William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

PLEBEIANS. It shall be so, it shall be so.

CORIOLANUS. YOU common cry of curs, whose breath I hate

As reek o' th' rotten fens, whose loves I prize

As the dead carcasses of unburied men

That do corrupt my air- I banish you.

And here remain with your uncertainty!

Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts;

Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,

Fan you into despair! Have the power still

To banish your defenders, till at length

Your ignorance- which finds not till it feels,

Making but reservation of yourselves

Still your own foes- deliver you

As most abated captives to some nation

That won you without blows! Despising

For you the city, thus I turn my back;

There is a world elsewhere.

Exeunt CORIOLANUS,

COMINIUS, MENENIUS, with the other PATRICIANS

AEDILE. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

[They all shout and throw up their caps]

PLEBEIANS. Our enemy is banish'd, he is gone! Hoo-oo!

SICINIUS. Go see him out at gates, and follow him,

As he hath follow'd you, with all despite;

Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard

Attend us through the city.

PLEBEIANS. Come, come, let's see him out at gates; come!

The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come. Exeunt

Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, with the young NOBILITY of Rome

CORIOLANUS. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell. The beast

With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother,

Where is your ancient courage? You were us'd

To say extremities was the trier of spirits;

That common chances common men could bear;

That when the sea was calm all boats alike

Show'd mastership in floating; fortune's blows,

When most struck home, being gentle wounded craves

A noble cunning. You were us'd to load me

With precepts that would make invincible

The heart that conn'd them.

VIRGILIA. O heavens! O heavens!

CORIOLANUS. Nay, I prithee, woman-

VOLUMNIA. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome,

And occupations perish!

CORIOLANUS. What, what, what!

I shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,

Resume that spirit when you were wont to say,

If you had been the wife of Hercules,

Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd

Your husband so much sweat. Cominius,

Droop not; adieu. Farewell, my wife, my mother.

I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,

Thy tears are salter than a younger man's

And venomous to thine eyes. My sometime General,

I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld

Heart-hard'ning spectacles; tell these sad women

'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,

As 'tis to laugh at 'em. My mother, you wot well

My hazards still have been your solace; and

Believe't not lightly- though I go alone,

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen- your son

Will or exceed the common or be caught

With cautelous baits and practice.

VOLUMNIA. My first son,

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius

With thee awhile; determine on some course

More than a wild exposture to each chance

That starts i' th' way before thee.

VIRGILIA. O the gods!

COMINIUS. I'll follow thee a month, devise with the

Where thou shalt rest, that thou mayst hear of us,

And we of thee; so, if the time thrust forth

A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send

O'er the vast world to seek a single man,

And lose advantage, which doth ever cool

I' th' absence of the needer.

CORIOLANUS. Fare ye well;

Thou hast years upon thee, and thou art too full

Of the wars' surfeits to go rove with one

That's yet unbruis'd; bring me but out at gate.

Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and

My friends of noble touch; when I am forth,

Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you come.

While I remain above the ground you shall

Hear from me still, and never of me aught

But what is like me formerly.

MENENIUS. That's worthily

As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep.

If I could shake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,

I'd with thee every foot.

CORIOLANUS. Give me thy hand.

Come. Exeunt

Enter the two Tribunes, SICINIUS and BRUTUS with the AEDILE

SICINIUS. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further.

The nobility are vex'd, whom we see have sided

In his behalf.

BRUTUS. Now we have shown our power,

Let us seem humbler after it is done

Than when it was a-doing.

SICINIUS. Bid them home.

Say their great enemy is gone, and they

Stand in their ancient strength.

BRUTUS. Dismiss them home. Exit AEDILE

Here comes his mother.

Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS

SICINIUS. Let's not meet her.

BRUTUS. Why?

SICINIUS. They say she's mad.

BRUTUS. They have ta'en note of us; keep on your way.

VOLUMNIA. O, Y'are well met; th' hoarded plague o' th' gods

Requite your love!

MENENIUS. Peace, peace, be not so loud.

VOLUMNIA. If that I could for weeping, you should hear-

Nay, and you shall hear some. [To BRUTUS] Will you be gone?

VIRGILIA. [To SICINIUS] You shall stay too. I would I had the

power

To say so to my husband.

SICINIUS. Are you mankind?

VOLUMNIA. Ay, fool; is that a shame? Note but this, fool:

Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship

To banish him that struck more blows for Rome

Than thou hast spoken words?

SICINIUS. O blessed heavens!

VOLUMNIA. Moe noble blows than ever thou wise words;

And for Rome's good. I'll tell thee what- yet go!

Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son

Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

His good sword in his hand.

SICINIUS. What then?

VIRGILIA. What then!

He'd make an end of thy posterity.

VOLUMNIA. Bastards and all.

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

MENENIUS. Come, come, peace.

SICINIUS. I would he had continued to his country

As he began, and not unknit himself

The noble knot he made.

BRUTUS. I would he had.

VOLUMNIA. 'I would he had!' 'Twas you incens'd the rabble-

Cats that can judge as fitly of his worth

As I can of those mysteries which heaven

Will not have earth to know.

BRUTUS. Pray, let's go.

VOLUMNIA. Now, pray, sir, get you gone;

You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this:

As far as doth the Capitol exceed

The meanest house in Rome, so far my son-

This lady's husband here, this, do you see?-

Whom you have banish'd does exceed you an.

BRUTUS. Well, well, we'll leave you.

SICINIUS. Why stay we to be baited

With one that wants her wits? Exeunt TRIBUNES

VOLUMNIA. Take my prayers with you.

I would the gods had nothing else to do

But to confirm my curses. Could I meet 'em

But once a day, it would unclog my heart

Of what lies heavy to't.

MENENIUS. You have told them home,

And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup with me?

VOLUMNIA. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself,

And so shall starve with feeding. Come, let's go.

Leave this faint puling and lament as I do,

In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.

Exeunt VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA

MENENIUS. Fie, fie, fie! Exit

Enter a ROMAN and a VOLSCE, meeting

ROMAN. I know you well, sir, and you know me; your name, I think,