Sic. Well, here he comes.
Men.
Calmly, I do beseech you.
Cor. Ay, as an hostler, that for the poorest piece
Will bear the knave by the volume.-The ho-
nour'd gods

Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us!
Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
And not our streets with war!
1 Sen.

Men. A noble wish.

Amen, amen!

Re-enter Edile, with Citizens.

Sic. Draw near, ye people.

Know,

Cor.
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.
For that he has

Sic.

(As much as in him lies) from time to time
Envied against the people, seeking means
To pluck away their power as now at last
Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence
Ot dreaded justice, but on the ministers
That do distribute it; In the name o' the people,
And in the power of us the tribunes, we,

Ed. List to your tribunes; audience: Peace, Even from this instant, banish him our city:

I say.

Cor. First, hear me speak.
Both Tri.
Well, say-Peace, ho.
Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this
present?

Must all determine here?

'Sic.
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 proy'd upon you?
Cor.
I am content.
Men. Lo, citizens, he says he is content:
The warlike service he has done, consider;
Think on the wounds his body bears, which show
Like graves i' the holy churchyard.
Cor.

Scratches with briars,

Scars to move laughter only.
Men.

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.

Com.

Well, well, no more.

Cor. 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?

Sic.

Answer to us.
Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so.
Sic. 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.
Cor. How! Traitor?

Men. Nay; temperately; Your promise.
Cor. The fires is the lowest hell fold in the peo-
ple!

Call me their traitor!-Thon injurious tribune;
Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,
In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in
Tby lying tongue both numbers, I would say,
Thou liest, unto thee, with a voice as free

In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more
To enter our Rome gates: I' the people's name,
I say, It shall be so.

Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so; let him away:
He's banish'd, and it shall be so.

Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common
friends;-

Sic. He's sentenc'd: no more hearing.
Com.
Let me speak:
I have been consul, and can show from Rome,
Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love
My country's good, with a respect more tender,
More holy and profound, than mine own life,
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins; then if I would
Speak that-
Sic. We know your drift: Speak what?
Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is
banish'd,

As enemy to the people, and his country:
It shall be so.

As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize
As the dead carcasses of nnburied men
That do corrupt my air, I banish you;
And here remain with your uncertainty!
Let every feeble rumour shake your heart!
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into despair! Have the power still
To banish your defenders; till at length,
Your ignorance (which finds not till it feels)
Making but reservation of yourselves,
(Still your own foes,) deliver you, as most
Aated captives, to some nation
That won you without blows! Despising,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
There is a world elsewhere.

[Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominins, Menenies,
Senators, and Patricians.
Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!
Cit. Our enemy's banish'd! he is gone! Hoo hoo!
[The People shout, and throw up their Caps

SCENE I. The same. Before a Gate of the City.
Enter Coriolanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Mene-
nius, Cominius, and several young Patricians.
Cor. Come, leave your tears: a brief farewell:-
the beast

With many heads butts me away.-Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? you were us'd
To say, extremity was the trier of spirits;
That common chances common men could bear;
That, when the sea was calm, all boats alike
Show'd mastership in floating: fortune's blows,
When most struck home, being gentle wourded,

What, what, what!

I shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,
Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,
Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd
Your husband so much sweat-Cominius,
Droop not; adieu :-Farewell, my wife! my
mother!

I'll do well yet.-Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are salter than a younger man's,
And venomous to thine eyes.-My sometime
general,

I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld
Heart-hard'ning spectacles; tell these sad women,
"Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,

As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot
well,

My hazards still have been your solace and
Believe't not lightly (though I go alone
Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen
Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than seen,)
your son

Will, or exceed the common, or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.
Vol.

My first son,

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius
With thee a while: Determine cn some coarse,
More than a wild exposture to each chance
That starts i' the way before thee.

Cor.
O the gods!
Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee
Where thou shalt rest, that thou may'st hear of us,
And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth
A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send
O'er the vast world, to seek a single man;
And lose advantage, which doth ever cool
I' the absence of the needer.

Cor.
Fare ye well-
Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full
Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one

Sic. They say, she's mad.

Bru.

Why?

They have ta'en note of us :
Keep on your way.
Vol. O you're well met: The hoarded plague
o' the gods

Requite your love!

Men.

Peace, peace: be not so loud. Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,

Nay, and you shall hear some.-Will you be
gone?

Vir. You shall stay too:
had the power
To say so to my husband.
Sic.

[To Brutus. [To Sic.] I would, I

Are you mankind ? Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame 7-Note but this fool.

Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome,
Than thou hast epoken words?

Sic.

O blessed heavens ! Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words;

And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what :-Yet
go:-

Nay, but thou shalt stay too:-I would, my son
Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,
His good sword in his hand.

Sic.
Vir.

What then?

He'd make an end of thy posterity.
Vol. Bastards, and all.-

What then?

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for

That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but ont at gate.-The meanest house in Rome: so far my son
Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble tonch, when I am forth,
Bid me farewell and smile. I pray you, coine.
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me still; and never of me aught
But what is like me formerly.

Sic.

Why stay we to be baited

With one that wants her wits?

Lest that thy wives with spits, and boys with

But to confirm my curses! Could I meet them
But once a day, it would unclog my heart
Of what lies heavy to't.
Men.

You have told them home,

And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup

with me?

Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself,
And so shall starve with feeding.-Come, let's go;
Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,
In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.
Men. Fie, fie, fie!

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

A Highway between Rome and Antium.
Enter a Roman and a Volce, meeting.
Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me:
your name, I think, is Adrian.

Vol. It is so sir: truly, I have forgot you.
Rom. I am a Roman; and my services are, as
you are, against them: Know you me yet?
Vol. Nicanor? No.

Rom. The same, sir.

Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you; but your favour is well appayed by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volcian state, to find you out there: You have well saved me a day's journey.

Direct me, if it be your will,
Where great Aufidius lies: Is he in Antium?
Cit. He is, and feasts the nobles of the state,
At his house this night.

Cor.
Which is his house, 'beseech you?
Cit. This, here, before you.

sworn,

Cor. Thank you, sir, farewell. [Exit Citizen.
O, world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast
Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,
Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal, and ex-
ercise,

Are still together, who twin as 'twere in love
Unseparable, shall within this hour,
On a dissension, of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity; So fellest foes,
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their
sleep

To take the one the other, by some chance,
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear
friends.

And interjoin their issues. So with me :Rom. There hath been in Rome strange insur-My birth-place hate 1, and my love's upon rection: the people against the senators, patri- This enemy town.-I'll enter: if he slay me, cians, and nobles. He does fair justice; if he give me way, I'll do his country service.

Vol. Hath been! Is it ended then? Our state thinks not so; they are in a most warlike prepa ration, and hope to come upon them in the heat. of their division.

Rom. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again. For the nobles

SCENE V.

[Erit

The same. A Hall in Aufidius's House.
Musick within. Enter a Servant.

Enter another Servant.

[Erit

receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy 1 Serv. Wine, wine, wine! What service is here! Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness, to I think our fellows are asleep. take all power from the people, and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out.

Vol. Coriolanus banished?
Rom. Banished, sir.

Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.

Rom. The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said, the fittest time to corrupt a man's wife, is when she's fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, with his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of his country.

Vol. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.

Rom. I shall, between this and supper, tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?

Vol. A most royal one: the centurions, and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour's warning.

Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.

Vol. You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause to be glad of yours. Rom. Well, let us go together.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's House.
Enter Coriolanus, in mean Apparel, disguised
and muffled.

Cor. A goodly city is this Antium: City,
"Tis I that made thy widows; many an heir
Of these fair edifices 'fore my wars
Have I heard groan and drop: then know me not;

2 Serv. Where's Cotus? my master calls for

him. Cotus !

Enter Coriolanus.

Cor. A goodly house: The feast smells well:

but I
Appear not like a guest.

Re-enter the first Servant.

1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you 7 Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door.

Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.

Re-enter second Servant.

2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out. Cor. Away!

2 Serv. Away? Get you away. Cor. Now thou art troublesome. 2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon.

Enter a third Servant. The first meets him 3 Serv. What fellow's this?

1 Serv. A strange one as ever I look'd on: ! cannot get him out o' the house; Pr'y thee, call

And batten on cold bits. [Pushes him away.
3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my
master what a strange guest he has here.
2 Serv. And I shall

3 Serv. Where dwellest thou?

Cor. Under the canopy.

3 Serv. Under the canopy? Cor. Ay

3 Serv. Where's that?

Cor I' the city of kites and crows.

[Exit.

3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows?-What an ass it is!-Then thou dwellest with daws too? Cor. No, I serve not thy master.

3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master ?

Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress: Thou prat'st, and prat'st: serve with thy trencher, hence! [Beats him away Enter Aufidius and the second Servant. Auf. Where is this fellow ?

2 Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. Auf. Whence comest thou ? what wouldest thou? Thy name?

Cor.

Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What's thy
name?
If, Tullus, [Unmuffling.
Not yet thou know'st me, and seeing me, dost not
Think me for the man I am, necessity
Commands me name myself.
Auf.
What is thy name?
[Servants retire.
Cor. A name unmusical to the Volcians' ears,
And harsh in sound to thine.
Auf.
Say, what's thy name?
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn
Thou show'st a noble vessel: What's thy name?
Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown: Know'st
thon me yet?

Auf. I know thee not: Thy name?
Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volces,
Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may
My surname, Coriolanus: The painful service,
The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood
Shed for my thankless country, are requited
But with that surname; a good memory,
And witness of the malice and displeasure
Which thou should'st bear me: only that name
remains;

The cruelty and envy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard nobles, who
Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest;
And suffered me by the voice of slaves to be
Whoop'd out of Rome. Now this extremity
Hath brought me to thy hearth; Not out of hope,
Mistake me not, to save my life; for if

I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world
I would have 'voided thee: but in mere spite,
To be full quit of those my banishers,
Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast
A heart of wreak in thee, that will revenge
Thine own particular wrongs, and stop those
maims

Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee
straight,

And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it,
That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee: for I will fight

Against my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. But if so be

Thon dar'st not this, and that to prove more
fortunes.

Thou art tir'd, then, in a word, I also am
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee, and to thy ancient malice:
Which not to cut, would show thee but a fool;
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,

say,

'Tis true; I'd not believe them more than thee,
All noble Marcius.-O, let me twine
Mine arms about that body, where against
My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scarr'd the moon with splinters! Here I clip
The anvil of my sword; and do contest
As hotly and as nobly with thy love,
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,
loved the maid I married: never man
Sigh'd truer breath; but that I see thee here,
Thou noble thing! more dances my rapt heart,
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars! I tell
thee,

I

We have a power on foot; and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,
Or lose mine arm for 't: Thou hast beat me out
Twelve several times, and I have nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me:
We have been down together in my sleep,
Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat,
And wak'd half dead with nothing. Worthy
Marcius,

Had we no other quarrel else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all
From twelve to seventy; and pouring war
Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,
Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O, come, go in,
And take our friendly senators by the hands;
Who now are here, taking their leaves of me,
Who am prepar'd against your territories,
Though not for Rome itself.
Cor.

You bless me, gods! Auf. Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have

The leading of thine own revenges, take
The one half of my commission; and set down,-
As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know'st
Thy country's strength and weakness,-thine

own ways:

Wnether to knock against the gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,

To fright them, ere destroy. But come in:
Let me commend thee first to those, that shall
Say, yea, to thy desires. A thousand welcomes!
And more a friend than e'er an enemy;
Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand; Most
welcome!
[Exeunt Cor. and Auf.
1 Serv. [Advancing. [Here's a strange alteration!
2 Serv. By my hand, I had thought to have
strucken him with a cudgel; and yet my mind
gave me, his clothes made a false report of him.
I Serv. What an arm he has! He turned me
abont with his finger and his thumb, as one
would set up a top.

2 Serv. Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him: He had, sir, a kind of face, methought,-I cannot tell how to term it.

1 Serv. He had so looking as it were,"Would I were hanged, but I thought there was more in him than I could think.

2 Serv. So did I, I'll be sworn: He is simply the rarest man i' the world.

1 Serv. I think, he is: but a greater soldier than he, you wot one.

2 Serv. Who? my master?

1 Serv. Nay, it's no matter for that.
2 Serv. Worth six of him.

1.Serv. Nay, not so neither; but I take him to be the greater soldier.

2 Serv. 'Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that: for the defence of a town, our gene. Iral is excellent.

1 Serv. Ay, and for an assault too. Re-enter third Servant.

3 Serv. O, slaves, I can tell you, news; news, you rascals.

1, 2 Serv. What, what, what? let's partake. 3 Serv. I would not be a Roman, of all nations; I had as lieve be a condemned man.

1, 2 Serv. Wherefore? wherefore?

3 Serv. Why, here's he that was wont to thwack our general,-Caius Marcius.

1 Serv. Why do you say, thwack our general? 3 Serv. I do not say, thwack our general; but he was always good enough for him.

2 Serv. Come, we are fellows, and friends: he was ever too hard for Lim; I have heard him say so himself.

1 Serv. He was too hard for him directly, to say the truth on 't: before Corioli, he scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.

2 Serv. An he had been cannibally given, he might have broiled and eaten him too.

Serv. But, more of thy news?

3 Serv. Why, he is so made on here within, as if he were son and heir to Mars: set at upper end o' the table: no question asked him by any of the senators, but they stand bald before him: Our general himself makes a mistress of him; sanctifies himself with 's hand, and turns up the white o' the eye to his discourse. But the bottom of the news is, our general is cut i' the middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday; for the other has half, by the entreaty and grant of the whole table. He'll go, he says, and sowle the porter of Rome gates by the ears: He will mow down all before him, and leave his passage polled.

2 Serv. And he's as like to do 't, as any man 1 can imagine.

3 Serv. Do 't? he will do 't: For, look you, sir, he has as many friends as enemies which friends, sir, (as it were,) durst not (look you, sir) show themselves (as we term it) his friends,

whilst he's in directitude.

1 Serv. Directitude! what's that?

3 Serv. But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the man in blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain, and revel

all with him.

1 Serv. But when goes this forward?

3 Serv. To-morrow; to-day; presently. You shall have the drum struck up this afternoon: 'tis, as it were, a parcel of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.

2 Serv. Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is nothing, but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed ballad-makers. 1 Serv. Let me have war, say I; it exceeds peace, as far as day does night; it's sprightly, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter of more bastard children, than wars a destroyer of men.

2 Serv. 'Tis so and as wars, in some sort, may be said to be a ravisher; so it cannot be denied, but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.

1 Serv. Ay, and it makes men hate one another. 3 Serv Reason, because they then less need one another. The wars for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volcians. They are rising, they are rising.

All. In, in, in, in.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Rome. A publick Place.

Erter Sicinius and Brutus.

Though they themselves did suffer by 't, behold
Dissentious numbers pestering streets, than see
Our tradesmen singing in their shops, and going
About their functions friendly.

Enter Menenius.

Bru. We stood to 't in good time. Is this Me-
nenius?

Sic. 'Tis he, 'tis he: O, he is grown most kind
Of late.-Hail, sir!
Men.
Hail to you both:
Sic. Your Coriolanus, sir, is not much miss'd,
But with his friends: the commonwealth doth
stand;

And so would do, were he more angry at it.
"Men. All's well; and might have been much
better, if

He could have temporiz'd.
Sic.

Where is he, hear you? Men. Nay, I hear nothing; his mother and his wife

Hear nothing from him.

Enter three or four Citizens.
Cit. The gods preserve you both!
Sic.
Good e'en, our neighbour.
Bru. Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all.
1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on
our knees,
Are bound to pray for you both.

Sic.
Live, and thrive!
Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours; we wish'd
Coriolanus
Had lov'd you as we did.

Cit.

Now the gods keep you!

Both Tri. Farewell, farewell.

[Exeunt Citizens.
Sic. This is a happier and more comely time,
Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
Crying, Confusion.
Bru
Caius Marcins was
A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
Self-loving,-
And affecting one sole throne

Sic.
Without assistance.
Men.
I think not so.
Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation,
If he had gone forth consul, found it so.
Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and
Sits safe and still without him.
Enter Edile.

Rome

Ed.
Worthy tribunes,
There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
Reports, the Volces with two several powers
Are enter'd in the Roman territories;
And with the deepest malice of the war.
Destroy what lies before them.
Men.

'Tis Aufidius,
Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
Thrusts forth his horns again into the world:
Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood for
Rome
And durst not once peep out.
Sic.
Of Marcina?

Come, what talk you
Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd.-It cannet
be,
The Volces dare break with us.
Men.
Cannot be!
We have record, that very well it can;
And three examples of the like have been
Within my age. But reason with the fellow,
Before you punish him, where he heard this.

Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear Lest you should chance to whip your information

him;

His remedies are tame i' the present peace
And quietness o' the people, which before
Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
Blush, that the world goes well; who rather had,

And beat the messenger who bids beware
Of what is to be dreaded.