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