Bru. Aediles, seize him! Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield ! Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word! Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, Bru. Sir, those cold ways, That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the disease is violent. -- Lay hands upon him, And bear him to the rock. Bru. Lay hands upon him! Men. Help! help Marcius! help, You that be noble; help him, young, and old! [In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Дediles, and the people, are all beat in. Men. Go, get you to your house; be gone, away! All will be naught else. 2 Sen. Get you gone! Cor. Stand fast; We have as many friends, as enemies. Men. Shall it be put to that? 1 Sen. The gods forbid! I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house; Men. For 'tis a sore upon us! You cannot tent yourself. Begone, 'beseech you! Com. Come, sir, along with us. Cor. I would they were barbarians, (as they are, Put not your worthy rage into your tongue; I'll try whether my old wit be in request Com. Nay, come away! [Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, and Others. 1 Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune. Men. His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for his power to thunder. His heart's his mouth: What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent; 2 Pat. I would they were a-bed! [Anoise within. Men. I would they were in Tyber! - What, the vengeance, Could he not speak them fair? Re-enter BRUTUS and SICINIUS, with the Rabble. Sic. Where is this viper, That would depopulate the city, and Men. You worthy tribunes, Sic. He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law, And therefore law shall scorn him further trial Than the severity of the public power, Which he so sets at nought. 1 Cit. He shall well know, The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, Cit. He shall, sure on't. [Several speak together. Sic. Peace! Sic. Consul!-what consul? Men. The consul Coriolanus. Bru. He a consul! Cit. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; Sic. Speak briefly then; For we are peremptory, to dispatch Men. Now the good gods forbid, Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away. A brand to the end o'the world. Sic. This is clean kam. Why did you wish me milder? Would Vol. 0, sir, sir, sir, you have me I would have had you put your power well ou, Vol. You might have been enough the man you are, Bru. Merely awry. When he did love his country, Ere they lack'd power to cross you. It honour'd him. Men. The service of the foot Being once gangren'd, is not then respected For what before it was? Bru. We'll hear no more: Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Men. One word more, one word! This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too late, Tie leaden pounds to his heels. Proceed by process; Bru. If it were so, Cor. Let them hang. Vol. Ay, and burn too. Enter MENENIUS, and Senators. Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, some- You must return, and mend it. Sic. Meet on the market-place.-We'll attend you Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed Men. I'll bring him to you: 1 Sen. There's no remedy; Unless, by not so doing, our good city Vol. Pray be counsel'd: I have a heart as little apt as yours, But yet a brain, that leads my use of anger Men. Well said, noble woman; Before he should thus stoop to the herd, but that Cor. What must I do? Men. Return to the tribunes. What then? what then? Men. Repent what you have spoke Cor. For them?-I cannot do it to the gods; Vol. You are too absolute; Though therein you can never be too noble, But when extremities speak. I have heard you say, In Cor. Tush, tush! Men. A good demand. Vol. If it be honour, in your wars, to seem Let me desire your company. [To the Senators.] With honour, as in war; since that to both He must come, Or what is worst will follow. 1 Sen.. Pray you, let's to him! It stands in like request? Cor. Why force you this? [Exeunt. Vol. Because that now it lies you on to speak SCENE II. A room in CORIOLANUS's house. Enter CORIOLANUS, and Patricians. Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears; present me Your tongue, though but bastards, and syllables Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth. The hazard of much blood. I would dissemble with my nature, where Men. Noble lady! Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve so, 0 A Not what is dangerous present, but the loss Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son, Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand; Now will not hold the handling: or, say to them, Men. This but done, Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were yours; As words to little purpose. Vol. Pr'ythee, now, Enter SICINIUS and BRUtus. Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affects Go, and be rul'd: although, I know, thou had'st rather Enforce him with his envy to the people; Than flatter him in a bower. Here is Cominius. Enter COMINIUS. And that the spoil, got on the Antiates, Enter an Aedile. Com. I have been i'the market-place: and, sir, What, will he come? 'tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness, or by absence; all's in anger. Com. I think, 'twill serve, if he Can thereto frame his spirit. Vol. He must, and will: Pr'ythee, now, say, you will, and go about it. Cor. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce? Must [ With my base tongue give to my noble heart A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do't: Yet were there but this single plot to lose, Aed. He's coming. Bru. How accompanied? Aed. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favour'd him. Sic. Have you a catalogue Of all the voices that we have procur'd, Aed. I have; 'tis ready, here. Sic. Have you collected them by tribes? Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it, For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, place: To the market You have put me now to such a part, which never I shall discharge to the life. Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you. If I say, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death; Vol. I pr'ythee now, sweet son; as thou hast said, Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd Bru. And when such time they have begun to cry, My praises made thee first a soldier, so, To have my praise for this, perform a part Cor. Well, I must do't: Away, my disposition, and possess me Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd, Vol. At thy choice then: To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour, Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me; Cor. Pray, be content; Enforce the present execution Of what we chance to sentence. Aed. Very well. Sic. Made them be strong, and ready for this hint, When we shall hap to give't them. Bru. Go about it. [Exit Aedile. Put him to choler straight: he hath been us'd Of contradiction. Being once chaf'd, he cannot Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, Sic. Well, here he comes. Men. Calmly, I do beseech you. Cor. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume. Re-enter Aedile, with Citizens. Sic. Draw near, ye people! Envied against the people, seeking means Aed. List to your tribunes; audience. Peace, I say! Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence Both Tri. Well, say - Peace, ho! Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present? And in the power of us the tribunes, we, you submit To suffer lawful censure for such faults Cor. I am content. Men. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: Cor. Scratches with briars, That when he speaks not like a citizen, Com. Well, well, no more. Cor. What is the matter, That being pass'd for consul with full voice, I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour You take it off again? Sic. Answer to us. Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so. Even from this instant, banish him our city; From off the rock Tarpeian, never more Cit. It shall be so, It shall be so! let him away! he's banish'd, Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common Sic. He's sentenc'd: no more hearing. I have been consul, and can show from Rome, Sic. We know your drift. Speak what? Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so!" Cor. You common cry of curs! whose breath I hate As reek o'the rotten fens, whose loves I prize Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take As the dead carcasses of unburied men From Rome all season'd office, and to wind Yourself into a power tyrannical; For which, you are a traitor to the people. Men. Nay, temperately! Your promise! Cor. The fires i'the lowest hell fold in the people! Sic. Mark you this, people? Cit. To the rock with him; to the rock with him! We need not put new matter to his charge: That do corrupt my air, I banish you; their cups. [Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, Menenius, City. Come, come, let us see him out at gates; The gods preserve our noble tribunes! — Come! IV. АСТ the beast With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother, Ar 11 H ། When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves A noble cunning you were us'd to load me Vir. O heavens! O heavens! Cor. Nay, I pr'ythee, woman, Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, Cor. What, what, what! I shall be lov'd, when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd As 'tis to laugh at them. My mother, you wot well, Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen Vol. O, you're well met! The hoarded plague o'the gods Requite your love! Men. Peace peace! be not so loud. Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,Nay, and you shall hear some.-Will you be gone? [To Brutus. Vir. You shall stay too. [To Sicin.] I would, I had To say so to my husband. Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame?-Note but this fool.- Sic. O blessed heavens! Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words; And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what ;-yet go!Nay, but thou shalt stay too: I would my son Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than seen,) your son Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him, Will, or exceed the common, or be caught Vol. My first son, Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius With thee a-while: determine on some course, Cor. O the gods! Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send Cor. Fare ye well! Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one His good sword in his hand. Sic. What then? Vir. What then? Vol. I would he had? 'Twas you incens'd the rabble : As I can of those mysteries which heaven Bru. Pray, let us go! Vol. Now, pray, sir, get you gone! You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this: That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but out at gate.-As far as doth the Capitol exceed Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and Men. That's worthily As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep!- Cor. Give me thy hand!- The meanest house in Rome; so far, my son, I would the gods had nothing else to do, [Exeunt Tribunes. [Exeunt. Men. You have told them home, SCENE III.A highway between Rome and Antium. Vol. It is so, sir; truly, I have forgot you. [Exit Aedile. are, against them. Know you me yet? |