Coriolanus Page 11

  And interjoin their issues26. So with me:

  My birthplace 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 way29,

  I'll do his country service.

  Exit

  [Act 4 Scene 5]

  running scene 15

  Music plays. Enter a Servingman

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Wine, wine, wine! What service is here? I think our fellows2 are asleep.

  [Exit]

  Enter another 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.

  Enter the First Servingman

  FIRST SERVINGMAN What would you have, friend? Whence7 are you? Here's no place for you: pray, go to the door8.

  Exit

  CORIOLANUS I have deserved no better entertainment9, In being Coriolanus.

  Enter Second Servingman

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions12?

  Pray, get you out.

  CORIOLANUS Away.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Away? Get you away.

  CORIOLANUS Now thou'rt troublesome.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Are you so brave17? I'll have you talked with anon18.

  Enter Third Servingman: the first meets him

  THIRD SERVINGMAN What fellow's this?

  FIRST SERVINGMAN A strange one as ever I looked on: I cannot get him out o'th'house: prithee, call my master to him.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid23 the house.

  CORIOLANUS Let me but stand: I will not hurt your hearth.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN What are you?

  CORIOLANUS A gentleman.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN A marvellous poor one.

  CORIOLANUS True, so I am.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station30: here's no place for you: pray you, avoid: come.

  CORIOLANUS Follow your function: go and batten on cold bits31.

  Pushes him away from him

  THIRD SERVINGMAN What, you will not? Prithee, tell my master what a strange guest he has here.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN And I shall.

  Exit Second Servingman

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Where dwell'st thou?

  CORIOLANUS Under the canopy36.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Under the canopy?

  CORIOLANUS Ay.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Where's that?

  CORIOLANUS I'th'city of kites and crows40.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN I'th'city of kites and crows? What an ass it is: then thou dwell'st with daws42 too?

  CORIOLANUS No, I serve not thy master.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN How, sir! Do you meddle44 with my master?

  CORIOLANUS Ay, 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress. Thou prat'st, and prat'st: serve with thy trencher46, hence!

  Beats him away

  Enter Aufidius with the [Second] Servingman

  AUFIDIUS Where is this fellow?

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Here, sir: I'd have beaten him like a dog, but49

  for disturbing the lords within.

  Servingmen stand aside

  AUFIDIUS Whence com'st thou? What wouldst thou? Thy name?

  Why speak'st not? Speak, man: what's thy name?

  CORIOLANUS If, Tullus,

  Unmuffling

  Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me dost not

  Think me for the man I am, necessity

  Commands me name myself.

  AUFIDIUS What is thy name?

  CORIOLANUS A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears, And harsh in sound to thine.

  AUFIDIUS Say, what's thy name?

  Thou hast a grim61 appearance, and thy face Bears a command in't: though thy tackle62's torn, Thou show'st63 a noble vessel: what's thy name?

  CORIOLANUS Prepare thy brow to frown: know'st thou me yet?

  AUFIDIUS I know thee not: thy name?

  CORIOLANUS My name is Caius Martius, who hath done To thee particularly67, and to all the Volsces, Great hurt and mischief: thereto68 witness may My surname, Coriolanus. The painful69 service, The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood

  Shed for my thankless country, are requited

  But with that surname: a good memory72

  And witness of the malice and displeasure

  Which thou shouldst bear me: only that name remains.

  The cruelty and envy of the people,

  Permitted by our dastard76 nobles, who Have all forsook77 me, hath devoured the rest, And suffered me by th'voice of slaves to be

  Whooped79 out of Rome. Now this extremity Hath brought me to thy hearth, not out of hope --

  Mistake me not -- to save my life: for if

  I had feared death, of all the men i'th'world

  I would have 'voided thee. But in mere83 spite To be full quit of84 those my banishers, Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast

  A heart of wreak86 in thee, that wilt revenge Thine own particular wrongs and stop those maims87

  Of shame seen through88 thy country, speed thee straight, And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it

  That my revengeful services may prove

  As benefits to thee, for I will fight

  Against my cankered92 country with the spleen Of all the under-fiends93. But if so be Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes94

  Thou'rt tired, then, in a word, I also am

  Longer to live most weary, and present

  My throat to thee and to thy ancient97 malice, Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,

  Since I have ever followed thee with hate,

  Drawn tuns100 of blood out of thy country's breast, And cannot live but to thy shame, unless

  It be to do thee service.

  AUFIDIUS O Martius, Martius!

  Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

  A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

  Should from yond cloud speak divine things,

  And say ''Tis true', I'd not believe them more

  Than thee, all noble Martius. Let me twine

  Mine arms about that body, where against109

  My grained ash110 an hundred times hath broke, He embraces Coriolanus

  And scarred the moon with splinters: here I clip111

  The anvil of my sword112, and do contest

  As hotly and as nobly with thy love

  As ever in ambitious strength I did

  Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,

  I loved the maid I married: never man

  Sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here,

  Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt118 heart Than when I first my wedded mistress saw

  Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars120, I tell thee, We have a power on foot121, and I had purpose Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn122, Or lose mine arm for't: thou hast beat me out123

  Twelve several124 times, and I have nightly since Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me:

  We have been down together126 in my sleep, Unbuckling helms, fisting127 each other's throat, And waked128 half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius, Had we no other quarrel else to Rome, but that

  Thou art thence banished, we would muster all130

  From twelve to seventy, and pouring war

  Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,

  Like a bold flood o'erbear't133. O, come, go in, And take our friendly senators by th'hands

  Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,

  Who am prepared136 against your territories, Though not for Rome itself.

  CORIOLANUS You bless me, gods.

  AUFIDIUS Therefore, most absolute139 sir, if thou wilt have The leading of thine own revenges, take

  Th'one half of my commission, and set down141 --


  As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st

  Thy country's strength and weakness -- thine own ways:

  Whether to knock against the gates of Rome,

  Or rudely145 visit them in parts remote, To fright them, ere destroy146. But come in: Let me commend147 thee first to those that shall Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes!

  And more a friend than ere an enemy:

  Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand: most welcome!

  Exeunt [Coriolanus and Aufidius]

  The two Servingmen come forward

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Here's a strange alteration!

  SECOND SERVINGMAN By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel, and yet my mind gave153 me his clothes made a false report of him.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his thumb, as one would set up156 a top.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him. He had, sir, a kind of face, methought ...

  I cannot tell how to term it.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN He had so, looking, as it were -- would I were hanged, but I thought there was more in him than I could

  think.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN So did I, I'll be sworn: he is simply the rarest163

  man i'th'world.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN I think he is: but a greater soldier than he you165

  wot on.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Who, my master?

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, it's no matter for168 that.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Worth six on him169.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, not so neither: but I take him to be the greater soldier.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the defence of a town, our general is excellent.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and for an assault too.

  Enter the Third Servingman

  THIRD SERVINGMAN O slaves175, I can tell you news: news, you rascals!

  FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMAN What, what, what? Let's partake.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN I would not be a Roman of all nations: I had as lief179 be a condemned man.

  FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMAN Wherefore?180 Wherefore?

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, here's he that was wont181 to thwack our general, Caius Martius.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Why do you say 'thwack our general'?

  THIRD SERVINGMAN I do not say 'thwack our general', but he was always good enough for him.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Come, we are fellows and friends: he was ever too hard for him: I have heard him say so himself.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN He was too hard for him directly, to say the truth on't: before Corioles he scotched189 him and notched him like a carbonado190.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN an he had been cannibally given191, he might have boiled and eaten him too.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN But more of thy news!

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, he is so made on194 here within, as if he were son and heir to Mars: set at upper end o'th'table195: no question asked him by any of the senators, but196 they stand bald before him. Our general himself makes a mistress of

  him: sanctifies himself with's hand198 and turns up the white o'th'eye to his discourse. But the bottom199 of the news is, our general is cut i'th'middle and but one half of what he was

  yesterday: for the other has half, by the entreaty and grant of

  the whole table. He'll go, he says, and sowl202 the porter of Rome gates by th'ears. He will mow all down before him, and

  leave his passage polled204.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN And he's as like to do't as any man I can imagine.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Do't? He will do't: for look you, sir, he has as many friends as enemies: which friends, sir, as it were, durst

  not, look you, sir, show themselves, as we term it, his friends

  whilst he's in directitude210.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Directitude? What's that?

  THIRD SERVINGMAN But when they shall see, sir, his crest212 up again, and the man in blood, they will213 out of their burrows, like conies214 after rain, and revel all with him.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN But when goes this forward?

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Tomorrow, today, presently216: you shall have the drum struck up this afternoon: 'tis as it were a parcel217 of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN Why, then we shall have a stirring219 world again. This peace is nothing but to rust iron, increase tailors,

  and breed ballad-makers.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night: it's sprightly walking, audible, and full of223

  vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy, mulled224, deaf, sleepy, insensible: a getter225 of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men.

  SECOND SERVINGMAN 'Tis so: and as wars in some sort may be said to be a ravisher228, so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds229.

  FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and it makes men hate one another.

  THIRD SERVINGMAN Reason: because they then less need one another. The wars for my money: I hope to see Romans as

  cheap as Volscians. They are rising233, they are rising.

  FIRST and

  SECOND SERVINGMAN In, in, in, in.

  Exeunt

  [Act 4 Scene 6]

  running scene 16

  Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus

  SICINIUS We hear not of him, neither need we fear him: His remedies are tame2: the present peace And quietness of the people, which before

  Were in wild hurry4. Here do we make his friends Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,

  Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold

  Dissentious numbers pest'ring7 streets than see Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going

  About their functions9 friendly.

  Enter Menenius

  BRUTUS We stood to't10 in good time. Is this Menenius?

  SICINIUS 'Tis he, 'tis he: O, he is grown most kind of late.--

  Hail, sir.

  MENENIUS Hail to you both.

  SICINIUS Your Coriolanus is not much missed

  But15 with his friends: the commonwealth doth stand, And so would do, were16 he more angry at it.

  MENENIUS All's well, and might have been much better if He could have temporized18.

  SICINIUS Where is he, hear you?

  MENENIUS Nay, I hear nothing:

  His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.

  Enter three or four Citizens

  ALL CITIZENS The gods preserve you both.

  To the Tribunes

  SICINIUS Good e'en23, our neighbours.

  BRUTUS Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all.

  FIRST CITIZEN Ourselves, our wives and children, on our knees, Are bound to pray for you both.

  SICINIUS Live and thrive.

  BRUTUS Farewell, kind neighbours.

  We wished Coriolanus had loved you as we did.

  ALL CITIZENS Now the gods keep you!

  SICINIUS and BRUTUS Farewell, farewell.

  Exeunt Citizens

  SICINIUS This is a happier and more comely32 time Than when these fellows ran about the streets,

  Crying confusion.

  BRUTUS Caius Martius was

  A worthy officer i'th'war, but insolent,

  O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,

  Self-loving--

  SICINIUS And affecting one sole throne, without assistance39.

  MENENIUS I think not so.

  SICINIUS We should by this41, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

  BRUTUS The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him.

  Enter an Aedile

  AEDILE Worthy tribunes,

  There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,

  Reports the Volsces with two several powers47

  Are entered in the Roman territories,

  And with the deepest malice o
f the war

  Destroy what lies before 'em.

  MENENIUS 'Tis Aufidius,

  Who, hearing of our Martius' banishment,

  Thrusts forth his horns53 again into the world Which were inshelled when Martius stood54 for Rome, And durst not once peep out.

  SICINIUS Come, what56 talk you of Martius?

  BRUTUS Go see this rumourer whipped.-- It cannot be

  To the Aedile

  The Volsces dare break with us58.

  MENENIUS Cannot be?

  We have record that very well it can,

  And three examples of the like hath been

  Within my age. But reason with62 the fellow, Before you punish him, where he heard this,

  Lest you shall chance to whip your information64

  And beat the messenger who bids beware

  Of what is to be dreaded.

  SICINIUS Tell not me: I know this cannot be.

  BRUTUS Not possible.

  Enter a Messenger

  MESSENGER The nobles in great earnestness are going All to the senate house: some news is come

  That turns71 their countenances.

  SICINIUS 'Tis this slave:--

  Go whip him, fore the people's eyes.-- His raising73,

  To the Aedile

  Nothing but his report.

  MESSENGER Yes, worthy sir,

  The slave's report is seconded76 and more, More fearful, is delivered.

  SICINIUS What more fearful?

  MESSENGER It is spoke freely out of many mouths --

  How probable I do not know -- that Martius,

  Joined with Aufidius, leads a power gainst Rome,

  And vows revenge as spacious as between82

  The young'st and oldest thing.

  SICINIUS This is most likely!

  BRUTUS Raised85 only, that the weaker sort may wish Good Martius home again.

  SICINIUS The very trick on't87.

  MENENIUS This is unlikely:

  He and Aufidius can no more atone89

  Than violent'st contrariety90.

  Enter [another] Messenger

  SECOND MESSENGER You are sent for to the senate: A fearful army, led by Caius Martius,

  Associated with Aufidius, rages

  Upon our territories, and have already

  O'erborne their way, consumed with fire, and took95

  What lay before them.

  Enter Cominius

  COMINIUS O, you have made good work!

  MENENIUS What news? What news?

  COMINIUS You have holp to ravish99 your own daughters and To melt the city leads upon your pates100, To see your wives dishonoured to your noses101.

  MENENIUS What's the news? What's the news?

  COMINIUS Your temples burned in their cement103, and Your franchises104, whereon you stood, confined Into an auger's bore105.