselves resisted?-Come:Men. Consider this ;-He has been bred i'the wars Since he could draw a sword, and is ill school'd In boulted 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. 1 Sen. Noble tribunes, [Several speak together. It is the humane way: the other course Sir,-Will prove too bloody; and the end of it Peace. Unknown to the beginning. I Cit. He shall well know, The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, And we their hands. Let me desire your company. [To the Senators.]| That they combine not there. He must come, Or what is worst will follow. 1 Sen. Pray you, let's to him. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A room in Coriolanus's house. Enter Coriolanus, and Patricians. Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears; present Let go. Cor. Men. Tush, tush! Cor. I would dissemble with my nature, where Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son, Vol. You might have been enough the man you Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand; are, With striving less to be so: Lesser had been Vol. Ay, and burn too. Let them hang. Enter Menenius, and Senators. And thus far having stretch'd it (here be with them,7 Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim, something too rough; In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame You must return and mend it. Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far 1 Sen. There's no remedy; As thou hast power, and person. Unless, by not so doing, our good city Men. This but done, Cleave in the midst, and perish. Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were yours: For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free As words to little purpose. Vol. Pr'ythee now, Vol. Pray be counsell'd: Men. Well said, noble woman: Before he should thus stoop to the heard, but that For the whole state, I would put mine armour on, Cor. What must I do? What then? what then? Return to the tribunes. Well, You are too absolute; (1) Wonder. (4) Subdue. This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it, And throw it against the wind.-To the marketplace: You have put me now to such a part, which never I shall discharge to the life. Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you. Vol. Ipr'ythee 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 has not done before. Cor. Well, I must do't: Away, my disposition, and possess me Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd, Which quired with my drum, into a pipe Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves Tent' in my cheeks; and school-boys' tears take up The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees, Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his That hath receiv'd an alms!-I will not do't: Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth, And, by my body's action, teach my mind A most inherent baseness. Vol. At thy choice then: To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour, 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 thon list. Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me; But owe thy pride thyself. Cor. Vol. yourself To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd Cor. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go; Men. Ay, but mildly. Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The same. The Forum. Enter Sicinius and Brutus. Bru. In this point charge him home, that he af fects Edi. I have. Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: And when they hear me say, It shall be so l'the right and strength o'the commons, be it either For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, Of what we chance to sentence. Go about it.[Exit Edile. Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd Ever to conquer, and to have his worth Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot Be rein'd 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, Cominius, Senators, and Patricians. Sic. Well, here he comes. Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Men. A noble wish. Amen, amen! I do demand, Cor. Cor. Scars to move laughter only. Men. Scratches with briars. 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. Com. Well, well, no more. Cor. What is the matter, (4) Will bear being called a knave. (5) Injure. Sic. Answer to us. Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so. Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd, Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to As enemy to the people, and his country: Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, From off the rock Tarpeian, never more To enter our Rome gates: I'the people's name, Cit. It shall be so. It shall be so; let him away: he's banish'd, Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends; Sic. He's sentenc'd: no more hearing. Com. Let me speak: I have been consul, and can show from Rome, Her enemies' marks upon nie. I do love 6 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 Sic. We know your drift: Speak what? (1) Of long standing. (2) Grasped. (4) Not only. It shall be so. 1 Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so. As reek o'the rotten fens, whose loves I prize [Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, Menenius, Senators and Patricians. Edi. The people's enemy is gone, is gone! Cit. Our enemy's banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo! [The People shout, and throw up their caps. Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him, As he hath follow'd you, with all despite ; Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard Attend us through the city. Cit. Come, come, let us see him out at gates, SCENE_I.-The same. Before a gate of the city. Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, Cominius, and several young Patricians. Cor. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell:the beast10 With many heads butts me away.-Nay, mother, craves A noble cunning: you were us'd to load me Cor. What, what, what. I shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say, If you had been the wife of Hercules, Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd Your husband so much sweat.-Cominius, Droop not; adieu:-Farewell, my wife! my mother! I'll do well yet.-Thou old and true Menenius, (7) Pack. (8) Vapour. (9) Subdued, (10) The government of the people. Thy tears are salter than a younger man's, As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot well, Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen son Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame ?-Note but this, fool. Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than seen,) your To banish him that struck more blows for Rome, Will, or exceed the common, or be caught With cautelous baits and practice. Vol. Cor. O the gods! Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee Cor. Men. That's worthily Cor. Come. Give me thy hand: [Exeunt. no further. And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what;-Yet Take my prayers with you.- [Exeunt Tribunes. with me? Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself, [Exeunt. SCENE III-A highway between Rome and Vol. It is so, sir; truly, I have forgot you. Rom. The same, sir. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you; but your favour is well appeared by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the (6) Mean cunning. (7) Countenance. |