Antium. A public place.
[Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, with Attendants]
AUFIDIUS Go tell the lords o’ the city I am here:
Deliver them this paper:
[Exeunt Attendants]
[Enter three or four Conspirators of AUFIDIUS’ faction]
First Conspirator Most noble sir,
If you do hold the same intent wherein
You wish’d us parties, we’ll deliver you
Of your great danger.
AUFIDIUS Sir, I cannot tell:
We must proceed as we do find the people.
Second Conspirator The people will remain uncertain whilst
‘Twixt you there’s difference; but the fall of either
Makes the survivor heir of all.
AUFIDIUS I know it;
And my pretext to strike at him admits
A good construction. He came unto my hearth;
Presented to my knife his throat: I took him;
Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way
In all his own desires; nay, let him choose
Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,
My best and freshest men; served his designments
In mine own person; hope to reap the fame
Which he did end all his; and took some pride
To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,
I seem’d his follower, not partner, and
He waged me with his countenance, as if
I had been mercenary.
First Conspirator So he did, my lord:
The army marvell’d at it, and, in the last,
When he had carried Rome and that we look’d
For no less spoil than glory,–
AUFIDIUS There was it:
For which my sinews shall be stretch’d upon him.
At a few drops of women’s rheum, which are
As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour
Of our great action: therefore shall he die,
And I’ll renew me in his fall.
[Enter CORIOLANUS, marching with drum
and colours; commoners being with him]
CORIOLANUS Hail, lords! I am return’d your soldier,
No more infected with my country’s love
Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting
Under your great command. You are to know
That prosperously I have attempted and
With bloody passage led your wars even to
The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home
Do more than counterpoise a full third part
The charges of the action. We have made peace
With no less honour to the Antiates
Than shame to the Romans: and we here deliver,
Subscribed by the consuls and patricians,
Together with the seal o’ the senate, what
We have compounded on.
AUFIDIUS Read it not, noble lords;
But tell the traitor, in the high’st degree
He hath abused your powers.
CORIOLANUS Traitor! how now!
AUFIDIUS Ay, traitor, Marcius!
CORIOLANUS Marcius!
AUFIDIUS Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius: dost thou think
I’ll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol’n name
Coriolanus in Corioli?
You lords and heads o’ the state, perfidiously
He has betray’d your business, and given up,
For certain drops of salt, your city Rome,
I say ‘your city,’ to his wife and mother;
Breaking his oath and resolution like
A twist of rotten silk, never admitting
Counsel o’ the war, but at his nurse’s tears
He whined and roar’d away your victory,
That pages blush’d at him and men of heart
Look’d wondering each at other.
CORIOLANUS Hear’st thou, Mars?
AUFIDIUS Name not the god, thou boy of tears!
CORIOLANUS Ha!
AUFIDIUS No more.
CORIOLANUS Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart
Too great for what contains it. Boy! O slave!
Pardon me, lords, ’tis the first time that ever
I was forced to scold. Your judgments, my grave lords,
Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion–
Who wears my stripes impress’d upon him; that
Must bear my beating to his grave–shall join
To thrust the lie unto him.
Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads,
Stain all your edges on me. Boy! false hound!
If you have writ your annals true, ’tis there,
That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I
Flutter’d your Volscians in Corioli:
Alone I did it. Boy!
AUFIDIUS Why, noble lords,
Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune,
Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,
Second Lord Peace, ho! no outrage: peace!
The man is noble and his fame folds-in
This orb o’ the earth. His last offences to us
Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius,
And trouble not the peace.
CORIOLANUS O that I had him,
With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
To use my lawful sword!
AUFIDIUS Insolent villain!
All Conspirators Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!
[The Conspirators draw, and kill CORIOLANUS:
AUFIDIUS stands on his body]
AUFIDIUS My lords, when you shall know–as in this rage,
Provoked by him, you cannot–the great danger
Which this man’s life did owe you, you’ll rejoice
That he is thus cut off. My rage is gone;
And I am struck with sorrow. Though in this city he
Hath widow’d and unchilded many a one,
Which to this hour bewail the injury,
Yet he shall have a noble memory.
[Exeunt, bearing the body
of CORIOLANUS. A
dead march sounded]
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