Coriolanus Part 15

CITIZENS. Now the G.o.ds keep you!

BOTH TRIBUNES. Farewell, farewell. Exeunt citizens

SICINIUS. This is a happier and more comely time Than when these fellows ran about the streets Crying confusion.

BRUTUS. Caius Marcius was A worthy officer i' the war, but insolent, O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking, Self-loving- SICINIUS. And affecting one sole throne, Without a.s.sistance.

MENENIUS. I think not so.

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

BRUTUS. The G.o.ds 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 several powers Are ent'red in the Roman territories, And with the deepest malice of the war Destroy what lies before 'em.

MENENIUS. 'Tis Aufidius, Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment, Thrusts forth his horns again into the world, Which were insh.e.l.l'd when Marcius stood for Rome, And durst not once peep out.

SICINIUS. Come, what talk you of Marcius?

BRUTUS. Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It cannot be The Volsces dare break with us.

MENENIUS. Cannot be!

We have record that very well it can; And three examples of the like hath been Within my age. But reason with the fellow Before you punish him, where he heard this, Lest you shall chance to whip your information 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 n.o.bles in great earnestness are going All to the Senate House; some news is come That turns their countenances.

SICINIUS. 'Tis this slave- Go whip him fore the people's eyes- his raising, Nothing but his report.

MESSENGER. Yes, worthy sir, The slave's report is seconded, and more, More fearful, is deliver'd.

SICINIUS. What more fearful?

MESSENGER. It is spoke freely out of many mouths- How probable I do not know- that Marcius, Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome, And vows revenge as s.p.a.cious as between The young'st and oldest thing.

SICINIUS. This is most likely!

BRUTUS. Rais'd only that the weaker sort may wish Good Marcius home again.

SICINIUS. The very trick on 't.

MENENIUS. This is unlikely.

He and Aufidius can no more atone Than violent'st contrariety.

Enter a second MESSENGER

SECOND MESSENGER. You are sent for to the Senate.

A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius a.s.sociated with Aufidius, rages Upon our territories, and have already O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire and took What lay before them.

Enter COMINIUS

COMINIUS. O, you have made good work!

MENENIUS. What news? what news?

COMINIUS. You have holp to ravish your own daughters and To melt the city leads upon your pates, To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses- MENENIUS. What's the news? What's the news?

COMINIUS. Your temples burned in their cement, and Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd Into an auger's bore.

MENENIUS. Pray now, your news?

You have made fair work, I fear me. Pray, your news.

If Marcius should be join'd wi' th' Volscians- COMINIUS. If!

He is their G.o.d; he leads them like a thing Made by some other deity than Nature, That shapes man better; and they follow him Against us brats with no less confidence Than boys pursuing summer b.u.t.terflies, Or butchers killing flies.

MENENIUS. You have made good work, You and your ap.r.o.n men; you that stood so much Upon the voice of occupation and The breath of garlic-eaters!

COMINIUS. He'll shake Your Rome about your ears.

MENENIUS. As Hercules Did shake down mellow fruit. You have made fair work!

BRUTUS. But is this true, sir?

COMINIUS. Ay; and you'll look pale Before you find it other. All the regions Do smilingly revolt, and who resists Are mock'd for valiant ignorance, And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him?

Your enemies and his find something in him.

MENENIUS. We are all undone unless The n.o.ble man have mercy.

COMINIUS. Who shall ask it?

The tribunes cannot do't for shame; the people Deserve such pity of him as the wolf Does of the shepherds; for his best friends, if they Should say 'Be good to Rome'- they charg'd him even As those should do that had deserv'd his hate, And therein show'd like enemies.

MENENIUS. 'Tis true; If he were putting to my house the brand That should consume it, I have not the face To say 'Beseech you, cease.' You have made fair hands, You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!

COMINIUS. You have brought A trembling upon Rome, such as was never So incapable of help.

BOTH TRIBUNES. Say not we brought it.

MENENIUS. How! Was't we? We lov'd him, but, like beasts And cowardly n.o.bles, gave way unto your cl.u.s.ters, Who did hoot him out o' th' city.

COMINIUS. But I fear They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, The second name of men, obeys his points As if he were his officer. Desperation Is all the policy, strength, and defence, That Rome can make against them.

Enter a troop of citizens

MENENIUS. Here comes the cl.u.s.ters.

And is Aufidius with him? You are they That made the air unwholesome when you cast Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at Coriola.n.u.s' exile. Now he's coming, And not a hair upon a soldier's head Which will not prove a whip; as many c.o.xcombs As you threw caps up will he tumble down, And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter; If he could burn us all into one coal We have deserv'd it.

PLEBEIANS. Faith, we hear fearful news.

FIRST CITIZEN. For mine own part, When I said banish him, I said 'twas pity.

SECOND CITIZEN. And so did I.

THIRD CITIZEN. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us. That we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.

COMINIUS. Y'are goodly things, you voices!

MENENIUS. You have made Good work, you and your cry! Shall's to the Capitol?

COMINIUS. O, ay, what else?

Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS SICINIUS. Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay'd; These are a side that would be glad to have This true which they so seem to fear. Go home, And show no sign of fear.

FIRST CITIZEN. The G.o.ds be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. I ever said we were i' th' wrong when we banish'd him.

SECOND CITIZEN. So did we all. But come, let's home.

Exeunt citizens BRUTUS. I do not like this news.

SICINIUS. Nor I.

BRUTUS. Let's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth Would buy this for a lie!

SICINIUS. Pray let's go. Exeunt

SCENE VII.

A camp at a short distance from Rome

Enter AUFIDIUS with his LIEUTENANT

AUFIDIUS. Do they still fly to th' Roman?

LIEUTENANT. I do not know what witchcraft's in him, but Your soldiers use him as the grace fore meat, Their talk at table, and their thanks at end; And you are dark'ned in this action, sir, Even by your own.

AUFIDIUS. I cannot help it now, Unless by using means I lame the foot Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier, Even to my person, than I thought he would When first I did embrace him; yet his nature In that's no changeling, and I must excuse What cannot be amended.

LIEUTENANT. Yet I wish, sir- I mean, for your particular- you had not Join'd in commission with him, but either Had borne the action of yourself, or else To him had left it solely.

AUFIDIUS. I understand thee well; and be thou sure, When he shall come to his account, he knows not What I can urge against him. Although it seems, And so he thinks, and is no less apparent To th' vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state, Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone That which shall break his neck or hazard mine Whene'er we come to our account.

LIEUTENANT. Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome?

AUFIDIUS. All places yield to him ere he sits down, And the n.o.bility of Rome are his; The senators and patricians love him too.

The tribunes are no soldiers, and their people Will be as rash in the repeal as hasty To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it By sovereignty of nature. First he was A n.o.ble servant to them, but he could not Carry his honours even. Whether 'twas pride, Which out of daily fortune ever taints The happy man; whether defect of judgment, To fail in the disposing of those chances Which he was lord of; or whether nature, Not to be other than one thing, not moving From th' casque to th' cushion, but commanding peace Even with the same austerity and garb As he controll'd the war; but one of these- As he hath spices of them all- not all, For I dare so far free him- made him fear'd, So hated, and so banish'd. But he has a merit To choke it in the utt'rance. So our virtues Lie in th' interpretation of the time; And power, unto itself most commendable, Hath not a tomb so evident as a cheer T' extol what it hath done.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.