Act IVScene VI
Rome. A public place
Enter the two Tribunes. Sicinius and Brutus.
Sicinius
We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.His remedies are tame—the present peace,And quietness of the people, which beforeWere in wild hurry. Here do we make his friendsBlush that the world goes well, who rather had,Though they themselves did suffer by’t, beholdDissentious numbers pest’ring streets than seeOur tradesmen singing in their shops and goingAbout their functions friendly.
Brutus
We stood to’t in good time.
Enter Menenius.
Is this Menenius?
Sicinius
’Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kindOf late.—Hail, sir!
Menenius
Hail to you both.
Sicinius
Your Coriolanus is not much missedBut with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,And so would do were he more angry at it.
Menenius
All’s well, and might have been much better ifHe could have temporized.
Sicinius
Where is he, hear you?
Menenius
Nay, I hear nothing;His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.
Enter three or four Citizens.
All Citizens
The gods preserve you both!
Sicinius
Good e’en, our neighbours.
Brutus
Good e’en to you all, good e’en to you all.
First Citizen
Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our kneesAre bound to pray for you both.
Sicinius
Live and thrive!
Brutus
Farewell, kind neighbours. We wished CoriolanusHad loved you as we did.
Citizens
Now the gods keep you!
Both Tribunes
Farewell, farewell.
Exeunt Citizens.
Sicinius
This is a happier and more comely timeThan when these fellows ran about the streetsCrying confusion.
Brutus
Caius Martius wasA worthy officer i’ th’ war, but insolent,O’ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinkingSelf-loving.
Sicinius
And affecting one sole throne, without assistance.
Menenius
I think not so.
Sicinius
We should by this, to all our lamentation,If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
Brutus
The gods have well prevented it, and RomeSits safe and still without him.
Enter an Aedile.
Aedile
Worthy tribunes,There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,Reports the Volsces with two several powersAre entered in the Roman territories,And with the deepest malice of the warDestroy what lies before ’em.
Menenius
’Tis Aufidius,Who, hearing of our Martius’ banishment,Thrusts forth his horns again into the world,Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome,And durst not once peep out.
Sicinius
Come, what talk you of Martius?
Brutus
Go see this rumourer whipped. It cannot beThe Volsces dare break with us.
Menenius
Cannot be?We have record that very well it can,And three examples of the like hath beenWithin my age. But reason with the fellowBefore you punish him, where he heard this,Lest you shall chance to whip your informationAnd beat the messenger who bids bewareOf what is to be dreaded.
Sicinius
Tell not me.I know this cannot be.
Brutus
Not possible.
Enter a Messenger.
Messenger
The nobles in great earnestness are goingAll to the Senate House. Some news is comingThat turns their countenances.
Sicinius
’Tis this slave—Go whip him ’fore the people’s eyes—his raising,Nothing but his report.
Messenger
Yes, worthy sir,The slave’s report is seconded, and more,More fearful, is delivered.
Sicinius
What more fearful?
Messenger
It is spoke freely out of many mouths—How probable I do not know—that Martius,Joined with Aufidius, leads a power ’gainst RomeAnd vows revenge as spacious as betweenThe young’st and oldest thing.
Sicinius
This is most likely!
Brutus
Raised only that the weaker sort may wishGood Martius home again.
Sicinius
The very trick on ’t.
Menenius
This is unlikely;He and Aufidius can no more atoneThan violent’st contrariety.
Enter a Second Messenger.
Second Messenger
You are sent for to the Senate.A fearful army, led by Caius MartiusAssociated with Aufidius, ragesUpon our territories, and have alreadyO’erborne their way, consumed with fire and tookWhat lay before them.
Enter Cominius.
Cominius
O, you have made good work!
Menenius
What news? What news?
Cominius
You have holp to ravish your own daughters andTo melt the city leads upon your pates,To see your wives dishonoured to your noses—
Menenius
What’s the news? What’s the news?
Cominius
Your temples burned in their cement, andYour franchises, whereon you stood, confinedInto an auger’s bore.
Menenius
Pray now, your news?—You have made fair work, I fear me.—Pray, your news?If Martius should be joined with Volscians—
Cominius
If?He is their god; he leads them like a thingMade by some other deity than Nature,That shapes man better; and they follow himAgainst us brats with no less confidenceThan boys pursuing summer butterfliesOr butchers killing flies.
Menenius
You have made good work,You and your apron-men, you that stood so muchUpon the voice of occupation andThe breath of garlic eaters!
Cominius
He’ll shake your Rome about your ears.
Menenius
As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit.You have made fair work.
Brutus
But is this true, sir?
Cominius
Ay, and you’ll look paleBefore you find it other. All the regionsDo smilingly revolt, and who resistsAre mocked for valiant ignoranceAnd perish constant fools. Who is’t can blame him?Your enemies and his find something in him.
Menenius
We are all undone unlessThe noble man have mercy.
Cominius
Who shall ask it?The Tribunes cannot do’t for shame; the peopleDeserve such pity of him as the wolfDoes of the shepherds. For his best friends, if theyShould say “Be good to Rome,” they charged him evenAs those should do that had deserved his hateAnd therein showed like enemies.
Menenius
’Tis true.If he were putting to my house the brandThat should consume it, I have not the faceTo say “Beseech you, cease.”—You have made fair hands,You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!
Cominius
You have broughtA trembling upon Rome such as was neverS’ incapable of help.
Tribunes
Say not we brought it.
Menenius
How? Was it we? We loved him, but like beastsAnd cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,Who did hoot him out o’ th’ city.
Cominius
But I fearThey’ll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,The second name of men, obeys his pointsAs if he were his officer. DesperationIs all the policy, strength, and defenceThat Rome can make against them.
Enter a troop of Citizens.
Menenius
Here comes the clusters.—And is Aufidius with him? You are theyThat made the air unwholesome when you castYour stinking, greasy caps in hooting atCoriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming,And not a hair upon a soldier’s headWhich will not prove a whip. As many coxcombsAs you threw caps up will he tumble downAnd pay you for your voices. ’Tis no matter.If he could burn us all into one coalWe have deserved it.
All Citizens
Faith, we hear fearful news.
First Citizen
For mine own part,When I said banish him, I said ’twas pity.
Second Citizen
And so did I.
Third Citizen
And so did I. And, to say the truth, so did very many of us. That we did we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.
Cominius
You are goodly things, you voices!
Menenius
You have made good work, you and your cry!—Shall’s to the Capitol?
Cominius
O, ay, what else?
Exeunt Cominius and Menenius.
Sicinius
Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.These are a side that would be glad to haveThis true which they so seem to fear. Go home,And show no sign of fear.
First Citizen
The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let’s home. I ever said we were i’ th’ wrong when we banished him.
Second Citizen
So did we all. But, come, let’s home.
Exeunt Citizens.
Brutus
I do not like this news.
Sicinius
Nor I.
Brutus
Let’s to the Capitol. Would half my wealthWould buy this for a lie!
Sicinius
Pray let’s go.
Exeunt.