The Tragedy of Coriolanus: ACT II , SCENE I. Rome. A public place.

The Tragedy of Coriolanus: ACT II


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

		SCENE I. Rome. A public place.

		SCENE II. The same. The Capitol.

		SCENE III. The same. The Forum.

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

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SCENE I. Rome. A public place.

Enter MENENIUS with the two Tribunes of the people, SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

MENENIUS

The augurer tells me we shall have news to-night.

BRUTUS

Good or bad?

MENENIUS

Not according to the prayer of the people, for they
love not Marcius.

SICINIUS

5 Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.

MENENIUS

Pray you, who does the wolf love?

SICINIUS

The lamb.

MENENIUS

Ay, to devour him; as the hungry plebeians would the
noble Marcius.

BRUTUS

10 He's a lamb indeed, that baes like a bear.

MENENIUS

He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two
are old men: tell me one thing that I shall ask you.

Both

Well, sir.

MENENIUS

In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two
15 have not in abundance?

BRUTUS

He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all.

SICINIUS

Especially in pride.

BRUTUS

And topping all others in boasting.

MENENIUS

      This is strange now: do you two know how you are
20    censured here in the city, I mean of us o' the
      right-hand file? do you?

Both

Why, how are we censured?

MENENIUS

Because you talk of pride now,--will you not be angry?

Both

Well, well, sir, well.

MENENIUS

25    Why, 'tis no great matter; for a very little thief of
      occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience:
      give your dispositions the reins, and be angry at
      your pleasures; at the least if you take it as a
      pleasure to you in being so. You blame Marcius for
30    being proud?

BRUTUS

We do it not alone, sir.

MENENIUS

      I know you can do very little alone; for your helps
      are many, or else your actions would grow wondrous
      single: your abilities are too infant-like for
35    doing much alone. You talk of pride: O that you
      could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks,
      and make but an interior survey of your good selves!
      O that you could!

BRUTUS

What then, sir?

MENENIUS

40    Why, then you should discover a brace of unmeriting,
      proud, violent, testy magistrates, alias fools, as
      any in Rome.

SICINIUS

Menenius, you are known well enough too.

MENENIUS

      I am known to be a humorous patrician, and one that
45    loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying
      Tiber in't; said to be something imperfect in
      favouring the first complaint; hasty and tinder-like
      upon too trivial motion; one that converses more
      with the buttock of the night than with the forehead
50    of the morning: what I think I utter, and spend my
      malice in my breath. Meeting two such wealsmen as
      you are--I cannot call you Lycurguses--if the drink
      you give me touch my palate adversely, I make a
      crooked face at it. I can't say your worships have
55    delivered the matter well, when I find the ass in
      compound with the major part of your syllables: and
      though I must be content to bear with those that say
      you are reverend grave men, yet they lie deadly that
      tell you you have good faces. If you see this in
60    the map of my microcosm, follows it that I am known
      well enough too? what barm can your bisson
      conspectuities glean out of this character, if I be
      known well enough too?

BRUTUS

Come, sir, come, we know you well enough.

MENENIUS

65    You know neither me, yourselves nor any thing. You
      are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs: you
      wear out a good wholesome forenoon in hearing a
      cause between an orange wife and a fosset-seller;
      and then rejourn the controversy of three pence to a
70    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 chamber-pot,
75    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.

BRUTUS

      Come, come, you are well understood to be a
80    perfecter giber for the table than a necessary
      bencher in the Capitol.

MENENIUS

      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
85    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 predecessors
90    since Deucalion, though peradventure some of the
      best of 'em were hereditary hangmen. God-den 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.

BRUTUS and SICINIUS go aside

Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and VALERIA

95    How now, my as fair as noble ladies,--and the moon,
      were she earthly, no nobler,--whither do you follow
      your eyes so fast?

VOLUMNIA

Honourable Menenius, my boy Marcius approaches; for
the love of Juno, let's go.

MENENIUS

100 Ha! Marcius coming home!

VOLUMNIA

Ay, worthy Menenius; and with most prosperous
approbation.

MENENIUS

Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee. Hoo!
Marcius coming home!

VOLUMNIA
VIRGILIA

105 Nay,'tis true.

VOLUMNIA

      Look, here's a letter from him: the state hath
      another, his wife another; and, I think, there's one
      at home for you.

MENENIUS

I will make my very house reel tonight: a letter for
110 me!

VIRGILIA

Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; I saw't.

MENENIUS

      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 prescription in
115   Galen is but empiricutic, and, to this preservative,
      of no better report than a horse-drench. Is he
      not wounded? he was wont to come home wounded.

VIRGILIA

O, no, no, no.

VOLUMNIA

O, he is wounded; I thank the gods for't.

MENENIUS

120 So do I too, if it be not too much: brings a'
victory in his pocket? the wounds become him.

VOLUMNIA

On's brows: Menenius, he comes the third time home
with the oaken garland.

MENENIUS

Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly?

VOLUMNIA

125 Titus Lartius writes, they fought together, but
Aufidius got off.

MENENIUS

      And 'twas time for him too, I'll warrant him that:
      an he had stayed by him, I would not have been so
      fidiused for all the chests in Corioli, and the gold
130   that's in them. Is the senate possessed of this?

VOLUMNIA

      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

VALERIA

135 In troth, there's wondrous things spoke of him.

MENENIUS

Wondrous! ay, I warrant you, and not without his
true purchasing.

VIRGILIA

The gods grant them true!

VOLUMNIA

True! pow, wow.

MENENIUS

140 True! I'll be sworn they are true.
Where is he wounded?

To the Tribunes

God save your good worships! Marcius is coming
home: he has more cause to be proud. Where is he wounded?

VOLUMNIA

      I' the shoulder and i' the left arm there will be
145   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.

MENENIUS

One i' the neck, and two i' the thigh,--there's
nine that I know.

VOLUMNIA

150 He had, before this last expedition, twenty-five
wounds upon him.

MENENIUS

Now it's twenty-seven: every gash was an enemy's grave.

A shout and flourish

Hark! the trumpets.

VOLUMNIA

      These are the ushers of Marcius: before him he
155   carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears:
      Death, that dark spirit, in 's nervy arm doth lie;
      Which, being advanced, declines, and then men die.

A sennet. Trumpets sound. Enter COMINIUS the general, and TITUS LARTIUS; between them, CORIOLANUS, crowned with an oaken garland; with Captains and Soldiers, and a Herald

Herald

      Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight
      Within Corioli gates: where he hath won,
160   With fame, a name to Caius Marcius; these
      In honour follows Coriolanus.
      Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus!

Flourish

All

Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus!

CORIOLANUS

No more of this; it does offend my heart:
165 Pray now, no more.

COMINIUS

Look, sir, your mother!

CORIOLANUS

      O,
      You have, I know, petition'd all the gods
      For my prosperity!

Kneels

VOLUMNIA

170   Nay, my good soldier, up;
      My gentle Marcius, worthy Caius, and
      By deed-achieving honour newly named,--
      What is it?--Coriolanus must I call thee?--
      But O, thy wife!

CORIOLANUS

175   My gracious silence, hail!
      Wouldst thou have laugh'd had I come coffin'd home,
      That weep'st to see me triumph? Ay, my dear,
      Such eyes the widows in Corioli wear,
      And mothers that lack sons.

MENENIUS

180 Now, the gods crown thee!

CORIOLANUS

And live you yet?

To VALERIA

O my sweet lady, pardon.

VOLUMNIA

I know not where to turn: O, welcome home:
And welcome, general: and ye're welcome all.

MENENIUS

185   A hundred thousand welcomes. I could weep
      And I could laugh, I am light and heavy. Welcome.
      A curse begin at very root on's heart,
      That is not glad to see thee! You are three
      That Rome should dote on: yet, by the faith of men,
190   We have some old crab-trees here
      at home that will not
      Be grafted to your relish. Yet welcome, warriors:
      We call a nettle but a nettle and
      The faults of fools but folly.

COMINIUS

195 Ever right.

CORIOLANUS

Menenius ever, ever.

Herald

Give way there, and go on!

CORIOLANUS

      (To VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA) Your hand, and yours:
      Ere in our own house I do shade my head,
200   The good patricians must be visited;
      From whom I have received not only greetings,
      But with them change of honours.

VOLUMNIA

      I have lived
      To see inherited my very wishes
205   And the buildings of my fancy: only
      There's one thing wanting, which I doubt not but
      Our Rome will cast upon thee.

CORIOLANUS

      Know, good mother,
      I had rather be their servant in my way,
210   Than sway with them in theirs.

COMINIUS

On, to the Capitol!

Flourish. Cornets. Exeunt in state, as before. BRUTUS and SICINIUS come forward

BRUTUS

      All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights
      Are spectacled to see him: your prattling nurse
      Into a rapture lets her baby cry
215   While she chats him: the kitchen malkin pins
      Her richest lockram 'bout her reechy neck,
      Clambering the walls to eye him: stalls, bulks, windows,
      Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges horsed
      With variable complexions, all agreeing
220   In earnestness to see him: seld-shown flamens
      Do press among the popular throngs and puff
      To win a vulgar station: or veil'd dames
      Commit the war of white and damask in
      Their nicely-gawded cheeks to the wanton spoil
225   Of Phoebus' burning kisses: such a pother
      As if that whatsoever god who leads him
      Were slily crept into his human powers
      And gave him graceful posture.

SICINIUS

On the sudden,
230 I warrant him consul.

BRUTUS

Then our office may,
During his power, go sleep.

SICINIUS

      He cannot temperately transport his honours
      From where he should begin and end, but will
235   Lose those he hath won.

BRUTUS

In that there's comfort.

SICINIUS

      Doubt not
      The commoners, for whom we stand, but they
      Upon their ancient malice will forget
240   With the least cause these his new honours, which
      That he will give them make I as little question
      As he is proud to do't.

BRUTUS

      I heard him swear,
      Were he to stand for consul, never would he
245   Appear i' the market-place nor on him put
      The napless vesture of humility;
      Nor showing, as the manner is, his wounds
      To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

SICINIUS

'Tis right.

BRUTUS

250   It was his word: O, he would miss it rather
      Than carry it but by the suit of the gentry to him,
      And the desire of the nobles.

SICINIUS

      I wish no better
      Than have him hold that purpose and to put it
255   In execution.

BRUTUS

'Tis most like he will.

SICINIUS

It shall be to him then as our good wills,
A sure destruction.

BRUTUS

      So it must fall out
260   To him or our authorities. For an end,
      We must suggest the people in what hatred
      He still hath held them; that to's power he would
      Have made them mules, silenced their pleaders and
      Dispropertied their freedoms, holding them,
265   In human action and capacity,
      Of no more soul nor fitness for the world
      Than camels in the war, who have their provand
      Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
      For sinking under them.

SICINIUS

270   This, as you say, suggested
      At some time when his soaring insolence
      Shall touch the people--which time shall not want,
      If he be put upon 't; and that's as easy
      As to set dogs on sheep--will be his fire
275   To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
      Shall darken him for ever.

Enter a Messenger

BRUTUS

What's the matter?

Messenger

      You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought
      That Marcius shall be consul:
280   I have seen the dumb men throng to see him and
      The blind to bear him speak: matrons flung gloves,
      Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers,
      Upon him as he pass'd: the nobles bended,
      As to Jove's statue, and the commons made
285   A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:
      I never saw the like.

BRUTUS

      Let's to the Capitol;
      And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,
      But hearts for the event.

SICINIUS

290 Have with you.

Exeunt

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