Rome. A public place.
[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS]
SICINIUS We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
His remedies are tame i’ 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 pestering streets than see
Our tradesmen with 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…
Both Tribunes Hail sir!
MENENIUS Hail to you both!
SICINIUS Your Coriolanus
Is not much miss’d, but with his friends:
The commonwealth doth stand, and so would do,
Were he more angry at it.
Where is he, hear you?
MENENIUS Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
Hear nothing from 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 enter’d in the Roman territories,
And with the deepest malice of the war
Destroy what lies before ’em.
MENENIUS ‘Tis Aufidius,
Who, hearing of our Marcius’ banishment,
Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;
Which were inshell’d when Marcius stood for Rome,
And durst not once peep out.
SICINIUS Come, what talk you
Of Marcius?
BRUTUS Go see this rumourer whipp’d. 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 have been
Within my age.
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 come
That turns their countenances.
SICINIUS ‘Tis this slave;–
Go whip him, ‘fore the people’s eyes:–his raising;
Nothing but his report.
Messenger The slave’s report is seconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver’d.
SICINIUS What more fearful?
Messenger It is spoke freely out of many mouths–
How probable I do not know–that Marcius,
Join’d with Aufidius, leads a power ‘gainst Rome,
And vows revenge as spacious as between
The young’st and oldest thing.
[Enter COMINIUS]
COMINIUS O, you have made good work!
MENENIUS What news?
If Marcius should be join’d 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 You have made good work,
You and your apron-men; you that stood so up much
on the voice of occupation and
The breath of garlic-eaters!
COMINIUS All the regions
Do smilingly revolt; and who resist
Are mock’d 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 show’d 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.’
COMINIUS You have brought
A trembling upon Rome!
Both Tribunes Say not we brought it.
MENENIUS How! Was it we? we loved him but, like beasts
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o’ the 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 defence,
That Rome can make against them.
[Enter a troop of Citizens]
MENENIUS Here come the clusters.
That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at
Coriolanus’ exile.
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 Ye re goodly things, you voices!
MENENIUS You have made
Good work, you and your cry!
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