The SCENE is partly in Rome; and partly in the Territories of the Volscians and Antiates. SCENE Ι. A Street in Rome. ACT enemy to the people. All. We know 't, we know 't, I. we become rakes': for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? 5 All. Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty. 2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country? 1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give 10 him good report for 't, but that he pays himself with being proud. All. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though soft-con 1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at 15 scienc'd men can be content to say, it was for his our own price. Is 't a verdict? All. No more talking on't; let it be done: away, away. country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. One word, good citizens. 1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the pa-20 tricians, good; What authority surfeits on, would relieve us: If they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved us humanely: but they think, we 2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You inust in no way say, he is covetous. 1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to prating here? to the Capitol- are too dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the 25 The other side o'the city is risen: Why stay we them. Let us revenge this with our pikes, erel 1 Cit. Soft; who comes here? : The whole history is exactly followed, and many of the principal speeches exactly copied from the Life of Coriolanus in Plutarch. * Good is here used in the mercantile sense. 3 Alluding to the proverb, as lean as a rake; which perhaps owes its origin to the thin taper form of the instrument made use of by hay-makers. Dr. Johnson observes, that Rækel, in Islandick, is said to mean a cur-dog, and this was probably the first use among us of the word rake. - As lean as a rake is, therefore, as lean as a dog too worthless to be fed. 1, Enter pray you. 5 2 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the se-10 nate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll shew 'em in deeds. They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they hall know, we have strong arms too. Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours, Will you undo yourselves? 2 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them Against the Roman state; whose course will on The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs Of more strong link asunder, than can ever Appear in your impediment: For the dearth, The gods, not the patricians, make it: and Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack, You are transported by calamity And mutually participate, did minister Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus- To the discontented members, the mutinous parte 15 The 2 Cit. Your belly's answer-What! kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye, The counsellor heart', the arm our soldier, soldier Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter, With other munuments and petty helps In this our fabrick, if that they 20 Men. What then? 'Fore me, this fellow speaks!-what then? what then? Cit. Should bythecormorantbellyberestrain'd, Who is the sink o' the body, 25 Men. Well, what then? 2 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer? Men. I will tell you; If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little) Thither where more attends you; and you slander 30 Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer. The helms o' the state, who care for youlike fathers, 2 Cit. You are long about it. When you curse them as enemies. 2 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed! They Men. Note me this, good friend; ne'er car'd for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer'd: their store-houses cramm'd with grain; make 35" True is it, my incorporate friends," quoth he, edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act established against therich; and "That I receive the general food at first, 40" I send it through the rivers of your blood, 2 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir; yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver. brain; "And, through the cranks and offices of man, 45" From me receive that natural competency Men. "Though all at once cannot Men. There was a time, when all the body's 50" See what I do deliver out to each; "Yet I can make my audit up, that all struments Did see, and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, 2 Cit. It was an answer: How apply you this? 55 Men. The senators of Rome are this good belly, And you the mutinous members: For examine Their counsels, and their cares; digest things rightly, To scale is to disperse. The word is still used in the North. The meaning is, Though some of you have heard the story, I will spread it yet wider, and diffuse it among the rest. 2 Disgraces are hardships, injuries. Where for whereas. * i.e. with a smile not indicating pleasure, but contempt. i.e, exactly. The heart was anciently esteemed the seat of prudence. Seat for throne. : Touching Beneath abhorring. What would have, you curs, Win upon power, and throw forth greater themes That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you, 25 For insurrection's arguing. The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you, Men. This is strange. Mar. Go, get you home, you fragments! Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; 30 Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is, And call him noble, that was now your hate, 1 Sen. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately The Volces are in arıms. [told us; Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to't. Him vile, that was your garland. What's the matter, 40 Mar. They have a leader, That in these several places of the city You cry against the noble senate, who, Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else Would feed on one another? - What's their seek Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, ing? The city is well stor'd. Mar. Hang'em! They say? [they say, They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know What's done i the Capitol: who's like to rise, Who thrives, and who declines: side factions, and And feebling such as stand not in their liking, I sin in envying his nobility: And were I any thing but what I am, 45 Com. You have fought together. 50 [and he Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears, 1 Sen. Then, worthy Marcius, Below their cobbled shoes. They say, there's grain 55 Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face: give out Conjectural marriages; making parties strong, And I am constant.-Titus Lartius, thou What, art thou stiff? stand'st out? Tit. No, Caius Marcius; I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere stay behind this business. Would the nobility lay aside their ruth', [enough! And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high As I could pitch + my lance. 1 The meaning is, Thou art a hound, or running dog of the lowest breed, lead'st the pack, when any thing is to be gotten. 2 Bale is an old Saxon word for misery or calamity. 3 i. e. their pity, compassion. * The old copy reads-picke my lance; and so the word is still pronounced in Staffordshire, where they say-picke me such a thing, that is, throw any thing that the demander wants. Meaning, To give the final blow to the nobles. Generosity is high birth. viz. that the Volces are in arms. Men. Z z That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome 5 "They have press'd a power, but it is not known Citizens steal away. Manent Sicinius, and Brutus. 15 [ple, Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the peo- Bru. Being mov'd, he will 1 Sen. Our army's in the field: We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready To answer us. Auf. Nor did you think it folly, To keep your great pretences veil'd, 'till when [gods. 20 They needs must shew themselves; which in the Sic. Nay, but his taunts. Beingmov not spare to gird the Sic. Be-mock the modest moon. Bru. The present wars devour him Too proud to be so valiant. Sic. Such a nature, Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Bru. Fame, at the which he aims,- Sic. Besides, if things go well, Bru. Come: To Marcius shall be honours, though indeed, hatching, It seem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery, 25 Should know we were afoot. 2 Sen. Noble Aufidius, Take your commission; hie you to your bands; If they set down before us, for the remove I speak from certainties. Nay, more, All. The gods assist you! 40 Auf. And keep your honours safe! 1 Sen. Farewell. SCENE III. Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius, 2 Sen. Farewell. All. Farewell. 45 Sic. Let's hence, and hear How the dispatch is made; and in what fashion, Upon this present action. SCENE More than his singularity, he goes Bru. Let's along. II. The Senate-House in Corioli. [Exeunt, Caius Marcius' House in Rome. Enter Volumnia, and Virgilia: They sit down on two low stools, and serv. Vol. I pray you, daughter, sing; or express [Exeunt. 50 yourself in a more comfortable sort: If my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honour, than in the embracements of his bed, where he would shew most love. When yet he was but tender-body'd, and 55 the only son of my womb; when youth with comeliness pluck'd all gaze his way; when, for a day of king's entreaties, a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding; I, considering how honour would become such a person; that it Enter Tullus Aufidius, with Senators. 1 Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels, And know how we proceed. Auf. Is it not yours? What ever hath been thought on in this state, Me To sneer, to gibe. 2 The sense is, that the present wars annihilate his gentler qualities. rits and demerits had anciently the same meaning. 4 i. e. We will learn what he is to do, besides going himself; what are his powers, and what is his appointment. That is, If the Romans besiege us, bring up your army to remove them. was was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir, was pleas'd to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame. To a cruel war I sent him; from whence he re let it go again; and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again; catch'd it again: or whether his fall enrag'd him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth, and tear it; O, I warrant, turned, his brows bound with oak: I tell thee, 5 how he mammock'd it! daughter,-I sprang not more in joy at first hear ing he was a man-child, than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man. Vir. But had he died in the business, madam; how then? Vol. One of his father's moods. Val. Indeed la, 'tis a noble child. Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery; I must 10 have you play the idle huswife with me this after noon. Vol. Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely:-Had I a dozen sons, -each in my love alike, and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, -I had rather had eleven die 15 Vol. She shall, she shall. Vir. No, good madam; I will not out of doors. nobly for their country, than one voluptuously surfeit out of action. Enter a Gentlerwoman. Gent. Madam, the lady Valeria is come to visit you. Val. Not out of doors! Vir. Indeed, no, by your patience: I will not over the threshold, 'till my lord return from the wars. Val. Fie, you confine yourself most unreason[self. 20 ably: Come, you must go visit the good lady Vir. 'Beseech you, give me leave to retire my- Methinks, I hither hear your husband's drum; Vir. His bloody brow! O, Jupiter, no blood! Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius! Enter Valeria, with an Usher, anda Gentlewoman. Vir. I am glad to see your ladyship. son? Vir. I thank your ladyship; well, good madam. Vol. He had rather see the swords, and hear a drum, Than look upon his school-master. that lies in. Val. You would be another Penelope: yet, they say, all the yarn, she spun in Ulysses' absence, did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come; 301 would, your cambrick were sensible as your finger, that you might leave pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us. Vir. No, good madam, pardon me; indeed, I will not forth. 35 Val. In truth la, go with me; and I'll tell you Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet. news from him last night. 40 Vir. Indeed, madam? Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak it. Thus it is: -The Volces have an army torth; against whom Cominius the general is gon, with one part of our Roman power: your lord 45 and Titus Lartius are set down before their city Corioli; they nothing doubt prevailing, and to make it brief wars. This is true, on mine hcnour; and so, I pray, go with us. Vir. Give me excuse, good madam; I will 50 obey you in every thing hereafter. Vol. Let her alone, lady; as she is now, she will but disease our better mirth. Val. In troth, I think, she would :-Fare you well then.-Come, good sweet lady.-Pr'ythee, Val. O' my word, the father's son: I'll swear, 55 Virgilia, turn thy solemnness out o' door, and go 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I look'd upon him o' Wednesday half an hour together: he has such a confirm'd countenance. I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he along with us. Vir. No: at a word, madam; indeed, I must not. I wish you much mirth. Val. Well, then farewell. [Exeunt. • The crown given by the Romans to him that saved the life of a citizen, and was accounted more honourable than any other. 2 Gilt is an obsolete word, meaning a superficial display of gold, * To mammock is a phrase still used in Staffordshire, and implies to cut in pieces, or to tear. signifies a boy child. |