TPTT The Tragedy of Coriolanus: ACT IV
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
SCENE I. Rome. Before a gate of the city.
SCENE II. The same. A street near the gate.
SCENE III. A highway between Rome and Antium.
SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's house.
SCENE V. The same. A hall in Aufidius's house.
SCENE VI. Rome. A public place.
SCENE VII. A camp, at a small distance from Rome.
ACT V
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SCENE VI. Rome. A public place.
Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS
SICINIUS
      We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
      His remedies are tame i' the present peace
      And quietness of the people, which before
      Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
5     Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,
      Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold
      Dissentious numbers pestering streets than see
      Our tradesmen with in their shops and going
      About their functions friendly.
BRUTUS
10    We stood to't in good time.

Enter MENENIUS

      Is this Menenius?
SICINIUS
      'Tis he,'tis he: O, he is grown most kind of late.
Both Tribunes
      Hail sir!
MENENIUS
      Hail to you both!
SICINIUS
15    Your Coriolanus
      Is not much miss'd, but with his friends:
      The commonwealth doth stand, and so would do,
      Were he more angry at it.
MENENIUS
      All's well; and might have been much better, if
20    He could have temporized.
SICINIUS
      Where is he, hear you?
MENENIUS
      Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
      Hear nothing from him.
Enter three or four Citizens
Citizens
      The gods preserve you both!
SICINIUS
25    God-den, our neighbours.
BRUTUS
      God-den to you all, god-den to you all.
First Citizen
      Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,
      Are bound to pray for you both.
SICINIUS
      Live, and thrive!
BRUTUS
30    Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd Coriolanus
      Had loved you as we did.
Citizens
      Now the gods keep you!
Both Tribunes
      Farewell, farewell.
Exeunt Citizens
SICINIUS
      This is a happier and more comely time
35    Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
      Crying confusion.
BRUTUS
      Caius Marcius was
      A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
      O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
40    Self-loving,--
SICINIUS
      And affecting one sole throne,
      Without assistance.
MENENIUS
      I think not so.
SICINIUS
      We should by this, to all our lamentation,
45    If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
BRUTUS
      The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
      Sits safe and still without him.
Enter an AEdile
AEdile
      Worthy tribunes,
      There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
50    Reports, the Volsces with two several powers
      Are enter'd in the Roman territories,
      And with the deepest malice of the war
      Destroy what lies before 'em.
MENENIUS
      'Tis Aufidius,
55    Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
      Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;
      Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome,
      And durst not once peep out.
SICINIUS
      Come, what talk you
60    Of Marcius?
BRUTUS
      Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It cannot be
      The Volsces dare break with us.
MENENIUS
      Cannot be!
      We have record that very well it can,
65    And three examples of the like have been
      Within my age. But reason with the fellow,
      Before you punish him, where he heard this,
      Lest you shall chance to whip your information
      And beat the messenger who bids beware
70    Of what is to be dreaded.
SICINIUS
      Tell not me:
      I know this cannot be.
BRUTUS
      Not possible.
Enter a Messenger
Messenger
      The nobles in great earnestness are going
75    All to the senate-house: some news is come
      That turns their countenances.
SICINIUS
      'Tis this slave;--
      Go whip him, 'fore the people's eyes:--his raising;
      Nothing but his report.
Messenger
80    Yes, worthy sir,
      The slave's report is seconded; and more,
      More fearful, is deliver'd.
SICINIUS
      What more fearful?
Messenger
      It is spoke freely out of many mouths--
85    How probable I do not know--that Marcius,
      Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome,
      And vows revenge as spacious as between
      The young'st and oldest thing.
SICINIUS
      This is most likely!
BRUTUS
90    Raised only, that the weaker sort may wish
      Good Marcius home again.
SICINIUS
      The very trick on't.
MENENIUS
      This is unlikely:
      He and Aufidius can no more atone
95    Than violentest contrariety.
Enter a second Messenger
Second Messenger
      You are sent for to the senate:
      A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius
      Associated with Aufidius, rages
      Upon our territories; and have already
100   O'erborne their way, consumed with fire, and took
      What lay before them.
Enter COMINIUS
COMINIUS
      O, you have made good work!
MENENIUS
      What news? what news?
COMINIUS
      You have holp to ravish your own daughters and
105   To melt the city leads upon your pates,
      To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses,--
MENENIUS
      What's the news? what's the news?
COMINIUS
      Your temples burned in their cement, and
      Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
110   Into an auger's bore.
MENENIUS
      Pray now, your news?
      You have made fair work, I fear me.--Pray, your news?--
      If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,--
COMINIUS
      If!
115   He is their god: he leads them like a thing
      Made by some other deity than nature,
      That shapes man better; and they follow him,
      Against us brats, with no less confidence
      Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,
120   Or butchers killing flies.
MENENIUS
      You have made good work,
      You and your apron-men; you that stood so up much
      on the voice of occupation and
      The breath of garlic-eaters!
COMINIUS
125   He will shake
      Your Rome about your ears.
MENENIUS
      As Hercules
      Did shake down mellow fruit.
      You have made fair work!
BRUTUS
130   But is this true, sir?
COMINIUS
      Ay; and you'll look pale
      Before you find it other. All the regions
      Do smilingly revolt; and who resist
      Are mock'd for valiant ignorance,
135   And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him?
      Your enemies and his find something in him.
MENENIUS
      We are all undone, unless
      The noble man have mercy.
COMINIUS
      Who shall ask it?
140   The tribunes cannot do't for shame; the people
      Deserve such pity of him as the wolf
      Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they
      Should say 'Be good to Rome,' they charged him even
      As those should do that had deserved his hate,
145   And therein show'd like enemies.
MENENIUS
      'Tis true:
      If he were putting to my house the brand
      That should consume it, I have not the face
      To say 'Beseech you, cease.' You have made fair hands,
150   You and your crafts! you have crafted fair!
COMINIUS
      You have brought
      A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
      So incapable of help.
Both Tribunes
      Say not we brought it.
MENENIUS
155   How! Was it we? we loved him but, like beasts
      And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
      Who did hoot him out o' the city.
COMINIUS
      But I fear
      They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
160   The second name of men, obeys his points
      As if he were his officer: desperation
      Is all the policy, strength and defence,
      That Rome can make against them.
Enter a troop of Citizens
MENENIUS
      Here come the clusters.
165   And is Aufidius with him? You are they
      That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
      Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at
      Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming;
      And not a hair upon a soldier's head
170   Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs
      As you threw caps up will he tumble down,
      And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter;
      if he could burn us all into one coal,
      We have deserved it.
Citizens
175   Faith, we hear fearful news.
First Citizen
      For mine own part,
      When I said, banish him, I said 'twas pity.
Second Citizen
      And so did I.
Third Citizen
      And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very
180   many of us: that we did, we did for the best; and
      though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet
      it was against our will.
COMINIUS
      Ye re goodly things, you voices!
MENENIUS
      You have made
185   Good work, you and your cry! Shall's to the Capitol?
COMINIUS
      O, ay, what else?
Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS
SICINIUS
      Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay'd:
      These are a side that would be glad to have
      This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
190   And show no sign of fear.
First Citizen
      The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home.
      I ever said we were i' the wrong when we banished
      him.
Second Citizen
      So did we all. But, come, let's home.
Exeunt Citizens
BRUTUS
195   I do not like this news.
SICINIUS
      Nor I.
BRUTUS
      Let's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth
      Would buy this for a lie!
SICINIUS
      Pray, let us go.
Exeunt
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