Rome. A public place.
[Enter MENENIUS with the two Tribunes
of the people, SICINIUS and BRUTUS.
MENENIUS The augurer tells me
we shall have news to-night.
BRUTUS Good or bad?
MENENIUS Not according to the prayer of the people,
for they love not Marcius.
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 Marcius.
BRUTUS He’s a lamb indeed, that baes 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 Marcius 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’ the 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 Marcius 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 infant-like 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!
BRUTUS What then, sir?
MENENIUS Why, then you should discover
a brace of unmeriting, proud, violent,
testy magistrates, alias fools, as any in Rome.
BRUTUS Come, sir, come, we know you well enough.
MENENIUS You know neither me, yourselves nor any thing.
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 fosset-seller;
and then rejourn the controversy of three pence 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. God-den 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.
[BRUTUS and SICINIUS go 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 Honourable Menenius,
my boy Marcius approaches;
for the love of Juno, let’s go.
MENENIUS Ha! Marcius coming home!
VOLUMNIA Ay, worthy Menenius;
and with most prosperous approbation.
MENENIUS Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee.
Hoo! Marcius coming home!
VOLUMNIA |
| Nay,’tis true.
VIRGILIA |
MENENIUS 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 a’ 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 Corioli, 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, wow.
MENENIUS True! I’ll be sworn they are true.
Where is he wounded?
[To the Tribunes]
Where is he wounded?
VOLUMNIA I’ the shoulder and i’ the 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’ the body.
MENENIUS One i’ the neck, and two i’ the 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 Marcius:
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. Trumpets sound. Enter COMINIUS the
general, and TITUS LARTIUS; between them, CORIOLANUS,
crowned with an oaken garland; with Captains and
Soldiers, and a Herald]
Herald Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight
Within Corioli gates: where he hath won,
With fame, a name to Caius Marcius; these
In honour follows Coriolanus.
Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus!
[Flourish]
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, petition’d all the gods
For my prosperity!
[Kneels]
VOLUMNIA Nay, my good soldier, up;
My gentle Marcius, worthy Caius, and
By deed-achieving honour newly named,–
What is it?–Coriolanus must I call thee?–
But O, thy wife!
CORIOLANUS My gracious silence, hail!
Wouldst thou have laugh’d had I come coffin’d home,
That weep’st to see me triumph? Ay, my dear,
Such eyes the widows in Corioli 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 ye’re welcome all.
MENENIUS A hundred thousand welcomes. I could weep
And I could laugh, I am light and heavy. Welcome.
CORIOLANUS [To VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA]
The good patricians must be visited;
From whom I have received not only greetings,
But with them change of honours.
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.
[Flourish. Cornets. Exeunt in state, as before.
BRUTUS and SICINIUS come forward]
SICINIUS On the sudden,
I warrant him consul.
BRUTUS Then our office may,
During his power, go sleep.
SICINIUS He cannot temperately transport his honours
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 honours, 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’ the market-place nor on him put
The napless vesture of humility;
Nor showing, as the manner is, his wounds
To the 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 authorities. 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 the 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 for ever.
[Enter a Messenger]
BRUTUS What’s the matter?
Messenger You are sent for to the Capitol. ‘Tis thought
That Marcius shall be consul:
I have seen the dumb men throng to see him and
The blind to bear him speak: matrons flung gloves,
Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers,
Upon him as he pass’d: 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…
[Exeunt]
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