ACT IV.
Scene I. Rome. Before a gate of the city.
Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, Cominius, with the young Nobility of Rome.[3414]
With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? you were used
To say extremity was the trier of spirits;[3415]
That common chances common men could bear;[3416] 5
That when the sea was calm all boats alike
Show'd mastership in floating; fortune's blows,[3417]
When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves[3417][3418][3419]
A noble cunning: you were used to load me[3419][3420]
With precepts that would make invincible 10
The heart that conn'd them.
I shall be loved when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, 15
Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,
Six of his labours you'ld have done, and saved
Your husband so much sweat. Cominius,
Droop not; adieu. Farewell, my wife, my mother: 20
I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are salter than a younger man's,
And venomous to thine eyes. My sometime general,
I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld[3422]
Heart-hardening spectacles; tell these sad women, 25
'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,
As 'tis to laugh at 'em. My mother, you wot well[3423]
My hazards still have been your solace: and
Believe 't not lightly—though I go alone,
Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen[3424] 30
Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen—your son
Will or exceed the common, or be caught[3425]
With cautelous baits and practice.
Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius[3427]
With thee awhile: determine on some course,[3428] 35
More than a wild exposture to each chance[3429]
That starts i' the way before thee.
Where thou shalt rest, that thou mayst hear of us
And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth 40
A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send
O'er the vast world to seek a single man,
And lose advantage, which doth ever cool
I' the absence of the needer.[3431]
Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full[3432] 45
Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one[3433]
That's yet unbruised: bring me but out at gate.
Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch, when I am forth,
Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come. 50
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me still, and never of me aught
But what is like me formerly.
As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep.
If I could shake off but one seven years 55
From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,
I'ld with thee every foot.
Come. [Exeunt.[3434]
Scene II. The same. A street near the gate.[3435]
Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus, with the Ædile.
The nobility are vex'd, whom we see have sided[3436]
In his behalf.
Let us seem humbler after it is done
Than when it was a-doing.
Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.[3439]
Nay, and you shall hear some. [To Brutus] Will you be gone?[3444]
To say so to my husband.[3446][3447]
Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome[3448]
Than thou hast spoken words?[3449]
And for Rome's good. I'll tell thee what; yet go:[3451]
Nay, but thou shalt stay too: I would my son
Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,
His good sword in his hand.
As he began, and not unknit himself
The noble knot he made.[3454]
Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth[3455]
As I can of those mysteries which heaven 35
Will not have earth to know.
You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this:[3457]
As far as doth the Capitol exceed
The meanest house in Rome, so far my son— 40
This lady's husband here, this, do you see?—
Whom you have banish'd, does exceed you all.
With one that wants her wits?
[Exeunt Tribunes.[3459]
But to confirm my curses! Could I meet 'em[3461]
But once a-day, it would unclog my heart
Of what lies heavy to 't.
[Exeunt Vol. and Vir.[3468]
Scene III. A highway between Rome and Antium.
Enter a Roman and a Volsce, meeting.[3470]
name, I think, is Adrian.
your favour is well appeared by your tongue. What's the[3474]
news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian state, to 10
find you out there: you have well saved me a day's journey.[3475]
the people against the senators, patricians and nobles.
not so: they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope 15
to come upon them in the heat of their division.
would make it flame again: for the nobles receive so to
heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus, that they
are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the people and 20
to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing,
I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent
breaking out.
Nicanor.
it said, the fittest time to corrupt a man's wife is when she's
fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius 30
will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus,[3478]
being now in no request of his country.
accidentally to encounter you: you have ended my business,
and I will merrily accompany you home. 35
strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their
adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?
charges, distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, 40
and to be on foot at an hour's warning.
the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So,
sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.
cause to be glad of yours.
Scene IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's house.[3480]
Enter Coriolanus in mean apparel, disguised and muffled.
Enter a Citizen.[3483]
[Exit Citizen.
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,[3486]
Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal and exercise[3487]
Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love[3488] 15
Unseparable, shall within this hour,
On a dissension of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity: so, fellest foes,
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their sleep
To take the one the other, by some chance, 20
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends
And interjoin their issues. So with me:
My birth-place hate I, and my love's upon[3489]
This enemy town. I'll enter: if he slay me,[3490]
He does fair justice; if he give me way, 25
I'll do his country service. [Exit.
Scene V. The same. A hall in Aufidius's house.[3491]
Music within. Enter a Servingman.
I think our fellows are asleep. [Exit.[3492]
Enter another Servingman.
Cotus! [Exit.
Enter Coriolanus.
Re-enter the first Servingman.[3497]
you? Here's no place for you: pray, go to the door. [Exit.[3498]
Re-enter second Servingman.[3500]
eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions?
Pray, get you out.
with anon.[3502]
Enter a third Servingman. The first meets him.[3503]
get him out o' the house: prithee, call my master to him.
[Retires.[3505]
you, avoid the house.
other station; here's no place for you; pray you, avoid: 30
come.[3506]
[Pushes him away from him.
master what a strange guest he has here.
ass it is! Then thou dwell'st with daws too?[3510]
Enter Aufidius with the second Servingman.[3513]
but for disturbing the lords within. [Retires.[3514]
Why speak'st not? speak, man: what's thy name?[3516]
Not yet thou knowest me, and, seeing me, dost not[3518]
Think me for the man I am, necessity[3518][3519] 55
Commands me name myself.[3518][3520]
And harsh in sound to thine.
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in 't; though thy tackle's torn,[3522] 60
Thou show'st a noble vessel: what's thy name?
To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces, 65
Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may
My surname, Coriolanus: the painful service,
The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood
Shed for my thankless country, are requited[3525]
But with that surname; a good memory,[3526] 70
And witness of the malice and displeasure
Which thou shouldst bear me: only that name remains:[3527]
The cruelty and envy of the people,[3528]
Permitted by our dastard nobles, who
Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest; 75
And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be
Whoop'd out of Rome. Now, this extremity[3529]
Hath brought me to thy hearth: not out of hope—
Mistake me not—to save my life, for if
I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world 80
I would have 'voided thee; but in mere spite,[3530]
To be full quit of those my banishers,
Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast
A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge[3531]
Thine own particular wrongs and stop those maims[3532] 85
Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee straight,[3532]
And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it
That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee; for I will fight
Against my canker'd country with the spleen 90
Of all the under fiends. But if so be
Thou darest not this and that to prove more fortunes
Thou'rt tired, then, in a word, I also am[3533]
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice; 95
Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,[3534]
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless
It be to do thee service.
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart[3536]
A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter[3537]
Should from yond cloud speak divine things,[3538]
And say 'Tis true,' I'ld not believe them more[3539]
Than thee, all noble Marcius. Let me twine[3540] 105
Mine arms about that body, where against[3541]
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scarr'd the moon with splinters: here I clip[3542]
The anvil of my sword, and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love 110
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,[3543]
I loved the maid I married; never man[3543]
Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here,
Thou noble thing! more dances my rapt heart 115
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell thee,[3544]
We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for't: thou hast beat me out[3545] 120
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me;
We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat;
And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Marcius, 125
Had we no quarrel else to Rome but that[3546]
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy, and pouring war
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,
Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O, come, go in,[3547] 130
And take our friendly senators by the hands,
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepared against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.
The leading of thine own revenges, take
The one half of my commission, and set down—[3548]
As best thou art experienced, since thou know'st
Thy country's strength and weakness—thine own ways;
Whether to knock against the gates of Rome, 140
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in:[3549]
Let me commend thee first to those that shall[3550]
Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes!
And more a friend than e'er an enemy; 145
Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand: most welcome!
[Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius. The two Servingmen come forward.[3551]