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Coriolanus (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Musicke playes. Enter a Seruingman.
1 Ser. Wine, Wine, Wine: What seruice is heere? I
2655thinke our Fellowes are asleepe.
Enter another Seruingman.
2 Ser. Where's Cotus: my M. cals for him: Cotus. Exit
Enter Coriolanus.
Corio. A goodly House:
2660The Feast smels well: but I appeare not like a Guest.
Enter the first Seruingman.
1 Ser. What would you haue Friend? whence are you?
Here's no place for you: Pray go to the doore?
Exit
Corio. I haue deseru'd no better entertainment, in be-
2665ing Coriolanus.
Enter second Seruant.
2 Ser. Whence are you sir? Ha's the Porter his eyes in
his head, that he giues entrance to such Companions?
Pray get you out.
Corio. Away.
26702 Ser. Away? Get you away.
Corio. Now th'art troublesome.
2 Ser. Are you so braue: Ile haue you talkt with anon
Enter 3 Seruingman, the 1 meets him.
3 What Fellowes this?
26751 A strange one as euer I look'd on: I cannot get him
out o'th' house: Prythee call my Master to him.
3 What haue you to do here fellow? Pray you auoid
the house.
Corio. Let me but stand, I will not hurt your Harth.
26803 What are you?
Corio. A Gentleman.
3 A maru'llous poore one.
Corio. True, so I am.
3 Pray you poore Gentleman, take vp some other sta-
2685tion: Heere's no place for you, pray you auoid: Come.
Corio. Follow your Function, go, and batten on colde
bits.
Pushes him away from him.
3 What you will not? Prythee tell my Maister what
a strange Guest he ha's heere.
26902 And I shall.
Exit second Seruingman.
3 Where dwel'st thou?
Corio. Vnder the Canopy.
3 Vnder the Canopy?
Corio. I.
26953 Where's that?
Corio. I'th City of Kites and Crowes.
3 I'th City of Kites and Crowes? What an Asse it is,
then thou dwel'st with Dawes too?
Corio. No, I serue not thy Master.
27003 How sir? Do you meddle with my Master?
Corio. I, tis an honester seruice, then to meddle with
thy Mistris: Thou prat'st, and prat'st, serue with thy tren-
cher: Hence.
Beats him away
Enter Auffidius with the Seruingman.
2705Auf. Where is this Fellow?
2 Here sir, I'de haue beaten him like a dogge, but for
disturbing the Lords within.
Auf. Whence com'st thou? What wouldst yu? Thy name?
Why speak'st not? Speake man: What's thy name?
2710Corio. If Tullus not yet thou know'st me, and seeing
me, dost not thinke me for the man I am, necessitie com-
mands me name my selfe.
Auf. What is thy name?
Corio. A name vnmusicall to the Volcians eares,
2715And harsh in sound to thine.
Auf. Say, what's thy name?
Thou hast a Grim apparance, and thy Face
Beares a Command in't: Though thy Tackles torne,
Thou shew'st a Noble Vessell: What's thy name?
2720Corio. Prepare thy brow to frowne: knowst yu me yet?
Auf. I know thee not? Thy Name?
Corio. My name is Caius Martius, who hath done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volces
Great hurt and Mischiefe: thereto witnesse may
2725My Surname Coriolanus. The painfull Seruice,
The extreme Dangers, and the droppes of Blood
Shed for my thanklesse Country, are requitted:
But with that Surname, a good memorie
And witnesse of the Malice and Displeasure
2730Which thou should'st beare me, only that name remains.
The Cruelty and Enuy of the people,
Permitted by our dastard Nobles, who
Haue all forsooke me, hath deuour'd the rest:
And suffer'd me by th' voyce of Slaues to be
2735Hoop'd out of Rome. Now this extremity,
Hath brought me to thy Harth, not out of Hope
(Mistake me not) to saue my life: for if
I had fear'd death, of all the Men i'th' World
I would haue voided thee. But in meere spight
2740To be full quit of those my Banishers,
Stand I before thee heere: Then if thou hast
A heart of wreake in thee, that wilt reuenge
Thine owne particular wrongs, and stop those maimes
Of shame seene through thy Country, speed thee straight
2745And make my misery serue thy turne: So vse it,
That my reuengefull Seruices may proue
As Benefits to thee. For I will fight
Against my Cankred Countrey, with the Spleene
Of all the vnder Fiends. But if so be,
2750Thou dar'st not this, and that to proue more Fortunes
Th'art tyr'd, then in a word, I also am
Longer to liue most wearie: and present
My throat to thee, and to thy Ancient Malice:
Which not to cut, would shew thee but a Foole,
2755Since I haue euer followed thee with hate,
Drawne Tunnes of Blood out of thy Countries brest,
And cannot liue but to thy shame, vnlesse
It be to do thee seruice.
Auf. Oh Martius, Martius;
2760Each word thou hast spoke, hath weeded from my heart
A roote of Ancient Enuy. If Iupiter
Should from yond clowd speake diuine things,
And say 'tis true; I'de not beleeue them more
Then thee all-Noble Martius. Let me twine
2765Mine armes about that body, where against
My grained Ash an hundred times hath broke,
And scarr'd the Moone with splinters: heere I cleep
The Anuile of my Sword, and do contest
As hotly, and as Nobly with thy Loue,
2770As euer in Ambitious strength, I did
Contend against thy Valour. Know thou first,
I lou'd the Maid I married: neuer man
Sigh'd truer breath. But that I see thee heere
Thou Noble thing, more dances my rapt heart,
2775Then when I first my wedded Mistris saw
Bestride my Threshold. Why, thou Mars I tell thee,
We haue a Power on foote: and I had purpose
Once more to hew thy Target from thy Brawne,
Or loose mine Arme for't: Thou hast beate mee out
2780Twelue seuerall times, and I haue nightly since
Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thy selfe and me:
We haue beene downe together in my sleepe,
Vnbuckling Helmes, fisting each others Throat,
And wak'd halfe dead with nothing. Worthy Martius,
2785Had we no other quarrell else to Rome, but that
Thou art thence Banish'd, we would muster all
From twelue, to seuentie: and powring Warre
Into the bowels of vngratefull Rome,
Like a bold Flood o're-beate. Oh come, go in,
2790And take our Friendly Senators by'th' hands
Who now are heere, taking their leaues of mee,
Who am prepar'd against your Territories,
Though not for Rome it selfe.
Corio. You blesse me Gods.
2795Auf. Therefore most absolute Sir, if thou wilt haue
The leading of thine owne Reuenges, take
Th'one halfe of my Commission, and set downe
As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know'st
Thy Countries strength and weaknesse, thine own waies
2800Whether to knocke against the Gates of Rome,
Or rudely visit them in parts remote,
To fright them, ere destroy. But come in,
Let me commend thee first, to those that shall
Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes,
2805And more a Friend, then ere an Enemie,
Yet Martius that was much. Your hand: most welcome.
Exeunt
Enter two of the Seruingmen.
1 Heere's a strange alteration?
28102 By my hand, I had thoght to haue stroken him with
a Cudgell, and yet my minde gaue me, his cloathes made
a false report of him.
1 What an Arme he has, he turn'd me about with his
finger and his thumbe, as one would set vp a Top.
28152 Nay, I knew by his face that there was some-thing
in him. He had sir, a kinde of face me thought, I cannot
tell how to tearme it.
1 He had so, looking as it were, would I were hang'd
but I thought there was more in him, then I could think.
28202 So did I, Ile be sworne: He is simply the rarest man
i'th' world.
1 I thinke he is: but a greater soldier then he,
You wot one.
2 Who my Master?
28251 Nay, it's no matter for that.
2 Worth six on him.
1 Nay not so neither: but I take him to be the greater
Souldiour.
2 Faith looke you, one cannot tell how to say that: for
2830the Defence of a Towne, our Generall is excellent.
1 I, and for an assault too.
Enter the third Seruingman.
3 Oh Slaues, I can tell you Newes, News you Rascals
Both. What, what, what? Let's partake.
28353 I would not be a Roman of all Nations; I had as
liue be a condemn'd man.
Both. Wherefore? Wherefore?
3 Why here's he that was wont to thwacke our Ge-
nerall, Caius Martius.
28401 Why do you say, thwacke our Generall?
3 I do not say thwacke our Generall, but he was al-
wayes good enough for him
2 Come we are fellowes and friends: he was euer too
hard for him, I haue heard him say so himselfe.
28451 He was too hard for him directly, to say the Troth
on't before Corioles, he scotcht him, and notcht him like a
Carbinado.
2 And hee had bin Cannibally giuen, hee might haue
boyld and eaten him too.
28501 But more of thy Newes.
3 Why he is so made on heere within, as if hee were
Son and Heire to Mars, set at vpper end o'th' Table: No
question askt him by any of the Senators, but they stand
bald before him. Our Generall himselfe makes a Mistris
2855of him, Sanctifies himselfe with's hand, and turnes vp the
white o'th' eye to his Discourse. But the bottome of the
Newes is, our Generall is cut i'th' middle, & but one halfe
of what he was yesterday. For the other ha's halfe, by
the intreaty and graunt of the whole Table. Hee'l go he
2860sayes, and sole the Porter of Rome Gates by th' eares. He
will mowe all downe before him, and leaue his passage
poul'd.
2 And he's as like to do't, as any man I can imagine.
3 Doo't? he will doo't: for look you sir, he has as ma-
2865ny Friends as Enemies: which Friends sir as it were, durst
not (looke you sir) shew themselues (as we terme it) his
Friends, whilest he's in Directitude.
1 Directitude? What's that?
3 But when they shall see sir, his Crest vp againe, and
2870the man in blood, they will out of their Burroughes (like
Conies after Raine) and reuell all with him.
1 But when goes this forward:
3 To morrow, to day, presently, you shall haue the
Drum strooke vp this afternoone: 'Tis as it were a parcel
2875of their Feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.
2 Why then wee shall haue a stirring World againe:
This peace is nothing, but to rust Iron, encrease Taylors,
and breed Ballad-makers.
1 Let me haue Warre say I, it exceeds peace as farre
2880as day do's night: It's sprightly walking, audible, and full
of Vent. Peace, is a very Apoplexy, Lethargie, mull'd,
deafe, sleepe, insensible, a getter of more bastard Chil-
dren, then warres a destroyer of men.
2 'Tis so, and as warres in some sort may be saide to
2885be a Rauisher, so it cannot be denied, but peace is a great
maker of Cuckolds.
1 I, and it makes men hate one another.
3 Reason, because they then lesse neede one another:
The Warres for my money. I hope to see Romanes as
2890cheape as Volcians. They are rising, they are rising.
Both. In, in, in, in.
Exeunt