Complete Plays, The

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Complete Plays, The Page 141

by William Shakespeare


  Second Citizen

  An ’twere to give again,— but ’tis no matter.

  Exeunt the three Citizens

  Re-enter two other Citizens

  Coriolanus

  Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown.

  Fourth Citizen

  You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly.

  Coriolanus

  Your enigma?

  Fourth Citizen

  You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not indeed loved the common people.

  Coriolanus

  You should account me the more virtuous that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my sworn brother, the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them; ’tis a condition they account gentle: and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating nod and be off to them most counterfeitly; that is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular man and give it bountiful to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may be consul.

  Fifth Citizen

  We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily.

  Fourth Citizen

  You have received many wounds for your country.

  Coriolanus

  I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further.

  Both Citizens

  The gods give you joy, sir, heartily!

  Exeunt

  Coriolanus

  Most sweet voices!

  Better it is to die, better to starve,

  Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.

  Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here,

  To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear,

  Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to’t:

  What custom wills, in all things should we do’t,

  The dust on antique time would lie unswept,

  And mountainous error be too highly heapt

  For truth to o’er-peer. Rather than fool it so,

  Let the high office and the honour go

  To one that would do thus. I am half through;

  The one part suffer’d, the other will I do.

  Re-enter three Citizens more

  Here come more voices.

  Your voices: for your voices I have fought;

  Watch’d for your voices; for Your voices bear

  Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six

  I have seen and heard of; for your voices have

  Done many things, some less, some more your voices:

  Indeed I would be consul.

  Sixth Citizen

  He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest man’s voice.

  Seventh Citizen

  Therefore let him be consul: the gods give him joy, and make him good friend to the people!

  All Citizens

  Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul!

  Exeunt

  Coriolanus

  Worthy voices!

  Re-enter Menenius, with Brutus and Sicinius

  Menenius

  You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes

  Endue you with the people’s voice: remains

  That, in the official marks invested, you

  Anon do meet the senate.

  Coriolanus

  Is this done?

  Sicinius

  The custom of request you have discharged:

  The people do admit you, and are summon’d

  To meet anon, upon your approbation.

  Coriolanus

  Where? at the senate-house?

  Sicinius

  There, Coriolanus.

  Coriolanus

  May I change these garments?

  Sicinius

  You may, sir.

  Coriolanus

  That I’ll straight do; and, knowing myself again,

  Repair to the senate-house.

  Menenius

  I’ll keep you company. Will you along?

  Brutus

  We stay here for the people.

  Sicinius

  Fare you well.

  Exeunt Coriolanus and Menenius

  He has it now, and by his looks methink

  ’Tis warm at ’s heart.

  Brutus

  With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds. will you dismiss the people?

  Re-enter Citizens

  Sicinius

  How now, my masters! have you chose this man?

  First Citizen

  He has our voices, sir.

  Brutus

  We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.

  Second Citizen

  Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice,

  He mock’d us when he begg’d our voices.

  Third Citizen

  Certainly

  He flouted us downright.

  First Citizen

  No,’tis his kind of speech: he did not mock us.

  Second Citizen

  Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says

  He used us scornfully: he should have show’d us

  His marks of merit, wounds received for’s country.

  Sicinius

  Why, so he did, I am sure.

  Citizens

  No, no; no man saw ’em.

  Third Citizen

  He said he had wounds, which he could show in private;

  And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,

  ‘I would be consul,’ says he: ‘aged custom,

  But by your voices, will not so permit me;

  Your voices therefore.’ When we granted that,

  Here was ‘I thank you for your voices: thank you:

  Your most sweet voices: now you have left your voices,

  I have no further with you.’ Was not this mockery?

  Sicinius

  Why either were you ignorant to see’t,

  Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness

  To yield your voices?

  Brutus

  Could you not have told him

  As you were lesson’d, when he had no power,

  But was a petty servant to the state,

  He was your enemy, ever spake against

  Your liberties and the charters that you bear

  I’ the body of the weal; and now, arriving

  A place of potency and sway o’ the state,

  If he should still malignantly remain

  Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might

  Be curses to yourselves? You should have said

  That as his worthy deeds did claim no less

  Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature

  Would think upon you for your voices and

  Translate his malice towards you into love,

  Standing your friendly lord.

  Sicinius

  Thus to have said,

  As you were fore-advised, had touch’d his spirit

  And tried his inclination; from him pluck’d

  Either his gracious promise, which you might,

  As cause had call’d you up, have held him to

  Or else it would have gall’d his surly nature,

  Which easily endures not article

  Tying him to aught; so putting him to rage,

  You should have ta’en the advantage of his choler

  And pass’d him unelected.

  Brutus

  Did you perceive

  He did solicit you in free contempt

  When he did need your loves, and do you think

  That his contempt shall not be bruising to you,

  When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies

  No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry

  Against the rectorship of judgment?

  Sicinius

  Have you

  Ere now denied the asker? and now again
>
  Of him that did not ask, but mock, bestow

  Your sued-for tongues?

  Third Citizen

  He’s not confirm’d; we may deny him yet.

  Second Citizen

  And will deny him:

  I’ll have five hundred voices of that sound.

  First Citizen

  I twice five hundred and their friends to piece ’em.

  Brutus

  Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,

  They have chose a consul that will from them take

  Their liberties; make them of no more voice

  Than dogs that are as often beat for barking

  As therefore kept to do so.

  Sicinius

  Let them assemble,

  And on a safer judgment all revoke

  Your ignorant election; enforce his pride,

  And his old hate unto you; besides, forget not

  With what contempt he wore the humble weed,

  How in his suit he scorn’d you; but your loves,

  Thinking upon his services, took from you

  The apprehension of his present portance,

  Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion

  After the inveterate hate he bears you.

  Brutus

  Lay

  A fault on us, your tribunes; that we laboured,

  No impediment between, but that you must

  Cast your election on him.

  Sicinius

  Say, you chose him

  More after our commandment than as guided

  By your own true affections, and that your minds,

  Preoccupied with what you rather must do

  Than what you should, made you against the grain

  To voice him consul: lay the fault on us.

  Brutus

  Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you.

  How youngly he began to serve his country,

  How long continued, and what stock he springs of,

  The noble house o’ the Marcians, from whence came

  That Ancus Marcius, Numa’s daughter’s son,

  Who, after great Hostilius, here was king;

  Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,

  That our beat water brought by conduits hither;

  And [Censorinus,] nobly named so,

  Twice being [by the people chosen] censor,

  Was his great ancestor.

  Sicinius

  One thus descended,

  That hath beside well in his person wrought

  To be set high in place, we did commend

  To your remembrances: but you have found,

  Scaling his present bearing with his past,

  That he’s your fixed enemy, and revoke

  Your sudden approbation.

  Brutus

  Say, you ne’er had done’t —

  Harp on that still — but by our putting on;

  And presently, when you have drawn your number,

  Repair to the Capitol.

  All

  We will so: almost all

  Repent in their election.

  Exeunt Citizens

  Brutus

  Let them go on;

  This mutiny were better put in hazard,

  Than stay, past doubt, for greater:

  If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

  With their refusal, both observe and answer

  The vantage of his anger.

  Sicinius

  To the Capitol, come:

  We will be there before the stream o’ the people;

  And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,

  Which we have goaded onward.

  Exeunt

  ACT III

  SCENE I. ROME. A STREET.

  Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, all the Gentry, Cominius, Titus Lartius, and other Senators

  Coriolanus

  Tullus Aufidius then had made new head?

  Lartius

  He had, my lord; and that it was which caused

  Our swifter composition.

  Coriolanus

  So then the Volsces stand but as at first,

  Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road.

  Upon’s again.

  Cominius

  They are worn, lord consul, so,

  That we shall hardly in our ages see

  Their banners wave again.

  Coriolanus

  Saw you Aufidius?

  Lartius

  On safe-guard he came to me; and did curse

  Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely

  Yielded the town: he is retired to Antium.

  Coriolanus

  Spoke he of me?

  Lartius

  He did, my lord.

  Coriolanus

  How? what?

  Lartius

  How often he had met you, sword to sword;

  That of all things upon the earth he hated

  Your person most, that he would pawn his fortunes

  To hopeless restitution, so he might

  Be call’d your vanquisher.

  Coriolanus

  At Antium lives he?

  Lartius

  At Antium.

  Coriolanus

  I wish I had a cause to seek him there,

  To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home.

  Enter Sicinius and Brutus

  Behold, these are the tribunes of the people,

  The tongues o’ the common mouth: I do despise them;

  For they do prank them in authority,

  Against all noble sufferance.

  Sicinius

  Pass no further.

  Coriolanus

  Ha! what is that?

  Brutus

  It will be dangerous to go on: no further.

  Coriolanus

  What makes this change?

  Menenius

  The matter?

  Cominius

  Hath he not pass’d the noble and the common?

  Brutus

  Cominius, no.

  Coriolanus

  Have I had children’s voices?

  First Senator

  Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place.

  Brutus

  The people are incensed against him.

  Sicinius

  Stop,

  Or all will fall in broil.

  Coriolanus

  Are these your herd?

  Must these have voices, that can yield them now

  And straight disclaim their tongues? What are your offices?

  You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?

  Have you not set them on?

  Menenius

  Be calm, be calm.

  Coriolanus

  It is a purposed thing, and grows by plot,

  To curb the will of the nobility:

  Suffer’t, and live with such as cannot rule

  Nor ever will be ruled.

  Brutus

  Call’t not a plot:

  The people cry you mock’d them, and of late,

  When corn was given them gratis, you repined;

  Scandal’d the suppliants for the people, call’d them

  Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

  Coriolanus

  Why, this was known before.

  Brutus

  Not to them all.

  Coriolanus

  Have you inform’d them sithence?

  Brutus

  How! I inform them!

  Coriolanus

  You are like to do such business.

  Brutus

  Not unlike,

  Each way, to better yours.

  Coriolanus

  Why then should I be consul? By yond clouds,

  Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

  Your fellow tribune.

  Sicinius

  You show too much of that

  For which the people stir: if you will pass

  To where you are
bound, you must inquire your way,

  Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit,

  Or never be so noble as a consul,

  Nor yoke with him for tribune.

  Menenius

  Let’s be calm.

  Cominius

  The people are abused; set on. This paltering

  Becomes not Rome, nor has Coriolanus

  Deserved this so dishonour’d rub, laid falsely

  I’ the plain way of his merit.

  Coriolanus

  Tell me of corn!

  This was my speech, and I will speak’t again —

  Menenius

  Not now, not now.

  First Senator

  Not in this heat, sir, now.

  Coriolanus

  Now, as I live, I will. My nobler friends,

  I crave their pardons:

  For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them

  Regard me as I do not flatter, and

  Therein behold themselves: I say again,

  In soothing them, we nourish ’gainst our senate

  The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,

  Which we ourselves have plough’d for, sow’d, and scatter’d,

  By mingling them with us, the honour’d number,

  Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that

  Which they have given to beggars.

  Menenius

  Well, no more.

  First Senator

  No more words, we beseech you.

  Coriolanus

  How! no more!

  As for my country I have shed my blood,

  Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs

  Coin words till their decay against those measles,

  Which we disdain should tatter us, yet sought

  The very way to catch them.

  Brutus

  You speak o’ the people,

  As if you were a god to punish, not

  A man of their infirmity.

  Sicinius

  ’Twere well

  We let the people know’t.

  Menenius

  What, what? his choler?

  Coriolanus

  Choler!

  Were I as patient as the midnight sleep,

  By Jove, ’twould be my mind!

  Sicinius

  It is a mind

  That shall remain a poison where it is,

  Not poison any further.

  Coriolanus

  Shall remain!

  Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you

  His absolute ‘shall’?

  Cominius

  ’Twas from the canon.

  Coriolanus

  ’shall’!

  O good but most unwise patricians! why,

  You grave but reckless senators, have you thus

  Given Hydra here to choose an officer,

  That with his peremptory ‘shall,’ being but

  The horn and noise o’ the monster’s, wants not spirit

  To say he’ll turn your current in a ditch,

  And make your channel his? If he have power

  Then vail your ignorance; if none, awake

  Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn’d,

 

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