are to imagine ourselves listening to the discourse of these two, as they reluctantly proceed through the streets: [Junius.] All tongues do speak of him; the prattling nurse Into a fit will let her baby cry The while she chats of him; and stalls, bulks, win- In earnestness to see him; such a pother, As if a god were crept into his frame, [Sicinius.] On a sudden. I warrant him consul. [Junius.] Then our office may, During his power, go sleep. [Sicinius.] In this there's comfort, He cannot temperately transport his honours, [Junius.] I do not doubt but that the commoners, [dows, For whom we stand, will, on their ancient malice, [Sicinius.] He'll quickly give them cause. I've heard him The napless vesture of humility; Nor show his wounds unto the people; nor [Jumus.] 'Tis well. At some time when his soaring insolence [swear, Shall teach the time, we must suggest the people Of no more soul nor fitness in the world, Than camels are for war; that have their provender A friendly messenger meets them to quicken their steps to the capitol: they ask what is the matter in hand: the messenger answers: [Messenger.] 'Tis thought That Marcius shall be consul. I have seen The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind [Junius.] We come to the capitol; And carry with us ears and eyes fo'r the time, Entering the capitol with the tribunes, we find the senators seated, and Menenius in the act of speaking: [Menenius.] Having determin'd on the Volscians, fathers, Hath stood thus for his country: therefore, please you, In our well-found successes, to report A little of the worthy work, perform'd By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom We meet here both to thank, and to remember The proposal being supported by other senators, and the tribunes signifying their desire to hear the exploits of Coriolanus celebrated, Cominius is about to rise, when, before he begins to speak, Coriolanus quits his place to leave the senate: he is requested to remain; but refuses to sit and hear his own praises. When he has quitted the senate, Cominius rises: [Cominius.] I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Should not be uttered feebly. It is held That valour is the chief of virtues, and The man I speak of, cannot in the world He prov'd best man i' the field; and, for his meed, And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since, I cannot speak him home: he stopp'd the fliers, And fell below his stem; his sword stamp'd death A spontaneous call for Coriolanus must be imagined to follow; and a general wish is expressed that he should be consul: Coriolanus re-enters, and Menenius addresses him: [Menenius.] The senate, Co'riolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee consul. [Coriolanus.] I do owe them still My life and services. [Menenius.] It then remains That you do speak to' the people. [Coriolanus.] I do beseech you Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage: please [Menenius.] Nay, ask it not : Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and [Coriolanus.] It is a part That I shall blush in acting, and might well [you To brag unto them," thus I did, and thus ;". Of their breath only? [Menenius, in a low tone.] Think nothing of it. We wish all joy and honour. From the capitol, let us imagine we pass into one of the streets of Rome: several citizens enter, in conversation : [First Citizen.] If he do require our voices, I say we ought not to deny him. [Second Citizen.] We may, sir, if we will. [First Citizen.] We have power in ourselves to do it; but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them : so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous; and for the multitude to be ungrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members. [Second Citizen.] We may be no better thought of; for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us,—the many-headed multitude. [First Citizen.] Ay, we have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, and some bald, but that our wits are diversely coloured; and truly I think, if all our wits were to issue out of a single skull, their consent to one direct way, would be, to all points of the compass at once. [Second Citizen.] Think you so? which way do you judge my wit would fly? [First Citizen.] Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's; 'tis strongly wedged up in a blockhead. But are you all resolved one way for your voices. Yonder he goes, and in the gown of humility. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man: mark his behaviour. We are not to stay altogether, but go to him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He is to make his requests by particulars; wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues; therefore, follow me, and I will direct you how you may go by him. After a time, we may suppose the multitude to return, along with the tribunes Sicinius and Junius: [Sicinius.] How now, my masters, have ye chosen this man? |