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Complete Plays, The

Page 140

by William Shakespeare


  And gave him graceful posture.

  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.

  Brutus

  Let’s to the Capitol;

  And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,

  But hearts for the event.

  Sicinius

  Have with you.

  Exeunt

  SCENE II. THE SAME. THE CAPITOL.

  Enter two Officers, to lay cushions

  First Officer

  Come, come, they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?

  Second Officer

  Three, they say: but ’tis thought of every one

  Coriolanus will carry it.

  First Officer

  That’s a brave fellow; but he’s vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

  Second Officer

  Faith, there had been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne’er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore: so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly see’t.

  First Officer

  If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved indifferently ’twixt doing them neither good nor harm: but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than can render it him; and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

  Second Officer

  He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonneted, without any further deed to have them at an into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

  First Officer

  No more of him; he is a worthy man: make way, they are coming.

  A sennet. Enter, with actors before them, Cominius the consul, Menenius, Coriolanus, Senators, Sicinius and Brutus. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take their Places by themselves. Coriolanus stands

  Menenius

  Having determined of the Volsces and

  To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

  As the main point of this our after-meeting,

  To gratify his noble service that

  Hath thus stood for his country: therefore, please you,

  Most reverend and grave elders, to desire

  The present consul, and last general

  In our well-found successes, to report

  A little of that worthy work perform’d

  By Caius Marcius Coriolanus, whom

  We met here both to thank and to remember

  With honours like himself.

  First Senator

  Speak, good Cominius:

  Leave nothing out for length, and make us think

  Rather our state’s defective for requital

  Than we to stretch it out.

  To the Tribunes

  Masters o’ the people,

  We do request your kindest ears, and after,

  Your loving motion toward the common body,

  To yield what passes here.

  Sicinius

  We are convented

  Upon a pleasing treaty, and have hearts

  Inclinable to honour and advance

  The theme of our assembly.

  Brutus

  Which the rather

  We shall be blest to do, if he remember

  A kinder value of the people than

  He hath hereto prized them at.

  Menenius

  That’s off, that’s off;

  I would you rather had been silent. Please you

  To hear Cominius speak?

  Brutus

  Most willingly;

  But yet my caution was more pertinent

  Than the rebuke you give it.

  Menenius

  He loves your people

  But tie him not to be their bedfellow.

  Worthy Cominius, speak.

  Coriolanus offers to go away

  Nay, keep your place.

  First Senator

  Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear

  What you have nobly done.

  Coriolanus

  Your horror’s pardon:

  I had rather have my wounds to heal again

  Than hear say how I got them.

  Brutus

  Sir, I hope

 
My words disbench’d you not.

  Coriolanus

  No, sir: yet oft,

  When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.

  You soothed not, therefore hurt not: but your people,

  I love them as they weigh.

  Menenius

  Pray now, sit down.

  Coriolanus

  I had rather have one scratch my head i’ the sun

  When the alarum were struck than idly sit

  To hear my nothings monster’d.

  Exit

  Menenius

  Masters of the people,

  Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter —

  That’s thousand to one good one — when you now see

  He had rather venture all his limbs for honour

  Than one on’s ears to hear it? Proceed, Cominius.

  Cominius

  I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus

  Should not be utter’d feebly. It is held

  That valour is the chiefest virtue, and

  Most dignifies the haver: if it be,

  The man I speak of cannot in the world

  Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,

  When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought

  Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,

  Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,

  When with his Amazonian chin he drove

  The bristled lips before him: be bestrid

  An o’er-press’d Roman and i’ the consul’s view

  Slew three opposers: Tarquin’s self he met,

  And struck him on his knee: in that day’s feats,

  When he might act the woman in the scene,

  He proved best man i’ the field, and for his meed

  Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age

  Man-enter’d thus, he waxed like a sea,

  And in the brunt of seventeen battles since

  He lurch’d all swords of the garland. For this last,

  Before and in Corioli, let me say,

  I cannot speak him home: he stopp’d the fliers;

  And by his rare example made the coward

  Turn terror into sport: as weeds before

  A vessel under sail, so men obey’d

  And fell below his stem: his sword, death’s stamp,

  Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot

  He was a thing of blood, whose every motion

  Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter’d

  The mortal gate of the city, which he painted

  With shunless destiny; aidless came off,

  And with a sudden reinforcement struck

  Corioli like a planet: now all’s his:

  When, by and by, the din of war gan pierce

  His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit

  Re-quicken’d what in flesh was fatigate,

  And to the battle came he; where he did

  Run reeking o’er the lives of men, as if

  ’Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call’d

  Both field and city ours, he never stood

  To ease his breast with panting.

  Menenius

  Worthy man!

  First Senator

  He cannot but with measure fit the honours

  Which we devise him.

  Cominius

  Our spoils he kick’d at,

  And look’d upon things precious as they were

  The common muck of the world: he covets less

  Than misery itself would give; rewards

  His deeds with doing them, and is content

  To spend the time to end it.

  Menenius

  He’s right noble:

  Let him be call’d for.

  First Senator

  Call Coriolanus.

  Officer

  He doth appear.

  Re-enter Coriolanus

  Menenius

  The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased

  To make thee consul.

  Coriolanus

  I do owe them still

  My life and services.

  Menenius

  It then remains

  That you do speak to the people.

  Coriolanus

  I do beseech you,

  Let me o’erleap that custom, for I cannot

  Put on the gown, stand naked and entreat them,

  For my wounds’ sake, to give their suffrage: please you

  That I may pass this doing.

  Sicinius

  Sir, the people

  Must have their voices; neither will they bate

  One jot of ceremony.

  Menenius

  Put them not to’t:

  Pray you, go fit you to the custom and

  Take to you, as your predecessors have,

  Your honour with your form.

  Coriolanus

  It is apart

  That I shall blush in acting, and might well

  Be taken from the people.

  Brutus

  Mark you that?

  Coriolanus

  To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus;

  Show them the unaching scars which I should hide,

  As if I had received them for the hire

  Of their breath only!

  Menenius

  Do not stand upon’t.

  We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,

  Our purpose to them: and to our noble consul

  Wish we all joy and honour.

  Senators

  To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!

  Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all but Sicinius and Brutus

  Brutus

  You see how he intends to use the people.

  Sicinius

  May they perceive’s intent! He will require them,

  As if he did contemn what he requested

  Should be in them to give.

  Brutus

  Come, we’ll inform them

  Of our proceedings here: on the marketplace,

  I know, they do attend us.

  Exeunt

  SCENE III. THE SAME. THE FORUM.

  Enter seven or eight Citizens

  First Citizen

  Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

  Second Citizen

  We may, sir, if we will.

  Third Citizen

  We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do; for if he show us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds and speak for them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous, and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude: of the which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.

  First Citizen

  And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

  Third Citizen

  We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south, and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o’ the compass.

  Second Citizen

  Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?

  Third Citizen

  Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s will;’tis strongly wedged up in a block-head, but if it were at liberty, ’twould, sure, southward.

  Second Citizen

  Why that way?

  Third Citizen

  To lose itself in a fog, where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience sake, to help to get thee a wife.

  Second Citizen

  You are never without your tricks: you may, you may.

  Third Citizen
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  Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that’s no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

  Enter Coriolanus in a gown of humility, with Menenius

  Here he comes, and in the gown of humility: mark his behavior. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He’s to make his requests by particulars; wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and I direct you how you shall go by him.

  All

  Content, content.

  Exeunt Citizens

  Menenius

  O sir, you are not right: have you not known

  The worthiest men have done’t?

  Coriolanus

  What must I say?

  ‘I Pray, sir’— Plague upon’t! I cannot bring

  My tongue to such a pace:—‘Look, sir, my wounds!

  I got them in my country’s service, when

  Some certain of your brethren roar’d and ran

  From the noise of our own drums.’

  Menenius

  O me, the gods!

  You must not speak of that: you must desire them

  To think upon you.

  Coriolanus

  Think upon me! hang ’em!

  I would they would forget me, like the virtues

  Which our divines lose by ’em.

  Menenius

  You’ll mar all:

  I’ll leave you: pray you, speak to ’em, I pray you,

  In wholesome manner.

  Exit

  Coriolanus

  Bid them wash their faces

  And keep their teeth clean.

  Re-enter two of the Citizens

  So, here comes a brace.

  Re-enter a third Citizen

  You know the cause, air, of my standing here.

  Third Citizen

  We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to’t.

  Coriolanus

  Mine own desert.

  Second Citizen

  Your own desert!

  Coriolanus

  Ay, but not mine own desire.

  Third Citizen

  How not your own desire?

  Coriolanus

  No, sir,’twas never my desire yet to trouble the poor with begging.

  Third Citizen

  You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to gain by you.

  Coriolanus

  Well then, I pray, your price o’ the consulship?

  First Citizen

  The price is to ask it kindly.

  Coriolanus

  Kindly! Sir, I pray, let me ha’t: I have wounds to show you, which shall be yours in private. Your good voice, sir; what say you?

  Second Citizen

  You shall ha’ it, worthy sir.

  Coriolanus

  A match, sir. There’s in all two worthy voices begged. I have your alms: adieu.

  Third Citizen

  But this is something odd.

 

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