William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (505 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, and Menenius, with the rest of the Patricians. The Citizens all shout, and throw up their caps
AEDILE
The people’s enemy is gone, is gone.
ALL THE CITIZENS
Our enemy is banished, he is gone. Hoo-oo!
SICINIUS
Go see him out at gates, and follow him
As he hath followed you, with all despite.
Give him deserved vexation. Let a guard
Attend us through the city.
As he hath followed you, with all despite.
Give him deserved vexation. Let a guard
Attend us through the city.
ALL THE CITIZENS
Come, come, let’s see him out at gates. Come.
The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come. Exeunt
The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come. Exeunt
Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, and 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 extremities was the trier of spirits,
That common chances common men could bear,
That when the sea was calm all boats alike
Showed 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 conned them.
With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? You were used
To say extremities was the trier of spirits,
That common chances common men could bear,
That when the sea was calm all boats alike
Showed 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 conned them.
VIRGILIA O heavens, O heavens!
CORIOLANUS Nay, I prithee, woman—
VOLUMNIA
Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome,
And occupations perish!
And occupations perish!
CORIOLANUS What, what, what?
I shall be loved when I am lacked. 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 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 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 feared and talked of more than seen, your son
Will or exceed the common or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.
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 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 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 feared and talked of more than seen, your son
Will or exceed the common or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.
VOLUMNIA My first son,
Whither will thou go? Take good Cominius
With thee a while. Determine on some course
More than a wild exposure to each chance
That starts i’th’ way before thee.
With thee a while. Determine on some course
More than a wild exposure to each chance
That starts i’th’ way before thee.
⌈VIRGILIA⌉ 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’th’ absence of the needer.
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 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.
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’d with thee every foot.
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
4.2Enter the two tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus, with the Aedile
SICINIUS (to the Aedile)
Bid them all home. He’s gone, and we’ll no further.
The nobility are vexed, whom we see have sided
In his behalf.
The nobility are vexed, 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.
Than when it was a-doing.
SICINIUS (
to the Aedile
) Bid them home.
to the Aedile
) Bid them home.
Say their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength.
Stand in their ancient strength.
BRUTUS
Dismiss them home.
Exit Aedile
Enter Volumnia, Virgilia,
⌈
weeping,
⌉
and Menenius
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.
VOLUMNIA
O, you’re well met! Th‘hoarded plague o’th’ gods
Requite your love!
Requite your love!
MENENIUS Peace, peace, be not so loud.
VOLUMNIA (to the tribunes)
If that I could for weeping, you should hear—
Nay, and you shall hear some. Will you be gone?
Nay, and you shall hear some. Will you be gone?
VIRGILIA (to the tribunes)
You shall stay, too. I would I had the power
To say so to my husband.
To say so to my husband.
SICINIUS (to Volumnia) 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?
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.
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 Romeǃ 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.
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.
Cats that can judge as fitly of his worth
As I can of those mysteries which heaven
Will not have earth to know.
BRUTUS (to Sicinius) 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 banished does exceed you all.
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 banished does exceed you all.
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.
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.
(To Virgilia) Come, let’s go.
Leave this faint puling and lament as I do,
In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.
And so shall starve with feeding.
(To Virgilia) 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
4.3Enter Nicanor, a Roman, and Adrian, a Volscian
NICANOR I know you well, sir, and you know me. Your name, I think, is Adrian.
ADRIAN It is so, sir. Truly, I have forgot you.
NICANOR I am a Roman, and my services are, as you are, against ’em. Know you me yet?
ADRIAN Nicanor, no?
NICANOR The same, sir.
ADRIAN 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.
NICANOR There hath been in Rome strange insurrections, the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles.
ADRIAN 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.
NICANOR 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.
ADRIAN Coriolanus banished?
NICANOR Banished, sir.
ADRIAN You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.
NICANOR 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.
ADRIAN He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.
NICANOR 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?
ADRIAN A most royal one—the centurions and their charges distinctly billeted already in th’entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s warning.
NICANOR 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.
ADRIAN You take my part from me, sir. I have the most cause to be glad of yours.
NICANOR Well, let us go together. Exeunt
4.4Enter 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.
’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?
Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium?
CITIZEN
He is, and feasts the nobles of the state
At his house this night.
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 hours, 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 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 way,
I’ll do his country service.
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose hours, 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 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 way,
I’ll do his country service.
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