The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 78

SECOND CITIZEN. 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's country.

SICINIUS. Why, so he did, I am sure.

ALL. No, no; no man saw 'em.

THIRD CITIZEN. He said he had wounds which he could show in private, And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn, 'I would be consul,' says he; 'aged custom But by your voices will not so permit me; Your voices therefore.' When we granted that, Here was 'I thank you for your voices. Thank you, Your most sweet voices. Now you have left your voices, I have no further with you.' Was not this mockery?

SICINIUS. Why either were you ignorant to see't, Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness To yield your voices?

BRUTUS. Could you not have told him- As you were lesson'd- when he had no power But was a petty servant to the state, He was your enemy; ever spake against Your liberties and the charters that you bear I' th' body of the weal; and now, arriving A place of potency and sway o' th' state, If he should still malignantly remain Fast foe to th' plebeii, your voices might Be curses to yourselves? You should have said That as his worthy deeds did claim no less Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature Would think upon you for your voices, and Translate his malice towards you into love, Standing your friendly lord.

SICINIUS. Thus to have said, As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd Either his gracious promise, which you might, As cause had call'd you up, have held him to; Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature, Which easily endures not article Tying him to aught. So, putting him to rage, You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler And pa.s.s'd him unelected.

BRUTUS. Did you perceive He did solicit you in free contempt When he did need your loves; and do you think That his contempt shall not be bruising to you When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies No heart among you? Or had you tongues to cry Against the rectors.h.i.+p of judgment?

SICINIUS. Have you Ere now denied the asker, and now again, Of him that did not ask but mock, bestow Your su'd-for tongues?

THIRD CITIZEN. He's not confirm'd: we may deny him yet.

SECOND CITIZENS. And will deny him; I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

FIRST CITIZEN. I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

BRUTUS. Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends They have chose a consul that will from them take Their liberties, make them of no more voice Than dogs, that are as often beat for barking As therefore kept to do so.

SICINIUS. Let them a.s.semble; And, on a safer judgment, all revoke Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride And his old hate unto you; besides, forget not With what contempt he wore the humble weed; How in his suit he scorn'd you; but your loves, Thinking upon his services, took from you Th' apprehension of his present portance, Which, most gibingly, ungravely, he did fas.h.i.+on After the inveterate hate he bears you.

BRUTUS. Lay A fault on us, your tribunes, that we labour'd, No impediment between, but that you must Cast your election on him.

SICINIUS. Say you chose him More after our commandment than as guided By your own true affections; and that your minds, Pre-occupied with what you rather must do Than what you should, made you against the grain To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.

BRUTUS. Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to serve his country, How long continued; and what stock he springs of- The n.o.ble house o' th' Marcians; from whence came That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son, Who, after great Hostilius, here was king; Of the same house Publius and Quintus were, That our best water brought by conduits. .h.i.ther; And Censorinus, n.o.bly named so, Twice being by the people chosen censor, Was his great ancestor.

SICINIUS. One thus descended, That hath beside well in his person wrought To be set high in place, we did commend To your remembrances; but you have found, Scaling his present bearing with his past, That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke Your sudden approbation.

BRUTUS. Say you ne'er had done't- Harp on that still- but by our putting on; And presently, when you have drawn your number, Repair to th' Capitol.

CITIZENS. will will so; almost all Repent in their election. Exeunt plebeians BRUTUS. Let them go on; This mutiny were better put in hazard Than stay, past doubt, for greater.

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage With their refusal, both observe and answer The vantage of his anger.

SICINIUS. To th' Capitol, come.

We will be there before the stream o' th' people; And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own, Which we have goaded onward. Exeunt

ACT III. SCENE I.

Rome. A street

Cornets. Enter CORIOLa.n.u.s, MENENIUS, all the GENTRY, COMINIUS, t.i.tUS LARTIUS, and other SENATORS

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Tullus Aufidius, then, had made new head?

LARTIUS. He had, my lord; and that it was which caus'd Our swifter composition.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. So then the Volsces stand but as at first, Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon's again.

COMINIUS. They are worn, Lord Consul, so That we shall hardly in our ages see Their banners wave again.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Saw you Aufidius?

LARTIUS. On safeguard he came to me, and did curse Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely Yielded the town. He is retir'd to Antium.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Spoke he of me?

LARTIUS. He did, my lord.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. How? What?

LARTIUS. How often he had met you, sword to sword; That of all things upon the earth he hated Your person most; that he would p.a.w.n his fortunes To hopeless rest.i.tution, so he might Be call'd your vanquisher.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. At Antium lives he?

LARTIUS. At Antium.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. I wish I had a cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS

Behold, these are the tribunes of the people, The tongues o' th' common mouth. I do despise them, For they do prank them in authority, Against all n.o.ble sufferance.

SICINIUS. Pa.s.s no further.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Ha! What is that?

BRUTUS. It will be dangerous to go on- no further.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. What makes this change?

MENENIUS. The matter?

COMINIUS. Hath he not pa.s.s'd the n.o.ble and the common?

BRUTUS. Cominius, no.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Have I had children's voices?

FIRST SENATOR. Tribunes, give way: he shall to th' market-place.

BRUTUS. The people are incens'd against him.

SICINIUS. Stop, Or all will fall in broil.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. 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 teeth?

Have you not set them on?

MENENIUS. Be calm, be calm.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot, To curb the will of the n.o.bility; Suffer't, and live with such as cannot rule Nor ever will be rul'd.

BRUTUS. Call't not a plot.

The people cry you mock'd them; and of late, When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd; Scandal'd the suppliants for the people, call'd them Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to n.o.bleness.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Why, this was known before.

BRUTUS. Not to them all.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Have you inform'd them sithence?

BRUTUS. How? I inform them!

COMINIUS. You are like to do such business.

BRUTUS. Not unlike Each way to better yours.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Why then should I be consul? By yond clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me Your fellow tribune.

SICINIUS. You show too much of that For which the people stir; if you will pa.s.s To where you are bound, you must enquire your way, Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit, Or never be so n.o.ble as a consul, Nor yoke with him for tribune.

MENENIUS. Let's be calm.

COMINIUS. The people are abus'd; set on. This palt'ring Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriola.n.u.s Deserved this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely I' th' plain way of his merit.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Tell me of corn!

This was my speech, and I will speak't again- MENENIUS. Not now, not now.

FIRST SENATOR. Not in this heat, sir, now.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Now, as I live, I will.

My n.o.bler friends, I crave their pardons.

For the mutable, rank-scented meiny, let them Regard me as I do not flatter, and Therein behold themselves. I say again, In soothing them we nourish 'gainst our Senate The c.o.c.kle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, Which we ourselves have plough'd for, sow'd, and scatter'd, By mingling them with us, the honour'd number, Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that Which they have given to beggars.

MENENIUS. Well, no more.

FIRST SENATOR. No more words, we beseech you.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. How? no more!

As for my country I have shed my blood, Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs Coin words till their decay against those measles Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought The very way to catch them.

BRUTUS. You speak o' th' people As if you were a G.o.d, to punish; not A man of their infirmity.

SICINIUS. 'Twere well We let the people know't.

MENENIUS. What, what? his choler?

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Choler!

Were I as patient as the midnight sleep, By Jove, 'twould be my mind!

SICINIUS. It is a mind That shall remain a poison where it is, Not poison any further.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Shall remain!

Hear you this Triton of the minnows? Mark you His absolute 'shall'?

COMINIUS. 'Twas from the canon.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. 'Shall'!

O good but most unwise patricians! Why, You grave but reckless senators, have you thus Given Hydra here to choose an officer That with his peremptory 'shall,' being but The horn and noise o' th' monster's, wants not spirit To say he'll turn your current in a ditch, And make your channel his? If he have power, Then vail your ignorance; if none, awake Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn'd, Be not as common fools; if you are not, Let them have cus.h.i.+ons by you. You are plebeians, If they be senators; and they are no less, When, both your voices blended, the great'st taste Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate; And such a one as he, who puts his 'shall,'

His popular 'shall,' against a graver bench Than ever frown'd in Greece. By Jove himself, It makes the consuls base; and my soul aches To know, when two authorities are up, Neither supreme, how soon confusion May enter 'twixt the gap of both and take The one by th' other.