A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius 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 dishonour'd 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?
You have made fair work, I fear me.--Pray, your news?--If Marcius should be join'd with 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 You have made good work, You and your apron-men; you that stood so up much on the voice of occupation and The breath of garlic-eaters! COMINIUS He will shake Your Rome about your ears. MENENIUS As Hercules Did shake down mellow fruit.
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 resist 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 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 show'd 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.' 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. Both Tribunes Say not we brought it. MENENIUS 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 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.
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. 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 Ye 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 COMINIUS and MENENIUS SICINIUS 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.
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 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 us go.
