ACT V.

SCENE 1.-Rome.-A public Place.

Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and others.

Men. No, I'll not go: you hear, what he hath said,

Which was sometime his general; who loved him
In a most dear particular. He call'd me, father:
But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him,
A mile before his tent fall down, and kneel
The way into his mercy: nay, if he coy'd⚫
To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
Com. He would not seem to know me.
Men. Do you hear?

Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name:
I urged our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to forbad all names;
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,

Till he had forged himself a name i' the fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, so; you have made good work:
A pair of tribunes that have rack'd + for Rome,
To make coals cheap: a noble memory!

Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon When it was less expected: he replied, It was a bare petition of a state To one whom they had punish'd. Men. Very well:

Could he say less?

Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard

For his private friends: his answer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisome, musty chaff: he said, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And still to nose the offence.

Men. For one poor grain

Or two? I am one of those; his mother, wife,
His child, and this brave fellow too, we are the
grains :

You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the moon: we must be burnt for you.

Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: if you refuse your aid
In this so never-heeded help, yet do not
Upbraid us with our distress. But, sure, if you

Condescended unwillingly. + Harassed by exactions.

Memorial.

Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the instant army we can make,

Might stop our countryman.
Men. No; I'll not meddle.
Sic. I pray you, go to him.
Men. What should I do?

Bru. Only make trial what your love can do
For Ronie towards Marcius.

Men. Well, and say that Marcius
Return me, as Cominius is return'd,
Unheard; what then ?-

But as a discontented friend, grief-shot
With his unkindness? Say't be so?
Sic. Yet your good will

Must have that thanks from Rome, after the mea

sure

As you intended well.

Men. I'll undertake it:

I think, he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip,
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well; he had not dined:
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
These pipes and these conveyances of our blood
With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
Than in our priest-like fasts: therefore I'll watch

him

Till he be dieted to my request,
And then I'll set upon him.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness,
And cannot lose your way.

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,

Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge
Of my success.

[Exit.

Com. He'll never hear him.

Sic. Not?

Com. I tell you, he does sit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome ; and his injury
The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him;
'Twas very faintly he said, Rise; dismiss'd me
Thus, with his speechless hand what he would do,
He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
Bound with an oath, to yield to his conditions:
So, that all hope is vain,

Unless his noble mother, and his wife;
Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him

For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
And with our fair entreaties haste them on.

[Exeunt

SCENE II.-An advanced Post of the Volcian Camp before Rome.-The Guard at their Stations. Enter to them, MENENIUS.

1 G. Stay whence are you?
2 G. Stand, and go back.

Men. You guard like men; 'tis well: but by your
leave,

I am an officer of state, and come

To speak with Coriolanus.

1 G. From whence?

Men. From Rome.

1 G. You may not pass, you must return: our general

Will no more hear from thence.

2 G. You'll see your Rome embraced with fire, before

You'll speak with Coriolanus.

Men. Good my friends,

If you have heard your general talk of Rome,
And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks,
My name hath touch'd your ears: it is Menenius.
1-G. Be it so; go back: the virtue of your name
Is not here passable.

Men. I tell thee, fellow,

Thy general is my lover+: I have been

The book of his good acts, whence men have read His fame unparallel'd, haply, amplified;

For I have ever verified my friends

(Of whom he's chief) with all the size that verity Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes, Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,

I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praise Have, almost, stamp'd the leasing¶: therefore, fellow,

I must have leave to pass.

1 G. 'Faith, Sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have utter'd words in your own, you should not pass here: no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chastely. Therefore, go back.

Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general.

2 G. Howsoever you have been his liar (as you say, you have,) I am one that, telling true under

* Prizes. § Truth.

+ Friend.
Deceitful.

+ Proved to.
Lie.

him, must say, you cannot pass.

back.

Therefore, go

Men. Has he dined, canst thou tell? For I would not speak with him till after dinner.

1 G. You are a Roman, are you?
Men. I am as thy general is.

1 G. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have push'd out your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front his revenges with the easy groans of old wo men, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such a decay'd dotant** as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemn'd, our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

Men. Sirral, if thy captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation.

2 G. Come, my captain knows you not.
Men. I mean, thy general.

1 G. My general cares not for you. Back, I say, go, lest let forth your half pint of blood;-back, that's the utmost of your having:-Back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,

Enter CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS.

Cor. What's the matter?

Men. Now, you companion +, I'll say an errand for you; you shall know now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack I guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess but by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not i' the state of hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee. The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse. than thy old father Menenius does! O, my son! my son thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, Jack in office.

* Dotard.
VOL. IV.

+ Fellow.

Mmm

and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

Cor. Away!

Men. How! Away?

Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My af fairs

Are servanted to others: though I owe
My revenge properly, my remission lies
In Volcian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather
Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger, than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved

thee,

Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

[Gives a Letter. And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius, I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius, Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st—

Auf. You keep a constant temper.

[Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius. 1 G. Now, Sir, is your name Menenius? 2 G. Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know the way home again.

1 G. Do you hear how we are shent† for keeping your greatness back?

2 G. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon! Men. I neither care for the world, nor your ge neral for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, you are so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself, fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, Away! [Exit.

1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him.

2 G. The worthy fellow is our general: he is the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The Tent of Coriolanus.

Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUs, and others.

Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow Set down our host.-My partner in this action, You must report to the Volcian lords, how plainly! I have borne this business.

* Because.

+ Reprimanded.

Openly.