Act IV, Scene 6

Rome. A public place.

[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS]

• Sicinius Velutus. We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
  His remedies are tame i' 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, 3010
  Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold
  Dissentious numbers pestering streets than see
  Our tradesmen with in their shops and going
  About their functions friendly.

• Junius Brutus. We stood to't in good time. 3015
  [Enter MENENIUS]
  Is this Menenius?

• Sicinius Velutus. 'Tis he,'tis he: O, he is grown most kind of late.

• Both Tribunes. Hail sir!

• Menenius Agrippa. Hail to you both! 3020

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

• Menenius Agrippa. All's well; and might have been much better, if 3025
  He could have temporized.

• Sicinius Velutus. Where is he, hear you?

• Menenius Agrippa. Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife
  Hear nothing from him.

[Enter three or four Citizens]

• Citizens. The gods preserve you both!

• Sicinius Velutus. God-den, our neighbours.

• Junius Brutus. God-den to you all, god-den to you all.

• First Citizen. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,
  Are bound to pray for you both. 3035

• Sicinius Velutus. Live, and thrive!

• Junius Brutus. Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd Coriolanus
  Had loved you as we did.

• Citizens. Now the gods keep you!

• Both Tribunes. Farewell, farewell. 3040

[Exeunt Citizens]

• Sicinius Velutus. This is a happier and more comely time
  Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
  Crying confusion.

• Junius Brutus. Caius CORIOLANUS was 3045
  A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,
  O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,
  Self-loving,—

• Sicinius Velutus. And affecting one sole throne,
  Without assistance. 3050

• Menenius Agrippa. I think not so.

• Sicinius Velutus. We should by this, to all our lamentation,
  If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

• Junius Brutus. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome
  Sits safe and still without him. 3055

[Enter an AEdile]

• Aedile. Worthy tribunes,
  There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,
  Reports, the Volsces with two several powers
  Are enter'd in the Roman territories, 3060
  And with the deepest malice of the war
  Destroy what lies before 'em.

• Menenius Agrippa. 'Tis Aufidius,
  Who, hearing of our CORIOLANUS' banishment,
  Thrusts forth his horns again into the world; 3065
  Which were inshell'd when CORIOLANUS stood for Rome,
  And durst not once peep out.

• Sicinius Velutus. Come, what talk you
  Of CORIOLANUS?

• Junius Brutus. Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It cannot be 3070
  The Volsces dare break with us.

• Menenius Agrippa. Cannot be!
  We have record that very well it can,
  And three examples of the like have been
  Within my age. But reason with the fellow, 3075
  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 Velutus. Tell not me: 3080
  I know this cannot be.

• Junius Brutus. Not possible.

[Enter a Messenger]

• Messenger. The nobles in great earnestness are going
  All to the senate-house: some news is come 3085
  That turns their countenances.

• Sicinius Velutus. 'Tis this slave;—
  Go whip him, 'fore the people's eyes:—his raising;
  Nothing but his report.

• Messenger. Yes, worthy sir, 3090
  The slave's report is seconded; and more,
  More fearful, is deliver'd.

• Sicinius Velutus. What more fearful?

• Messenger. It is spoke freely out of many mouths—
  How probable I do not know—that CORIOLANUS, 3095
  Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome,
  And vows revenge as spacious as between
  The young'st and oldest thing.

• Sicinius Velutus. This is most likely!

• Junius Brutus. Raised only, that the weaker sort may wish 3100
  Good CORIOLANUS home again.

• Sicinius Velutus. The very trick on't.

• Menenius Agrippa. This is unlikely:
  He and Aufidius can no more atone
  Than violentest contrariety. 3105

[Enter a second Messenger]

• Second Messenger. You are sent for to the senate:
  A fearful army, led by Caius CORIOLANUS
  Associated with Aufidius, rages
  Upon our territories; and have already 3110
  O'erborne their way, consumed with fire, and took
  What lay before them.

[Enter COMINIUS]

• Cominius. O, you have made good work!

• Menenius Agrippa. What news? what news? 3115

• 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 Agrippa. What's the news? what's the news?

• Cominius. Your temples burned in their cement, and 3120
  Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
  Into an auger's bore.

• Menenius Agrippa. Pray now, your news?
  You have made fair work, I fear me.—Pray, your news?—
  If CORIOLANUS should be join'd with Volscians,— 3125

• 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 3130
  Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,
  Or butchers killing flies.

• Menenius Agrippa. You have made good work,
  You and your apron-men; you that stood so up much
  on the voice of occupation and 3135
  The breath of garlic-eaters!

• Cominius. He will shake
  Your Rome about your ears.

• Menenius Agrippa. As Hercules
  Did shake down mellow fruit. 3140
  You have made fair work!

• Junius 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 3145
  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 Agrippa. We are all undone, unless
  The noble man have mercy. 3150

• 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 3155
  As those should do that had deserved his hate,
  And therein show'd like enemies.

• Menenius Agrippa. 'Tis true:
  If he were putting to my house the brand
  That should consume it, I have not the face 3160
  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. 3165

• Both Tribunes. Say not we brought it.

• Menenius Agrippa. 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 3170
  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. 3175

[Enter a troop of Citizens]

• Menenius Agrippa. 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 3180
  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; 3185
  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. 3190

• 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. 3195

• Cominius. Ye re goodly things, you voices!

• Menenius Agrippa. You have made
  Good work, you and your cry! Shall's to the Capitol?

• Cominius. O, ay, what else?

[Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS]

• Sicinius Velutus. 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. 3205
  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]

• Junius Brutus. I do not like this news. 3210

• Sicinius Velutus. Nor I.

• Junius Brutus. Let's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth
  Would buy this for a lie!

• Sicinius Velutus. Pray, let us go.

[Exeunt]