Making the mother, wife and child to see The son, the husband and the father tearing His country's bowels out. And to poor we Thine enmity's most capital: thou barr'st us Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort That all but we enjoy; for how can we, Alas, how can we for our country pray.
Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory, Whereto we are bound? alack, or we must lose The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person, Our comfort in the country. We must find An evident calamity, though we had Our wish, which side should win: for either thou Must, as a foreign recreant, be led With manacles thorough our streets, or else triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin, And bear the palm for having bravely shed Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son, I purpose not to wait on fortune till These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee Rather to show a noble grace to both parts Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner March to assault thy country than to tread--Trust to't, thou shalt not--on thy mother's womb, That brought thee to this world. VIRGILIA Ay, and mine, That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time. Young MARCIUS A' shall not tread on me;
I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight. CORIOLANUS Not of a woman's tenderness to be, Requires nor child nor woman's face to see.
I have sat too long.
Rising VOLUMNIA Nay, go not from us thus.
If it were so that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us, As poisonous of your honour: no; our suit Is that you reconcile them: while the Volsces May say 'This mercy we have show'd;' the Romans, 'This we received;' and each in either side Give the all-hail to thee and cry 'Be blest For making up this peace!' Thou know'st, great son, The end of war's uncertain, but this certain, That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name, Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses;
Whose chronicle thus writ: 'The man was noble, But with his last attempt he wiped it out;
Destroy'd his country, and his name remains To the ensuing age abhorr'd.' Speak to me, son:
Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour, To imitate the graces of the gods;
To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air, And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?
Think'st thou it honourable for a noble man Still to remember wrongs? Daughter, speak you:
He cares not for your weeping. Speak thou, boy:
Perhaps thy childishness will move him more Than can our reasons. There's no man in the world More bound to 's mother; yet here he lets me prate Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy, When she, poor hen, fond of no second brood, Has cluck'd thee to the wars and safely home, Loaden with honour. Say my request's unjust, And spurn me back: but if it be not so, Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee, That thou restrain'st from me the duty which To a mother's part belongs. He turns away:
Down, ladies; let us shame him with our knees.
To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride Than pity to our prayers. Down: an end;
This is the last: so we will home to Rome, And die among our neighbours. Nay, behold 's:
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have But kneels and holds up bands for fellowship, Does reason our petition with more strength Than thou hast to deny 't. Come, let us go:
This fellow had a Volscian to his mother;
His wife is in Corioli and his child Like him by chance. Yet give us our dispatch:
I am hush'd until our city be a-fire, And then I'll speak a little.
He holds her by the hand, silent CORIOLANUS O mother, mother!
What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, The gods look down, and this unnatural scene They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O!
You have won a happy victory to Rome;
But, for your son,--believe it, O, believe it, Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd, If not most mortal to him. But, let it come.
Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars, I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, Were you in my stead, would you have heard A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius? AUFIDIUS I was moved withal. CORIOLANUS I dare be sworn you were:
And, sir, it is no little thing to make Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, What peace you'll make, advise me: for my part, I'll not to Rome, I'll back with you; and pray you, Stand to me in this cause. O mother! wife! AUFIDIUS [Aside] I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour At difference in thee: out of that I'll work Myself a former fortune.
The Ladies make signs to CORIOLANUS CORIOLANUS Ay, by and by;
To VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, & c But we will drink together; and you shall bear A better witness back than words, which we, On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd.
Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you: all the swords In Italy, and her confederate arms, Could not have made this peace.
