The Complete Tragedies of William Shakespeare - All 12 Books in One Edition. William Shakespeare

crept into his human powers,

       And gave him graceful posture.

       SICINIUS.

       On the sudden

       I warrant him consul.

       BRUTUS.

       Then our office may

       During his power go sleep.

       SICINIUS.

       He cannot temp’rately transport his honours

       From where he should begin and end; but will

       Lose those he hath won.

       BRUTUS.

       In that there’s comfort.

       SICINIUS.

       Doubt not the commoners, for whom we stand,

       But they, upon their ancient malice will forget,

       With the least cause these his new honours; which

       That he will give them make as little question

       As he is proud to do’t.

       BRUTUS.

       I heard him swear,

       Were he to stand for consul, never would he

       Appear i’ the marketplace, nor on him put

       The napless vesture of humility;

       Nor, showing, as the manner is, his wounds

       To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

       SICINIUS.

       ‘Tis right.

       BRUTUS.

       It was his word: O, he would miss it rather

       Than carry it but by the suit of the gentry to him,

       And the desire of the nobles.

       SICINIUS.

       I wish no better

       Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it

       In execution.

       BRUTUS.

       ‘Tis most like he will.

       SICINIUS.

       It shall be to him then, as our good wills,

       A sure destruction.

       BRUTUS.

       So it must fall out

       To him or our authorities. For an end,

       We must suggest the people in what hatred

       He still hath held them; that to’s power he would

       Have made them mules, silenc’d their pleaders, and

       Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them,

       In human action and capacity,

       Of no more soul nor fitness for the world

       Than camels in their war; who have their provand

       Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows

       For sinking under them.

       SICINIUS.

       This, as you say, suggested

       At some time when his soaring insolence

       Shall touch the people,—which time shall not want,

       If it be put upon’t; and that’s as easy

       As to set dogs on sheep,—will be his fire

       To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze

       Shall darken him for ever.

       [Enter A MESSENGER.]

       BRUTUS.

       What’s the matter?

       MESSENGER.

       You are sent for to the Capitol. ‘Tis thought

       That Marcius shall be consul:

       I have seen the dumb men throng to see him, and

       The blind to hear him speak: matrons flung gloves,

       Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers,

       Upon him as he pass’d; the nobles bended

       As to Jove’s statue; and the commons made

       A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:

       I never saw the like.

       BRUTUS.

       Let’s to the Capitol;

       And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,

       But hearts for the event.

       SICINIUS.

       Have with you.

       [Exeunt.]

       SCENE II. Rome. The Capitol.

       [Enter two OFFICERS, to lay cushions.]

       FIRST OFFICER.

       Come, come; they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?

       SECOND OFFICER. Three, they say; but ‘tis thought of every one Coriolanus will carry it.

       FIRST OFFICER. That’s a brave fellow; but he’s vengeance proud and loves not the common people.

       SECOND OFFICER. Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne’er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see’t.

       FIRST OFFICER. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved indifferently ‘twixt doing them neither good nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their opposite. Now to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he dislikes,—to flatter them for their love.

       SECOND OFFICER. He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to have them at all, into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise were a malice that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

       FIRST OFFICER.

       No more of him; he is a worthy man.: make way, they are coming.

       [A sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul,

       MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators

       take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.]

       MENENIUS.

       Having determined of the Volsces, and

       To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

       As the main point of this our after-meeting,

       To gratify his noble service that

       Hath thus stood for his country: therefore please you,

       Most reverend and grave elders, to desire

       The present consul, and last general

       In our well-found successes, to report

       A little of that worthy work perform’d

       By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

       We met here both to thank and to remember

       With honours like himself.

       FIRST SENATOR.

       Speak, good Cominius:

       Leave nothing out for length, and make us think

       Rather our state’s defective