ACT II SCENE II

Coriolanus

ACT II SCENE II. The same. The Capitol.
[Enter two Officers, to lay cushions]
First Officer	Come, come, they are almost here. How many stand
	for consulships?
Second Officer	Three, they say: but ’tis thought of every one
	Coriolanus will carry it.
First Officer	That’s a brave fellow; but he’s vengeance proud, and	5
	loves not the common people.
Second Officer	Faith, there had been many great men that have
	flattered the people, who ne’er loved them; and there
	be many that they have loved, they know not
	wherefore: so that, if they love they know not why,	10
	they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for
	Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate
	him manifests the true knowledge he has in their
	disposition; and out of his noble carelessness lets
	them plainly see’t.	15
First Officer	If he did not care whether he had their love or no,
	he waved indifferently ‘twixt doing them neither
	good nor harm: but he seeks their hate with greater
	devotion than can render it him; and leaves
	nothing undone that may fully discover him their	20
	opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and
	displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he
	dislikes, to flatter them for their love.
Second Officer	He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his
	ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who,	25
	having been supple and courteous to the people,
	bonneted, without any further deed to have them at
	an into their estimation and report: but he hath so
	planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions
	in their hearts, that for their tongues to be	30
	silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of
	ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a
	malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck
	reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.
First Officer	No more of him; he is a worthy man: make way, they	35
	are coming.
[ A sennet. Enter, with actors before them, COMINIUS the consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take their Places by themselves. CORIOLANUS stands ]
MENENIUS	Having determined of the Volsces and
	To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,
	As the main point of this our after-meeting,
	To gratify his noble service that	40
	Hath thus stood for his country: therefore,
	please you,
	Most reverend and grave elders, to desire
	The present consul, and last general
	In our well-found successes, to report	45
	A little of that worthy work perform’d
	By Caius Marcius Coriolanus, whom
	We met here both to thank and to remember
	With honours like himself.
First Senator	Speak, good Cominius:	50
	Leave nothing out for length, and make us think
	Rather our state’s defective for requital
	Than we to stretch it out.
[To the Tribunes]
	Masters o’ the people,
	We do request your kindest ears, and after,	55
	Your loving motion toward the common body,
	To yield what passes here.
SICINIUS	We are convented
	Upon a pleasing treaty, and have hearts
	Inclinable to honour and advance	60
	The theme of our assembly.
BRUTUS	Which the rather
	We shall be blest to do, if he remember
	A kinder value of the people than
	He hath hereto prized them at.	65
MENENIUS	That’s off, that’s off;
	I would you rather had been silent. Please you
	To hear Cominius speak?
BRUTUS	Most willingly;
	But yet my caution was more pertinent	70
	Than the rebuke you give it.
MENENIUS	He loves your people
	But tie him not to be their bedfellow.
	Worthy Cominius, speak.
[CORIOLANUS offers to go away]
	Nay, keep your place.	75
First Senator	Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear
	What you have nobly done.
CORIOLANUS	Your horror’s pardon:
	I had rather have my wounds to heal again
	Than hear say how I got them.	80
BRUTUS	Sir, I hope
	My words disbench’d you not.
CORIOLANUS	No, sir: yet oft,
	When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
	You soothed not, therefore hurt not: but	85
	your people,
	I love them as they weigh.
MENENIUS	Pray now, sit down.
CORIOLANUS	I had rather have one scratch my head i’ the sun
	When the alarum were struck than idly sit	90
	To hear my nothings monster’d.
[Exit]
MENENIUS	Masters of the people,
	Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter–
	That’s thousand to one good one–when you now see
	He had rather venture all his limbs for honour	95
	Than one on’s ears to hear it? Proceed, Cominius.
COMINIUS	I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
	Should not be utter’d feebly. It is held
	That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
	Most dignifies the haver: if it be,	100
	The man I speak of cannot in the world
	Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,
	When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
	Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
	Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,	105
	When with his Amazonian chin he drove
	The bristled lips before him: be bestrid
	An o’er-press’d Roman and i’ the consul’s view
	Slew three opposers: Tarquin’s self he met,
	And struck him on his knee: in that day’s feats,	110
	When he might act the woman in the scene,
	He proved best man i’ the field, and for his meed
	Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
	Man-enter’d thus, he waxed like a sea,
	And in the brunt of seventeen battles since	115
	He lurch’d all swords of the garland. For this last,
	Before and in Corioli, let me say,
	I cannot speak him home: he stopp’d the fliers;
	And by his rare example made the coward
	Turn terror into sport: as weeds before	120
	A vessel under sail, so men obey’d
	And fell below his stem: his sword, death’s stamp,
	Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
	He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
	Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter’d	125
	The mortal gate of the city, which he painted
	With shunless destiny; aidless came off,
	And with a sudden reinforcement struck
	Corioli like a planet: now all’s his:
	When, by and by, the din of war gan pierce	130
	His ready sense; then straight his doubled spirit
	Re-quicken’d what in flesh was fatigate,
	And to the battle came he; where he did
	Run reeking o’er the lives of men, as if
	‘Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call’d	135
	Both field and city ours, he never stood
	To ease his breast with panting.
MENENIUS	Worthy man!
First Senator	He cannot but with measure fit the honours
	Which we devise him.	140
COMINIUS	Our spoils he kick’d at,
	And look’d upon things precious as they were
	The common muck of the world: he covets less
	Than misery itself would give; rewards
	His deeds with doing them, and is content	145
	To spend the time to end it.
MENENIUS	He’s right noble:
	Let him be call’d for.
First Senator	Call Coriolanus.
Officer	He doth appear.	150
[Re-enter CORIOLANUS]
MENENIUS	The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased
	To make thee consul.
CORIOLANUS	I do owe them still
	My life and services.
MENENIUS	It then remains	155
	That you do speak to the people.
CORIOLANUS	I do beseech you,
	Let me o’erleap that custom, for I cannot
	Put on the gown, stand naked and entreat them,
	For my wounds’ sake, to give their suffrage: please you	160
	That I may pass this doing.
SICINIUS	Sir, the people
	Must have their voices; neither will they bate
	One jot of ceremony.
MENENIUS	Put them not to’t:	165
	Pray you, go fit you to the custom and
	Take to you, as your predecessors have,
	Your honour with your form.
CORIOLANUS	It is apart
	That I shall blush in acting, and might well	170
	Be taken from the people.
BRUTUS	Mark you that?
CORIOLANUS	To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus;
	Show them the unaching scars which I should hide,
	As if I had received them for the hire	175
	Of their breath only!
MENENIUS	Do not stand upon’t.
	We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,
	Our purpose to them: and to our noble consul
	Wish we all joy and honour.	180
Senators	To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!
[ Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all but SICINIUS and BRUTUS ]
BRUTUS	You see how he intends to use the people.
SICINIUS	May they perceive’s intent! He will require them,
	As if he did contemn what he requested
	Should be in them to give.	185
BRUTUS	Come, we’ll inform them
	Of our proceedings here: on the marketplace,
	I know, they do attend us.
[Exeunt]

Next: Coriolanus, Act 2, Scene 3