More worthier than their voices. They know the
Was not our recompense; resting well assur'd [corn
They ne'er did service for't: being press'd to the war,
Even when the navel of the state was touch'd,
They would not thread the gates: this kind of service
Did not deserve corn gratis: being i'the war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they show'd
Most valour, spoke not for them: the accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the motive
Of our so frank donation. Well, what then?
How shaninis bosom multiplied digest
The senate's courtesy? Let deeds express
Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy Out of thy garments.
Re-enter Brutus and Sicinius and a rabble of citizens.
Men. On both sides more respect.
Sic. Here's he, that would
Take from you all your power,
Bru. Seize him, Ediles.
Cit. Down with him, down with him!"
[several speak.
2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons!
[they all bustle about Coriolanus.
Tribunes, patricians, citizens!-what ho!—
What's like to be their words: We did request it; Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands:Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble
Call our cares, fears: which will in time break ope
The locks o'the senate, and bring in the crows
To peck the eagles.—
Men. Come, enough.
Bru. Enough, with over-measure.
Cor. No, take more:—
What may be sworn by, both divine and human,
Seal what I end withal! This double worship,
Where one part does disdain with cause, the other
Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wis-
Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no
Of general ignorance;-it must omit
Real necessities, and give way the while
To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it fol-
Nothing is done to purpose: therefore, beseech
You that will be less fearful than discreet; [you,
That love the fundamental part of state, w
More than you doubt the change of't; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish
To jump a body with a dangerous physic
That's sure of death without it; at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison: your dishonour
Mangles true judgement, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it;
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control it.
Bru. He has said enough.
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Sics He has spoken like a traitor, and shall
As traitors do.
[answer
Cor. Thou wretch! despite o'erwhelm thee!-
What should the people do with these bald tribunes?
On whom depending, their obedience fails i
To the greater bench: in a rebellion, nel set sid
When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,
Then were they chosen; in a better hour,
Let what is meet, be said it must be meet,
And throw their power i'the dust.
Bru. Manifest treason. td a wall dos oNE BY.
Sic. This a consul? no. Sudarna & Tit
Bru. The Ediles, hol-Let him be apprehended.
Sic. Go, call the people; [exit Brutus] in whose
name, myself. Tw
Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,
A foe to the public weal. Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.
Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace!
Men. What is about to be?—I am out of breath;
Confusion's near; I cannot speak :-You, tribunes
To the people ;— Coriolanus, patience.-
Speak, good Sicinius.
Sic. Hear me, people.-Peace.
Cit. Let's hear our tribune.
[speak, speak. Peace. Speak,
Sic. You are at the point to lose your liberties:
Marcius would have all from you; Marcius,
Whom late you have nam'd for consul.
Men. Fie, fie, fie!
This is the way to kindle, not to quench.
1 Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
Sic. What is the city, but the people?
Cit. True.
The people are the
Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magistrates.
Cit. You so remain.
Men. And so are like to do.
Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat;
To bring the roof to the foundation;
And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.
Sic. This deserves death.
Bru. Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it: We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of present death.
Sic. Therefore, lay hold of him;
Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.
Bru. Ediles, seize him.
Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield.
Men. Hear me one word.
Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.
Edi. Peace, peace.,
[friend,
Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's
And temperately proceed to what you would
Thus violently redress.
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.
Cor. No; I'll die here. [drawing his sword. There's some among you have beheld me fighting; Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.
Men. Down with that sword.Tribunes, with
Bru. Lay hands upon him. [draw awhile.
Men. Help! Marcius! help,
You that be noble; help him, young and old!
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I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two;
The which shall turn you to no further harm,
Than so much loss of time.
Sic. Speak briefly then;
For we are peremptory, to despatch
This viperous traitor: to eject him hence,
Were but one danger; and, to keep him here,
Our certain death; therefore it is decreed,
He dies to-night.
Men. Now the good gods forbid,
That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude
Towards her deserved children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam
Should now eat up her own!
Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away.
Men. O, he's a limb, that has but a disease;
Mortal, to cut it off; to cure it, easy.
What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death?
Killing our enemies? The blood he hath lost,
(Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath,
By many an ounce,) he dropp'd it for his country:
And, what is left, to lose it by his country,
Were to us all, that do't, and suffer it,
A brand to the end o'the world.
Sic. This is clean kam.
Bru. Merely awry: when he did love his counIt honour'd him.
Men. The service of the foot Being once gangren'd, is not then respected For what before it was?
What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent;
And, being angry, does forget that ever
He heard the name of death. [a noise within.
Here's goodly work!
2 Pat. I would they were a-bed!
Men. I would they were in Tyber!-What,
Could he not speak them fair? [the vengeance,
Re-enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rubble.
Sic. Where is this viper,
That would depopulate the city, and
Be every man himself?
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 naught.
1 Cit. He shall well know, The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, And we their hands.
Cit. He shall, sure on't. [several speak together. Men. Sir,
Bru. We'll hear no more:
Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Spread further.
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 proLest parties (as he is belov'd) break out, [cess; And sack great Rome with Romans. Bru. If it were so,—
Vol. You might have been enough the man you
With striving less to be so: lesser had been [are,
The thwartings of your dispositions, if
You had not show'd them how you were dispos'd,
Ere they lack'd power to cross you.
Cor. Let them hang.
Vol. Ay, and burn too.
Enter Menenius and Senators.
Cor. For them?—I cannot do it to the gods; Must I then do't to them?
Vol. You are too absolute;
Though therein you can never be too noble,
But when extremities speak. I have heard you say,
Honour and policy, like unsever'd friends,
I'the war do grow together: grant that, and tell me,
In peace, what each of them by th' other lose,
That they combine not there.
Cor. Tush, tush!
Men. A good demand.
Vol. If it be honour, in your wars, to seem
The same you are not (which, for your best ends,
You adopt your policy), how is it less, or worse,
That it shall hold companionship in peace
With honour, as in war; since that to both
It stands in like request?
Cor. Why force you this?
Vol. Because that now it lies you on to speak
To the people; not by your own instruction,
Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you to,
But with such words that are but roted in
Your tongue, though but bastards, and syllables
Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth.
Now, this no more dishonours you at all,
Than to take in a town with gentle words,
Which else would put you to your fortune, and
The hazard of much blood.-
I would dissemble with my nature, where
My fortunes, and my friends, at stake, requir'd
I should do so in honour: I am in this,
Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles;
And you will rather show our general louts
How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon them,
For the inheritance of their loves, and safeguard
Of what that want might ruin.
Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve so,
Not what is dangerous present, but the loss
Of what is past.
Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son
Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand;
And thus far having stretch'd it, (here bewith them)
Thy knee bussing the stones, (for in such business
Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant
Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, More learned than their ears,) waving thy head,
something too rough;
You must return, and mend it.
1 Sen. There's no remedy; Unless, by not so doing, our good city Cleave in the midst, and perish.
Vol. Pray be counsel'd:
I have a heart as little apt as yours,
But yet a brain, that leads my use of anger
To better vantage.
Men. Well said, noble woman:
Before he should thus stoop to the herd, but that
The violent fit o'the time craves it as physic
For the whole state, I would put mine armour on,
Which I can scarcely bear.
Cor. What must I do?
Men. Return to the tribunes.
Cor. Well,
What then? what then?
Men. Repent what you have spoke.
Which often, thus, correcting thy stout heart,
Now humble, as the ripest mulberry,
That will not hold the handling: or, say to them
Thou art their soldier, and, being bred in broils,
Hast not the soft way, which, thou dost confess,
Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim,
In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame
Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far
As thou hast power and person.
Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were
For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free
As words to little purpose.
Go, and be rul'd: although, I know, thou hadst
Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf,
Than flatter him in a bower. Here is Cominius.
Com. I have been i'the market-place; and sir,
You make strong party, or defend yourself
By calmness, or by absence; all's in anger.
Men. Only fair speech.
Vol. 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 and show them my unbarb'd sconce? Must I,
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,
This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind
And throwit against thewind.-Tothe market-place:
You have put me now to such a part, which never
I shall discharge to the life.
Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you.
Vol. I pr'ythee, sweet son; as thou hast said,
My praises made thee first a soldier, so,
To have my praise for this, perform a part,
Thou hast not done before.
Cor. Well, I must do't:
Away, my disposition, and possess me
Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd,
Which quired with my drum, into a pipe
Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice
That babies lulls asleep? The smiles of knaves
Tent in my cheeks; and school-boys' tears take up
The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue
Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees,
Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an alms!-I will not do't:
Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,
And, by my body's action, teach my mind
A most inherent baseness.
Vol. At thy choice then:
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour,
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin; let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
With as big a heart as thou. Do as thou list.
Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from
But owe thy pride thyself.
What, will he come?
Edi. He's coming.
Bru. How accompanied?
Edi. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favoured him.
Sic. Have you a catalogue
Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by the poll!
Edi. I have; 'tis ready, here.
Sic. Have you collected them by tribes?
Edi. I have.
Sic. Assemble presently the people hither:
And when they hear me say, 'It shall be someti
I'the right and strength o'the commons,' be it either
For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them,
If I say fine, cry, 'fine;' if death, cry 'death;'
Insisting on the old prerogative
And power i'the truth o'the cause.
Edi. I shall inform them.
Bru. And when such time they have begun to Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd [cry, Enforce the present execution
Of what we chance to sentence.
Edi. Very well.
Sic. Make them bestrong, and ready for this hint,
When we shall hap to give't them, sogena
Bru. Go about it.-
[cxit Edile.
Put him to choler straight: he hath been us'd
Ever to conquer, and to have his worth
Of contradiction: being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks,
What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck.
Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, Senators,
and Patricians.
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.-The honour'd Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice [gods Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us' Throng our large temples with the shows of peace, And not our streets with war!
1 Sen. Amen, amen! Men. A noble wish.
Re-enter Edile, with citizens. als i Sic. Draw near, ye people. WYN 29 972 2 Edi. List to your tribunes; audience: peace, I Cor. First, hear me speak. and [suy. Both Tri. Well, say.-Peace, honda ang set Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this preMust all determine here ? KoV [sent?
Sic. I do demand, po
If you submit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are contenti
To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be proved upon you?
Cor. I am content.h
Men. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: The warlike service he has done, consider; Think on the wounds his body bears, which show Like graves i'the holy church-yard.
We need not put new matter to his charge:
What you have seen him do, and heard him speak,
Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying
Those whose great power must try him; even this,
So criminal, and in such capital kind,
Deserves the extremest death.st
Bru. But, since he hath 1170
Serv'd well for Rome,
Cor. What do you prate of service?
Bru. I talk of that, that know it. d 432 Cor. You? རཱ, 5, ༡༦རཱĪ $!2 letcoet ynp!"{
To pluck away their power; as now at last
Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence
Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers
That do distribute it; in the name o'the people,
And in the power of us the tribunes, we,
Even from this instant, banish him our city;
In peril of precipitation
From off the rock Tarpeian, never more
To enter our Rome gates: i'the people's name,
I say, it shall be so.
It shall be so; let him away: he's banish'd,
And so it shall be.
[friends
Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common
Sic. He's sentenc'd: no more hearing.
Com. Let me speak:
I have been consul, and can show from Rome,
Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love
My country's good, with a respect more tender
More holy, and profound, than mine own life,
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins: then if I would
Speak that-
Sic. We know your drift: speak what! [ish'd,
Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is ban-
As enemy to the people, and his country:
It shall be so.
Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so. Cor. You common cry of curs! whose breath I As reeks o'the rotten fens, whose loves I prize As the dead carcases of unburied men That do corrupt my air, I banish you; And here remain with your uncertainty! Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts! Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes, Fan you into despair! Have the power still To banish your defenders; till, at length, Your ignorance, (which finds not, till it feels,) Making not reservation of yourselves, (Still your own foes,) deliver you, as most Abated captives, to some nation That won you without blows! Despising, For you, the city, thus I turn my back:There is a world elsewhere. [exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, Menenius, Senators, P and Patricians.
Edi. The people's enemy is gone, is gone! Cit. Our enemy's banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo! [the people shout, and throw up their caps. Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him. As he hath follow'd you, with all despite; 47 Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard t Attend us through the city.
Cit. Come, come, let us see him out at gates;
I come wine
The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.
l bus, eles Me Q9 [exeunt.
Joy daha kasvans ro og 2 Jel ACT
SCENE I. THE SAME. BEFORE A GATE OF THE CITY. Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, Cominius, and several young Patricians.or Cor. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell: Sen -the beast! mels
IV. With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother, Where is your ancient courage? you were us'd To say, extremity was the trier of spirits; That common chances common men could bear; That, when the sea was calm, all boats alike
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