CORIOLANUS

Act 2 Scene 3

(Enter seven or eight Citizens)
l1l	First Citizen	 Once, if he do require our voices we ought
l2l		not to deny him.
l3l	Second Citizen	We may, sir, if we will.
l4l	Third Citizen	We have power in ourselves to do it, but
l5l		it is a power that we have no power to do. For if he
l6l		show us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to
l7l		put our tongues into those wounds and speak for them#
l8l		so if he tell us his noble deeds we must also tell him
l9l		our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous,
l10l		and for the multitude to be ingrateful were to make a
l11l		monster of the multitude, of the which we, being
l12l		members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous
l13l		members.
l14l	First Citizen	And to make us no better thought of, a
l15l		little help will serve# for once we stood up about the
l16l		corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed
l17l		multitude.
l18l	Third Citizen	We have been called so of many, not that
l19l		our heads are some brown, some black, some abram,
l20l		some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured#
l21l		and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of
l22l		one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south, and
l23l		their consent of one direct way should be at once to
l24l		all the points o’ th’ compass.
l25l	Second Citizen	Think you so? Which way do you judge
l26l		my wit would fly?
l27l	Third Citizen	Nay, your wit will not so soon out as
l28l		another man’s will, ’tis strongly wedged up in a
l29l		blockhead. But if it were at liberty, ’twould sure
l30l		southward.
l31l	Second Citizen	Why that way?
l32l	Third Citizen	To lose itself in a fog where, being three
l33l		parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would
l34l		return for conscience’ sake, to help to get thee a wife.
l35l	Second Citizen	You are never without your tricks. You
l36l		may, you may.
l37l	Third Citizen	Are you all resolved to give your voices?
l38l		But that’s no matter, the greater part carries it. I say,
l39l		if he would incline to the people there was never a
l40l		worthier man.
		(Enter Coriolanus in a gown of humility, with Menenius)
l41l		Here he comes, and in the gown of humility. Mark his
l42l		behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come
l43l		by him where he stands by ones, by twos, and by
l44l		threes. He’s to make his requests by particulars, wherein
l45l		every one of us has a single honour in giving him our
l46l		own voices with our own tongues. Therefore follow
l47l		me, and I’ll direct you how you shall go by him.
l48l	All The Citizens	Content, content.
		(Exeunt Citizens)
l49l	Menenius	 O sir, you are not right. Have you not known
l50l		The worthiest men have done ’t?
	Coriolanus	What must I say?
l51l		“I pray, sir”? Plague upon ’t, I cannot bring
l52l		My tongue to such a pace. “Look, sir, my wounds.
l53l		I got them in my country’s service, when
l54l		Some certain of your brethren roared and ran
l55l		From th’ noise of our own drums”?
	Menenius	O me, the gods!
l56l		You must not speak of that, you must desire them
l57l		To think upon you.
	Coriolanus	Think upon me? Hang ’em.
l58l		I would they would forget me like the virtues
l59l		Which our divines lose by ’em.
	Menenius	You’ll mar all.
l60l		I’ll leave you. Pray you, speak to ’em, I pray you,
l61l		In wholesome manner.
	Coriolanus	Bid them wash their faces
l62l		And keep their teeth clean.
		(Exit Menenius)
		
		(Enter three of the Citizens)
		 So, here comes a brace.
l63l		You know the cause, sir, of my standing here.
l64l	Third Citizen	We do, sir. Tell us what hath brought you to ’t.
l65l	Coriolanus	 Mine own desert.
l66l	Second Citizen	Your own desert?
l67l	Coriolanus	Ay, but not mine own desire.
l68l	Third Citizen	How not your own desire?
l69l	Coriolanus	No, sir, ’twas never my desire yet to trouble
l70l		the poor with begging.
l71l	Third Citizen	You must think if we give you anything
l72l		we hope to gain by you.
l73l	Coriolanus	Well then, I pray, your price o’ th’ consulship?
l74l	First Citizen	The price is to ask it kindly.
l75l	Coriolanus	Kindly, sir, I pray let me ha ’t. I have wounds
l76l		to show you which shall be yours in private.
		(To Second)
l77l		Citizen) Your good voice, sir. What say you?
l78l	Second Citizen	You shall ha ’t, worthy sir.
l79l	Coriolanus	A match, sir. There’s in all two worthy voices
l80l		begged. I have your alms. Adieu.
l81l	Third Citizen	(to the other Citizens)
		 But this is something
l82l		odd.
l83l	Second Citizen	An ’twere to give again—but ’tis no
l84l		matter.
		(Exeunt Citizens)
l85l		(Enter two other Citizens)
		Coriolanus	 Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune
l86l		of your voices that I may be consul, I have here the
l87l		customary gown.
l88l	[Fourth] Citizen	You have deserved nobly of your
l89l		country, and you have not deserved nobly.
l90l	Coriolanus	Your enigma?
l91l	[Fourth] Citizen	You have been a scourge to her enemies,
l92l		you have been a rod to her friends. You have not,
l93l		indeed, loved the common people.
l94l	Coriolanus	You should account me the more virtuous
l95l		that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir,
l96l		flatter my sworn brother the people to earn a dearer
l97l		estimation of them. ’Tis a condition they account gentle.
l98l		And since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have
l99l		my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating
l100l		nod and be off to them most counterfeitly# that is, sir,
l101l		I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular
l102l		man, and give it bountiful to the desirers. Therefore,
l103l		beseech you I may be consul.
l104l	[Fifth] Citizen	We hope to find you our friend, and
l105l		therefore give you our voices heartily.
l106l	[Fourth] Citizen	You have received many wounds for
l107l		your country.
l108l	Coriolanus	I will not seal your knowledge with showing
l109l		them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble
l110l		you no farther.
l111l	Both Citizens	The gods give you joy, sir, heartily.
l112l	Coriolanus	 Most sweet voices.
		(Exeunt Citizens)
l113l		Better it is to die, better to starve,
l114l		Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.
l115l		Why in this womanish toge should I stand here
l116l		To beg of Hob and Dick that does appear
l117l		Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to ’t.
l118l		What custom wills, in all things should we do ’t,
l119l		The dust on antique time would lie unswept,
l120l		And mountainous error be too highly heaped
l121l		For truth to o’erpeer. Rather than fool it so,
l122l		Let the high office and the honour go
l123l		To one that would do thus. I am half through.
l124l		The one part suffered, the other will I do.
		(Enter three Citizens more)
l125l		Here come more voices.
l126l		Your voices! For your voices I have fought,
l127l		Watched for your voices, for your voices bear
l128l		Of wounds two dozen odd# battles thrice six
l129l		I have seen and heard of for your voices, have
l130l		Done many things, some less, some more. Your voices!
l131l		Indeed I would be consul.
l132l	[Sixth] Citizen	 He has done nobly, and cannot go without
l133l		any honest man’s voice.
l134l	[Seventh] Citizen	Therefore let him be consul. The gods
l135l		give him joy and make him good friend to the people!
l136l	All The Citizens	Amen, Amen. God save thee, noble
l137l		consul!
l138l	Coriolanus	Worthy voices.
		(Exeunt Citizens)
l139l		(Enter Menenius with Brutus and Sicinius)
		Menenius	 You have stood your limitation, and the tribunes
l140l		Endue you with the people’s voice. Remains
l141l		That in th’ official marks invested, you
l142l		Anon do meet the senate.
	Coriolanus	Is this done?
l143l	Sicinius	The custom of request you have discharged.
l144l		The people do admit you, and are summoned
l145l		To meet anon upon your approbation.
l146l	Coriolanus	Where, at the senate-house?
	Sicinius	There, Coriolanus.
l147l	Coriolanus	May I change these garments?
	Sicinius	You may, sir.
l148l	Coriolanus	That I’ll straight do, and, knowing myself again,
l149l		Repair to th’ senate-house.
l150l	Menenius	I’ll keep you company.
		(To the tribunes)
		 Will you along?
l151l	Brutus	We stay here for the people.
	Sicinius	Fare you well.
		(Exeunt Coriolanus and Menenius)
l152l		He has it now, and by his looks methinks
l153l		’Tis warm at ’s heart.
	Brutus	With a proud heart he wore
l154l		His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people?
		(Enter the Plebeians)
l155l	Sicinius	 How now, my masters, have you chose this man?
l156l	First Citizen	He has our voices, sir.
l157l	Brutus	We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.
l158l	Second Citizen	Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice
l159l		He mocked us when he begged our voices.
l160l	Third Citizen	Certainly. He flouted us downright.
l161l	First Citizen	No, ’tis his kind of speech. He did not mock us.
l162l	Second Citizen	Not one amongst us save yourself but says
l163l		He used us scornfully. He should have showed us
l164l		His marks of merit, wounds received for ’s country.
l165l	Sicinius	Why, so he did, I am sure.
	All The Citizens	No, no# no man saw ’em.
l166l	Third Citizen	He said he had wounds which he could show in private,
l167l		And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,
l168l		“I would be consul,” says he. “Agèd custom
l169l		But by your voices will not so permit me.
l170l		Your voices therefore.” When we granted that,
l171l		Here was “I thank you for your voices, thank you.
l172l		Your most sweet voices. Now you have left your voices
l173l		I have no further with you.” Was not this mockery?
l174l	Sicinius	Why either were you ignorant to see ’t,
l175l		Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
l176l		To yield your voices?
	Brutus	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Could you not have told him
l177l		As you were lessoned: when he had no power
l178l		But was a petty servant to the state,
l179l		He was your enemy, ever spake against
l180l		Your liberties and the charters that you bear
l181l		I’ th’ body of the weal# and now arriving
l182l		A place of potency and sway o’ th’ state,
l183l		If he should still malignantly remain
l184l		Fast foe to th’ plebeii, your voices might
l185l		Be curses to yourselves. You should have said
l186l		That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
l187l		Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
l188l		Would think upon you for your voices and
l189l		Translate his malice towards you into love,
l190l		Standing your friendly lord.
	Sicinius	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Thus to have said
l191l		As you were fore-advised had touched his spirit
l192l		And tried his inclination, from him plucked
l193l		Either his gracious promise which you might,
l194l		As cause had called you up, have held him to,
l195l		Or else it would have galled his surly nature,
l196l		Which easily endures not article
l197l		Tying him to aught. So putting him to rage,
l198l		You should have ta’en th’ advantage of his choler
l199l		And passed him unelected.
	Brutus	
		(to the Citizens)
		Did you perceive
l200l		He did solicit you in free contempt
l201l		When he did need your loves, and do you think
l202l		That his contempt shall not be bruising to you
l203l		When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies
l204l		No heart among you? Or had you tongues to cry
l205l		Against the rectorship of judgement?
	Sicinius	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Have you
l206l		Ere now denied the asker, and now again,
l207l		Of him that did not ask but mock, bestow
l208l		Your sued-for tongues?
l209l	Third Citizen	He’s not confirmed, we may deny him yet.
l210l	Second Citizen	And will deny him.
l211l		I’ll have five hundred voices of that sound.
l212l	First Citizen	I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece ’em.
l213l	Brutus	Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends
l214l		They have chose a consul that will from them take
l215l		Their liberties, make them of no more voice
l216l		Than dogs that are as often beat for barking,
l217l		As therefor kept to do so.
	Sicinius	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Let them assemble,
l218l		And on a safer judgement all revoke
l219l		Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride
l220l		And his old hate unto you. Besides, forget not
l221l		With what contempt he wore the humble weed,
l222l		How in his suit he scorned you# but your loves,
l223l		Thinking upon his services, took from you
l224l		Th’ apprehension of his present portance,
l225l		Which most gibingly, ungravely he did fashion
l226l		After the inveterate hate he bears you.
	Brutus	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Lay
l227l		A fault on us your tribunes, that we laboured
l228l		No impediment between, but that you must
l229l		Cast your election on him.
	Sicinius	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Say you chose him
l230l		More after our commandment than as guided
l231l		By your own true affections, and that your minds,
l232l		Preoccupied with what you rather must do
l233l		Than what you should, made you against the grain
l234l		To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.
l235l	Brutus	(to the Citizens)
		 Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you,
l236l		How youngly he began to serve his country,
l237l		How long continued, and what stock he springs of,
l238l		The noble house o’ th’ Martians, from whence came
l239l		That Ancus Martius, Numa’s daughter’s son,
l240l		Who after great Hostilius here was king#
l241l		Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
l242l		That our best water brought by conduits hither#
l243l		And Censorinus that was so surnamed,
l244l		And nobly named so, twice being censor,
l245l		Was his great ancestor.
	Sicinius	
		(to the Citizens)
		One thus descended,
l246l		That hath beside well in his person wrought
l247l		To be set high in place, we did commend
l248l		To your remembrances, but you have found,
l249l		Scaling his present bearing with his past,
l250l		That he’s your fixèd enemy, and revoke
l251l		Your sudden approbation.
	Brutus	
		(to the Citizens)
		 Say you ne’er had done ’t—
l252l		Harp on that still—but by our putting on#
l253l		And presently when you have drawn your number,
l254l		Repair to th’ Capitol.
	[A Citizen]	We will so.
	[Another Citizen]	Almost all
l255l		Repent in their election.
		(Exeunt Citizens)
		
	Brutus	 Let them go on.
l256l		This mutiny were better put in hazard
l257l		Than stay, past doubt, for greater.
l258l		If, as his nature is, he fall in rage
l259l		With their refusal, both observe and answer
l260l		The vantage of his anger.
	Sicinius	To th’ Capitol, come.
l261l		We will be there before the stream o’ th’ people,
l262l		And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,
l263l		Which we have goaded onward.
		(Exeunt)
	[[ACT INTERVAL]]