Coriolanus

out of many mouths⁠—
How probable I do not know⁠—that Marcius,
Join’d with Aufidius, leads a power ’gainst Rome,
And vows revenge as spacious as between
The young’st and oldest thing. Sicinius This is most likely! Brutus

Raised only, that the weaker sort may wish
Good Marcius home again.

Sicinius The very trick on’t. Menenius

This is unlikely:
He and Aufidius can no more atone
Than violentest contrariety.

Enter a Second Messenger. Second Messenger

You are sent for to the senate:
A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius
Associated with Aufidius, rages
Upon our territories; and have already
O’erborne their way, consumed with fire, and took
What lay before them.

Enter Cominius. Cominius O, you have made good work! Menenius What news? what news? Cominius

You have holp to ravish your own daughters and
To melt the city leads upon your pates,
To see your wives dishonour’d to your noses⁠—

Menenius What’s the news? what’s the news? Cominius

Your temples burned in their cement, and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
Into an auger’s bore.

Menenius

Pray now, your news?
You have made fair work, I fear me.⁠—Pray, your news?⁠—
If Marcius should be join’d with Volscians⁠—

Cominius

If!
He is their god: he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than nature,
That shapes man better; and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence
Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,
Or butchers killing flies.

Menenius

You have made good work,
You and your apron-men; you that stood so up much
Upon the voice of occupation and
The breath of garlic-eaters!

Cominius

He will shake
Your Rome about your ears.

Menenius

As Hercules
Did shake down mellow fruit. You have made fair work!

Brutus But is this true, sir? Cominius

Ay; and you’ll look pale
Before you find it other. All the regions
Do smilingly revolt; and who resist
Are mock’d for valiant ignorance,
And perish constant fools. Who is’t can blame him?
Your enemies and his find something in him.

Menenius

We are all undone, unless
The noble man have mercy.

Cominius

Who shall ask it?
The tribunes cannot do’t for shame; the people
Deserve such pity of him as the wolf
Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they
Should say “Be good to Rome,” they charged him even
As those should do that had deserved his hate,
And therein show’d like enemies.

Menenius

’Tis true:
If he were putting to my house the brand
That should consume it, I have not the face
To say “Beseech you, cease.” You have made fair hands,
You and your crafts! you have crafted fair!

Cominius

You have brought
A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
So incapable of help.

Both Tribunes Say not we brought it. Menenius

How! Was it we? we loved him; but, like beasts
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o’ the city.

Cominius

But I fear
They’ll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer: desperation
Is all the policy, strength and defence,
That Rome can make against them.

Enter a troop of Citizens. Menenius

Here come the clusters.
And is Aufidius with him? You are they
That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at
Coriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming;
And not a hair upon a soldier’s head
Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs
As you threw caps up will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. ’Tis no matter;
If he could burn us all into one coal,
We have deserved it.

Citizens Faith, we hear fearful news. First Citizen

For mine own part,
When I said, banish him, I said, ’twas pity.

Second Citizen And so did I. Third Citizen And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: that we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will. Cominius Ye’re goodly things, you voices! Menenius

You have made
Good work, you and your cry! Shall’s to the Capitol?

Cominius O, ay, what else? Exeunt Cominius and Menenius. Sicinius

Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay’d:
These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.

First Citizen The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let’s home. I ever said we were i’ the wrong when we banished him. Second Citizen So did we all. But, come, let’s home. Exeunt Citizens. Brutus I do not like this news. Sicinius Nor I. Brutus

Let’s to the Capitol. Would half my wealth
Would buy this for a lie!

Sicinius Pray, let us go. Exeunt.

Scene VII

A camp, at a small distance from Rome.

	Enter Aufidius and his Lieutenant.
Aufidius	Do they still fly to the Roman?
Lieutenant	I do not know what witchcraft’s in him, but Your soldiers use him as the grace ’fore meat, Their talk at table, and their thanks at end; And you are darken’d in this action, sir, Even by your own.
Aufidius	I cannot help it now, Unless, by using means, I lame the foot Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier, Even to my person, than I thought he would When first I did embrace him: yet his nature In that’s no changeling; and I must excuse What cannot be amended.
Lieutenant	Yet I wish, sir⁠— I mean for your particular⁠—you had not Join’d in commission with him; but either Had borne the action of yourself, or else To him had left it solely.
Aufidius	I understand thee well; and be thou sure, When he shall come to his account, he knows not What I can urge against him. Although it seems, And so he thinks, and is no less apparent To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly, And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state, Fights dragon-like, and does achieve as soon As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone That which shall break his neck or hazard mine, Whene’er we come to our account.
Lieutenant	Sir, I beseech you, think you he’ll carry Rome?
Aufidius	All places yield to him ere he sits down; And the nobility of Rome are his: The senators and patricians love him too: The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty To expel him thence. I think