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

the needer.

       CORIOLANUS.

       Fare ye well:

       Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full

       Of the wars’ surfeits to go rove with one

       That’s yet unbruis’d: bring me but out at gate.—

       Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and

       My friends of noble touch; when I am forth,

       Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come.

       While I remain above the ground, you shall

       Hear from me still; and never of me aught

       But what is like me formerly.

       MENENIUS.

       That’s worthily

       As any ear can hear.—Come, let’s not weep.—

       If I could shake off but one seven years

       From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,

       I’d with thee every foot.

       CORIOLANUS.

       Give me thy hand:—

       Come.

       [Exeunt.]

       SCENE II. Rome. A street near the gate.

       [Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and an AEDILE.]

       SICINIUS.

       Bid them all home; he’s gone, and we’ll no further.—

       The nobility are vex’d, whom we see have sided

       In his behalf.

       BRUTUS.

       Now we have shown our power,

       Let us seem humbler after it is done

       Than when it was a-doing.

       SICINIUS.

       Bid them home:

       Say their great enemy is gone, and they

       Stand in their ancient strength.

       BRUTUS.

       Dismiss them home.

       [Exit AEDILE.]

       Here comes his mother.

       SICINIUS.

       Let’s not meet her.

       BRUTUS.

       Why?

       SICINIUS.

       They say she’s mad.

       BRUTUS.

       They have ta’en note of us: keep on your way.

       [Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS.]

       VOLUMNIA.

       O, you’re well met: the hoarded plague o’ the gods

       Requite your love!

       MENENIUS.

       Peace, peace, be not so loud.

       VOLUMNIA.

       If that I could for weeping, you should hear,—

       Nay, and you shall hear some.—[To BRUTUS.] Will you be gone?

       VIRGILIA.

       You shall stay too[To SICINIUS.]: I would I had the power

       To say so to my husband.

       SICINIUS.

       Are you mankind?

       VOLUMNIA.

       Ay, fool; is that a shame?—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 spoken words?—

       SICINIUS.

       O blessed heavens!

       VOLUMNIA.

       Moe 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.

       SICINIUS.

       What then?

       VIRGILIA.

       What then!

       He’d make an end of thy posterity.

       VOLUMNIA.

       Bastards and all.—

       Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

       MENENIUS.

       Come, come, peace.

       SICINIUS.

       I would he had continu’d to his country

       As he began, and not unknit himself

       The noble knot he made.

       BRUTUS.

       I would he had.

       VOLUMNIA.

       I would he had! ‘Twas you incens’d the rabble;—

       Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth

       As I can of those mysteries which heaven

       Will not have earth to know.

       BRUTUS.

       Pray, let us go.

       VOLUMNIA.

       Now, pray, sir, get you gone:

       You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this,—

       As far as doth the Capitol exceed

       The meanest house in Rome, so far my son,—

       This lady’s husband here; this, do you see?—

       Whom you have banish’d does exceed you all.

       BRUTUS.

       Well, well, we’ll leave you.

       SICINIUS.

       Why stay we to be baited

       With one that wants her wits?

       VOLUMNIA.

       Take my prayers with you.—

       [Exeunt TRIBUNES.]

       I would the gods had nothing else to do

       But to confirm my curses! Could I meet ‘em

       But once a day, it would unclog my heart

       Of what lies heavy to’t.

       MENENIUS.

       You have told them home,

       And, by my troth, you have cause. You’ll sup with me?

       VOLUMNIA.

       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.

       [Exeunt.]

       MENENIUS.

       Fie, fie, fie!

       SCENE III. A highway between Rome and Antium.

       [Enter a ROMAN and a VOLSCE, meeting.]

       ROMAN. I know you well, sir, and you know me; your name, I think, is Adrian.

       VOLSCE.

       It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you.

       ROMAN. I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against ‘em: know you me yet?

       VOLSCE.

       Nicanor? no!

       ROMAN.

       The same, sir.