Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter—

That’s thousand to one good one—when you now see

He had rather venture all his limbs for honour

Than one on’s ears to hear it? Proceed, Cominius.

COMINIUS

I shall lack voice; the deeds of Coriolanus

Should not be uttered feebly. It is held

That valour is the chiefest virtue, and

Most dignifies the haver. If it be,

The man I speak of cannot in the world

Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years,

When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought

Beyond the mark of others. Our then dictator,

Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight

When with his Amazonian chin he drove

The bristled lips before him. He bestrid

An o‘erpressed Roman, and, i’th’ consul’s view,

Slew three opposers. Tarquin’s self he met,

And struck him on his knee. In that day’s feats,

When he might act the woman in the scene,

He proved best man i‘th’ field, and for his meed

Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age

Man-entered thus, he waxed like a sea,

And in the brunt of seventeen battles since

He lurched all swords of the garland. For this last

Before and in Corioles, let me say

I cannot speak him home. He stopped the fliers,

And by his rare example made the coward

Turn terror into sport. As weeds before

A vessel under sail, so men obeyed

And fell below his stem. His sword, death’s stamp,

Where it did mark, it took. From face to foot

He was a thing of blood, whose every motion

Was timed with dying cries. Alone he entered

The mortal gate of th’ city, which he, painted

With shunless destiny, aidless came off,

And with a sudden reinforcement struck

Corioles like a planet. Now all’s his.

When by and by the din of war gan pierce

His ready sense, then straight his doubled spirit

Requickened what in flesh was fatigate,

And to the battle came he, where he did

Run reeking o’er the lives of men as if

’Twere a perpetual spoil; and till we called

Both field and city ours he never stood

To ease his breast with panting.

MENENIUS Worthy man.

⌈FIRST⌉ SENATOR

He cannot but with measure fit the honours

Which we devise him.

COMINIUS Our spoils he kicked at,

And looked upon things precious as they were

The common muck of the world. He covets less

Than misery itself would give, rewards

His deeds with doing them, and is content

To spend the time to end it.

MENENIUS He’s right noble.

Let him be called for.

⌈FIRST⌉ SENATOR Call Coriolanus.

OFFICER He doth appear.

Enter Coriolanus

MENENIUS

The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleased

To make thee consul.

CORIOLANUS I do owe them still

My life and services.

MENENIUS It then remains

That you do speak to the people.

CORIOLANUS I do beseech you,

Let me o’erleap that custom, for I cannot

Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them

For my wounds’ sake to give their suffrage.

Please you that I may pass this doing.

SICINIUS Sir, the people

Must have their voices, neither will they bate

One jot of ceremony.

MENENIUS (to Coriolanus) Put them not to’t.

Pray you, go fit you to the custom and

Take to you, as your predecessors have,

Your honour with your form.

CORIOLANUS It is a part

That I shall blush in acting, and might well

Be taken from the people.

BRUTUS (to Sicinius) Mark you that?

CORIOLANUS

To brag unto them ‘Thus I did, and thus’,

Show them th’unaching scars, which I should hide,

As if I had received them for the hire

Of their breath only!

MENENIUS Do not stand upon’t.—

We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,

Our purpose to them; and to our noble consul

Wish we all joy and honour.

SENATORS

To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!

A flourish of cornetts, then exeunt all but Sicinius and Brutus

BRUTUS

You see how he intends to use the people.

SICINIUS

May they perceive’s intent! He will require them

As if he did contemn what he requested

Should be in them to give.

BRUTUS Come, we’ll inform them

Of our proceedings here. On th’ market-place

I know they do attend us. Exeunt

2.3 Enter seven or eight Citizens

FIRST CITIZEN Once, if he do require our voices we ought not to deny him.

SECOND CITIZEN We may, sir, if we will.

THIRD CITIZEN We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do. For if he show us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds and speak for them; so if he tell us his noble deeds we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous, and for the multitude to be ingrateful were to make a monster of the multitude, of the which we, being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.

FIRST CITIZEN And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

THIRD CITIZEN We have been called so of many, not that our heads are some brown, some black, some abram, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured; and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south, and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o’th’ compass.

SECOND CITIZEN Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?