Are entered in the Roman territories;
And with the deepest malice of the war
Destroy what lies before them.
Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
Thrusts forth his horns again into the world:
If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,
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,
Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood' for Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,
Or butchers killing flies.
Men.
And durst not once peep out.
Sic.
Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd.-It cannot be,
The Volces dare break with us.
Com. O, you have made good work!
Men.
What news? what news?
Com. You have holp to ravish your own
daughters, and
To melt the city leads upon your pates;
To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses;
Men. What's the news? what's the news?
Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore.'
Men.
Pray now, your news?-
You have made fair work, I fear me :-Pray, your
news?
(1) Stood up in its defence. (2) Talk. (3) Changes. (4) Unite.
You have made good work,
You, and your apron men; you that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation, and
The breath of garlic-eaters!
Com.
Your Rome about your ears.
Men.
Did shake down mellow fruit: You have made fair work!
Bru. But is this true, sir?
Ay; and you'll look pale
Before you find it other. All the regions
Do smilingly revolt; and, who resist,
Are only mock'd for valiant ignorance,
And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him?
Your enemies, and his, find something in him.
Men. We are all undone, unless
The noble man have mercy.
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 charg'd him
If he were putting to my house the brand
That should consume it, I have not the face
To say, 'Beseech you, cease.-You have made fair
hands,
You, and your crafts! you have crafted fair!
You have brought
A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
So incapable of help.
Tri.
Say not, we brought it.
Men. How! Was it we? We lov'd him; but
like beasts,
And cowardly nobles, gave way to your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o'the city.
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.
Here come 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.
(5) A small round hole: an augre is a carpen-
ter's tool.
(7) Revolt with pleasure.
3 Cit. 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.
Com. You are goodly things, you voices!
Men.
You have made
Good work, you and your cry!'-Shall us to the
Capitol?
Com. O ay; what else? [Exe. Com. and Men.
Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd;
These are a side, that would be glad to have
This true, which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.
1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. ever said, we were i'the wrong, when we banished him.
To fail in the disposing of those chances
Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
Not to be other than one thing, not moving
From the casque to the cushion, but commanding
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,
For I dare so far free him,) made him fear'd,
So hated, and so banish'd: But he has a merit,
To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
Lie in the interpretation of the time:
And power, unto itself most commendable
Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair
To extol what it hath done.
One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail;
Rights by rights fouler, strengths by strengths do fail.
Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine,
[Exeunt Citizens. Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine.
2 Cit. So did we all. But come, let's home.
Bru. I do not like this news.
Sic. Nor I.
Bru. Let's to the Capitol:-'Would, half my
wealth
Would buy this for a lie!
Pray, let us go. [Exeunt.
SCENE VII-A camp; at a small distance from
Rome. Enter Aufidius, and his Lieutenant.
Auf. Do they still fly to the Roman ?
Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in him; but
Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;
And you are darken'd in this action, sir,
Even by your own.
I cannot help it now;
Auf.
Unless, by using means, I lame the foot
Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier
Even to my person, than I thought he would,
When first I did embrace him: Yet his nature
In that's no changeling; and I must excuse
What cannot be amended.
Lieu.
Yet I wish, sir,
(I mean for your particular;) you had not
Join'd in commission with him: but either
Had borne the action of yourself, or else
To him had left it solely.
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,
And so he thinks, and is no less apparent
To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly,
And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state;
Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon
As draw his sword: yet he hath left undone
That, which shall break his neck, or hazard mine,
Whene'er we come to our account.
Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry
Rome?
Auf. All places yield to him ere he sits down;
And the nobility of Rome are his;
The senators, and patricians, love him too:
The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people
Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty
To expel him thence. I think, he'll be to Rome,
As is the osprey2 to the fish, who takes it
By sovereignty of nature. First he was
A noble servant to them; but he could not
Carry his honours even: whether 'twas pride,
Which out of daily fortune ever taints
The happy man; whether defect of judgment,
(1) Pack, alluding to a pack of hounds.
(2) An eagle that preys on fish.
(3) Helmet. (4) The chair of civil authority.
SCENE I-Rome. A public place. Enter Mene-
nius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus, and others.
Men. No, I'll not go you hear, what he hath said,
Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him
In a most dear particular. He call'd me, father:
But what o'that? Go, you that banish'd him,
A mile before his tent fall down, and kneel
The way into his mercy: Nav, if he coy'd
To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
Com. He would not seem to know me.
Men.
Do you hear?
Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name:
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to: forbad all names;
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,
Till he had forg'd himself a name i'the fire
Of burning Rome.
Men. Why, so; you have made good work:
A pair of tribunes that have rack'd' for Rome,
To make coals cheap: A noble memory!
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.
Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard
For his private friends: His answer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisome, musty chaff: He said, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And still to nose the offence.
Or two? I am one of those; his mother, wife,
His child, and this brave fellow too, we are the
grains :
You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the moon: We must be burnt for you.
Sic. Nay, pray be patient: If you refuse your aid
In this so never-needed help, yet do not
Upbraid us with our distress. But, sure, if you
Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the instant army we can make,
Might stop our countryman.
(5) Not all in their full extent.
(6) Condescended unwillingly.
(7) Harassed by exactions. (8) Memorial.
Men.
I think, he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip,
And hun at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well; he had not din'd:
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
These pipes and these conveyances of our blood
With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
Than in our priest-like fasts: therefore I'll watch
him
Till he be dieted to my request,
And then I'll set upon him,
Bru. You know the very road into his kindness,
And cannot lose your way.
Men.
Good faith, I'll prove him,
Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge
Of my success.
[Exit.
Com.
He'll not hear him.
Sic.
Com. I tell you, he does sit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury
The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him;
'Twas very faintly he said, Rise; disiniss'd me
Thus, with his speechless hand: What he would do,
He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
Bound with an oath, to yield to his conditions:
So, that all hope is vain,
Unless his noble mother, and his wife;
Who, as I heas, mean to solicit him
For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
And with our fair entreaties haste them on. [Exe.
SCENE II-An advanced post of the Volscian
camp before Rome. The Guard at their sta-
tions. Enter to them, Menenius.
1 G, Stay: Whence are you?
2 G.
Stand, and go back.
Men. You guard like men; 'tis well: But, by
your leave,
I am an officer of state, and come
To speak with Coriolanus,
From Rome. 1 G. You may not pass, you must return: our general
Will no more hear from thence.
His fame unparallel'd, haply, amplified;
For I have ever verified3 my friends
(Of whom he's chief,) with all the size that verity Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes, Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,
I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praise Hlave, 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
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, canst 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 of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, 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.
Men. I mean, thy general.
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.
Cor. What's the matter?
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 some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thec.-The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no
2 G. You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire, worse than thy old father Menenius does! O, my before
You'll speak with Coriolanus.
Men. Good my friends, If you have heard your general talk of Rome, And of his friends there, it is lots' to blanks, My name hath touch'd your ears: it is Menenius. 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 (1) Prizes. (2) Friend. (3) Proved to. (4) Truth.
son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assauge thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.
Cor. Away!
Men. How! away?
Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs | In supplication nod: and my young boy
Are servanted to others: Though I owe
My revenge properly, my remission lies
In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather
Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger, than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,
[Gives a letter.
And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius,
Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st-
Auf. You keep a constant temper.
[Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius.
1 G. Now, sir, is you name Menenius?
2 G. 'Tis as pell, you see, of much power: You
know the way home again.
Hath an aspect of intercession, which
Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volces
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be such a gosling to obey instinct; but stand,
As if a man were author of himself,
And knew no other kin.
Vir. My lord and husband! Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome. Vir. The sorrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think so. Like a dull actor now, I have forgot my part, and I am out, Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh, Forgive my tyranny; but do not say, For that, Forgive our Romans.-O, a kiss Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge! Now by the jealous queen' of heaven, that kiss carried from thee, dear; and my true lip Hath virgin'd it e'er since.-You gods! I prate, 2 G. What cause do you think, I have to swoon? And the most noble mother of the world Men. I neither care for the world, nor your gene- Leave unsaluted: Sink, my knee i'the earth; ral: for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, you are so slight. He that hath a will to die Of thy deep duty more impression show by himself, fears it not from another. Let your Than that of common sons. general do his worst. For you, be that you are, Vol. long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, Away!
1 G. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back?
1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him.
2 G. The worthy fellow is our general:
rock, the oak not to the wind-shaken.
SCENE III.-The tent of Coriolanus.
Coriolanus, Aufidius, and others.
[Exit. He is the [Exeunt. Enter
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow
Set down our host.-My partner in this action,
You must report to the Volscian lords, how plainly3
I have borne this business.
Auf.
You have respected; stopp'd your ears against
The general suit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with such friends
That thought them sure of you.
Cor.
This last old man,
Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
Lov'd me above the measure of a father;
Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge,
Was to send him: for whose old love, I have
(Though I show'd sourly to him,) once more offer'd
The first conditions which they did refuse
And cannot now accept, to grace him only,
That thought he could do more; a very little
I have yielded too: Fresh embassies, and suits,
Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what shout is this?
[Shout within.
Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow
In the same time 'tis made? I will not.-
Enter in mourning habits, Virgilia, Volumnia,
leading young Marcius, Valeria, and attendants.
My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grand-child to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of nature, break!
Let it be virtuous, to be obstinate.
What is that curt'sy worth? or those doves' eyes,
Which can make gods forsworn?—I melt and am
Of stronger earth than others. My mother
As if Olympus to a molehill should
O, stand up bless'd
Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,
I kneel before thee; and unproperly
Show duty, as mistaken all the while
Between the child and parent.
Cor.
What is this?
Your knees to me? to your corrected son?
Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
Fillip the stars; then let the mutinous winds
Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun;
Murd'ring impossibility, to make
What cannot be, slight work.
Thou art my warrior;
I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady?
Cor. The noble sister of Publicola,
The moon of Rome; chaste as the icicle,
That's curded.by the frost from purest snow,
And hangs on Dian's temple: Dear Valeria!
Vol. This is a poor epitome of yours,
Which by the interpretation of full time
May show like all yourself.
The god of soldiers,
With the consent of supreme Jove, inform
Thy thoughts with nobleness: that thou may'st prove
To shame invulnerable, and stick i'the wars
Like a great sea-mark, standing every flaw,
And saving those that eye thee!
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;
The things, I have foresworn to grant, may never
Be held by you denials. Do not bid me
Dismiss Tay soldiers, or capitulate
Again with Rome's mechanics :-Tell me not
Wherein I seem unnatural: Desire not
To allay my rages and revenges, with
Your colder reasons.
Vol.
O, no more, no more!
You have said, you will not grant us any thing;
For we have nothing else to ask, but that
Which you deny already; Yet we will ask;
bows;That, if you fail in our request, the blame
(1) Because. (2) Reprimanded. (3) Openly. (4) A young goose.
Hear nought from Rome in private.-Your request? Vol. Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment,
And state of bodies, would bewray' what life
We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself,
How more unfortunate than all living women
Are we come hither: since that thy sight, which
should
Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts,
Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and
Making the mother, wife, and child, to see
The son, the husband, and the father, tearing
His country's bowels out. And to poor we,
Thine enmity's most capital: thou barr'st us
Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort
That all but we enjoy: For how can we,
Alas! how can we for our country pray,
Whereto we are bound; together with thy victory,
Whereto we are bound? Alack! or we must lose
The country, our dear nurse; or else thy person,
Our comfort in the country. We must find
An evident calamity, though we had
Our wish, which side should win for either thou
Must, as a foreign recreant, be led
With manacles thorough our streets, or else
Triumphantly tread upon thy country's ruin;
And bear the palm, for having bravely shed
Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son,
I purpose not to wait on fortune, till
These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee
Rather to show a noble grace to both parts,
Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner
March to assault thy country, than to tread
(Trust to't thou shalt not,) on thy mother's womb,
That brought thee to this world.
Vir.
Ay, and on mine,
That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name
Living to time.
He shall not tread on me;
I'll run away, till I am bigger, but then I'll fight.
Cor. Not of a woman's tenderness to be,
Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.
I have sat too long.
Vol.
Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so, that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy
Than can our reasons.-There is no man in the world
More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate
Like one i'the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life
Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy ;
When she (poor hen!) fond of no second brood,
Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home,
Loaden with honour. Say, my request's unjust,
And spurn me back: But, if it be not so,
Thou are not honest; and the gods will plague thee,
That thou restrain'st from me the duty, which
To a mother's part belongs.-He turns away:
Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.
To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride,,
Than pity to our prayers. Down; an end:
This is the last ;-So we will home to Rome,
And die among our neighbours.-Nay, behold us:
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have,
But kneels, and holds up hands, for fellowship,
Does reason our petition with more strength
Than thou hast to deny't.-Come, let us go:
This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;
His wife is in Corioli, and his child
Like him by chance:-Yet give us our despatch:
I am hush'd until our city be afire,
And then I'll speak a little.
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 They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O! You have won a happy victory to Rome: But, for your son,-believe it, O, believe it, Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd, If not most mortal to him. But, let it come :Anfidius, though I cannot make true wars, I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, Were you in my stead, say, would you have heard A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius? Auf. I was mov'd withal. Cor.
I dare be sworn, you were. And, sir, it is no little thing, to make Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, What peace you'll make, advise me: For my part, I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and pray you, Stand to me in this cause.-O mother! wife!
Auf. I am glad, thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour
The Volces whom you serve, you might condemn us, At difference in thee: out of that I'll work
Myself a former fortune
[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.
As poisonous of your honour: No; our suit
Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volces
May say, This mercy we have show'd; the Romans,
This we receiv'd; and each in either Sle
Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, Be bless'd
For making up this peace! Thou know'st, great son,
The end of war's uncertain; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the beneiit
Which thou shall thereby reap, is such a name,
Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;
Whose chronicle thus writ,-The man was noble,
But with his last attempt he wip'd it out;
Destroy'd his country; and his name remains
To the ensuing age, abhorr'd. Speak to me, son:
Thou hast affected the fine strains' of honour,
To imitate the graces of the gods;
To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o'the air,
And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?
Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man
Still to remember wrongs?-Daughter, speak you:
He cares not for your weeping.-Speak thou, boy:
Perhaps, thy childishness will move him more
(1) Betray. (2) Conclude.
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