ACT II SCENE III

Coriolanus

ACT II SCENE III. The same. The Forum.
[Enter seven or eight Citizens]
First Citizen	Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.
Second Citizen	We may, sir, if we will.
Third Citizen	We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a
	power that we have no power to do; for if he show us
	his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to put our	5
	tongues into those wounds and speak for them; so, if
	he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him
	our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is
	monstrous, and for the multitude to be ingrateful,
	were to make a monster of the multitude: of the	10
	which we being members, should bring ourselves to be
	monstrous members.
First Citizen	And to make us no better thought of, a little help
	will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he
	himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.	15
Third Citizen	We have been called so of many; not that our heads
	are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald,
	but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and
	truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of
	one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south,	20
	and their consent of one direct way should be at
	once to all the points o’ the compass.
Second Citizen	Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would
	fly?
Third Citizen	Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s	25
	will;’tis strongly wedged up in a block-head, but
	if it were at liberty, ‘twould, sure, southward.
Second Citizen	Why that way?
Third Citizen	To lose itself in a fog, where being three parts
	melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return	30
	for conscience sake, to help to get thee a wife.
Second Citizen	You are never without your tricks: you may, you may.
Third Citizen	Are you all resolved to give your voices? But
	that’s no matter, the greater part carries it. I
	say, if he would incline to the people, there was	35
	never a worthier man.
[Enter CORIOLANUS in a gown of humility, with MENENIUS]
	Here he comes, and in the gown of humility: mark his
	behavior. We are not to stay all together, but to
	come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and
	by threes. He’s to make his requests by	40
	particulars; wherein every one of us has a single
	honour, in giving him our own voices with our own
	tongues: therefore follow me, and I direct you how
	you shall go by him.
All	Content, content.	45
[Exeunt Citizens]
MENENIUS	O sir, you are not right: have you not known
	The worthiest men have done’t?
CORIOLANUS	What must I say?
	‘I Pray, sir’–Plague upon’t! I cannot bring
	My tongue to such a pace:–‘Look, sir, my wounds!	50
	I got them in my country’s service, when
	Some certain of your brethren roar’d and ran
	From the noise of our own drums.’
MENENIUS	O me, the gods!
	You must not speak of that: you must desire them	55
	To think upon you.
CORIOLANUS	Think upon me! hang ’em!
	I would they would forget me, like the virtues
	Which our divines lose by ’em.
MENENIUS	You’ll mar all:	60
	I’ll leave you: pray you, speak to ’em, I pray you,
	In wholesome manner.
[Exit]
CORIOLANUS	Bid them wash their faces
	And keep their teeth clean.
[Re-enter two of the Citizens]
	So, here comes a brace.	65
[Re-enter a third Citizen]
	You know the cause, air, of my standing here.
Third Citizen	We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to’t.
CORIOLANUS	Mine own desert.
Second Citizen	Your own desert!
CORIOLANUS	Ay, but not mine own desire.	70
Third Citizen	How not your own desire?
CORIOLANUS	No, sir,’twas never my desire yet to trouble the
	poor with begging.
Third Citizen	You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to
	gain by you.	75
CORIOLANUS	Well then, I pray, your price o’ the consulship?
First Citizen	The price is to ask it kindly.
CORIOLANUS	Kindly! Sir, I pray, let me ha’t: I have wounds to
	show you, which shall be yours in private. Your
	good voice, sir; what say you?	80
Second Citizen	You shall ha’ it, worthy sir.
CORIOLANUS	A match, sir. There’s in all two worthy voices
	begged. I have your alms: adieu.
Third Citizen	But this is something odd.
Second Citizen	An ’twere to give again,–but ’tis no matter.	85
[Exeunt the three Citizens]
[Re-enter two other Citizens]
CORIOLANUS	Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your
	voices that I may be consul, I have here the
	customary gown.
Fourth Citizen	You have deserved nobly of your country, and you
	have not deserved nobly.	90
CORIOLANUS	Your enigma?
Fourth Citizen	You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have
	been a rod to her friends; you have not indeed loved
	the common people.
CORIOLANUS	You should account me the more virtuous that I have	95
	not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my
	sworn brother, the people, to earn a dearer
	estimation of them; ’tis a condition they account
	gentle: and since the wisdom of their choice is
	rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise	100
	the insinuating nod and be off to them most
	counterfeitly; that is, sir, I will counterfeit the
	bewitchment of some popular man and give it
	bountiful to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you,
	I may be consul.	105
Fifth Citizen	We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give
	you our voices heartily.
Fourth Citizen	You have received many wounds for your country.
CORIOLANUS	I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I
	will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further.	110
Both Citizens	The gods give you joy, sir, heartily!
[Exeunt]
CORIOLANUS	Most sweet voices!
	Better it is to die, better to starve,
	Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.
	Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here,	115
	To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear,
	Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to’t:
	What custom wills, in all things should we do’t,
	The dust on antique time would lie unswept,
	And mountainous error be too highly heapt	120
	For truth to o’er-peer. Rather than fool it so,
	Let the high office and the honour go
	To one that would do thus. I am half through;
	The one part suffer’d, the other will I do.
[Re-enter three Citizens more]
	Here come more voices.	125
	Your voices: for your voices I have fought;
	Watch’d for your voices; for Your voices bear
	Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
	I have seen and heard of; for your voices have
	Done many things, some less, some more your voices:	130
	Indeed I would be consul.
Sixth Citizen	He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest
	man’s voice.
Seventh Citizen	Therefore let him be consul: the gods give him joy,
	and make him good friend to the people!	135
All Citizens	Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul!
[Exeunt]
CORIOLANUS	Worthy voices!
[Re-enter MENENIUS, with BRUTUS and SICINIUS]
MENENIUS	You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes
	Endue you with the people’s voice: remains
	That, in the official marks invested, you	140
	Anon do meet the senate.
CORIOLANUS	Is this done?
SICINIUS	The custom of request you have discharged:
	The people do admit you, and are summon’d
	To meet anon, upon your approbation.	145
CORIOLANUS	Where? at the senate-house?
SICINIUS	There, Coriolanus.
CORIOLANUS	May I change these garments?
SICINIUS	You may, sir.
CORIOLANUS	That I’ll straight do; and, knowing myself again,	150
	Repair to the senate-house.
MENENIUS	I’ll keep you company. Will you along?
BRUTUS	We stay here for the people.
SICINIUS	Fare you well.
[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS]
	He has it now, and by his looks methink	155
	‘Tis warm at ‘s heart.
BRUTUS	With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds.
	will you dismiss the people?
[Re-enter Citizens]
SICINIUS	How now, my masters! have you chose this man?
First Citizen	He has our voices, sir.	160
BRUTUS	We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.
Second Citizen	Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice,
	He mock’d us when he begg’d our voices.
Third Citizen	Certainly
	He flouted us downright.	165
First Citizen	No,’tis his kind of speech: he did not mock us.
Second Citizen	Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says
	He used us scornfully: he should have show’d us
	His marks of merit, wounds received for’s country.
SICINIUS	Why, so he did, I am sure.	170
Citizens	No, no; no man saw ’em.
Third Citizen	He said he had wounds, which he could show
	in private;
	And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,
	‘I would be consul,’ says he: ‘aged custom,	175
	But by your voices, will not so permit me;
	Your voices therefore.’ When we granted that,
	Here was ‘I thank you for your voices: thank you:
	Your most sweet voices: now you have left
	your voices,	180
	I have no further with you.’ Was not this mockery?
SICINIUS	Why either were you ignorant to see’t,
	Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
	To yield your voices?
BRUTUS	Could you not have told him	185
	As you were lesson’d, when he had no power,
	But was a petty servant to the state,
	He was your enemy, ever spake against
	Your liberties and the charters that you bear
	I’ the body of the weal; and now, arriving	190
	A place of potency and sway o’ the state,
	If he should still malignantly remain
	Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
	Be curses to yourselves? You should have said
	That as his worthy deeds did claim no less	195
	Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
	Would think upon you for your voices and
	Translate his malice towards you into love,
	Standing your friendly lord.
SICINIUS	Thus to have said,	200
	As you were fore-advised, had touch’d his spirit
	And tried his inclination; from him pluck’d
	Either his gracious promise, which you might,
	As cause had call’d you up, have held him to
	Or else it would have gall’d his surly nature,	205
	Which easily endures not article
	Tying him to aught; so putting him to rage,
	You should have ta’en the advantage of his choler
	And pass’d him unelected.
BRUTUS	Did you perceive	210
	He did solicit you in free contempt
	When he did need your loves, and do you think
	That his contempt shall not be bruising to you,
	When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies
	No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry	215
	Against the rectorship of judgment?
SICINIUS	Have you
	Ere now denied the asker? and now again
	Of him that did not ask, but mock, bestow
	Your sued-for tongues?	220
Third Citizen	He’s not confirm’d; we may deny him yet.
Second Citizen	And will deny him:
	I’ll have five hundred voices of that sound.
First Citizen	I twice five hundred and their friends to piece ’em.
BRUTUS	Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,	225
	They have chose a consul that will from them take
	Their liberties; make them of no more voice
	Than dogs that are as often beat for barking
	As therefore kept to do so.
SICINIUS	Let them assemble,	230
	And on a safer judgment all revoke
	Your ignorant election; enforce his pride,
	And his old hate unto you; besides, forget not
	With what contempt he wore the humble weed,
	How in his suit he scorn’d you; but your loves,	235
	Thinking upon his services, took from you
	The apprehension of his present portance,
	Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
	After the inveterate hate he bears you.
BRUTUS	Lay	240
	A fault on us, your tribunes; that we laboured,
	No impediment between, but that you must
	Cast your election on him.
SICINIUS	Say, you chose him
	More after our commandment than as guided	245
	By your own true affections, and that your minds,
	Preoccupied with what you rather must do
	Than what you should, made you against the grain
	To voice him consul: lay the fault on us.
BRUTUS	Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you.	250
	How youngly he began to serve his country,
	How long continued, and what stock he springs of,
	The noble house o’ the Marcians, from whence came
	That Ancus Marcius, Numa’s daughter’s son,
	Who, after great Hostilius, here was king;	255
	Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
	That our beat water brought by conduits hither;
	And [Censorinus,] nobly named so,
	Twice being [by the people chosen] censor,
	Was his great ancestor.	260
SICINIUS	One thus descended,
	That hath beside well in his person wrought
	To be set high in place, we did commend
	To your remembrances: but you have found,
	Scaling his present bearing with his past,	265
	That he’s your fixed enemy, and revoke
	Your sudden approbation.
BRUTUS	Say, you ne’er had done’t–
	Harp on that still–but by our putting on;
	And presently, when you have drawn your number,	270
	Repair to the Capitol.
All	We will so: almost all
	Repent in their election.
[Exeunt Citizens]
BRUTUS	Let them go on;
	This mutiny were better put in hazard,	275
	Than stay, past doubt, for greater:
	If, as his nature is, he fall in rage
	With their refusal, both observe and answer
	The vantage of his anger.
SICINIUS	To the Capitol, come:	280
	We will be there before the stream o’ the people;
	And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,
	Which we have goaded onward.
[Exeunt]

Next: Coriolanus, Act 3, Scene 1