William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

So that all hope is vain,

Unless his noble mother and his wife,

Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him

For mercy to his country. Therefore let's hence,

And with our fair entreaties haste them on. Exeunt

Enter MENENIUS to the WATCH on guard

FIRST WATCH. Stay. Whence are you?

SECOND WATCH. Stand, and go back.

MENENIUS. You guard like men, 'tis well; but, by your leave,

I am an officer of state and come

To speak with Coriolanus.

FIRST WATCH. From whence?

MENENIUS. From Rome.

FIRST WATCH. YOU may not pass; you must return. Our general

Will no more hear from thence.

SECOND WATCH. You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire before

You'll speak with Coriolanus.

MENENIUS. Good my friends,

If you have heard your general talk of Rome

And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks

My name hath touch'd your ears: it is Menenius.

FIRST WATCH. Be it so; go back. The virtue of your name

Is not here passable.

MENENIUS. I tell thee, fellow,

Thy general is my lover. I have been

The book of his good acts whence men have read

His fame unparallel'd haply amplified;

For I have ever verified my friends-

Of whom he's chief- with all the size that verity

Would without lapsing suffer. Nay, sometimes,

Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,

I have tumbled past the throw, and in his praise

Have almost stamp'd the leasing; therefore, fellow,

I must have leave to pass.

FIRST WATCH. Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf

as you have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here;

no, though it were as virtuous to lie as to live chastely.

Therefore go back.

MENENIUS. Prithee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always

factionary on the party of your general.

SECOND WATCH. Howsoever you have been his liar, as you say you

have, I am one that, telling true under him, must say you cannot

pass. Therefore go back.

MENENIUS. Has he din'd, canst thou tell? For I would not speak with

him till after dinner.

FIRST WATCH. You are a Roman, are you?

MENENIUS. I am as thy general is.

FIRST WATCH. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when

you have push'd out your gates the very defender of them, and in

a violent popular ignorance given your enemy your shield, think

to front his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the

virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palsied

intercession of such a decay'd dotant as you seem to be? Can you

think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame

in with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceiv'd; therefore

back to Rome and prepare for your execution. You are condemn'd;

our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

MENENIUS. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would use me

with estimation.

FIRST WATCH. Come, my captain knows you not.

MENENIUS. I mean thy general.

FIRST WATCH. My general cares not for you. Back, I say; go, lest I

let forth your half pint of blood. Back- that's the utmost of

your having. Back.

MENENIUS. Nay, but fellow, fellow-

Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS

CORIOLANUS. What's the matter?

MENENIUS. Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you; you shall

know now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack

guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus. Guess but by my

entertainment with him if thou stand'st not i' th' state of

hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship and crueller

in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come

upon thee. The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy

particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father

Menenius does! O my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us;

look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come

to thee; but being assured none but myself could move thee, I

have been blown out of your gates with sighs, and conjure thee to

pardon Rome and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage

thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this,

who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

CORIOLANUS. Away!

MENENIUS. How! away!

CORIOLANUS. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs

Are servanted to others. Though I owe

My revenge properly, my remission lies

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,

Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison rather

Than pity note how much. Therefore be gone.

Mine ears against your suits are stronger than

Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,

Take this along; I writ it for thy sake [Gives a letter]

And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,

I will not hear thee speak. This man, Aufidius,

Was my belov'd in Rome; yet thou behold'st.

AUFIDIUS. You keep a constant temper.

Exeunt CORIOLANUS and Aufidius

FIRST WATCH. Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

SECOND WATCH. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power! You know the

way home again.

FIRST WATCH. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your

greatness back?

SECOND WATCH. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

MENENIUS. I neither care for th' world nor your general; for such

things as you, I can scarce think there's any, y'are so slight.

He that hath a will to die by himself fears it not from another.

Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long;

and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was

said to: Away! Exit

FIRST WATCH. A noble fellow, I warrant him.

SECOND WATCH. The worthy fellow is our general; he's the rock, the

oak not to be wind-shaken. Exeunt

Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others

CORIOLANUS. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow

Set down our host. My partner in this action,

You must report to th' Volscian lords how plainly

I have borne this business.

AUFIDIUS. Only their ends

You have respected; stopp'd your ears against

The general suit of Rome; never admitted

A private whisper- no, not with such friends

That thought them sure of you.

CORIOLANUS. This last old man,

Whom with crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,

Lov'd me above the measure of a father;

Nay, godded me indeed. Their latest refuge

Was to send him; for whose old love I have-

Though I show'd sourly to him- once more offer'd

The first conditions, which they did refuse

And cannot now accept. To grace him only,

That thought he could do more, a very little

I have yielded to; fresh embassies and suits,

Nor from the state nor private friends, hereafter

Will I lend ear to. [Shout within] Ha! what shout is this?

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow

In the same time 'tis made? I will not.

Enter, in mourning habits, VIRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, VALERIA,

YOUNG MARCIUS, with attendants

My wife comes foremost, then the honour'd mould

Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand

The grandchild to her blood. But out, affection!

All bond and privilege of nature, break!

Let it be virtuous to be obstinate.

What is that curtsy worth? or those doves' eyes,

Which can make gods forsworn? I melt, and am not

Of stronger earth than others. My mother bows,

As if Olympus to a molehill should

In supplication nod; and my young boy

Hath an aspect of intercession which