Go to them with this
bonnet in thy hand;
And thus far having stretch'd it- here be with them-
Thy knee bussing the stones- for in such busines
Action is
eloquence, and the eyes of th' ignorant
More
learned than the ears- waving thy head,
Which often thus correcting thy-stout heart,
Now
humble as the ripest mulberry
That will not hold the handling. Or say to them
Thou art their soldier and, being bred in broils,
Hast not the soft way which, thou dost confess,
Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim,
In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame
Thyself, forsooth,
hereaftertheirs, so far
As thou hast power and person.
MENENIUS. This but done
Even as she speaks, why, their hearts were yours;
For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free
As words to little purpose.
VOLUMNIA. Prithee now,
Go, and be rul'd; although I know thou hadst rather
Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf
Than
flatter him in a bower.
Enter COMINIUS
Here is Cominius.
COMINIUS. I have been i' th' market-place; and, sir, 'tis fit
You make strong party, or defend yourself
By
calmness or by
absence; all's in anger.
MENENIUS. Only fair speech.
COMINIUS. I think 'twill serve, if he
Can
thereto frame his spirit.
VOLUMNIA. He must and will.
Prithee now, say you will, and go about it.
CORIOLANUS. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce? Must I
With my base tongue give to my noble heart
A lie that it must bear? Well, I will do't;
Yet, were there but this single plot to lose,
This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it,
And throw't against the wind. To th' market-place!
You have put me now to such a part which never
I shall
charge" target="_blank" title="vt.&n.卸货;释放;解雇">
discharge to th' life.
COMINIUS. Come, come, we'll
prompt you.
VOLUMNIA. I prithee now, sweet son, as thou hast said
My praises made thee first a soldier, so,
To have my praise for this, perform a part
Thou hast not done before.
CORIOLANUS. Well, I must do't.
Away, my
disposition, and possess me
Some harlot's spirit! My
throat of war be turn'd,
Which quier'd with my drum, into a pipe
Small as an
eunuch or the
virgin voice
That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves
Tent in my cheeks, and schoolboys' tears take up
The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue
Make
motion through my lips, and my arm'd knees,
Who bow'd but in my
stirrup, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an alms! I will not do't,
Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,
And by my body's action teach my mind
A most
inherent baseness.
VOLUMNIA. At thy choice, then.
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin. Let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.
Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me;
But owe thy pride thyself.
CORIOLANUS. Pray be content.
Mother, I am going to the market-place;
Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves,
Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd
Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going.
Commend me to my wife. I'll return
consul,
Or never trust to what my tongue can do
I' th' way of
flattery further.
VOLUMNIA. Do your will. Exit
COMINIUS. Away! The tribunes do attend you. Arm yourself
To answer
mildly; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.
CORIOLANUS. The word is '
mildly.' Pray you let us go.
Let them
accuse me by
invention; I
Will answer in mine honour.
MENENIUS. Ay, but
mildly.
CORIOLANUS. Well,
mildly be it then-
mildly. Exeunt
SCENE III.
Rome. The Forum
Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS
BRUTUS. In this point
charge him home, that he affects
Tyrannical power. If he evade us there,
Enforce him with his envy to the people,
And that the spoil got on the Antiates
Was ne'er distributed.
Enter an AEDILE
What, will he come?
AEDILE. He's coming.
BRUTUS. How accompanied?
AEDILE. With old Menenius, and those senators
That always favour'd him.
SICINIUS. Have you a catalogue
Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by th' poll?
AEDILE. I have; 'tis ready.
SICINIUS. Have you corrected them by tribes?
AEDILE. I have.
SICINIUS. Assemble
presently the people hither;
And when they hear me say 'It shall be so
I' th' right and strength o' th' commons' be it either
For death, for fine, or
banishment, then let them,
If I say fine, cry 'Fine!'- if death, cry 'Death!'
Insisting on the old prerogative
And power i' th' truth o' th' cause.
AEDILE. I shall inform them.
BRUTUS. And when such time they have begun to cry,
Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd
Enforce the present execution
Of what we chance to sentence.
AEDILE. Very well.
SICINIUS. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint,
When we shall hap to give't them.
BRUTUS. Go about it. Exit AEDILE
Put him to choler straight. He hath been us'd
Ever to
conquer, and to have his worth
Of
contradiction; being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to
temperance; then he speaks
What's in his heart, and that is there which looks
With us to break his neck.
Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS and COMINIUS, with others
SICINIUS. Well, here he comes.
MENENIUS. Calmly, I do
beseech you.
CORIOLANUS. Ay, as an ostler, that for th' poorest piece
Will bear the knave by th'
volume. Th' honour'd gods
Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
Supplied with
worthy men! plant love among's!
Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
And not our streets with war!
FIRST SENATOR. Amen, amen!
MENENIUS. A noble wish.
Re-enter the.AEDILE,with the plebeians
SICINIUS. Draw near, ye people.
AEDILE. List to your tribunes. Audience! peace, I say!
CORIOLANUS. First, hear me speak.
BOTH TRIBUNES. Well, say. Peace, ho!
CORIOLANUS. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present?
Must all determine here?
SICINIUS. I do demand,
If you
submit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are content
To suffer
lawfulcensure for such faults
As shall be prov'd upon you.
CORIOLANUS. I am content.
MENENIUS. Lo, citizens, he says he is content.
The
warlike service he has done, consider; think
Upon the wounds his body bears, which show
Like graves i' th' holy churchyard.
CORIOLANUS. Scratches with briers,
Scars to move
laughter only.
MENENIUS. Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier; do not take
His rougher accents for
malicious sounds,
But, as I say, such as become a soldier
Rather than envy you.
COMINIUS. Well, well! No more.
CORIOLANUS. What is the matter,
That being pass'd for
consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd that the very hour
You take it off again?
SICINIUS. Answer to us.
CORIOLANUS. Say then; 'tis true, I ought so.
SICINIUS. We
charge you that you have contriv'd to take
From Rome all season'd office, and to wind
Yourself into a power tyrannical;
For which you are a
traitor to the people.
CORIOLANUS. How-
traitor?
MENENIUS. Nay, temperately! Your promise.
CORIOLANUS. The fires i' th' lowest hell fold in the people!
Call me their
traitor! Thou
injurious tribune!
Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,
In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in
Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say
'Thou liest' unto thee with a voice as free
As I do pray the gods.
SICINIUS. Mark you this, people?
PLEBEIANS. To th' rock, to th' rock, with him!
SICINIUS. Peace!
We need not put new matter to his
charge.
What you have seen him do and heard him speak,
Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying
Those whose great power must try him- even this,
So
criminal and in such capital kind,
Deserves th' extremest death.
BRUTUS. But since he hath
Serv'd well for Rome-
CORIOLANUS. What do you prate of service?
BRUTUS. I talk of that that know it.
CORIOLANUS. You!
MENENIUS. Is this the promise that you made your mother?
COMINIUS. Know, I pray you-
CORIOLANUS. I'll know no further.