The Complete Tragedies of William Shakespeare - All 12 Books in One Edition. William Shakespeare
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If I say fine, cry ‘Fine!’- if death, cry ‘Death;’
Insisting on the old prerogative
And power i’ the truth o’ the cause.
AEDILE.
I shall inform them.
BRUTUS.
And when such time they have begun to cry,
Let them not cease, but with a din confus’d
Enforce the present execution
Of what we chance to sentence.
AEDILE.
Very well.
SICINIUS.
Make them be strong, and ready for this hint,
When we shall hap to give’t them.
BRUTUS.
Go about it.
[Exit AEDILE.]
Put him to choler straight: he hath been us’d
Ever to conquer, and to have his worth
Of contradiction; being once chaf’d, he cannot
Be rein’d again to temperance; then he speaks
What’s in his heart; and that is there which looks
With us to break his neck.
SICINIUS.
Well, here he comes.
[Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, and Patricians.]
MENENIUS.
Calmly, I do beseech you.
CORIOLANUS.
Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece
Will bear the knave by the volume.—The honoured gods
Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
Supplied with worthy men! plant love among’s!
Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
And not our streets with war!
FIRST SENATOR.
Amen, amen!
MENENIUS.
A noble wish.
[Re-enter the AEDILE, with Citizens.]
SICINIUS.
Draw near, ye people.
AEDILE.
List to your tribunes; audience: peace, I say!
CORIOLANUS.
First, hear me speak.
BOTH TRIBUNES.
Well, say.—Peace, ho!
CORIOLANUS.
Shall I be charg’d no further than this present?
Must all determine here?
SICINIUS.
I do demand,
If you submit you to the people’s voices,
Allow their officers, and are content
To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be proved upon you.
CORIOLANUS.
I am content.
MENENIUS.
Lo, citizens, he says he is content:
The warlike service he has done, consider; think
Upon the wounds his body bears, which show
Like graves i’ the holy churchyard.
CORIOLANUS.
Scratches with briers,
Scars to move laughter only.
MENENIUS.
Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier: do not take
His rougher accents for malicious sounds,
But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
Rather than envy you.
COMINIUS.
Well, well, no more.
CORIOLANUS.
What is the matter,
That being pass’d for consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour’d that the very hour
You take it off again?
SICINIUS.
Answer to us.
CORIOLANUS.
Say then: ‘tis true, I ought so.
SICINIUS.
We charge you that you have contriv’d to take
From Rome all season’d office, and to wind
Yourself into a power tyrannical;
For which you are a traitor to the people.
CORIOLANUS.
How! traitor!
MENENIUS.
Nay, temperately; your promise.
CORIOLANUS.
The fires i’ the lowest hell fold in the people!
Call me their traitor!—Thou injurious tribune!
Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,
In thy hands clutch’d as many millions, in
Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say,
Thou liest unto thee with a voice as free
As I do pray the gods.
SICINIUS.
Mark you this, people?
CITIZENS.
To the rock, to the rock, with him!
SICINIUS.
Peace!
We need not put new matter to his charge:
What you have seen him do and heard him speak,
Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying
Those whose great power must try him; even this,
So criminal and in such capital kind,
Deserves the extremest death.
BRUTUS.
But since he hath
Serv’d well for Rome,—
CORIOLANUS.
What do you prate of service?
BRUTUS.
I talk of that that know it.
CORIOLANUS.
You?
MENENIUS.
Is this the promise that you made your mother?
COMINIUS.
Know, I pray you,—
CORIOLANUS.
I’ll know no further:
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,
Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger
But with a grain a day, I would not buy
Their mercy at the price of one fair word,
Nor check my courage for what they can give,
To have’t with saying Good-morrow.
SICINIUS.
For that he has,—
As much