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The tent of Coriolanus.
[Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others]
CORIOLANUS
, ,
, , ,
2->
We will | before | the walls | of Rome |
tomor||row
, ,
, , 2 ,
Set^down | our host.| My part/ner in this |
action,
, 2
, 2 ,
, ,
You must re|port to the | Volscian | lords, how |
plainly
, , ,
I have | borne this | business. \\
AUFIDIUS
, ,
, ,
Only | their ends | you have |
respec|ted,
<- , ,
, , ,
,
Stopped || your ears | against | the gene|ral
suit | of Rome:
, ,
,
, ,
,
Never admitted a private whisper, no not
with such friends ????
,
, ,
That thought | them sure | of you.
CORIOLANUS
, ,
This last | old^man,
,
, ,
, ,
Whom with | a cracked | heart I | have sent | to
Rome,
,
, , ,
2 ,
Loved me,| above | the meas|ure of a | father,
, 3
3 , , , ,
Nay* god|ded me^indeed.| Their lat|est re|fuge
<- ,
, , T T
T
Was || to send | him: for / whose old | love I
have
,
, , ,
, 2->
(Though I | showed sour/ly to | him) once |
more^of||fered
, ,
, ,
,
The first | condi|tions which | they did | refuse,
2 , ,
, ,
,
And cannot | now ac|cept, to | grace him | only,
, ,
, , x
That thought | he could | do more:| a ve|ry
little
2 ,
, , ,
,
I have yield|ed to:| fresh^em|bassies,| and
suits,
, 2
, , ,
,
Nor from the | state, nor | private | friends
here|after
, ,
, , ,
Will I | lend^ear | to. Ha?| What shout | is
this?
,
, ,
, ,
Shall I | be tempt|ed to | infringe | my vow
, , ,
T T T
In the / same time |'tis made?| I will not.
[Enter in mourning habits, VIRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, leading young MARTIUS,
VALERIA, and Attendants]
, T T T
2 , ,
My wife | comes foremost,| then the hon|ored mold
, ,
, , ,
Wherein | this trunk | was framed,| and in | her
hand
, ,
2 , ,
,
The grand|child to her | blood. But | out
af|fection,
, , ,
, ,
All bond | and priv|ilege | of na|ture break;
, ,
2 , , ,
Let it | be vir|tuous to | be obst|inate.
,
, 2 ,
, ,
What is | that court|esy worth?| Or those /
doves' eyes,
,
, ,
, 2 ,
Which^can | make^gods | forsworn?| I melt,| and
am not
x ,
, , ,
Of stronger | earth than | others:| My moth|er
bows,
,
, , ,
,
As if | Olym|pus to a // molehill should
, , ,
, ,
In sup|plica|tion nod:| and my / young boy
,
, , ,
,
Hath an | aspect / of int|erces|sion, which
,
, , , 2
,
Great^na|ture cries,| deny | not. Let^the |
Volces
T T . T
, ,
x
Plow Rome, and har|row It|aly,| I'll never
, ,
2 , ,
,
Be such | a gos|ling to o/bey |*instinct,| but
stand, ??
, ,
, ,
, ,
, , ->
As if | a man | were auth|or of | himself,|| and
knew | no oth|er kin.
VIRGILIA
, ,
2->
My lord | and hus||band.
CORIOLANUS
,
, , ,
,
These eyes | are not | the same | I wore | in
Rome.
VIRGILIA
, ,
, ,
,
The sor|row that | deliv|ers us / thus changed,
,
,
Makes you | think so*.
CORIOLANUS
<- T . T
T , , ,
,
Like a dull act|or now,|| I have | forgot | my part,
<- , ,
x , ,
, ,
And I | am out,|| even to | a full | disgrace.| Best of | my flesh,
,
, , ,
,
Forgive | my tyr|anny:| but do | not say,
, ,
, ,
,
For that | forgive | our Rom|ans. O | a kiss
, 2
T T T
, ,
Long as my | exile, sweet | as my | revenge!
,
, ,
x ,
Now by | the jeal|ous queen | of heaven,| that
kiss
, ,
, , ,
I car|ried from / thee dear;| and my / true lip
,
, , ,
,
Hath vir|gined it / ere since.| You gods,| I
pray,
, ,
, , ,
And the / most nob|le moth|er of | the world
, ,
, ,
2 ,
Leave^un|salut|ed: sink | my knee | in the earth,
, ,
, ,
,
Of thy / deep du|ty, more | impres|sion show
,
, ,
Than that | of com|mon sons.
VOLUMNIA
, ,
Oh stand | up blessed!
, , , ,
,
Whilst^with | no soft|er cush|ion than | the
flint
, ,
, , ,
I kneel | before | thee, and | unprop|erly
, ,
, , ,
Show du/ty as | mistak|en, all | this while,
, ,
x
Between | the child,| and parent.
[Kneels]
CORIOLANUS
,
,
,
What's this?| Your knees | to me?
,
, ,
To your | correc|ted son?
(tri with prev two)
,
, , ,
,
Then let | the peb|bles on | the hung|ry beach
,
, ,
, 2 ,
Fillip | the stars:| then, let^|the mut|inous
winds
T .
T T , ,
,
Strike the proud ced|ars 'gainst | the fie|ry
sun:
, 2
, , , ,
Murdering | impos|sibil|ity,| to make
, ,
, ,
What can|not be,| slight work. ????
VOLUMNIA
x
, , ,
,
Thou art my | warri|or, I | hope to | frame thee.
,
, ,
Do you | know this | lady? ????
CORIOLANUS
,
, 2 , ,
o
The nob|le sis|ter of Pub|lico|la;
, ,
, , ,
The moon | of Rome:| chaste as | the ic|icle
,
, ,
, ,
That's^curd|ied by | the frost,| from pur|est
snow,
,
, x
, ,
And hangs | on Di|an's^temple:| dear Va|leria.
VOLUMNIA
,
, , ,
,
This is | a poor | epit|ome | of yours,
,
2 , ,
, ,
Which by | the inter|preta|tion of / full time,
, , ,
May show | like^all | yourself.
CORIOLANUS
, ,
->
The god | of sol||diers:
,
2 , , ,
,
With | the consent | of su/preme Jove,| inform
,
, , ,
,
Thy thoughts | with nob|leness,| that thou |
mayst prove
,
, , ,
2 ,
To shame | unvul|nerable,| and stick | in the
wars
T . T
T ,
, ,
Like a great sea-|mark* stand|ing eve|ry flaw,
??
,
, ,
2
And sav|ing those | that eye | thee.
VOLUMNIA
,
,
Your knee,| sirrah.
CORIOLANUS
__ __
___ ___ oo
That's | my | brave | boy.|
VOLUMNIA
,
, ,
, ,
Eene^he,| your wife,| this la|dy, and | myself,
, ,
Are suit|ors to | you.
CORIOLANUS
, ,
,
I | beseech | you peace:
, , ,
, ,
Or if | you'd ask,| remem|ber this | before;
, ,
, , x
The thing | I have | forsworn | to grant,| may
never
, ,
, ,
, 2->
Be held | by you | deni|als. Do | not bid || me
,
, , , ,
Dismiss | my sol|diers, or | capit|ulate
, , , , ,
Again,| with Rome's | mechan|ics. Tell | me not
,
, , 2 ,
, 2 ,
Wherein | I seem | unnat|ural: de/sire not | to allay
,
, ,
, ,
x
My rag|es and | reveng|es, with | your cold|er reasons. (hex with prev)
VOLUMNIA
T T T
,
Oh no more,| no* more: \\
2
, ,
, , ,
You have said | you will | not grant | us an|ything:
,
, ,
, ,
For we | have noth|ing else | to ask,| but that
,
, , ,
2 ,
Which you | deny | alrea|dy: yet | we will ask,
,
, ,
, ,
That if | you fail | in our | request,| the blame
, ,
, , x
May hang | upon | your hard|ness, there|fore hear
us.
CORIOLANUS
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Aufid|ius, and | you Vol|ces mark,| for we'll
,
, , ,
,
Hear^nought | from Rome | in priv|ate. Your |
request?
VOLUMNIA
,
, 2 , ,
,
Should we | be sil|ent and not | speak,
our^|raiment
, ,
, ,
,
And state | of bod|ies would | bewray | what life
2 ,
, T T
T 2 ,
We have led | since thy | exile. Think | with
thyself,
, ,
2 , , ,
2->
How more | unfor|tunate than / all liv|ing
wom||en
, ,
, , ,
,
Are we | come^hith|er; since | that thy | sight,|
which should
2
, , T T
T ,
o
Make^our eyes | flow with | joy, hearts dance |
with com|forts, (hex with prev)
, ,
, ,
x
Constrains | them weep,| and shake | with fear |
and sorrow,
, , , , ,
Making | the moth|er, wife,| and child | to see,
,
, , , , 2->
The son,| the hus|band, and | the fath|er
tear||ing
, ,
, , ,
His count|ry's bow|els out;| and to / poor we
, 2 ,
, , ,
Thine en|mity's^most | capi|tal: thou | barrst 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 count|ry pray?
, 2 , , 2 , ,
2
Whereto | we are bound,| togeth|er with thy |
victory:
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Whereto | we are bound:| Alack,| or we | must
lose
,
, , ,
x
The count|ry our / dear nurse,| or else | thy
person
, ,
, ,
,
Our com|fort in | the count|ry. We | must find
, ,
, , 2
,
An ev|ident | calam|ity,| though we had
, , , , ,
Our wish,| which side | should win.| For eith|er thou
,
, , ,
,
Must as | a for|eign rec|reant | be led
, ,
T T T
,
With man|acles | through our streets,| or else
, ,
, ,
x
Triumph|antly | tread on | thy count|ry's ruin,
, ,
, ,
,
And bear | the palm,| for hav|ing brave|ly shed
,
, , ,
,
Thy wife | and child|ren's blood:| For my/self,
son,
,
, ,
, ,
I pur|pose not | to wait | on for|tune, till
,
, , 2
, ,
->
These^wars | deter|mine: if | I cannot | persuade
|| thee,
, 2 ,
x T . T
T
Rath|er to show | a noble | grace to both parts,
,
, , , , ->
Than seek | the end | of one;| thou shalt | no
soon||er
,
2 , ,
, ,
March | to assault | thy count|ry, than | to
tread
, 2
, ,
, ,
(Trust to it,| thou shalt | not) on | thy
moth|er's womb
,
, ,
That brought | thee to | this world. \\
VIRGILIA
___ , ,
, ,
Aye,| and mine,| that brought | you forth | this
boy,
,
, , ,
oo
To keep | your name | living | to time.|
YOUNG MARTIUS
,
, ,
, ,
He shall | not tread | on me:| I'll run | away
, ,
, T T T
Till I | am big|ger, but | then I'll fight.
CORIOLANUS
,
, ,
, ,
Not of | a wom|an's tend|erness | to be,
, ,
, ,
,
Requires | nor child,| nor wom|an's face | to
see:
2 ,
T T
I have sat | too long.
[Rising]
VOLUMNIA
T ,
2 ,
Nay,| go not | from us thus:
, ,
, , ,
If it | were so,| that our | request | did tend
,
, , ,
,
To save | the Rom|ans, there|by to | destroy
, ,
, , x
The Vol|ces whom | you serve,| you might |
condemn us
, 2
, ,
, ,
As pois|onous of | your hon|or. No,| our suit
,
, , ,
, 2->
Is that | you rec|oncile | them: while | the
Vol||ces
, ,
, ,
, ->
May* say,| this mer|cy we | have showed:| the
Rom||ans,
, 2
, , ,
,
This | we received,| and each | in eith|er side
T . T T
, ,
,
Give the all-hail | to thee,| and cry | be
blessed
, ,
, ,
,
For mak|ing up | this peace.| Thou knowst
|(great^son)
, ,
, , ,
->
The end | of war's | uncert|ain: but / this
cert||ain,
, 2
, ,
, ,
That | if thou con|quer Rome,| the ben|efit
, ,
, ,
,
Which thou | shalt there|by reap,| is such | a
name
, , ,
2 ,
,
Whose rep|eti|tion will be | dogged with |
curses:
, 2
, , ,
,
Whose^chron|icle thus | writ, the | man was |
noble,
,
, ,
, ,
But with | his last | attempt,| he wiped | it
out:
,
, ,
, ,
Destroyed | his count|ry, and | his name |
remains
3 3 ,
, ,
, ,
To the ensu|ing age | abhorred.| Speak to | me
son:
, 2
, ,
, ,
Thou hast af|fected | the fine | strains of |
honor,
, , ,
, ,
To im|itate | the gra|ces of | the gods,
, ,
, , 2
,
To tear | with thund|er the / wide cheeks | of
the air,
, , , , ,
And yet | to charge | thy sul/phur with | a bolt
, ,
, ,
,
That should | but rive | an oak.| Why dost | not
speak?
,
, 2
, 2 ,
,
Thinkst thou | it hon|orable | for a nob|le man
,
, ,
, ,
Still to | remem|ber wrongs?| Daughter,| speak
you:
, ,
, , ,
He cares | not for | your weep|ing. Speak | thou
boy,
, ,
, ,
,
Perhaps | thy child|ishness | will move | him
more
, , , , 2
,
Than can | our reas|ons. There's^/no man | in the
world
, 2
, ,
2 , ,
More* bound | to his moth|er, yet | here^he lets
| me prate
, 2
, ,
, 2 ,
Like^one | in the stocks.| Thou hast | never in |
thy life,
,
, , , ,
Showed thy | dear* moth|er an|y court|esy,
,
, ,
, ,
When she |(poor* hen)| fond of | no sec|ond
brood,
,
, ,
, ,
Has clucked | thee* to | the wars:| and safe|ly
home
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Laden | with hon|or. Say | my request's | unjust,
, ,
, , ,
And spurn | me back:| but if | it be | not so,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Thou art | not hon/est, and the | gods will |
plague thee,
, ,
, ,
,
That thou | restrainst | from me | the du|ty,
which
2 , ,
, , ,
To a moth|er's part | belongs.| He turns | away:
, ,
, ,
,
Down lad/ies: let^|us shame | him with | our
knees.
2 ,
2 , , 2 ,
,
To his sur|name* Cori|olan|us belongs | more*
pride ??
, , ,
__ ,
Than pi|ty to | our prayers.| Down:| an end;
,
, , ,
,
This is | the last.| So we | will home | to Rome,
,
, , ,
x
And die | among | our neigh|bors: Nay,| behold
us,
, ,
, , ,
This boy | that can|not tell | what he | would
have,
, ,
, , ,
But kneels,| and holds | up^hands | for
fel|lowship,
, ,
, , ,
Does^reas|on our | peti|tion with / more strength
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Than thou | hast to de|ny it.| Come, let | us go:
, ,
, , 2 ,
This fel|low had | a Vol|scian to his | mother:
, ,
, , 2 ,
His wife | is in | Cori|oli,| and his child
,
, ,
, ,
Like him | by chance:| Yet give | us our |
dispatch:
,
, ,
, , ,
, ,
I am hushed until our city be afire, and then I'll speak
a little. ????
[He holds her by the hand, silent]
CORIOLANUS
_ , ,
O | mother,| mother! \\
,
, , x
,
What have | you done?| Behold,| the heavens | do
ope,
, ,
, , 2
,
The gods | look^down,| and this | unna|tural
scene
,
, ,
, ,
They laugh | at. Oh | my moth|er, moth|er: Oh!
,
, ,
, 2 ,
You have | won a | happy | victory | to Rome.
,
, ,
, x
But for | your son,| believe | it: Oh | believe
it,
, ,
2 , ,
,
Most dang/erously | you have | with him |
prevailed,
, ,
x , ,
If not | most mort|al to him.| But let | it come:
, 2
, 2 , T
T T
Aufid|ius, though | I cannot | make true wars,
,
, 2 , ,
2 , 2
I'll frame | conven|ient peace.| Now good*
Au|fidius,
, , ,
, ,
Were you | in my | stead, would | you have |
heard
<- ,
, ,
, , 2
A || mother | less? Or | granted | less
Au|fidius?
AUFIDIUS
2 ,
,
I was moved | withal.
CORIOLANUS
, ,
,
I dare | be sworn | you were:
, , ,
, ,
And sir,| it is / no lit|tle thing | to make
,
, ,
, ,
Mine^eyes | to sweat | compas|sion. 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
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Stand | to me | in this cause.| O moth|er! Wife!
AUFIDIUS
2 , 2 , ,
, 2 ,
I am glad | thou hast set | thy mer/cy, and thy |
honor
, ,
, ,
,
At dif|ference in | thee: out | of that | I'll
work
, ,
, 2
Myself | a form|er for|tune*.
[The Ladies make signs to CORIOLANUS]
CORIOLANUS
<- ,
, , 2
, , ->
Aye* by | and by;|| but we will |
drink to|gether:
,
,
And you | shall bear ??
,
, ,
, ,
A bet|ter wit|ness back | than words,| which we
, ,
, ,
,
On like | condi|tions, will | have
count|er-sealed.
,
, , ,
,
Come^ent|er with | us: lad|ies you | deserve
, , ,
, ,
To have | a temp|le built | you: all | the swords
, , ,
, 2 ,
In It|aly,| and her | confed|erate arms
, ,
,
Could not | have made | this peace. \\
[Exeunt]