Act IIScene III
Rome. 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 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 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.
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, and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o’ th’ 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 will; ’tis strongly wedged up in a blockhead. 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 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 never a worthier man.
Enter Coriolanus in a gown of humility, with Menenius.
Here he comes, and in the gown of humility. Mark his behaviour. 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 particulars, wherein everyone of us has a single honour in giving him our own voices with our own tongues. Therefore follow me, and I’ll direct you how you shall go by him.
All
Content, content.
Exeunt.
Menenius
O sir, you are not right. Have you not knownThe worthiest men have done’t?
Coriolanus
What must I say?“I pray, sir”—plague upon’t! I cannot bringMy tongue to such a pace. “Look, sir, my wounds!I got them in my country’s service whenSome certain of your brethren roared and ranFrom th’ noise of our own drums.”
Menenius
O me, the gods!You must not speak of that. You must desire themTo think upon you.
Coriolanus
Think upon me! Hang ’em!I would they would forget me, like the virtuesWhich our divines lose by ’em.
Menenius
You’ll mar all.I’ll leave you. Pray you speak to ’em, I pray you,In wholesome manner.
Exit Menenius.
Coriolanus
Bid them wash their facesAnd keep their teeth clean.
Enter three of the Citizens.
So, here comes a brace.You know the cause, sirs, 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.
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 anything, we hope to gain by you.
Coriolanus
Well then, I pray, your price o’ th’ 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?
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.
Exeunt two citizens.
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.
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 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 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.
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 farther.
Both Citizens
The gods give you joy, sir, heartily.
Exeunt citizens.
Coriolanus
Most sweet voices!Better it is to die, better to starve,Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.Why in this wolvish toge should I stand hereTo beg of Hob and Dick that does appearTheir needless vouches? Custom calls me to’t.What custom wills, in all things should we do’t?The dust on antique time would lie unsweptAnd mountainous error be too highly heapedFor truth to o’erpeer. Rather than fool it so,Let the high office and the honour goTo one that would do thus. I am half through;The one part suffered, the other will I do.
Enter three Citizens more.
Here come more voices.Your voices! For your voices I have fought;Watched for your voices; for your voices bearOf wounds two dozen odd. Battles thrice sixI have seen and heard of; for your voices haveDone many things, some less, some more. Your voices!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!
All Three Citizens
Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul.
Exeunt citizens.
Coriolanus
Worthy voices!
Enter Menenius with Brutus and Sicinius.
Menenius
You have stood your limitation, and the TribunesEndue you with the people’s voice. RemainsThat in th’ official marks invested, youAnon do meet the Senate.
Coriolanus
Is this done?
Sicinius
The custom of request you have discharged.The people do admit you, and are summonedTo meet anon upon your approbation.
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,Repair to th’ 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, methinks,’Tis warm at his heart.
Brutus
With a proud heart he woreHis humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people?
Enter the Pebleians.
Sicinius
How now, my masters, have you chose this man?
First Citizen
He has our voices, sir.
Brutus
We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.
Second Citizen
Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice,He mocked us when he begged our voices.
Third Citizen
Certainly, he flouted us downright.
First Citizen
No, ’tis his kind of speech. He did not mock us.
Second Citizen
Not one amongst us, save yourself, but saysHe used us scornfully. He should have showed usHis marks of merit, wounds received for’s country.
Sicinius
Why, so he did, I am sure.
All
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,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,I have no further with you.” Was not this mockery?
Sicinius
Why either were you ignorant to see’tOr, seeing it, of such childish friendlinessTo yield your voices?
Brutus
Could you not have told himAs you were lessoned? When he had no power,But was a petty servant to the state,He was your enemy, ever spake againstYour liberties and the charters that you bearI’ th’ body of the weal; and, now arrivingA place of potency and sway o’ th’ state,If he should still malignantly remainFast foe to th’ plebeii, your voices mightBe curses to yourselves. You should have saidThat as his worthy deeds did claim no lessThan what he stood for, so his gracious natureWould think upon you for your voices, andTranslate his malice towards you into love,Standing your friendly lord.
Sicinius
Thus to have said,As you were fore-advised, had touched his spiritAnd tried his inclination; from him pluckedEither his gracious promise, which you might,As cause had called you up, have held him to;Or else it would have galled his surly nature,Which easily endures not articleTying him to aught. So putting him to rage,You should have ta’en th’ advantage of his cholerAnd passed him unelected.
Brutus
Did you perceiveHe did solicit you in free contemptWhen he did need your loves, and do you thinkThat his contempt shall not be bruising to youWhen he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodiesNo heart among you? Or had you tongues to cryAgainst the rectorship of judgment?
Sicinius
Have you ere now denied the asker, and nowAgain, of him that did not ask but mock,Bestow your sued-for tongues?
Third Citizen
He’s not confirmed.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 friendsThey have chose a consul that will from them takeTheir liberties, make them of no more voiceThan dogs that are as often beat for barkingAs therefore kept to do so.
Sicinius
Let them assembleAnd, on a safer judgment, all revokeYour ignorant election. Enforce his prideAnd his old hate unto you. Besides, forget notWith what contempt he wore the humble weed,How in his suit he scorned you; but your loves,Thinking upon his services, took from youTh’ apprehension of his present portance,Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashionAfter the inveterate hate he bears you.
Brutus
LayA fault on us, your tribunes, that we laboured,No impediment between, but that you mustCast your election on him.
Sicinius
Say you chose himMore after our commandment than as guidedBy your own true affections, and that your minds,Preoccupied with what you rather must doThan what you should, made you against the grainTo voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.
Brutus
Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you,How youngly he began to serve his country,How long continued, and what stock he springs of,The noble house o’ th’ Martians, from whence cameThat Ancus Martius, Numa’s daughter’s son,Who, after great Hostilius here was king,Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,That our best water brought by conduits hither;And Censorinus, that was so surnamed,And nobly named so, twice being censor,Was his great ancestor.
Sicinius
One thus descended,That hath beside well in his person wroughtTo be set high in place, we did commendTo your remembrances; but you have found,Scaling his present bearing with his past,That he’s your fixed enemy, and revokeYour 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,Repair to th’ Capitol.
All
We will so. Almost allRepent in their election.
Exeunt Plebeians.
Brutus
Let them go on.This mutiny were better put in hazardThan stay, past doubt, for greater.If, as his nature is, he fall in rageWith their refusal, both observe and answerThe vantage of his anger.
Sicinius
To th’ Capitol, come.We will be there before the stream o’ th’ people,And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,Which we have goaded onward.
Exeunt.