Commend me to my wife. I’ll return consul,

Or never trust to what my tongue can do

I’th’ way of flattery further.

VOLUMNIA

Do your will.

Exit Volumnia

COMINIUS

Away! The tribunes do attend you. Arm yourself

To answer mildly, for they are prepared

With accusations, as I hear, more strong

Than are upon you yet.

CORIOLANUS

The word is ‘mildly’. Pray you let us go.

Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

MENENIUS Ay, but mildly.

CORIOLANUS Well, mildly be it, then—mitd)y.

Exeunt

3.3 Enter Sicinius and Brutus

BRUTUS

In this point charge him home: that he affects

Tyrannical power. If he evade us there,

Enforce him with his envy to the people,

And that the spoil got on the Antiats

Was ne’er distributed.

Enter an Aedile

What, will he come?

AEDILE

He’s coming.

BRUTUS How accompanied?

AEDILE

With old Menenius, and those senators

That always favoured him.

SICINIUS Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procured,

Set down by th’ poll?

AEDILE I have, ’tis ready.

SICINIUS

Have you collected them by tribes?

AEDILE I have.

SICINIUS

Assemble presently the people hither,

And when they hear me say ‘It shall be so

I’th’ right and strength o‘th’ commons’, be it either

For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them,

If I say ‘Fine’, cry ‘Fine!’, if ‘Death’, cry ‘Death!’,

Insisting on the old prerogative

And power i‘th’ truth o’th’ cause.

AEDILE

I shall inform them.

BRUTUS

And when such time they have begun to cry,

Let them not cease, but with a din confused

Enforce the present execution

Of what we chance to sentence.

AEDILE

Very well.

SICINIUS

Make them be strong, and ready for this hint

When we shall hap to give’t them.

BRUTUS ⌈to the Aedile⌉ Go about it.

⌈Exit Aedile⌉

Put him to choler straight. He hath been used

Ever to conquer and to have his worth

Of contradiction. Being once chafed, he cannot

Be reined again to temperance. Then he speaks

What’s in his heart, and that is there which looks

With us to break his neck.

Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, and Cominius, with other ⌈Senators and Patricians⌉

SICINIUS Well, here he comes.

MENENIUS (to Coriolanus) Calmly, I do beseech you.

CORIOLANUS

Ay, as an hostler that for th’ poorest piece

Will bear the knave by th’ volume.—Th‘honoured

gods

Keep Rome in safety and the chairs of justice

Supplied with worthy men, plant love among’s,

Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,

And not our streets with war!

FIRST SENATOR Amen, amen.

MENENIUS A noble wish.

Enter the Aedile with the Citizens

SICINIUS

Draw near, ye people.

AEDILE List to your tribunes. Audience!

Peace, I say.

CORIOLANUS First, hear me speak.

SICINIUS and BRUTUS Well, say.—Peace ho!

CORIOLANUS

Shall I be charged no further than this present?

Must all determine here?

SICINIUS I do demand

If you submit you to the people’s voices,

Allow their officers, and are content

To suffer lawful censure for such faults

As shall be proved upon you.

CORIOLANUS

I am content.

MENENIUS

Lo, citizens, he says he is content.

The warlike service he has done, consider. Think

Upon the wounds his body bears, which show

Like graves i’th’ holy churchyard.

CORIOLANUS

Scratches with briers,

Scars to move laughter only.

MENENIUS Consider further

That when he speaks not like a citizen,

You find him like a soldier. Do not take

His rougher accents for malicious sounds,

But, as I say, such as become a soldier

Rather than envy you.

COMINIUS Well, well, no more.

CORIOLANUS What is the matter

That, being passed for consul with full voice,

I am so dishonoured that the very hour

You take it off again?

SICINUS Answer to us.

CORIOLANUS Say, then. ’Tis true I ought so.

SICINIUS

We charge you that you have contrived to take

From Rome all seasoned office, and to wind

Yourself into a power tyrannical,

For which you are a traitor to the people.

CORIOLANUS

How, traitor?

MENENIUS Nay, temperatety—your promise.

CORIOLANUS

The fires i‘th’ lowest hell fold in the people!

Call me their traitor, thou injurious tribune?

Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,

In thy hands clutched as many millions, in

Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say

‘Thou liest’ unto thee with a voice as free

As I do pray the gods.

SICINIUS Mark you this, people?

ALL ⌈THE CITIZENS⌉ ⌉ 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

Served 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?