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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