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SICINIUS. Mark you this, people? |
PLEBEIANS. To th' rock, to th' rock, with him! |
SICINIUS. Peace! |
We need not put new matter to his charge. |
What you have seen him do and heard him speak, |
Beating your officers, cursing yourselves, |
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying |
Those whose great power must try him- even this, |
So criminal and in such capital kind, |
Deserves th' extremest death. |
BRUTUS. But since he hath |
Serv'd well for Rome- |
CORIOLANUS. What do you prate of service? |
BRUTUS. I talk of that that know it. |
CORIOLANUS. You! |
MENENIUS. Is this the promise that you made your mother? |
COMINIUS. Know, I pray you- |
CORIOLANUS. I'll know no further. |
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, |
Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger |
But with a grain a day, I would not buy |
Their mercy at the price of one fair word, |
Nor check my courage for what they can give, |
To have't with saying 'Good morrow.' |
SICINIUS. For that he has- |
As much as in him lies- from time to time |
Envied against the people, seeking means |
To pluck away their power; as now at last |
Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence |
Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers |
That do distribute it- in the name o' th' people, |
And in the power of us the tribunes, we, |
Ev'n from this instant, banish him our city, |
In peril of precipitation |
From off the rock Tarpeian, never more |
To enter our Rome gates. I' th' people's name, |
I say it shall be so. |
PLEBEIANS. It shall be so, it shall be so! Let him away! |
He's banish'd, and it shall be so. |
COMINIUS. Hear me, my masters and my common friends- |
SICINIUS. He's sentenc'd; no more hearing. |
COMINIUS. Let me speak. |
I have been consul, and can show for Rome |
Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love |
My country's good with a respect more tender, |
More holy and profound, than mine own life, |
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase |
And treasure of my loins. Then if I would |
Speak that- |
SICINIUS. We know your drift. Speak what? |
BRUTUS. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd, |
As enemy to the people and his country. |
It shall be so. |
PLEBEIANS. It shall be so, it shall be so. |
CORIOLANUS. YOU common cry of curs, whose breath I hate |
As reek o' th' rotten fens, whose loves I prize |
As the dead carcasses of unburied men |
That do corrupt my air- I banish you. |
And here remain with your uncertainty! |
Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts; |
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes, |
Fan you into despair! Have the power still |
To banish your defenders, till at length |
Your ignorance- which finds not till it feels, |
Making but reservation of yourselves |
Still your own foes- deliver you |
As most abated captives to some nation |
That won you without blows! Despising |
For you the city, thus I turn my back; |
There is a world elsewhere. |
Exeunt CORIOLANUS, |
COMINIUS, MENENIUS, with the other PATRICIANS |
AEDILE. The people's enemy is gone, is gone! |
[They all shout and throw up their caps] |
PLEBEIANS. Our enemy is banish'd, he is gone! Hoo-oo! |
SICINIUS. Go see him out at gates, and follow him, |
As he hath follow'd you, with all despite; |
Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard |
Attend us through the city. |
PLEBEIANS. Come, come, let's see him out at gates; come! |
The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come. Exeunt |
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ACT IV. SCENE I. |
Rome. Before a gate of the city |
Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, |
with the young NOBILITY of Rome |
CORIOLANUS. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell. The beast |
With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother, |
Where is your ancient courage? You were us'd |
To say extremities was the trier of spirits; |
That common chances common men could bear; |
That when the sea was calm all boats alike |
Show'd mastership in floating; fortune's blows, |
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