Complete Plays, The (181 page)

S
CENE
I. R
OME
. B
EFORE
A
GATE
OF
THE
CITY
.

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 used
To say extremity 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 used to load me
With precepts that would make invincible
The heart that conn’d them.

Virgilia

O heavens! O heavens!

Coriolanus

Nay! prithee, woman,—

Volumnia

Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome,
And occupations perish!

Coriolanus

What, what, what!
I shall be loved 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’ld have done, and saved
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 stem, and thou hast oft beheld
Heart-hardening 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 practise.

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’ the way before thee.

Coriolanus

O the gods!

Cominius

I’ll follow thee a month, devise with thee
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’ the 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 unbruised: 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’ld with thee every foot.

Coriolanus

Give me thy hand: Come.

Exeunt

S
CENE
II. T
HE
SAME
. A
STREET
NEAR
THE
GATE
.

Enter Sicinius, Brutus, and an 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.

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.

Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius

Volumnia

O, ye’re well met: the hoarded plague o’ the 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

More 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’ld 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 incensed 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 us 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 all.

Brutus

Well, well, we’ll leave you.

Sicinius

Why stay we to be baited
With one that wants her wits?

Volumnia

Take my prayers with you.

Exeunt Tribunes

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.

Menenius

Fie, fie, fie!

Exeunt

S
CENE
III. A
HIGHWAY
BETWEEN
R
OME
AND
A
NTIUM
.

Enter a Roman and a Volsce, meeting

Roman

I know you well, sir, and you know me: your name, I think, is Adrian.

Volsce

It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you.

Roman

I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against ’em: know you me yet?

Volsce

Nicanor? no.

Roman

The same, sir.

Volsce

You had more beard when I last saw you; but your favour is well approved by your tongue. What’s the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian state, to find you out there: you have well saved me a day’s journey.

Roman

There hath been in Rome strange insurrections; the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles.

Volsce

Hath been! is it ended, then? Our state thinks not so: they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division.

Roman

The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again: for the nobles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the people and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out.

Volsce

Coriolanus banished!

Roman

Banished, sir.

Volsce

You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.

Roman

The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said, the fittest time to corrupt a man’s wife is when she’s fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of his country.

Volsce

He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: you have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.

Roman

I shall, between this and supper, tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?

Volsce

A most royal one; the centurions and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s warning.

Roman

I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.

Volsce

You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause to be glad of yours.

Roman

Well, let us go together.

Exeunt

S
CENE
IV. A
NTIUM
. B
EFORE
A
UFIDIUS
’
S
HOUSE
.

Enter Coriolanus in mean apparel, disguised and muffled

Coriolanus

A goodly city is this Antium. City,
’Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir
Of these fair edifices ’fore my wars
Have I heard groan and drop: then know me not,
Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones
In puny battle slay me.

Enter a Citizen

Save you, sir.

Citizen

And you.

Coriolanus

 
Direct me, if it be your will,
Where great Aufidius lies: is he in Antium?

Citizen

He is, and feasts the nobles of the state
At his house this night.

Coriolanus

Which is his house, beseech you?

Citizen

This, here before you.

Coriolanus

Thank you, sir: farewell.

Exit Citizen

O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn,
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose house, whose bed, whose meal, and exercise,
Are still together, who twin, as ’twere, in love
Unseparable, shall within this hour,
On a dissension of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity: so, fellest foes,
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep,
To take the one the other, by some chance,
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends
And interjoin their issues. So with me:
My birth-place hate I, and my love’s upon
This enemy town. I’ll enter: if he slay me,
He does fair justice; if he give me way,
I’ll do his country service.

Exit

S
CENE
V. T
HE
SAME
. A
HALL
IN
A
UFIDIUS
’
S
HOUSE
.

Music within. Enter a Servingman

First Servingman

Wine, wine, wine! What service is here! I think our fellows are asleep.

Exit

Enter a second Servingman

Second Servingman

Where’s Cotus? my master calls for him. Cotus!

Exit

Enter Coriolanus

Coriolanus

A goodly house: the feast smells well; but I
Appear not like a guest.

Re-enter the first Servingman

First Servingman

What would you have, friend? whence are you?
Here’s no place for you: pray, go to the door.

Exit

Coriolanus

I have deserved no better entertainment,
In being Coriolanus.

Re-enter second Servingman

Second Servingman

Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head; that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out.

Coriolanus

Away!

Second Servingman

Away! get you away.

Coriolanus

Now thou’rt troublesome.

Second Servingman

Are you so brave? I’ll have you talked with anon.

Enter a third Servingman. The first meets him