Hear nothing from him. Enter Three or Four CITIZENS. fit. The gods preserve you both I Sic. Good-e'en, our neighbours. Bru. Good-e'en to you all, good-e'en to you all. 1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees, re bound to pray for you both Sic. Live, and thrive! Upon our territories; and have already, O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd What lay before them. Enter COMINIUS. Com. Oh! you have made good work! Men. What news? what news? [took Com. You have holp to ravish your own daugh ters, and To melt the city leads upon your pates; Your franchises, whereon you stood confin'd Men. Pray now, your news ?— You have made fair work, I fear me :-Pray, your news? If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,- He is their god; he leads them like a thing Men. You have made good work, You and your apron men; you that stood so much Com. He will shake Your Rome about your ears. Did shake down mellow fruit: You have made fair work! Bru. But is this true, Sir? Com. Ay; and you'll look pale Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It can- Before you find it other. All the regions They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, Enter a troop of CITIZENS. Men. Here comes 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 deserv'd it. Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. 1 Cit. For mine own part. When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And so did I. Auf. All places yield to him ere he sits down And the nobility of Rome are his : The senators and patricians love him too: Even with the same austerity and garb As he controll'd the war; but, one of these (As he hath spices of them all, not all, so for to 3 Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, did very many of us: That we did, we did the best and though we willingly consented his banishment, yet it was against our will. Com. You are goodly things, you voices! Men. You have made Good work, you and your cry! *-Shall us to the Capitol ? Com. Oh! ay; what else? [Exeunt Coм. and MEN. Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd: These are a side that would be glad to have 1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. I ever said we were i'the wrong, when we banished him. 2 Cit. So did we all. But come, let's home. Would buy this for a lie! [Exeunt. SCENE VII-A Camp, at a small distance from Rome. Enter AUFIDIUS and his LIEUTENANT. Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat, Auf. I cannot help it now; Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier Lieu. Yet I wish, Sir, (I mean for your particular,) you had not Auf. 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, Pack, alluding to a pack of hounds. For I dare so far free him,) made him fear'd, One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; Rights by rights fouler, strengths by strengths do fail. Come, let's away. When, Cains, Rome is thine, Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.-Rome.-A Public Place. Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, Bru TUS and others. Men. No, I'll not go you hear what he hath said, Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name: I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops A pair of tribunes that have rack'd ¶ for Rome, Com. 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 punish'd. Men. Very well: Could he say less? Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard Or two? I am one of those; his mother, wife, You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt In this so never-heeded help, yet do not More than the instant army we can make, Men. No; I'll not meddle. Bru. Only make trial what your love can do Men. Well, and say that Marcius But as a discontented friend, grief-shoi Must have that thanks from Rome, after the mea sure, As you intended well. Men. I'll undertake it : I think he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip, To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd Till he be dieted to my request, And then I'll set upon him. 1 G. Be it so; go back: the virtue of your name Is not here passable. Men. I tell thee, fellow, Thy general is my lover: I have been The book of his good acts, whence men have read Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes, I have tumbled past the throw; and, in his Have almost stamp'd the leasing: Therefore, fellow, I must have leave to pass. 1 G. '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. Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general. 2 G. 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. Men. Has he dined, can'st thou tell? for I would not speak with him till after dinner. 1 G. You are a Roman, are you? Men. I am as thy general is. 1 G. 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 Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, of old women, the virginal palms of your daughAnd cannot lose your way. Men. Good faith, I'll prove him, Speed how it will. I shall ere jong have know. Com. He'll never hear him. 'Exit. Com. I tell you; he does sit in gold his eye Unless his noble mother, and his wife, [Exeunt. SCENE II-An advanced Post of the Volseian Camp, before Rome. The GUARD at their Stations. Enter to them, MENENIUS. 1 G. Stay: Whence are you? 2 G. Stand, and go back. ters, 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. Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation. 2 G. Come, my captain knows you not. 1 G. 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. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,— Enter CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. Men. 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'the state of hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering: behold now presently, and Men. You guard like men; 'tis well: But, by swoon for what's to come upon thee.-The glo your leave, I am an officer of state, and come To speak with Coriolanus. 1 G. From whence? Men. From Rome. rious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particnlar prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come 1 G. You may not pass, you must return: our to thee; but being assured none but myself general Will no more hear from thence. could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs and conjure thee to pardon 2 G. You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire, Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. before The good gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. affairs Are servanted to others: Though I owe In Volscian breasts. That we have been My | In supplication nod: and my young boy fa- Be such a gosling to obey instinct; but stand Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather Take this along: I writ it for thy sake, And would have sent it. [Gives a Letter. Another word, nenius, 1 will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius, Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'stAuf. You keep a constant temper. Vir. My lord and husband! Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore Vir. The sorrow, that delivers us thus chang'a Cor. Like a dull actor now, Me-I have forgot my part, and I am out, [Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFID. 1 G. Now, Sir, is your name Menenius? 2 G. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: You know the way home again. 1 G. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back? 2 G. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, you are 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! [Exit. 1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him. 2 G. The worthy fellow is our general: He is the rook, the oak not to be wind-shaken. The first conditions, which they did refuse, Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow and ATTENDANTS. Your knees to me? to your corrected son Vol. Thou art my warrior: I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady ↑ The moon of Rome; chaste as the icicle Cor. The god of soldiers, With the consent of supreme Jove, inform prove To shame unvulnerable, and stick i'the wars Vol. Your knee, Sirrah. Cor. That's my brave boy. Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself, Are suitors to you. Cor. I beseech you, peace: Or, if you'd ask, remember this before : Again with Rome's mechanics: Tell me not Vol. Oh! no more, no more! rai.nent Make your eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comfort, Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and sorrow; Making the mother, wife, and child, to see Our wish, which side should win for either thou Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour, To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o'the air, Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man That thou restrain'st from me the duty, which To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride, Cor. O mother, mother! [Holding VOLUMNIA by the Hands, silent. What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, The gods look down, and this unnatural scene Were you in my stead, say, would you have heard Cor. I dare be sworn you were: Stand to me in this cause. O mother! wife! Auj. I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour At difference in thee: out of that I'll work [Aside. [The ladies make signs to CORIOLANUS. Cor. Ay, by and by: [TO VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, &c. But we will drink together; and you shall bear A better witness back than words, which we, On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd. 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. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-Rome.-A public Place. Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS. Men. See you yond' coign o'the Capitol : yond' corner stone? Sic. Why, what of that? Men. 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. Sic. Is't possible that so short a time can alter the condition of a man? Men. There is differency between a grub and a butterfly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon: he has wings! he's more than a creeping thing. Sic. He loved his mother dearly. Men. 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, t 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. Sic. Yes, mercy, if you report bim truly. • Angle. + Stay but for it. 1 Chair of state. To resemble. |