Coriolanus

  FIRST SOLDIER. Fool-hardiness; not I.  SECOND SOLDIER. Not I. [MARCIUS is shut in]  FIRST SOLDIER. See, they have shut him in.  ALL. To th' pot, I warrant him. [Alarum continues]

Re-enter TITUS LARTIUS

  LARTIUS. What is become of Marcius?  ALL. Slain, sir, doubtless.  FIRST SOLDIER. Following the fliers at the very heels,    With them he enters; who, upon the sudden,    Clapp'd to their gates. He is himself alone,    To answer all the city.  LARTIUS. O noble fellow!    Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword,    And when it bows stand'st up. Thou art left, Marcius;    A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art,    Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier    Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible    Only in strokes; but with thy grim looks and    The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds    Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world    Were feverous and did tremble.

Re-enter MARCIUS, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy

  FIRST SOLDIER. Look, sir.  LARTIUS. O, 'tis Marcius!    Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.                            [They fight, and all enter the city]

SCENE V. Within Corioli. A street

Enter certain Romans, with spoils

  FIRST ROMAN. This will I carry to Rome.  SECOND ROMAN. And I this.  THIRD ROMAN. A murrain on 't! I took this for silver.                               [Alarum continues still afar off]

Enter MARCIUS and TITUS LARTIUS With a trumpeter

  MARCIUS. See here these movers that do prize their hours    At a crack'd drachma! Cushions, leaden spoons,    Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would    Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves,    Ere yet the fight be done, pack up. Down with them!Exeunt pillagers    And hark, what noise the general makes! To him!    There is the man of my soul's hate, Aufidius,    Piercing our Romans; then, valiant Titus, take    Convenient numbers to make good the city;    Whilst I, with those that have the spirit, will haste    To help Cominius.  LARTIUS. Worthy sir, thou bleed'st;    Thy exercise hath been too violent    For a second course of fight.  MARCIUS. Sir, praise me not;    My work hath yet not warm'd me. Fare you well;    The blood I drop is rather physical    Than dangerous to me. To Aufidius thus    I will appear, and fight.  LARTIUS. Now the fair goddess, Fortune,    Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms    Misguide thy opposers' swords! Bold gentleman,    Prosperity be thy page!  MARCIUS. Thy friend no less    Than those she placeth highest! So farewell.  LARTIUS. Thou worthiest Marcius! Exit MARCIUS    Go sound thy trumpet in the market-place;    Call thither all the officers o' th' town,    Where they shall know our mind. Away! Exeunt

SCENE VI. Near the camp of COMINIUS

Enter COMINIUS, as it were in retire, with soldiers

  COMINIUS. Breathe you, my friends. Well fought; we are come off    Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands    Nor cowardly in retire. Believe me, sirs,    We shall be charg'd again. Whiles we have struck,    By interims and conveying gusts we have heard    The charges of our friends. The Roman gods,    Lead their successes as we wish our own,    That both our powers, with smiling fronts encount'ring,    May give you thankful sacrifice!

Enter A MESSENGER

    Thy news?  MESSENGER. The citizens of Corioli have issued    And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle;    I saw our party to their trenches driven,    And then I came away.  COMINIUS. Though thou speak'st truth,    Methinks thou speak'st not well. How long is't since?  MESSENGER. Above an hour, my lord.  COMINIUS. 'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums.    How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour,    And bring thy news so late?  MESSENGER. Spies of the Volsces    Held me in chase, that I was forc'd to wheel    Three or four miles about; else had I, sir,    Half an hour since brought my report.

Enter MARCIUS

  COMINIUS. Who's yonder    That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods!    He has the stamp of Marcius, and I have    Before-time seen him thus.  MARCIUS. Come I too late?  COMINIUS. The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor    More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue    From every meaner man.  MARCIUS. Come I too late?  COMINIUS. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others,    But mantled in your own.  MARCIUS. O! let me clip ye    In arms as sound as when I woo'd, in heart    As merry as when our nuptial day was done,    And tapers burn'd to bedward.  COMINIUS. Flower of warriors,    How is't with Titus Lartius?  MARCIUS. As with a man busied about decrees:    Condemning some to death and some to exile;    Ransoming him or pitying, threat'ning th' other;    Holding Corioli in the name of Rome    Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,    To let him slip at will.  COMINIUS. Where is that slave    Which told me they had beat you to your trenches?    Where is he? Call him hither.  MARCIUS. Let him alone;    He did inform the truth. But for our gentlemen,    The common file- a plague! tribunes for them!    The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat as they did budge    From rascals worse than they.  COMINIUS. But how prevail'd you?  MARCIUS. Will the time serve to tell? I do not think.    Where is the enemy? Are you lords o' th' field?    If not, why cease you till you are so?  COMINIUS. Marcius,    We have at disadvantage fought, and did    Retire to win our purpose.  MARCIUS. How lies their battle? Know you on which side    They have plac'd their men of trust?  COMINIUS. As I guess, Marcius,    Their bands i' th' vaward are the Antiates,    Of their best trust; o'er them Aufidius,    Their very heart of hope.  MARCIUS. I do beseech you,    By all the battles wherein we have fought,    By th' blood we have shed together, by th' vows    We have made to endure friends, that you directly    Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates;    And that you not delay the present, but,    Filling the air with swords advanc'd and darts,    We prove this very hour.  COMINIUS. Though I could wish    You were conducted to a gentle bath    And balms applied to you, yet dare I never    Deny your asking: take your choice of those    That best can aid your action.  MARCIUS. Those are they    That most are willing. If any such be here-    As it were sin to doubt- that love this painting    Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear    Lesser his person than an ill report;    If any think brave death outweighs bad life    And that his country's dearer than himself;    Let him alone, or so many so minded,    Wave thus to express his disposition,    And follow Marcius. [They all shout and wave their       swords, take him up in their arms and cast up their caps]    O, me alone! Make you a sword of me?    If these shows be not outward, which of you    But is four Volsces? None of you but is    Able to bear against the great Aufidius    A shield as hard as his. A certain number,    Though thanks to all, must I select from all; the rest    Shall bear the business in some other fight,    As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march;    And four shall quickly draw out my command,    Which men are best inclin'd.  COMINIUS. March on, my fellows;    Make good this ostentation, and you shall    Divide in all with us. Exeunt

SCENE VII. The gates of Corioli

TITUS LARTIUS, having set a guard upon Corioli, going with drum and trumpet toward COMINIUS and CAIUS MARCIUS, enters with a LIEUTENANT, other soldiers, and a scout

  LARTIUS. So, let the ports be guarded; keep your duties    As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch    Those centuries to our aid; the rest will serve    For a short holding. If we lose the field    We cannot keep the town.  LIEUTENANT. Fear not our care, sir.  LARTIUS. Hence, and shut your gates upon's.    Our guider, come; to th' Roman camp conduct us. Exeunt

SCENE VIII. A field of battle between the Roman and the Volscian camps

Alarum, as in battle. Enter MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS at several doors

  MARCIUS. I'll fight with none but thee, for I do hate thee    Worse than a promise-breaker.  AUFIDIUS. We hate alike:    Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor    More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot.  MARCIUS. Let the first budger die the other's slave,    And the gods doom him after!  AUFIDIUS. If I fly, Marcius,    Halloa me like a hare.  MARCIUS. Within these three hours, Tullus,    Alone I fought in your Corioli walls,    And made what work I pleas'd. 'Tis not my blood    Wherein thou seest me mask'd. For thy revenge    Wrench up thy power to th' highest.  AUFIDIUS. Wert thou the Hector    That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny,    Thou shouldst not scape me here.Here they fight, and certain Volsces come in the aid of AUFIDIUS. MARCIUS fights till they be driven in breathless    Officious, and not valiant, you have sham'd me    In your condemned seconds. Exeunt

SCENE IX. The Roman camp

Flourish. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Enter, at one door, COMINIUS with the Romans; at another door, MARCIUS, with his arm in a scarf

  COMINIUS. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work,    Thou't not believe thy deeds; but I'll report it    Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles;    Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,    I' th' end admire; where ladies shall be frighted    And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull tribunes,    That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honours,    Shall say against their hearts 'We thank the gods    Our Rome hath such a soldier.'    Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,    Having fully din'd before.

Enter TITUS LARTIUS, with his power, from the pursuit

  LARTIUS. O General,    Here is the steed, we the caparison.    Hadst thou beheld-  MARCIUS. Pray now, no more; my mother,    Who has a charter to extol her blood,    When she does praise me grieves me. I have done    As you have done- that's what I can; induc'd    As you have been- that's for my country.    He that has but effected his good will    Hath overta'en mine act.  COMINIUS. You shall not be    The grave of your deserving; Rome must know    The value of her own. 'Twere a concealment    Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,    To hide your doings and to silence that    Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,    Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you,    In sign of what you are, not to reward    What you have done, before our army hear me.  MARCIUS. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart    To hear themselves rememb'red.  COMINIUS. Should they not,    Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude    And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses-    Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store- of all    The treasure in this field achiev'd and city,    We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth    Before the common distribution at    Your only choice.  MARCIUS. I thank you, General,    But cannot make my heart consent to take    A bribe to pay my sword. I do refuse it,    And stand upon my common part with those    That have beheld the doing.A long flourish. They all cry 'Marcius, Marcius!' cast up their caps and lances. COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare    May these same instruments which you profane    Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall    I' th' field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be    Made all of false-fac'd soothing. When steel grows    Soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made    An overture for th' wars. No more, I say.    For that I have not wash'd my nose that bled,    Or foil'd some debile wretch, which without note    Here's many else have done, you shout me forth    In acclamations hyperbolical,    As if I lov'd my little should be dieted    In praises sauc'd with lies.  COMINIUS. Too modest are you;    More cruel to your good report than grateful    To us that give you truly. By your patience,    If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you-    Like one that means his proper harm- in manacles,    Then reason safely with you. Therefore be it known,    As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius    Wears this war's garland; in token of the which,    My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,    With all his trim belonging; and from this time,    For what he did before Corioli, call him    With all th' applause-and clamour of the host,    Caius Marcius Coriolanus.    Bear th' addition nobly ever!                           [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums]  ALL. Caius Marcius Coriolanus!  CORIOLANUS. I will go wash;    And when my face is fair you shall perceive    Whether I blush or no. Howbeit, I thank you;    I mean to stride your steed, and at all times    To undercrest your good addition    To th' fairness of my power.  COMINIUS. So, to our tent;    Where, ere we do repose us, we will write    To Rome of our success. You, Titus Lartius,    Must to Corioli back. Send us to Rome    The best, with whom we may articulate    For their own good and ours.  LARTIUS. I shall, my lord.  CORIOLANUS. The gods begin to mock me. I, that now    Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg    Of my Lord General.  COMINIUS. Take't- 'tis yours; what is't?  CORIOLANUS. I sometime lay here in Corioli    At a poor man's house; he us'd me kindly.    He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;    But then Aufidius was within my view,    And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity. I request you    To give my poor host freedom.  COMINIUS. O, well begg'd!    Were he the butcher of my son, he should    Be free as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus.  LARTIUS. Marcius, his name?  CORIOLANUS. By Jupiter, forgot!    I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd.    Have we no wine here?  COMINIUS. Go we to our tent.    The blood upon your visage dries; 'tis time    It should be look'd to. Come. Exeunt

SCENE X. The camp of the Volsces

A flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS bloody, with two or three soldiers

  AUFIDIUS. The town is ta'en.  FIRST SOLDIER. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition.  AUFIDIUS. Condition!    I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,    Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition?    What good condition can a treaty find    I' th' part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius,    I have fought with thee; so often hast thou beat me;    And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter    As often as we eat. By th' elements,    If e'er again I meet him beard to beard,    He's mine or I am his. Mine emulation    Hath not that honour in't it had; for where    I thought to crush him in an equal force,    True sword to sword, I'll potch at him some way,    Or wrath or craft may get him.  FIRST SOLDIER. He's the devil.  AUFIDIUS. Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour's poison'd    With only suff'ring stain by him; for him    Shall fly out of itself. Nor sleep nor sanctuary,    Being naked, sick, nor fane nor Capitol,    The prayers of priests nor times of sacrifice,    Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up    Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst    My hate to Marcius. Where I find him, were it    At home, upon my brother's guard, even there,    Against the hospitable canon, would I    Wash my fierce hand in's heart. Go you to th' city;    Learn how 'tis held, and what they are that must    Be hostages for Rome.  FIRST SOLDIER. Will not you go?  AUFIDIUS. I am attended at the cypress grove; I pray you-    'Tis south the city mills- bring me word thither    How the world goes, that to the pace of it    I may spur on my journey.  FIRST SOLDIER. I shall, sir. Exeunt

ACT II. SCENE I. Rome. A public place

Enter MENENIUS, with the two Tribunes of the people, SICINIUS and BRUTUS

MENENIUS. The augurer tells me we shall have news tonight. BRUTUS. Good or bad? MENENIUS. Not according to the prayer of the people, for they love not Marcius. SICINIUS. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. MENENIUS. Pray you, who does the wolf love? SICINIUS. The lamb. MENENIUS. Ay, to devour him, as the hungry plebeians would the noble Marcius. BRUTUS. He's a lamb indeed, that baas like a bear. MENENIUS. He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two are old men; tell me one thing that I shall ask you. BOTH TRIBUNES. Well, sir. MENENIUS. In what enormity is Marcius poor in that you two have not in abundance? BRUTUS. He's poor in no one fault, but stor'd with all. SICINIUS. Especially in pride. BRUTUS. And topping all others in boasting. MENENIUS. This is strange now. Do you two know how you are censured here in the city- I mean of us o' th' right-hand file? Do you? BOTH TRIBUNES. Why, how are we censur'd? MENENIUS. Because you talk of pride now- will you not be angry? BOTH TRIBUNES. Well, well, sir, well. MENENIUS. Why, 'tis no great matter; for a very little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience. Give your dispositions the reins, and be angry at your pleasures- at the least, if you take it as a pleasure to you in being so. You blame Marcius for being proud? BRUTUS. We do it not alone, sir. MENENIUS. I know you can do very little alone; for your helps are many, or else your actions would grow wondrous single: your abilities are too infant-like for doing much alone. You talk of pride. O that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves! O that you could! BOTH TRIBUNES. What then, sir? MENENIUS. Why, then you should discover a brace of unmeriting, proud, violent, testy magistrates-alias fools- as any in Rome. SICINIUS. Menenius, you are known well enough too. MENENIUS. I am known to be a humorous patrician, and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying Tiber in't; said to be something imperfect in favouring the first complaint, hasty and tinder-like upon too trivial motion; one that converses more with the buttock of the night than with the forehead of the morning. What I think I utter, and spend my malice in my breath. Meeting two such wealsmen as you are- I cannot call you Lycurguses- if the drink you give me touch my palate adversely, I make a crooked face at it. I cannot say your worships have deliver'd the matter well, when I find the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables; and though I must be content to bear with those that say you are reverend grave men, yet they lie deadly that tell you you have good faces. If you see this in the map of my microcosm, follows it that I am known well enough too? What harm can your bisson conspectuities glean out of this character, if I be known well enough too? BRUTUS. Come, sir, come, we know you well enough. MENENIUS. You know neither me, yourselves, nor any thing. You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs; you wear out a good wholesome forenoon in hearing a cause between an orange-wife and a fosset-seller, and then rejourn the controversy of threepence to a second day of audience. When you are hearing a matter between party and party, if you chance to be pinch'd with the colic, you make faces like mummers, set up the bloody flag against all patience, and, in roaring for a chamber-pot, dismiss the controversy bleeding, the more entangled by your hearing. All the peace you make in their cause is calling both the parties knaves. You are a pair of strange ones. BRUTUS. Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter giber for the table than a necessary bencher in the Capitol. MENENIUS. Our very priests must become mockers, if they shall encounter such ridiculous subjects as you are. When you speak best unto the purpose, it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your beards deserve not so honourable a grave as to stuff a botcher's cushion or to be entomb'd in an ass's pack-saddle. Yet you must be saying Marcius is proud; who, in a cheap estimation, is worth all your predecessors since Deucalion; though peradventure some of the best of 'em were hereditary hangmen. God-den to your worships. More of your conversation would infect my brain, being the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians. I will be bold to take my leave of you. [BRUTUS and SICINIUS go aside]

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