The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 82

>

ACT IV. SCENE I.

Rome. Before a gate of the city

Enter CORIOLa.n.u.s, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, with the young n.o.bILITY of Rome

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell. The beast With many heads b.u.t.ts me away. Nay, mother, Where is your ancient courage? You were us'd To say extremities 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 n.o.ble cunning. You were us'd to load me With precepts that would make invincible The heart that conn'd them.

VIRGILIA. O heavens! O heavens!

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Nay, I prithee, woman- VOLUMNIA. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, And occupations perish!

CORIOLa.n.u.s. What, what, what!

I shall be lov'd 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'd have done, and sav'd 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 fear'd and talk'd of more than seen- your son Will or exceed the common or be caught With cautelous baits and practice.

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' th' way before thee.

VIRGILIA. O the G.o.ds!

COMINIUS. I'll follow thee a month, devise with the 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.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. 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 unbruis'd; bring me but out at gate.

Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and My friends of n.o.ble 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 G.o.ds, I'd with thee every foot.

CORIOLa.n.u.s. Give me thy hand.

Come. Exeunt

SCENE II.

Rome. A street near the gate

Enter the two Tribunes, SICINIUS and BRUTUS with the AEDILE

SICINIUS. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further.

The n.o.bility 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.

Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS

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, Y'are well met; th' h.o.a.rded plague o' th' G.o.ds 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. Moe n.o.ble 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'd make an end of thy posterity.

VOLUMNIA. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds 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 n.o.ble knot he made.

BRUTUS. I would he had.

VOLUMNIA. 'I would he had!' 'Twas you incens'd 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'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 banish'd does exceed you an.

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 G.o.ds 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.

Exeunt VOLUMNIA and VIRGILIA MENENIUS. Fie, fie, fie! Exit

SCENE III.

A highway between Rome and Antium

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 appear'd 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 n.o.bles.

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 n.o.bles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriola.n.u.s 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. Coriola.n.u.s banish'd!

ROMAN. Banish'd, 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 fall'n out with her husband. Your n.o.ble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriola.n.u.s, being now in no request of his country.