William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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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 oÆ thÆ 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 manÆs will, Ætis strongly wedged up in a l29l blockhead. But if it were at liberty, Ætwould 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 conscienceÆ 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 thatÆs 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. HeÆs 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 IÆll 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 Æt? Coriolanus What must I say? l51l ôI pray, sirö? Plague upon Æt, I cannot bring l52l My tongue to such a pace. ôLook, sir, my wounds. l53l I got them in my countryÆs service, when l54l Some certain of your brethren roared and ran l55l From thÆ noise of our own drumsö? 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 Æem. l58l I would they would forget me like the virtues l59l Which our divines lose by Æem. Menenius YouÆll mar all. l60l IÆll leave you. Pray you, speak to Æem, 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 Æt. 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, Ætwas 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 oÆ thÆ consulship? l74l First Citizen The price is to ask it kindly. l75l Coriolanus Kindly, sir, I pray let me ha Æt. I have wounds l76l to show you which shall be yours in private. l77l (To SecondCitizen) Your good voice, sir. What say you? l78l Second Citizen You shall ha Æt, worthy sir. l79l Coriolanus A match, sir. ThereÆs 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 Ætwere to give againùbut Ætis no l84l matter. (Exeunt Citizens) (Enter two other Citizens) l85l 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. ÆTis 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 Æt. l118l What custom wills, in all things should we do Æt, l119l The dust on antique time would lie unswept, l120l And mountainous error be too highly heaped l121l For truth to oÆerpeer. 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 manÆs 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) (Enter Menenius with Brutus and Sicinius) l139l Menenius You have stood your limitation, and the tribunes l140l Endue you with the peopleÆs voice. Remains l141l That in thÆ 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 IÆll straight do, and, knowing myself again, l149l Repair to thÆ senate-house. l150l Menenius IÆll 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 ÆTis warm at Æs 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, Ætis 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 Æs country. l165l Sicinius Why, so he did, I am sure. All The Citizens No, no; no man saw Æem. 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 ôI would be consul,ö says he. ôAgΦd custom l169l But by your voices will not so permit me. l170l Your voices therefore.ö When we granted that, l171l Here was ôI 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.ö Was not this mockery? l174l Sicinius Why either were you ignorant to see Æt, 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 IÆ thÆ body of the weal; and now arriving l182l A place of potency and sway oÆ thÆ state, l183l If he should still malignantly remain l184l Fast foe to thÆ 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 taÆen thÆ 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 HeÆs not confirmed, we may deny him yet. l210l Second Citizen And will deny him. l211l IÆll have five hundred voices of that sound. l212l First Citizen I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece Æem. 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 ThÆ 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 oÆ thÆ Martians, from whence came l239l That Ancus Martius, NumaÆs daughterÆs 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 heÆs your fixΦd enemy, and revoke l251l Your sudden approbation. Brutus (to the Citizens) Say you neÆer had done Ætù l252l Harp on that stillùbut by our putting on; l253l And presently when you have drawn your number, l254l Repair to thÆ 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 thÆ Capitol, come. l261l We will be there before the stream oÆ thÆ people, l262l And this shall seem, as partly Ætis, their own, l263l Which we have goaded onward. (Exeunt)