Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 2
The same. The Capitol.
First Officer : Come, come, they are almost here. How many stand
[p]for consulships?
Second Officer : Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one
[p]Coriolanus will
carry it.
First Officer : That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and
[p]loves not the
common people.
Second Officer : Faith, there had been many great men that have
[p]flattered the
people, who ne'er loved them; and there
[p]be many that they have
loved, they know not
[p]wherefore: so that, if they love they know not
why,
[p]they hate upon no better a ground: therefore,
for
[p]Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate
[p]him
manifests the true knowledge he has in their
[p]disposition; and out
of his noble carelessness lets
[p]them plainly see't.
First Officer : If he did not care whether he had their love or no,
[p]he waved
indifferently 'twixt doing them neither
[p]good nor harm: but he seeks
their hate with greater
[p]devotion than can render it him; and
leaves
[p]nothing undone that may fully discover him
their
[p]opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice
and
[p]displeasure of the people is as bad as that which
he
[p]dislikes, to flatter them for their love.
Second Officer : He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his
[p]ascent is not by
such easy degrees as those who,
[p]having been supple and courteous to
the people,
[p]bonneted, without any further deed to have them
at
[p]an into their estimation and report: but he hath so
[p]planted
his honours in their eyes, and his actions
[p]in their hearts, that
for their tongues to be
[p]silent, and not confess so much, were a
kind of
[p]ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a
[p]malice,
that, giving itself the lie, would pluck
[p]reproof and rebuke from
every ear that heard it.
First Officer : No more of him; he is a worthy man: make way, they
[p]are
coming.
[p][A sennet. Enter, with actors before them, COMINIUS]
[p]the
consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators,
[p]SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The
Senators take their
[p]places; the Tribunes take their Places
by
[p]themselves. CORIOLANUS stands]
Menenius Agrippa : Having determined of the Volsces and
[p]To send for Titus TITUS, it
remains,
[p]As the main point of this our after-meeting,
[p]To gratify
his noble service that
[p]Hath thus stood for his country:
therefore,
[p]please you,
[p]Most reverend and grave elders, to
desire
[p]The present consul, and last general
[p]In our well-found
successes, to report
[p]A little of that worthy work perform'd
[p]By
Caius CORIOLANUS Coriolanus, whom
[p]We met here both to thank and to
remember
[p]With honours like himself.
First Senator : Speak, good Cominius:
[p]Leave nothing out for length, and make us
think
[p]Rather our state's defective for requital
[p]Than we to
stretch it out.
[p][To the Tribunes]
[p]Masters o' the people,
[p]We
do request your kindest ears, and after,
[p]Your loving motion toward
the common body,
[p]To yield what passes here.
Sicinius Velutus : We are convented
[p]Upon a pleasing treaty, and have
hearts
[p]Inclinable to honour and advance
[p]The theme of our
assembly.
Junius Brutus : Which the rather
[p]We shall be blest to do, if he remember
[p]A
kinder value of the people than
[p]He hath hereto prized them at.
Menenius Agrippa : That's off, that's off;
[p]I would you rather had been silent. Please
you
[p]To hear Cominius speak?
Junius Brutus : Most willingly;
[p]But yet my caution was more pertinent
[p]Than the
rebuke you give it.
Menenius Agrippa : He loves your people
[p]But tie him not to be their
bedfellow.
[p]Worthy Cominius, speak.
[p][CORIOLANUS offers to go
away]
[p]Nay, keep your place.
First Senator : Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear
[p]What you have nobly done.
Coriolanus : Your horror's pardon:
[p]I had rather have my wounds to heal
again
[p]Than hear say how I got them.
Junius Brutus : Sir, I hope
[p]My words disbench'd you not.
Coriolanus : No, sir: yet oft,
[p]When blows have made me stay, I fled from
words.
[p]You soothed not, therefore hurt not: but
[p]your
people,
[p]I love them as they weigh.
Menenius Agrippa : Pray now, sit down.
Coriolanus : I had rather have one scratch my head i' the sun
[p]When the alarum
were struck than idly sit
[p]To hear my nothings monster'd.
Menenius Agrippa : Masters of the people,
[p]Your multiplying spawn how can he
flatter--
[p]That's thousand to one good one--when you now see
[p]He
had rather venture all his limbs for honour
[p]Than one on's ears to
hear it? Proceed, Cominius.
Cominius : I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
[p]Should not be utter'd
feebly. It is held
[p]That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
[p]Most
dignifies the haver: if it be,
[p]The man I speak of cannot in the
world
[p]Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,
[p]When Tarquin
made a head for Rome, he fought
[p]Beyond the mark of others: our then
dictator,
[p]Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
[p]When
with his Amazonian chin he drove
[p]The bristled lips before him: be
bestrid
[p]An o'er-press'd Roman and i' the consul's view
[p]Slew
three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
[p]And struck him on his knee:
in that day's feats,
[p]When he might act the woman in the
scene,
[p]He proved best man i' the field, and for his meed
[p]Was
brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
[p]Man-enter'd thus, he waxed
like a sea,
[p]And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
[p]He
lurch'd all swords of the garland. For this last,
[p]Before and in
Corioli, let me say,
[p]I cannot speak him home: he stopp'd the
fliers;
[p]And by his rare example made the coward
[p]Turn terror into
sport: as weeds before
[p]A vessel under sail, so men obey'd
[p]And
fell below his stem: his sword, death's stamp,
[p]Where it did mark,
it took; from face to foot
[p]He was a thing of blood, whose every
motion
[p]Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd
[p]The mortal
gate of the city, which he painted
[p]With shunless destiny; aidless
came off,
[p]And with a sudden reinforcement struck
[p]Corioli like a
planet: now all's his:
[p]When, by and by, the din of war gan
pierce
[p]His ready sense; then straight his doubled
spirit
[p]Re-quicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,
[p]And to the
battle came he; where he did
[p]Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as
if
[p]'Twere a perpetual spoil: and till we call'd
[p]Both field and
city ours, he never stood
[p]To ease his breast with panting.
Menenius Agrippa : Worthy man!
First Senator : He cannot but with measure fit the honours
[p]Which we devise him.
Cominius : Our spoils he kick'd at,
[p]And look'd upon things precious as they
were
[p]The common muck of the world: he covets less
[p]Than misery
itself would give; rewards
[p]His deeds with doing them, and is
content
[p]To spend the time to end it.
Menenius Agrippa : He's right noble:
[p]Let him be call'd for.
First Senator : Call Coriolanus.
Officer : He doth appear.
Menenius Agrippa : The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased
[p]To make thee consul.
Coriolanus : I do owe them still
[p]My life and services.
Menenius Agrippa : It then remains
[p]That you do speak to the people.
Coriolanus : I do beseech you,
[p]Let me o'erleap that custom, for I cannot
[p]Put
on the gown, stand naked and entreat them,
[p]For my wounds' sake, to
give their suffrage: please you
[p]That I may pass this doing.
Sicinius Velutus : Sir, the people
[p]Must have their voices; neither will they
bate
[p]One jot of ceremony.
Menenius Agrippa : Put them not to't:
[p]Pray you, go fit you to the custom and
[p]Take
to you, as your predecessors have,
[p]Your honour with your form.
Coriolanus : It is apart
[p]That I shall blush in acting, and might well
[p]Be
taken from the people.
Junius Brutus : Mark you that?
Coriolanus : To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus;
[p]Show them the unaching
scars which I should hide,
[p]As if I had received them for the
hire
[p]Of their breath only!
Menenius Agrippa : Do not stand upon't.
[p]We recommend to you, tribunes of the
people,
[p]Our purpose to them: and to our noble consul
[p]Wish we all
joy and honour.Senators. To Coriolanus come all joy and
honour!
[p][Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all but SICINIUS]
[p]and
BRUTUS]
Junius Brutus : You see how he intends to use the people.
Sicinius Velutus : May they perceive's intent! He will require them,
[p]As if he did
contemn what he requested
[p]Should be in them to give.
Junius Brutus : Come, we'll inform them
[p]Of our proceedings here: on the
marketplace,
[p]I know, they do attend us.
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