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The same. The Capitol.
[Enter two Officers, to lay cushions]
FIRST OFFICER
Come, come, they are almost here: How many stand for consulships?
SECOND OFFICER
Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it.
FIRST OFFICER
That's a brave fellow: but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common
people.
SECOND OFFICER
Faith, there had been many great men that have flattered the people, who
nere loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not
wherefore: so that if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better
a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or
hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition, and out
of his noble carelessness lets them plainly see it.
FIRST OFFICER
If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved indifferently,
'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he seeks their hate with
greater devotion, than can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may
fully discover him their opposite. Now to seem to affect the malice and
displeasure of the people, is as bad, as that which he dislikes, to flatter
them for their love.
SECOND OFFICER
He hath deserved worthily of his country, and his ascent is not by such easy
degrees as those, who having been supple and courteous to the people,
bonneted, without any further deed, to have them at an into their estimation,
and report: but he hath so planted his honors in their eyes, and his actions
in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so
much, were a kind of ingrateful injury: to report otherwise, were a malice,
that giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear
that heard it.
FIRST OFFICER
No more of him, he is a worthy man: make way, they are coming.
[A sennet. Enter, with actors before them, COMINIUS the consul, MENENIUS,
CORIOLANUS, Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places;
the Tribunes take their Places by themselves. CORIOLANUS stands]
MENENIUS
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Having | deter|mined of | the Vol|ces,
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And || to send | for Tit|us Lar|tius: it |
remains,
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As the main | point of | this our |
after-|meeting,
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To gra|tify | his nob|le serv|ice, that || hath
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Thus | stood for his | country.| Therefore*|
please you,
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Most^reve|rend and / grave eld|ers, to | desire
,
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The pres|ent cons|ul, and / last gen|eral,
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In our / well-found | succes|ses, to | report
,
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A lit|tle of | that worth|y work,| performed
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By Mar|tius Cai|us^Cori|olan|us: whom
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We met | here, both to thank,| and to re|member,
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With hon|ors like | himself.
FIRST SENATOR
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Speak, good* Co|minius:
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Leave^noth|ing out | for length,| and make | us
think
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Rather our | state's de|fective | for re|quital,
,
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Than we | to stretch it | out. Mast/ers of the |
people,
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We do | request | your kind|est ears:| and
af||ter
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o ->
Your lov|ing mo|tion toward | the com|mon bo||dy,
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oo
To yield | what pas|ses here.|
SICINIUS
We are convented upon a pleasing treaty, and have hearts inclinable to honor
and advance the theme of our assembly.
BRUTUS
Which the rather we shall be blest to do, if he remember a kinder value of
the people, than he hath hereto prized them at.
MENENIUS
That's off, that's off: I would you rather had been silent: Please you to
hear Cominius speak?
BRUTUS
Most willingly: but yet my caution was more pertinent than the rebuke you
give it.
MENENIUS
He loves your people, but tie him not to be their bedfellow: worthy Cominius
speak.
[CORIOLANUS offers to go away]
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T
Nay,| keep your place.
FIRST SENATOR
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, o ,
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Sit | Cori||ola|nus: | never |
shame to | hear
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What || you have | nobly | done.
CORIOLANUS
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Your | honor's | pardon:
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I had rath|er have | my wounds | to heal | again,
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Than hear | say how | I got | them. \\
BRUTUS
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Sir, I | hope my | words dis|benched you | not?
CORIOLANUS
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No sir:| yet^oft, ????
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When blows | have made | me stay,| I fled | from
words.
,
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You soothed | not, there|fore hurt | not: but |
your peo||ple,
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I | love them | as they weigh--
MENENIUS
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Pray now | sit down.
CORIOLANUS
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I had rath|er have | one^scratch | my head | in
the sun,
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When the a|larum | were struck,| than id|ly sit
,
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To hear | my noth|ings monst|ered.
[Exit]
MENENIUS
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3 3 x
mast|ers of the people, ??
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Your mul|tiply|ing spawn,| how can he | flatter?
, 2
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That's thous|and to one | good one*,| when you /
now see
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o
He had rath|er vent|ure all | his limbs | for
hon|or,
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Than on | one's^ears | to hear it.| Proceed |
Comin|ius. (hex with prev)
COMINIUS
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2->
I shall / lack voice:| the deeds | of
Cori|olan||us
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Should not | be ut|tered feeb|ly: It | is held,
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That val|or is | the chief|est vir|tue,
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And || most dig|nifies | the hav|er: if
| it be,
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The man | I speak | of, can|not in | the world
,
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Be sing|ly count|erpoised.| At six|teen* years,
,
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When Tar|quin made | a head | for Rome,| he
fought
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Beyond the mark of others: our then
dictator, ????
,
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Whom^with / all praise | I point | at, saw | him
fight,
,
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When with | his Am|azon|ian chin | he drove
,
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The brist|led lips | before | him: he | bestrid
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An ore-pressed Rom|an, and | in the cons|ul's view
T T .
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Slew three oppos|ers: Tar|quin's self | he met,
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And struck | him on | his knee:| in that |
day's^feats,
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When he | might act | the wom|an in | the scene,
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T T 2 ,
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He proved best man | in the field,| and for | his
meed
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Was brow-|bound with | the oak.| His pu|pil age
,
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Man^ent|ered thus,| he wax|ed like | a sea,
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And in | the brunt | of seven|teen^bat|tles since,
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T T 2 ,
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He lurched all swords | of the garl|and: For |
this last,
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Before,| and in | Cori|oli, let | me say,
,
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I can|not speak | him home:| he stopped | the
fli||ers,
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And | by his rare | examp|le made | the coward
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Turn ter|ror in|to sport:| as weeds | before
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A ves|sel und|er sail,| so men | obeyed,
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T T
And fell | below | his stem:| his sword, death's
stamp,
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Where it | did mark,| it took | from face | to
foot:
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He was a | thing of | blood, whose | every |
motion
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Was timed | with dy|ing cries:| alone | he
ent||ered
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The mort|al gate | of the ci|ty, which | he
paint||ed
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With shun|less dest|iny:| aidless | came^off,
,
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And with | a sud|den re|inforce|ment struck
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Cori|oli like | a plan|et: now^/all's his,
,
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When by | and by | the din | of war | gan pierce
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His rea|dy sense:| then straight | his doub|led
spirit
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Requick|ened what | in flesh | was fat|igate,
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And to | the bat|tle came | he, where | he did
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Run reek/ing ore*| the lives | of men,| as if
||'twere
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A | perpe|tual spoil:| and till | we called
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Both^field | and ci|ty ours,| he nev|er stood
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To ease | his breast | with pant|ing.
MENENIUS
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worth|y man.
FIRST SENATOR
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, ->
He can|not but | with meas|ure fit | the hon||ors
,
2 , 2
Which | we devise | him.
COMINIUS
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T
Our spoils | he kicked at,
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And looked | upon | things pre/cious, as | they
were
,
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The com|mon muck | of the world:| he cov|ets less
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Than mis|ery | itself | would give,| rewards
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His deeds | with do|ing them,| and is | content
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To spend | the time,| to end | it. \\
MENENIUS
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He's right | noble,| let him | be called | for.
FIRST SENATOR
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Call Co|rio|lanus.
OFFICER
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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
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I do | beseech | you, \\
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Let me | oreleap | that cust|om, for | I cannot
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Put on | the gown,| stand nak/ed, and en|treat
them
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For my / wounds' sake,| to give | their
suf|ferage:
, ,
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o
Please you | that I | may pass | this do|ing.
SICINIUS
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Sir, the | people | must have | their voi|ces,
<- , ,
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, x
Neith||er will | they bate | one^jot | of
cer|emony.
MENENIUS
, x
Put them | not to it: \\
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Pray you | go fit | you to | the cust|om,
<- , ,
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And || take to | you, as | your pred|eces|sors
have,
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Your hon|or with | your form. \\
CORIOLANUS
, 2
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It is a | part that | I shall | blush in |
acting,
,
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And might | well be | taken | from the | people.
BRUTUS
Mark you that.
CORIOLANUS
,
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To brag | unto | them, thus | I did,| and thus
,
2 , ,
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Show them | the unach|ing scars,| which I |
should hide,
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As if | I had | received | them for | the hire
,
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Of their | breath^on|ly.
MENENIUS
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x
Do | not stand | upon it:
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2 , , 2 ,
We rec|ommend | to you tri|bunes of the | people
,
, , 2 x
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Our pur|pose to | them, and | to our noble |
consul
T T T
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Wish we all | joy, and | honor.
SENATORS
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To Co||rio|lanus | come^all | joy and | honor.
[Flourish of cornets. Exeunt all but SICINIUS and BRUTUS]
BRUTUS
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You see | how he in|tends to | use the | people.
SICINIUS
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2 ,
May they | perceive | his intent:| He will
re|quire them
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, , 2 ,
As if | he did | contemn | what he re|quested,
,
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Should be | in them | to give.
BRUTUS
, 2 ,
Come, we'll in|form them
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Of our | proceed|ings here:| on the mark|etplace,
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I know | they do | attend | us.
\\
[Exeunt]