1    We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
2    His remedies are tame i' the present peace
3    And quietness of the people, which before
4    Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
5    Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,
6    Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold
7    Dissentious numbers pestering streets than see
8    Our tradesmen with in their shops and going
9    About their functions friendly.

10   We stood to't in good time.
Enter MENENIUS
11   Is this Menenius?

12   'Tis he,'tis he: O, he is grown most kind of late.

13   Hail sir!

14   Hail to you both!

15   Your Coriolanus
16   Is not much miss'd, but with his friends:
17   The commonwealth doth stand, and so would do,
18   Were he more angry at it.

19   All's well; and might have been much better, if
20   He could have temporized.

21   Where is he, hear you?

22   Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
23   Hear nothing from him.

24   The gods preserve you both!

25   God-den, our neighbours.

26   God-den to you all, god-den to you all.

27   Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,
28   Are bound to pray for you both.

29   Live, and thrive!

30   Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd Coriolanus
31   Had loved you as we did.

32   Now the gods keep you!

33   Farewell, farewell.

34   This is a happier and more comely time
35   Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
36   Crying confusion.

37   Caius Marcius was
38   A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
39   O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
40   Self-loving,--

41   And affecting one sole throne,
42   Without assistance.

43   I think not so.

44   We should by this, to all our lamentation,
45   If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

46   The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
47   Sits safe and still without him.

48   Worthy tribunes,
49   There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
50   Reports, the Volsces with two several powers
51   Are enter'd in the Roman territories,
52   And with the deepest malice of the war
53   Destroy what lies before 'em.

54   'Tis Aufidius,
55   Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,
56   Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;
57   Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome,
58   And durst not once peep out.

59   Come, what talk you
60   Of Marcius?

61   Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It cannot be
62   The Volsces dare break with us.

63   Cannot be!
64   We have record that very well it can,
65   And three examples of the like have been
66   Within my age. But reason with the fellow,
67   Before you punish him, where he heard this,
68   Lest you shall chance to whip your information
69   And beat the messenger who bids beware
70   Of what is to be dreaded.

71   Tell not me:
72   I know this cannot be.

73   Not possible.

74   The nobles in great earnestness are going
75   All to the senate-house: some news is come
76   That turns their countenances.

77   'Tis this slave;--
78   Go whip him, 'fore the people's eyes:--his raising;
79   Nothing but his report.

80   Yes, worthy sir,
81   The slave's report is seconded; and more,
82   More fearful, is deliver'd.

83   What more fearful?

84   It is spoke freely out of many mouths--
85   How probable I do not know--that Marcius,
86   Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome,
87   And vows revenge as spacious as between
88   The young'st and oldest thing.

89   This is most likely!

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

92   The very trick on't.

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

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

102  O, you have made good work!

103  What news? what news?

104  You have holp to ravish your own daughters and
105  To melt the city leads upon your pates,
106  To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses,--

107  What's the news? what's the news?

108  Your temples burned in their cement, and
109  Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
110  Into an auger's bore.

111  Pray now, your news?
112  You have made fair work, I fear me.--Pray, your news?--
113  If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,--

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

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

125  He will shake
126  Your Rome about your ears.

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

130  But is this true, sir?

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

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

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

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

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

154  Say not we brought it.

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

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

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

175  Faith, we hear fearful news.

176  For mine own part,
177  When I said, banish him, I said 'twas pity.

178  And so did I.

179  And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very
180  many of us: that we did, we did for the best; and
181  though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet
182  it was against our will.

183  Ye re goodly things, you voices!

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

186  O, ay, what else?

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

191  The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home.
192  I ever said we were i' the wrong when we banished
193  him.

194  So did we all. But, come, let's home.

195  I do not like this news.

196  Nor I.

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

199  Pray, let us go.