Shakespeare's First Folio Part 462

Brutus. So it must fall out To him, or our Authorities, for an end.

We must suggest the People, in what hatred He still hath held them: that to's power he would Haue made them Mules, silenc'd their Pleaders, And dispropertied their Freedomes; holding them, In humane Action, and Capacitie, Of no more Soule, nor fitnesse for the World, Then Cammels in their Warre, who haue their Prouand Onely for bearing Burthens, and sore blowes For sinking vnder them

Scicin. This (as you say) suggested, At some time, when his soaring Insolence Shall teach the People, which time shall not want, If he be put vpon't, and that's as easie, As to set Dogges on Sheepe, will be his fire To kindle their dry Stubble: and their Blaze Shall darken him for euer.

Enter a Messenger.

Brutus. What's the matter?

Mess. You are sent for to the Capitoll: 'Tis thought, that Martius shall be Consull: I haue seene the dumbe men throng to see him, And the blind to heare him speak: Matrons flong Gloues, Ladies and Maids their Scarffes, and Handkerchers, Vpon him as he pa.s.s'd: the n.o.bles bended As to Ioues Statue, and the Commons made A Shower, and Thunder, with their Caps, and Showts: I neuer saw the like

Brutus. Let's to the Capitoll, And carry with vs Eares and Eyes for th' time, But Hearts for the euent

Scicin. Haue with you.

Exeunt.

Enter two Officers, to lay Cus.h.i.+ons, as it were, in the Capitoll.

1.Off. Come, come, they are almost here: how many stand for Consuls.h.i.+ps?

2.Off. Three, they say: but 'tis thought of euery one, Coriola.n.u.s will carry it

1.Off. That's a braue fellow: but hee's vengeance prowd, and loues not the common people

2.Off. 'Faith, there hath beene many great men that haue flatter'd the people, who ne're loued them; and there be many that they haue loued, they know not wherefore: so that if they loue they know not why, they hate vpon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriola.n.u.s neyther to care whether they loue, or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he ha's in their disposition, and out of his n.o.ble carelesnesse lets them plainely see't

1.Off. If he did not care whether he had their loue, or no, hee waued indifferently, 'twixt doing them neyther good, nor harme: but hee seekes their hate with greater deuotion, then they can render it him; and leaues nothing vndone, that may fully discouer him their opposite. Now to seeme to affect the mallice and displeasure of the People, is as bad, as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their loue

2.Off. Hee hath deserued worthily of his Countrey, and his a.s.sent is not by such easie degrees as those, who hauing beene supple and courteous to the People, Bonnetted, without any further deed, to haue them at all into their estimation, and report: but hee hath so planted his Honors in their Eyes, and his actions in their Hearts, that for their Tongues to be silent, and not confesse so much, were a kinde of ingratefull Iniurie: to report otherwise, were a Mallice, that giuing it selfe the Lye, would plucke reproofe and rebuke from euery Eare that heard it

1.Off. No more of him, hee's a worthy man: make way, they are comming.

A Sennet. Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Lictors before them: Coriola.n.u.s, Menenius, Cominius the Consul: Scicinius and Brutus take their places by themselues: Coriola.n.u.s stands.

Menen. Hauing determin'd of the Volces, And to send for t.i.tus Lartius: it remaines, As the maine Point of this our after-meeting, To gratifie his n.o.ble seruice, that hath Thus stood for his Countrey. Therefore please you, Most reuerend and graue Elders, to desire The present Consull, and last Generall, In our well-found Successes, to report A little of that worthy Worke, perform'd By Martius Caius Coriola.n.u.s: whom We met here, both to thanke, and to remember, With Honors like himselfe

1.Sen. Speake, good Cominius: Leaue nothing out for length, and make vs thinke Rather our states defectiue for requitall, Then we to stretch it out. Masters a'th' People, We doe request your kindest eares: and after Your louing motion toward the common Body, To yeeld what pa.s.ses here

Scicin. We are conuented vpon a pleasing Treatie, and haue hearts inclinable to honor and aduance the Theame of our a.s.sembly

Brutus. Which the rather wee shall be blest to doe, if he remember a kinder value of the People, then he hath hereto priz'd them at

Menen. That's off, that's off: I would you rather had been silent: Please you to heare Cominius speake?

Brutus. Most willingly: but yet my Caution was more pertinent then the rebuke you giue it

Menen. He loues your People, but tye him not to be their Bed-fellow: Worthie Cominius speake.

Coriola.n.u.s rises, and offers to goe away.

Nay, keepe your place

Senat. Sit Coriola.n.u.s: neuer shame to heare What you haue n.o.bly done

Coriol. Your Honors pardon: I had rather haue my Wounds to heale againe, Then heare say how I got them

Brutus. Sir, I hope my words dis-bench'd you not?

Coriol. No Sir: yet oft, When blowes haue made me stay, I fled from words.

You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: but your People, I loue them as they weigh- Menen. Pray now sit downe

Corio. I had rather haue one scratch my Head i'th' Sun, When the Alarum were strucke, then idly sit To heare my Nothings monster'd.

Exit Coriola.n.u.s

Menen. Masters of the People, Your multiplying Sp.a.w.ne, how can he flatter?

That's thousand to one good one, when you now see He had rather venture all his Limbes for Honor, Then on ones Eares to heare it. Proceed Cominius

Com. I shall lacke voyce: the deeds of Coriola.n.u.s Should not be vtter'd feebly: it is held, That Valour is the chiefest Vertue, And most dignifies the hauer: if it be, The man I speake of, cannot in the World Be singly counter-poys'd. At sixteene yeeres, When Tarquin made a Head for Rome, he fought Beyond the marke of others: our then Dictator, Whom with all prayse I point at, saw him fight, When with his Amazonian s.h.i.+nne he droue The brizled Lippes before him: he bestrid An o're-prest Roman, and i'th' Consuls view Slew three Opposers: Tarquins selfe he met, And strucke him on his Knee: in that dayes feates, When he might act the Woman in the Scene, He prou'd best man i'th' field, and for his meed Was Brow-bound with the Oake. His Pupill age Man-entred thus, he waxed like a Sea, And in the brunt of seuenteene Battailes since, He lurcht all Swords of the Garland: for this last, Before, and in Corioles, let me say I cannot speake him home: he stopt the flyers, And by his rare example made the Coward Turne terror into sport: as Weeds before A Vessell vnder sayle, so men obey'd, And fell below his Stem: his Sword, Deaths stampe, Where it did marke, it tooke from face to foot: He was a thing of Blood, whose euery motion Was tim'd with dying Cryes: alone he entred The mortall Gate of th' Citie, which he painted With shunlesse destinie: aydelesse came off, And with a sudden re-inforcement strucke Carioles like a Planet: now all's his, When by and by the dinne of Warre gan pierce His readie sence: then straight his doubled spirit Requickned what in flesh was fatigate, And to the Battaile came he, where he did Runne reeking o're the liues of men, as if 'twere A perpetuall spoyle: and till we call'd Both Field and Citie ours, he neuer stood To ease his Brest with panting

Menen. Worthy man

Senat. He cannot but with measure fit the Honors which we deuise him

Com. Our spoyles he kickt at, And look'd vpon things precious, as they were The common Muck of the World: he couets lesse Then Miserie it selfe would giue, rewards his deeds With doing them, and is content To spend the time, to end it

Menen. Hee's right n.o.ble, let him be call'd for

Senat. Call Coriola.n.u.s

Off. He doth appeare.

Enter Coriola.n.u.s.

Menen. The Senate, Coriola.n.u.s, are well pleas'd to make thee Consull

Corio. I doe owe them still my Life, and Seruices

Menen. It then remaines, that you doe speake to the People

Corio. I doe beseech you, Let me o're-leape that custome: for I cannot Put on the Gowne, stand naked, and entreat them For my Wounds sake, to giue their sufferage: Please you that I may pa.s.se this doing

Scicin. Sir, the People must haue their Voyces, Neyther will they bate one iot of Ceremonie

Menen. Put them not too't: Pray you goe fit you to the Custome, And take to you, as your Predecessors haue, Your Honor with your forme

Corio. It is a part that I shall blush in acting, And might well be taken from the People

Brutus. Marke you that

Corio. To brag vnto them, thus I did, and thus Shew them th' vnaking Skarres, which I should hide, As if I had receiu'd them for the hyre Of their breath onely

Menen. Doe not stand vpon't: We recommend to you Tribunes of the People Our purpose to them, and to our n.o.ble Consull Wish we all Ioy, and Honor

Senat. To Coriola.n.u.s come all ioy and Honor.