Текст книги "William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition"

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4.4 Enter Coriolanus in mean apparel, disguised and muffled

CORIOLANUS

A goodly city is this Antium. City,

’Tis I that made thy widows. Many an heir

Of these fair edifices fore my wars

Have I heard groan and drop. Then know me not,

Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones

In puny battle slay me.

Enter a Citizen

Save you, sir.

CITIZEN

And you.

CORIOLANUS Direct me, if it be your will,

Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium?

CITIZEN

He is, and feasts the nobles of the state

At his house this night.

CORIOLANUS

Which is his house, beseech you?

CITIZEN

This here before you.

CORIOLANUS

Thank you, sir. Farewell.

Exit Citizen

O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn,

Whose double bosoms seem to wear one heart,

Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal and exercise

Are still together, who twin as ’twere in love

Unseparable, shall within this hour,

On a dissension of a doit, break out

To bitterest enmity. So fellest foes,

Whose passions and whose plots have broke their

sleep

To take the one the other, by some chance,

Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends

And interjoin their issues. So with me.

My birthplace hate I, and my love’s upon

This enemy town. I’ll enter. If he slay me,

He does fair justice; if he give me way,

I’ll do his country service.

Exit

4.5 Music plays. Enter a Servingman

FIRST SERVINGMAN Wine, wine, wine! What service is here? I think our fellows are asleep.

⌈Exit⌉

Enter a Second Servingman

SECOND SERVINGMAN Where’s Cotus? My master calls for him. Cotus!

Exit

Enter Coriolanus, as before

CORIOLANUS A goodly house. The feast

Smells well, but I appear not like a guest.

Enter the First Servingman

FIRST SERVINGMAN What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here’s no place for you. Pray go to the door.

Exit

CORIOLANUS

I have deserved no better entertainment In being Coriolanus.

Enter Second Servingman

SECOND SERVINGMAN Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray get you out.

CORIOLANUS Away!

SECOND SERVINGMAN Away? Get you away.

CORIOLANUS Now thou’rt troublesome.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Are you so brave? I’ll have you talked with anon.

Enter Third Servingman. The First meets him

THIRD SERVINGMAN What fellow’s this?

FIRST SERVINGMAN A strange one as ever I looked on. I cannot get him out o’th’ house. Prithee, call my master to him.

THIRD SERVINGMAN (to Coriolanus) What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house.

CORIOLANUS

Let me but stand. I will not hurt your hearth.

THIRD SERVINGMAN What are you?

CORIOLANUS A gentleman.

THIRD SERVINGMAN A marvellous poor one.

CORIOLANUS True, so I am.

THIRD SERVINGMAN Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station. Here’s no place for you. Pray you, avoid. Come.

CORIOLANUS

Follow your function. Go and batten on cold bits.

He pushes him away from him

THIRD SERVINGMAN What, you will not?—Prithee tell my master what a strange guest he has here.

SECOND SERVINGMAN And I shall.

Exit Second Servingman

THIRD SERVINGMAN Where dwell’st thou?

CORIOLANUS Under the canopy.

THIRD SERVINGMAN Under the canopy?

CORIOLANUS Ay.

THIRD SERVINGMAN Where’s that?

CORIOLANUS I’th’ city of kites and crows.

THIRD SERVINGMAN I‘th’ city of kites and crows? What an ass it is! Then thou dwell’st with daws, too?

CORIOLANUS No, I serve not thy master.

THIRD SERVINGMAN How, sir? Do you meddle with my master?

CORIOLANUS Ay, ‘tis an honester service than to meddle with thy mistress. Thou prat’st and prat’st. Serve with thy trencher. Hence!

He beats him away.

Enter Aufidius, with the Second Servingman

AUFIDIUS Where is this fellow?

SECOND SERVINGMAN Here, sir. I’d have beaten him like a dog but for disturbing the lords within.

⌈The Servingmen stand aside⌉

AUFIDIUS

Whence com‘st thou? What wouldst thou? Thy name?

Why speak’st not? Speak, man. What’s thy name?

CORIOLANUS ⌈unmuffling his head⌉

If, Tullus,

Not yet thou know’st me, and seeing me dost not

Think me for the man I am, necessity

Commands me name myself.

AUFIDIUS What is thy name?

CORIOLANUS

A name unmusical to the Volscians’ ears

And harsh in sound to thine.

AUFIDIUS

Say, what’s thy name?

Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face

Bears a command in’t. Though thy tackle’s torn,

Thou show’st a noble vessel. What’s thy name?

CORIOLANUS

Prepare thy brow to frown. Know’st thou me yet?

AUFIDIUS I know thee not. Thy name?

CORIOLANUS

My name is Caius Martius, who hath done

To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces,

Great hurt and mischief. Thereto witness may

My surname Coriolanus. The painful service,

The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood

Shed for my thankless country, are requited

But with that surname—a good memory

And witness of the malice and displeasure

Which thou shouldst bear me. Only that name

remains.

The cruelty and envy of the people,

Permitted by our dastard nobles, who

Have all forsook me, hath devoured the rest,

And suffered me by th’ voice of slaves to be

Whooped out of Rome. Now this extremity

Hath brought me to thy hearth. Not out of hope—

Mistake me not—to save my life, for if

I had feared death, of all the men i‘th’ world

I would have ’voided thee, but in mere spite

To be full quit of those my banishers

Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast

A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge

Thine own particular wrongs and stop those maims

Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee

straight,

And make my misery serve thy turn. So use it

That my revengeful services may prove

As benefits to thee; for I will fight

Against my cankered country with the spleen

Of all the under-fiends. But if so be

Thou dar‘st not this, and that to prove more fortunes

Thou’rt tired, then, in a word, I also am

Longer to live most weary, and present

My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice,

Which not to cut would show thee but a fool,

Since I have ever followed thee with hate,

Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country’s breast,

And cannot live but to thy shame unless

It be to do thee service.

AUFIDIUS O Martius, Martius!

Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

Should from yon cloud speak divine things

And say “Tis true’, I’d not believe them more

Than thee, all-noble Martius. Let me twine

Mine arms about that body whereagainst

My grained ash an hundred times hath broke,

And scarred the moon with splinters.

(He embraces Coriolanus)

Here I clip

The anvil of my sword, and do contest

As hotly and as nobly with thy love

As ever in ambitious strength I did

Contend against thy valour. Know thou first,

I loved the maid I married; never man

Sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here,

Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart

Than when I first my wedded mistress saw

Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars, I tell thee

We have a power on foot, and I had purpose

Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn,

Or lose mine arm for’t. Thou hast beat me out

Twelve several times, and I have nightly since

Dreamt of encounters ‘twixt thyself and me—

We have been down together in my sleep,

Unbuckling helms, fisting each other’s throat—

And waked half dead with nothing. Worthy Martius,

Had we no other quarrel else to Rome but that

Thou art thence banished, we would muster all

From twelve to seventy, and, pouring war

Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome,

Like a bold flood o’erbear’t. O, come, go in,

And take our friendly senators by th’ hands

Who now are here taking their leaves of me,

Who am prepared against your territories,

Though not for Rome itself.

CORIOLANUS

You bless me, gods.

AUFIDIUS

Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have

The leading of thine own revenges, take

Th‘one half of my commission and set down—

As best thou art experienced, since thou know’st

Thy country’s strength and weakness—thine own ways:

Whether to knock 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!

And more a friend than ere an enemy;

Yet, Martius, that was much. Your hand. Most

welcome!

Exeunt

⌈The two Servingmen come forward⌉

FIRST SERVINGMAN Here’s a strange alteration!

SECOND SERVINGMAN By my hand, I had thought to have strucken him with a cudgel, and yet my mind gave me his clothes made a false report of him.

FIRST SERVINGMAN What an arm he has! He turned me about with his finger and his thumb as one would set up a top.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Nay, I knew by his face that there was something in him. He had, sir, a kind of face, methought—I cannot tell how to term it.

FIRST SERVINGMAN He had so, looking, as it were—wou)d I were hanged but I thought there was more in him than I could think.

SECOND SERVINGMAN So did I, I’ll be sworn. He is simply the rarest man i’th’ world.

FIRST SERVINGMAN I think he is yet a greater soldier than he you wot on.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Who, my master?

FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, it’s no matter for that.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Worth six on him.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Nay, not so, neither; but I take him to be the greater soldier.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that. For the defence of a town our general is excellent.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and for an assault too.

Enter the Third Servingman

THIRD SERVINGMAN O, slaves, I can tell you news—news, you rascals!

FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMEN What, what, what? Let’s partake.

THIRD SERVINGMAN I would not be a Roman of all nations.

I had as lief be a condemned man.

FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMEN Wherefore? Wherefore?

THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, here’s he that was wont to thwack our general, Caius Martius.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Why do you say ‘thwack our general’?

THIRD SERVINGMAN I do not say ‘thwack our general’; but he was always good enough for him.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Come, we are fellows and friends. He was ever too hard for him. I have heard him say so himself.

FIRST SERVINGMAN He was too hard for him directly. To say the truth on’t, before Corioles he scotched him and notched him like a carbonado.

SECOND SERVINGMAN An he had been cannibally given, he might have broiled and eaten him too.

FIRST SERVINGMAN But more of thy news!

THIRD SERVINGMAN Why, he is so made on here within as if he were son and heir to Mars; set at upper end o‘th’ table, no question asked him by any of the senators but they stand bald before him. Our general’ himself makes a mistress of him, sanctifies himself with’s hand, and turns up the white o’th’ eye to his discourse. But the bottom of the news is, our general is cut i’th’ middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday, for the other has half by the entreaty and grant of the whole table. He’ll go, he says, and sowl the porter of Rome gates by th’ ears. He will mow all down before him, and leave his passage polled.

SECOND SERVINGMAN And he’s as like to do’t as any man I can imagine.

THIRD SERVINGMAN Do’t? He will do’t; for look you, sir, he has as many friends as enemies; which friends, sir, as it were durst not—look you, sir—show themselves, as we term it, his friends whilst he’s in dejectitude.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Dejectitude? What’s that?

THIRD SERVINGMAN But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again and the man in blood, they will out of their burrows like conies after rain, and revel all with him.

FIRST SERVINGMAN But when goes this forward?

THIRD SERVINGMAN Tomorrow, today, presently. You shall have the drum struck up this afternoon. ’Tis as it were a parcel of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.

SECOND SERVINGMAN Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is nothing but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed ballad-makers.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Let me have war, say I. It exceeds peace as far as day does night. It’s sprightly walking, audible and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a getter of more bastard children than war’s a destroyer of men.

SECOND SERVINGMAN ’Tis so, and as war in some sort may be said to be a ravisher, so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.

FIRST SERVINGMAN Ay, and it makes men hate one another.

THIRD SERVINGMAN Reason; because they then less need one another. The wars for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians.

⌈A sound within ⌉

They are rising, they are rising.

FIRST and SECOND SERVINGMEN In, in, in, in.

Exeunt

4.6 Enter the two tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus

SICINIUS

We hear not of him, neither need we fear him.

His remedies are tame—the present peace

And quietness of the people, which before

Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends

Blush that the world goes well, who rather had,

Though they themselves did suffer by‘t, behold

Dissentious numbers pest’ring streets than see

Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going

About their functions friendly.

Enter Menenius

BRUTUS

We stood to’t in good time. Is this Menenius?

SICINIUS

‘Tis he, ’tis he. O, he is grown most kind of late.

Hail, sir.

MENENIUS Hail to you both.

SICINIUS

Your Coriolanus is not much missed

But with his friends. The commonwealth doth stand,

And so would do were he more angry at it.

MENENIUS

All’s well, and might have been much better if

He could have temporized.

SICINIUS Where is he, hear you?

MENENIUS Nay, I hear nothing.

His mother and his wife hear nothing from him.

Enter three or four Citizens

ALL THE CITIZENS (to the tribunes)

The gods preserve you both.

SICINIUS

Good e’en, our neighbours.

BRUTUS

Good e‘en to you all, good e’en to you all.

FIRST CITIZEN

Ourselves, our wives and children, on our knees

Are bound to pray for you both.

SICINIUS

Live and thrive.

BRUTUS Farewell, kind neighbours.

We wished Coriolanus had loved you as we did.

ALL THE CITIZENS

Now the gods keep you!

SICINIUS and BRUTUS

Farewell, farewell.

Exeunt Citizens

SICINIUS

This is a happier and more comely time

Than when these fellows ran about the streets

Crying confusion.

BRUTUS

Caius Martius was

A worthy officer i‘th’ war, but insolent,

O’ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,

Self-loving—

SICINIUS

And affecting one sole throne

Without assistance.

MENENIUS

I think not so.

SICINIUS

We should by this, to all our lamentation,

If he had gone forth consul found it so.

BRUTUS

The gods have well prevented it, and Rome

Sits safe and still without him.

Enter an Aedile

AEDILE

Worthy tribunes,

There is a slave whom we have put in prison

Reports the Volsces, with two several powers,

Are entered in the Roman territories,

And with the deepest malice of the war

Destroy what lies before ’em.

MENENIUS

’Tis Aufidius,

Who, hearing of our Martius’ banishment,

Thrusts forth his horns again into the world,

Which were inshelled when Martius stood for Rome,

And durst not once peep out.

SICINIUS

Come, what talk you of Martius? BRUTUS (to the Aedile)

Go see this rumourer whipped. It cannot be

The Volsces dare break with us.

MENENIUS

Cannot be?

We have record that very well it can,

And three examples of the like hath been

Within my age. But reason with the fellow,

Before you punish him, where he heard this,

Lest you shall chance to whip your information

And beat the messenger who bids beware

Of what is to be dreaded.

SICINIUS

Tell not me.

I know this cannot be.

BRUTUS Not possible.

Enter a Messenger

MESSENGER

The nobles in great earnestness are going

All to the senate-house. Some news is come

That turns their countenances.

SICINIUS

’Tis this slave.

(To the Aedile) Go whip him fore the people’s eyes.—

His raising,

Nothing but his report.

Exit Aedile

MESSENGER

Yes, worthy sir,

The slave’s report is seconded, and more,

More fearful, is delivered.

SICINIUS

What more fearful?

MESSENGER

It is spoke freely out of many mouths—

How probable I do not know—that Martius,

Joined 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 Martius home again.

SICINIUS The very trick on’t.

MENENIUS This is unlikely.

He and Aufidius can no more atone

Than violent’st contrariety.

Enter another Messenger

SECOND MESSENGER

You are sent for to the senate.

A fearful army, led by Caius Martius

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 dishonoured 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?

(To the tribunes) You have made fair work, I fear me.

(To Cominius) Pray, your news.

If Martius should be joined wi’th’ 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 (to the tribunes) You have made good work,

You and your apron-men, you that stood so much

Upon the voice of occupation and

The breath of garlic-eaters!

COMINIUS (to the tribunes)

He’ll shake your Rome about your ears.

MENENIUS

As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit. (To the tribunes) 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 resists

Are mocked for valiant ignorance,

And perish constant fools. Who is’t can blame him?

Your enemies and his find something in him.

MENENIVS 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 showed 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.’

(To the tribunes) You have made fair hands,

You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!

COMINIUS (to the tribunes)

You have brought

A trembling upon Rome such as was never

S’incapable of help.

SICINIUS and BRUTUS Say not we brought it.

MENENIUS How? Was’t we?

We loved him, but like beasts and cowardly nobles

Gave way unto your clusters, who did hoot

Him out o’th’ 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.

(To the Citizens) 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.

ALL THE 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

You’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 Menenius and Cominius

SICINIUS

Go, masters, get you home. Be not dismayed.

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’th’ 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’s go.

Exeunt