SCENE VI. Rome. A public place

SICINIUS

We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.

His remedies are tame—the present peace,

And quietness of the people, which before

Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends

Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,

Though they themselves did suffer by’t, behold

Dissentious numbers pest’ring streets than see

Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going

About their functions friendly.

BRUTUS

We stood to’t in good time.

SICINIUS

’Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kind

Of late.—Hail, sir!

MENENIUS

Hail to you both.

SICINIUS

Your Coriolanus is not much missed

But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,

And so would do were he more angry at it.

MENENIUS

All’s well, and might have been much better if

He could have temporized.

SICINIUS

Where is he, hear you?

MENENIUS

Nay, I hear nothing;

His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.

ALL CITIZENS

The gods preserve you both!

SICINIUS

Good e’en, our neighbours.

BRUTUS

Good e’en to you all, good e’en to you all.

FIRST CITIZEN

Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees

Are bound to pray for you both.

SICINIUS

Live and thrive!

BRUTUS

Farewell, kind neighbours. We wished Coriolanus

Had loved you as we did.

CITIZENS

Now the gods keep you!

BOTH TRIBUNES

Farewell, farewell.

SICINIUS

This is a happier and more comely time

Than when these fellows ran about the streets

Crying confusion.

BRUTUS

Caius Martius was

A worthy officer i’ th’ war, but insolent,

O’ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinking

Self-loving.

SICINIUS

And affecting one sole throne, without assistance.

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 gods have well prevented it, and Rome

Sits safe and still without him.

AEDILE

Worthy tribunes,

There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,

Reports the Volsces with two several powers

Are entered in the Roman territories,

And with the deepest malice of the war

Destroy what lies before ’em.

MENENIUS

’Tis Aufidius,

Who, hearing of our Martius’ banishment,

Thrusts forth his horns again into the world,

Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome,

And durst not once peep out.

SICINIUS

Come, what talk you of Martius?

BRUTUS

Go see this rumourer whipped. 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.

MESSENGER

The nobles in great earnestness are going

All to the Senate House. Some news is coming

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 delivered.

SICINIUS

What more fearful?

MESSENGER

It is spoke freely out of many mouths—

How probable I do not know—that Martius,

Joined with Aufidius, leads a power ’gainst Rome

And vows revenge as spacious as between

The young’st and oldest thing.

SICINIUS

This is most likely!

BRUTUS

Raised only that the weaker sort may wish

Good Martius home again.

SICINIUS

The very trick on ’t.

MENENIUS

This is unlikely;

He and Aufidius can no more atone

Than violent’st contrariety.

SECOND MESSENGER

You are sent for to the Senate.

A fearful army, led by Caius Martius

Associated with Aufidius, rages

Upon our territories, and have already

O’erborne their way, consumed with fire and took

What lay before them.

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 dishonoured 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, confined

Into an auger’s bore.

MENENIUS

Pray now, your news?—

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

If Martius should be joined with Volscians—

COMINIUS

If?

He is their god; 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 butterflies

Or butchers killing flies.

MENENIUS

You have made good work,

You and your apron-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 mocked 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 noble 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 charged him even

As those should do that had deserved his hate

And therein showed 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

S’ incapable of help.

TRIBUNES

Say not we brought it.

MENENIUS

How? Was it we? We loved him, but like beasts

And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,

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.

MENENIUS

Here comes the clusters.—

And is Aufidius with him? You are they

That made the air unwholesome when you cast

Your stinking, greasy caps in hooting at

Coriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming,

And not a hair upon a soldier’s head

Which will not prove a whip. As many coxcombs

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 deserved it.

ALL CITIZENS

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

You 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?

SICINIUS

Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.

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 gods be good to us! Come, masters, let’s home. I ever said we were i’ th’ wrong when we banished him.

SECOND CITIZEN

So did we all. But, come, let’s home.

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.

ACT IV

SCENE VI. Rome. A public place