Coriolanus

that? Coriolanus

To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus;
Show them the unaching scars which I should hide,
As if I had received them for the hire
Of their breath only!

Menenius

Do not stand upon’t.
We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,
Our purpose to them: and to our noble consul
Wish we all joy and honour.

Senators To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all but Sicinius and Brutus. Brutus You see how he intends to use the people. Sicinius

May they perceive’s intent! He will require them,
As if he did contemn what he requested
Should be in them to give.

Brutus

Come, we’ll inform them
Of our proceedings here: on the market-place,
I know, they do attend us. Exeunt.

Scene III

The same. The Forum.

	Enter seven or eight Citizens.
First Citizen	Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.
Second Citizen	We may, sir, if we will.
Third 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 ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.
First Citizen	And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.
Third Citizen	We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south, and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o’ the compass.
Second Citizen	Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?
Third Citizen	Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s will; ’tis strongly wedged up in a block-head, but if it were at liberty, ’twould, sure, southward.
Second Citizen	Why that way?
Third Citizen	To lose itself in a fog, where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience sake, to help to get thee a wife.
Second Citizen	You are never without your tricks: you may, you may.
Third Citizen	Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that’s no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.
	Enter Coriolanus in a gown of humility, with Menenius.
	Here he comes, and in the gown of humility: mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He’s 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 direct you how you shall go by him.
All	Content, content. Exeunt Citizens.
Menenius	O sir, you are not right: have you not known The worthiest men have done’t?
Coriolanus	What must I say? “I Pray, sir”⁠—Plague upon’t! I cannot bring My tongue to such a pace:⁠—“Look, sir, my wounds! I got them in my country’s service, when Some certain of your brethren roar’d and ran From the noise of our own drums.”
Menenius	O me, the gods! You must not speak of that: you must desire them To think upon you.
Coriolanus	Think upon me! hang ’em! I would they would forget me, like the virtues Which our divines lose by ’em.
Menenius	You’ll mar all: I’ll leave you: pray you, speak to ’em, I pray you, In wholesome manner. Exit.
Coriolanus	Bid them wash their faces And keep their teeth clean. Re-enter two of the Citizens. So, here comes a brace. Re-enter a Third Citizen. You know the cause, air, of my standing here.
Third Citizen	We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to’t.
Coriolanus	Mine own desert.
Second Citizen	Your own desert!
Coriolanus	Ay, but not mine own desire.
Third Citizen	How not your own desire?
Coriolanus	No, sir, ’twas never my desire yet to trouble the poor with begging.
Third Citizen	You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to gain by you.
Coriolanus	Well then, I pray, your price o’ the consulship?
First Citizen	The price is to ask it kindly.
Coriolanus	Kindly! Sir, I pray, let me ha’t: I have wounds to show you, which shall be yours in private. Your good voice, sir; what say you?
Second Citizen	You shall ha’t, worthy sir.
Coriolanus	A match, sir. There’s in all two worthy voices begged. I have your alms: adieu.
Third Citizen	But this is something odd.
Second Citizen	An ’twere to give again⁠—but ’tis no matter. Exeunt the three Citizens.
	Re-enter two other Citizens.
Coriolanus	Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown.
Fourth Citizen	You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly.
Coriolanus	Your enigma?
Fourth Citizen	You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not indeed loved the common people.
Coriolanus	You should account me the more virtuous that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my sworn brother, the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them; ’tis a condition they account gentle: and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating nod and be off to them most counterfeitly; that is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular man and