Vir. O, no, no, no. with the forehead of the morning. What I think, tion in Galen is but empiricutic, and, to this preI utter; and spend my malice in my breath: Meet-servative, of no better report than a horse-drench. ing two such weals-men as you are (I cannot call Is he not wounded? he was wont to come home you Lycurguses) if the drink you gave me, touch wounded. my palate adversely, I make a crooked face at it. I cannot say, your worships have delivered the Vol. O, he is wounded, I thank the gods for't. matter well, when I find the ass in compound with Men. So do I too, if it be not too much :-Brings the major part of your syllables: and though I'a victory in his pocket?-The wounds become must be content to bear with those that say you are him. reverend grave men; yet they lie deadly, that tell, you have good faces. If you see this in the map of my microcosm,2 follows it, that I am known well enough too? What harm can your bisson3 conspectuities glean out of this character, if I be known well enough too? Vol. On's brows, Menenius: he comes the third time home with the oaken garland. Men. Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly? Vol. Titus Lartius writes,-they fought together, but Aufidius got off. Men. And 'twas time for him too, I'll warrant him that: an he had staid by him, I would not have been so fidiused for all the chests in Corioli, and the gold that's in them. Is the senate pos Vol. Good ladies, let's go :-Yes, yes, yes: the senate has letters from the general, wherein he gives my son the whole name of the war: he hath in this action outdone his former deeds doubly. Val. In troth, there's wondrous things spoke of him. Bru. Come, sir, come, we know you well enough. Men. You know neither me, yourselves, nor any thing. You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs; you wear out a good wholesome forenoon,sessed5 of this? ;4 in hearing a cause between an orange-wife and a fosset-seller; and then rejourn the controversy of three-pence to a second day of audience.-When you are hearing a matter between party and party, if you chance to be pinched with the colic, you make faces like mummers; set up the bloody flag against all patience; and, in roaring for a chamberpot, dismiss the controversy bleeding, the more entangled by your hearing: all the peace you make in their cause, is calling both the parties knaves: You are a pair of strange ones. Bru. Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter giber for the table, than a necessary bencher in the Capitol. Men. Our very priests must become mockers, if they shall encounter such ridiculous subjects as you are. When you speak best unto the purpose, it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your beards deserve not so honourable a grave, as to stuff a botcher's cushion, or to be entombed in an ass's pack-saddle. Yet you must be saying, Marcius is proud; who, in a cheap estimation, is worth all your predecessors, since Deucalion; though, peradventure, some of the best of them were hereditary hangmen. Good e'en to your worships; more of your conversation would infect my brain, being the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians: I will be bold to take my leave of you. [Bru. and Sic. retire to the back of the scene. Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Valeria, &c. How now, my as fair as noble ladies, (and the moon, were she earthly, no nobler,) whither do you follow your eyes so fast? Vol. Honourable Menenius, my boy Marcius approaches; for the love of Juno, let's go. Men. Ha! Marcius coming home? Vol. Ay, worthy Menenius; and with most prosperous approbation. Men. Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee:Hoo! Marcius coming home? Two Ladies. Nay, 'tis true. Vol. Look, here's a letter from him; the state hath another, his wife another; and, I think, there's one at home for you. Men. I will make my very house reel to-night:A letter for me? Vir. Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; saw it. Men. A letter for me? It gives me an estate of seven years' health; in which time I will make a lip at the physician: the most sovereign prescrip Men. Wondrous? ay, I warrant you, and not without his true purchasing. Vir. The gods grant them true! Vol. True? pow, wow. Men. True? I'll be sworn they are true:Where is he wounded?-God save your good worships! [To the Tribunes, who come forward.] Marcius is coming home; he has more cause to be proud. Where is he wounded? Vol. I'the shoulder, and i'the left arm: There will be large cicatrices to show the people, when he shall stand for his place. He received in the repulse of Tarquin, seven hurts i'the body. Men. One in the neck, and two in the thigh,there's nine that I know. Vol. He had, before this last expedition, twentyfive wounds upon him. Men. Now it's twenty-seven: every gash was an enemy's grave: [A shout, and flourish.] Hark! the trumpets. Vol. These are the ushers of Marcius: before him He carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears; Death, that dark spirit, in's nervy arm doth lie; Which being advanc'd, declines; and then men die. A sennet. Trumpets sound. Enter Cominius and Titus Lartius; between them, Coriolanus, crowned with an oaken garland; with Captains, Soldiers, and a Herald. Her. Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight Within Corioli's gates: where he hath won, Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus! [Flourish. Look, sir, your mother, You have, I know, petition'd all the gods Vol. [Kneels. Nay, my good soldier, up; (5) Fully informed. (6) Flourish on cornets. Cor. Menenius, ever, ever. Your hand, and yours: I have lived To see inherited my very wishes, Cor. Com. On, to the Capitol. [Flourish Cornets. Exeunt in state, as before. The Tribunes remain. Bru. All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights Are spectacled to see him: Your prattling nurse Into a rapture? lets her baby cry, While she chats him: the kitchen malkin3 pins Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd, I warrant him consul. Bru. On the sudden, Then our office may, During his power, go sleep. Sic. He cannot temperately transport his honours From where he should begin, and end; but will Lose those that he hath won. Bru. In that there's comfort. Sic. Doubt not the commoners, for whom we stand, But they, upon their ancient malice, will 'Tis right. Bru. It was his word: O, he would miss it, rather Than carry it, but by the suit o'the gentry to him, And the desire of the nobles. Sic. I wish no better, Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it In execution. Bru. 'Tis most like, he will. Bru. Enter a Messenger. What's the matter? Mess. You are sent for to the Capitol. "Tis thought, That Marcius shall be consul: I have seen Bru. SCENE II-The same. Have with you. [Exeunt. The Capitol. Enter two Officers, to lay cushions. 1 Of. Come, come, they are almost here: How many stand for consulships? 2 Off Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it. 1 Off: That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people. 2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great me that have flatter'd the people, who ne'er lov'd them; (7) Priests. (9) Adorn'd. (11) Inform, (8) Common standing-place. (10) Thread-bare. (12) Provender, 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. But tie him not to be their bedfellow.- 1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus: never shame to hear My words disbench'd you not. 1 Off. 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 they can render it him and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the mal-You ice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. 2 Off 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, bonnetted,2 without any further deed to heave them at all 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. No, sir: yet oft, When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: But, your people, I love them as they weigh. Men. When the alarum were struck,4 than idly sit Men. Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter see, He had rather venture all his limbs for honour, Than one of his ears to hear it?-Proceed, Cominius. 1 Off. No more of him; he is a worthy man : Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Make way, they are coming. Should not be utter'd feebly.-It is held, That valour is the chiefest virtue, and A sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, Co-Most dignifies the haver:5 if it be, minius, the Consul, Menenius, Coriolanus, many other Senators, Sicinius, and Brutus. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves. Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and Hath thus stood for his country: Therefore, please you, Most reverend and grave elders, to desire A little of that worthy work perform'd We meet here, both to thank, and to remember 1 Sen. Sic. The theme of our assembly. Bru. Which the rather The man I speak of cannot in the world I cannot speak him home: He stopp'd the fliers; Men. Worthy man! That I may pass this doing. Sic. Men. Put them not to't:- Cor. Bru. As if I had received them for the hire Men. Do not stand upon't.- Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! As if he did contemn what he requested Bru. 1 Cit. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him. 2 Cit. We may, sir, if we will. about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude. 3 Cit. 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 scull, 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. 2 Cit. Think you so? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fly? 3 Cit. 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. 2 Cit. Why that way? 3 Cit. 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. 2 Cit. You are never without your tricks :-You may, you may. 3 Cit. 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 and Menenius. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; mark his behaviour. 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'll direct you how you shall go by him. All. Content, content. [Exeunt. Men. O sir, you are not right: have you not known The worthiest men have done it? Cor. What must I say?— -my I got them in my country's service, when Think upon me? hang 'em! You'll mar all; Cor. Enter two Citizens. Bid them wash their faces, And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a brace. You know the cause, sir, of my standing here. to't. Cor. Mine own desert. 3 Cit. 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 multi-Mine own desire. tude; of the which, we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members. 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve: for once, when we stood up (1) Avarice. Cor. 1 Cit. Your own desert? How! not your own desire? 'Twas never my desire yet, 1 Cit. You must think, if we give you any thing, We hope to gain by you, Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o'the consul-give him joy, and make him good friend to the ship? Kindly? 1 Cit. The price is, sir, to ask it kindly. Cor. 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? 2 Cit. You shall have it, worthy sir. There is in all two worthy voices begg'd: But this is something odd. 2 Cit. An 'twere to give again,-But'tis no matter. [Exeunt two Citizens. Enter two other Citizens. Cor. Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices, that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown. 3 Cit. You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly. Cor. Your enigma? 3 Cit. You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, indeed, loved the common people. Cor. 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 bountifully to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may be consul. 4 Cit. We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily. 3 Cit. You have received many wounds for your country. Cor. I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further. Both Cit. The gods give you joy, sir, heartily! Cor. Most sweet voices! [Exeunt. Better it is to die, better to starve, Enter three other Citizens. Here come more voices,— Your voices for your voices I have fought; Indeed, I would be consul. out 5 Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go with any 6 Cit. honest man's voice. Therefore let him be consul: The gods (1) Over-look. people! All. Amen, Amen.God save thee, noble consul! Cor. [Exeunt Citizens. Worthy voices! Is this done? Cor. Sic. Repair to the senate-house. Men. I'll keep you company.--Will you along? Bru. We stay here for the people. Sic. Fare you well. [Exeunt Cor. and Menen. He has it now; and by his looks, methinks, 'Tis warm at his heart. Bru. With a proud heart he wore His humble weeds: Will you dismiss the people? Re-enter Citizens. Sic. How now, my masters? have you chose this man? 1 Cit. He has our voices, sir. Bru. We pray the gods, he may deserve your loves. 2 Cit. Not one amongst us save yourself, but says, He us'd us scornfully: he should have show'd us No; no man saw 'em. [Several speak. 3 Cit. He said, he had wounds, which he could show in private; And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn, |