William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

CORIOLANUS. That I'll straight do, and, knowing myself again,

Repair to th' Senate House.

MENENIUS. I'll keep you company. Will you along?

BRUTUS. We stay here for the people.

SICINIUS. Fare you well.

Exeunt CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS

He has it now; and by his looks methinks

'Tis warm at's heart.

BRUTUS. With a proud heart he wore

His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people?

Re-enter citizens

SICINIUS. How now, my masters! Have you chose this man?

FIRST CITIZEN. He has our voices, sir.

BRUTUS. We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.

SECOND CITIZEN. Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice,

He mock'd us when he begg'd our voices.

THIRD CITIZEN. Certainly;

He flouted us downright.

FIRST CITIZEN. No, 'tis his kind of speech- he did not mock us.

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 pass'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 rectorship 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 assemble;

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 fashion

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 noble 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 hither;

And Censorinus, nobly 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

Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, all the GENTRY, COMINIUS,

TITUS LARTIUS, and other SENATORS

CORIOLANUS. Tullus Aufidius, then, had made new head?

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

Our swifter composition.

CORIOLANUS. 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.

CORIOLANUS. 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.

CORIOLANUS. Spoke he of me?

LARTIUS. He did, my lord.

CORIOLANUS. 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 pawn his fortunes

To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

CORIOLANUS. At Antium lives he?

LARTIUS. At Antium.

CORIOLANUS. 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 noble sufferance.

SICINIUS. Pass no further.

CORIOLANUS. Ha! What is that?

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

CORIOLANUS. What makes this change?

MENENIUS. The matter?