for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love! Worthy Cominius, speak.-Nay, keep your place. or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has [Coriolanus rises, and offers to go away. in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't. 14 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 malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. I Sen. Sit, Coriolanus: never shame to hear What you have nobly done. Cor. Your honours' pardon; I had rather have my wounds to heal again, My words disbench'd you not. 4 When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. 2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his coun-Men. Pray now, sit down. try: and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those, who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, 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. Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i'the When the alarum were struck, than idly sit [sun, To hear my nothings monster'd. [ exit Coriolanus. Men. Masters o' the people, 1 Off. No more of him; he is a worthy man: Make way, they are coming. A sennet. Enter, with lictors before them, Cominius the consul, Menenius, Coriolanus, many other senators, Sicinius and Brutus. The senators take their places; the tribunes take theirs also by themselves. 616 Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter, [see, Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Most reverend and grave elders, terefore, please And struck him on the knee: in that day's feats, desire The present consul, and last general you, We meet here, both to thank, and to remember 1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius: Leave nothing out of length, and make us think, Sic. We are convented at clan yastan fo Bru. Which the rather We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember A kinder value of the people, than He hath hereto prized them at. Men. That's off, that's off; * I would you rather had been silent: please you To hear Cominius speak? Bru. Most willingly; But yet my caution was more pertinent, Men. He loves your people; But tie him not to be their bedfellow ; When he might act the woman in the scene, I cannot speak him home: he stopp'd the fliers Men. Worthy man! 1 Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the honWhich we devise him. [ours To make thee consul. Cor. I do owe them still ok! My life, and services. Men. It then remains, sends ads sever ob ng That you do speak to the people. sin di toch Cor. I do beseech you, Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot Sie. Sir, the people do gods I Men. Put them not to't:- se sill of ringai. That I shall blush in acting, and might Men. Do not stand upon't.......... Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! As if he did contemn what he requested Bru. Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings here: on the market-place, I know, they do attend us. SCENE III. THE SAME. THE FORUM. pant pour Enter several citizens. [exeunt. 1 Cit. Once, if he do, require our voices, we ought not to deny him. 2 Cit. We may, sir, if we will.. 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of. a little help will serve: for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself struck not to call usthe 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 fly east, west, issue out of oue skull, they wou one 'direct' way north, south; and their consent should be at once to all the points of the compass. 2 Cit. Think you so? Which way, do you judge my wit would fly. 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 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 w 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 altogether, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by par ticular; 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. Men. O sir, you are not right: have you n The worthiest men done 201 not [known cannot bring Cor. What must I say net? I pray, sir, plague upon't!" I I got them in my country's service, when Menoise gods! me, You must not speak of that: you must, desire them To think upon you. Cor. I wohink up me? Hang em! would forget me, like the virtues Which our divines lose by them. eina ni ya Men. You'll mar all; [you, 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 You know the 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 curselves to be monstrous members. 2 Cit. Your own desert? Cor. Ay, not Mine own desire. 1 Cit. How! not your own de ire? 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; therefore give you our voices heartily. and 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, To one that would do thus.-I am half through; Here comes 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 Sic. The custom of request you have discharg'd: The people do admit you; and are summon'd To meet anon, upon your approbation. Cor. Where? at the senate-house? Sic. There, Coriolanus. Cor. May I then change these garments? Cor. That I'll straight do; and knowing myself Sic. Fare you well. [exeunt Cor. and Men. 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 1 Cit. He has our voices, sir. [this man? Bru. We pray the gods, he may deserve your loves. 2 Cit. Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice, He mock'd us, when he begg'd our voices. 3 Cit. Certainly, He flouted us downright. [us. 1 Cit. No, 'tis his kind of speech, he did not mock 2 Cit. Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says, He us'd us scornfully: he should have show'd us His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for his country. Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure. Cit. 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, Bru. Could you not have told him, A place of potency, and sway o'the state, Sic. Thu to have said, As you were fore-advised, had touch'd his spirit, Bru. Did you perceive, He did solicit you in free contempt, When he did need your loves; and do you think, No heart among you? Or had you tongues, to cry Sic. Have you, Ere now, denied the asker? and, now again, That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son, Sic. One thus descended, That hath beside well in his person wrought 3 Cit. He's not confirm'd; we may deny him yet. Your sudden approbation. I'll have five hundred voices of that sound. 1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em. Bru. Get you hence instantly, and tell those They have chose a consul, that will from them take Sic. Let them assemble: Bru. Say, you ne'er had done't (Harp on that still), but by our putting on: Cit. We will so: almost all Bru. Let them go on; [several speak. [exeunt citizens. This mutiny were better put in hazard, If, as his nature is, he fall in rage With their refusal, both observe and answer Sic. To the Capitol: Come; we'll be there before the stream o'the And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own, III. [exeunt, X Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles, and the Bru. Cominius, no. [commons? Cor. Have I had children's voices? 1 Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the marketBru. The people are incens'd against him. [place. Sic. Stop, Or ail will fall in broil? Cor. 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 Have you not set them on? Men. Be calm, be calm. [teeth? Sic. You show too much of that, For which the people stir. If you will pass To where you are bound, you must inquire your Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit; [way, Or never be so noble as a consul, Nor yoke with him for tribune. Men, Let's be calm. d curzaamd[palt'ring Com. The people are abus'd.-Set on.This Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus Deserv'd this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely I' the plain way of his merit. My was f Cor. Tell me of corn! O, good, but most unwise, patricians, why, Com. Well,on to the market-place. Men. Well, well, no more of that. Cor. (Though there the people had more absoI say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed [lute power,) Cor. Now as I live, I will. My nobler friends, The ruin of the state. |