ACT V SCENE VI

Coriolanus

ACT V SCENE VI. The same. A street near the gate.
[Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, with Attendants]
AUFIDIUS	Go tell the lords o’ the city I am here:
	Deliver them this paper: having read it,
	Bid them repair to the market place; where I,
	Even in theirs and in the commons’ ears,
	Will vouch the truth of it. Him I accuse	5
	The city ports by this hath enter’d and
	Intends to appear before the people, hoping
	To purge herself with words: dispatch.
[Exeunt Attendants]
[Enter three or four Conspirators of AUFIDIUS’ faction]
	Most welcome!
First Conspirator	How is it with our general?	10
AUFIDIUS	Even so
	As with a man by his own alms empoison’d,
	And with his charity slain.
Second Conspirator	Most noble sir,
	If you do hold the same intent wherein	15
	You wish’d us parties, we’ll deliver you
	Of your great danger.
AUFIDIUS	Sir, I cannot tell:
	We must proceed as we do find the people.
Third Conspirator	The people will remain uncertain whilst	20
	‘Twixt you there’s difference; but the fall of either
	Makes the survivor heir of all.
AUFIDIUS	I know it;
	And my pretext to strike at him admits
	A good construction. I raised him, and I pawn’d	25
	Mine honour for his truth: who being so heighten’d,
	He water’d his new plants with dews of flattery,
	Seducing so my friends; and, to this end,
	He bow’d his nature, never known before
	But to be rough, unswayable and free.	30
Third Conspirator	Sir, his stoutness
	When he did stand for consul, which he lost
	By lack of stooping,–
AUFIDIUS	That I would have spoke of:
	Being banish’d for’t, he came unto my hearth;	35
	Presented to my knife his throat: I took him;
	Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way
	In all his own desires; nay, let him choose
	Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,
	My best and freshest men; served his designments	40
	In mine own person; holp to reap the fame
	Which he did end all his; and took some pride
	To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,
	I seem’d his follower, not partner, and
	He waged me with his countenance, as if	45
	I had been mercenary.
First Conspirator	So he did, my lord:
	The army marvell’d at it, and, in the last,
	When he had carried Rome and that we look’d
	For no less spoil than glory,–	50
AUFIDIUS	There was it:
	For which my sinews shall be stretch’d upon him.
	At a few drops of women’s rheum, which are
	As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour
	Of our great action: therefore shall he die,	55
	And I’ll renew me in his fall. But, hark!
[ Drums and trumpets sound, with great shouts of the People ]
First Conspirator	Your native town you enter’d like a post,
	And had no welcomes home: but he returns,
	Splitting the air with noise.
Second Conspirator	And patient fools,	60
	Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear
	With giving him glory.
Third Conspirator	Therefore, at your vantage,
	Ere he express himself, or move the people
	With what he would say, let him feel your sword,	65
	Which we will second. When he lies along,
	After your way his tale pronounced shall bury
	His reasons with his body.
AUFIDIUS	Say no more:
	Here come the lords.	70
[Enter the Lords of the city]
All The Lords	You are most welcome home.
AUFIDIUS	I have not deserved it.
	But, worthy lords, have you with heed perused
	What I have written to you?
Lords	We have.	75
First Lord	And grieve to hear’t.
	What faults he made before the last, I think
	Might have found easy fines: but there to end
	Where he was to begin and give away
	The benefit of our levies, answering us	80
	With our own charge, making a treaty where
	There was a yielding,–this admits no excuse.
AUFIDIUS	He approaches: you shall hear him.
[ Enter CORIOLANUS, marching with drum and colours; commoners being with him ]
CORIOLANUS	Hail, lords! I am return’d your soldier,
	No more infected with my country’s love	85
	Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting
	Under your great command. You are to know
	That prosperously I have attempted and
	With bloody passage led your wars even to
	The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home	90
	Do more than counterpoise a full third part
	The charges of the action. We have made peace
	With no less honour to the Antiates
	Than shame to the Romans: and we here deliver,
	Subscribed by the consuls and patricians,	95
	Together with the seal o’ the senate, what
	We have compounded on.
AUFIDIUS	Read it not, noble lords;
	But tell the traitor, in the high’st degree
	He hath abused your powers.	100
CORIOLANUS	Traitor! how now!
AUFIDIUS	Ay, traitor, Marcius!
CORIOLANUS	Marcius!
AUFIDIUS	Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius: dost thou think
	I’ll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol’n name	105
	Coriolanus in Corioli?
	You lords and heads o’ the state, perfidiously
	He has betray’d your business, and given up,
	For certain drops of salt, your city Rome,
	I say ‘your city,’ to his wife and mother;	110
	Breaking his oath and resolution like
	A twist of rotten silk, never admitting
	Counsel o’ the war, but at his nurse’s tears
	He whined and roar’d away your victory,
	That pages blush’d at him and men of heart	115
	Look’d wondering each at other.
CORIOLANUS	Hear’st thou, Mars?
AUFIDIUS	Name not the god, thou boy of tears!
CORIOLANUS	Ha!
AUFIDIUS	No more.	120
CORIOLANUS	Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart
	Too great for what contains it. Boy! O slave!
	Pardon me, lords, ’tis the first time that ever
	I was forced to scold. Your judgments, my grave lords,
	Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion–	125
	Who wears my stripes impress’d upon him; that
	Must bear my beating to his grave–shall join
	To thrust the lie unto him.
First Lord	Peace, both, and hear me speak.
CORIOLANUS	Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads,	130
	Stain all your edges on me. Boy! false hound!
	If you have writ your annals true, ’tis there,
	That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I
	Flutter’d your Volscians in Corioli:
	Alone I did it. Boy!	135
AUFIDIUS	Why, noble lords,
	Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune,
	Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,
	‘Fore your own eyes and ears?
All Conspirators	Let him die for’t.	140
All The People	‘Tear him to pieces.’ ‘Do it presently.’ ‘He kill’d
	my son.’ ‘My daughter.’ ‘He killed my cousin
	Marcus.’ ‘He killed my father.’
Second Lord	Peace, ho! no outrage: peace!
	The man is noble and his fame folds-in	145
	This orb o’ the earth. His last offences to us
	Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius,
	And trouble not the peace.
CORIOLANUS	O that I had him,
	With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,	150
	To use my lawful sword!
AUFIDIUS	Insolent villain!
All Conspirators	Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!
[ The Conspirators draw, and kill CORIOLANUS: AUFIDIUS stands on his body ]
Lords	Hold, hold, hold, hold!
AUFIDIUS	My noble masters, hear me speak.	155
First Lord	O Tullus,–
Second Lord	Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will weep.
Third Lord	Tread not upon him. Masters all, be quiet;
	Put up your swords.
AUFIDIUS	My lords, when you shall know–as in this rage,	160
	Provoked by him, you cannot–the great danger
	Which this man’s life did owe you, you’ll rejoice
	That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours
	To call me to your senate, I’ll deliver
	Myself your loyal servant, or endure	165
	Your heaviest censure.
First Lord	Bear from hence his body;
	And mourn you for him: let him be regarded
	As the most noble corse that ever herald
	Did follow to his urn.	170
Second Lord	His own impatience
	Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.
	Let’s make the best of it.
AUFIDIUS	My rage is gone;
	And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up.	175
	Help, three o’ the chiefest soldiers; I’ll be one.
	Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully:
	Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he
	Hath widow’d and unchilded many a one,
	Which to this hour bewail the injury,	180
	Yet he shall have a noble memory. Assist.
[ Exeunt, bearing the body of CORIOLANUS. A dead march sounded ]

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