From these old arms and legs, by the good gods

  I’d with thee every foot.

  CORIOLANUS Give me thy hand.

  Come. Exeunt.

  4.2 Enter the two tribunes, SICINIUS and BRUTUS, with the Aedile.

  SICINIUS

  Bid them all home; he’s gone, and we’ll no further.

  The nobility are vex’d, whom we see have sided

  In his behalf.

  BRUTUS Now we have shown our power,

  Let us seem humbler after it is done

  Than when it was a-doing.

  SICINIUS Bid them home.

  5

  Say their great enemy is gone and they

  Stand in their ancient strength.

  BRUTUS Dismiss them home.

  Exit Aedile.

  Here comes his mother.

  Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA and MENENIUS.

  SICINIUS Let’s not meet her.

  BRUTUS Why?

  SICINIUS They say she’s mad.

  BRUTUS They have ta’en note of us: keep on your way.

  10

  VOLUMNIA

  Oh, y’are well met: the hoarded plague o’th’ gods

  Requite your love!

  MENENIUS Peace, peace, be not so loud.

  VOLUMNIA

  If that I could for weeping, you should hear –

  Nay, and you shall hear some.

  [to Brutus] Will you be gone?

  [to Sicinius] You shall stay too.

  VIRGILIA I would I had the power

  15

  To say so to my husband.

  SICINIUS Are you mankind?

  VOLUMNIA Ay, fool; is that a shame? Note but this fool.

  Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship

  To banish him that struck more blows for Rome

  Than thou hast spoken words?

  SICINIUS Oh blessed heavens!

  20

  VOLUMNIA

  Moe noble blows than ever thou wise words;

  And for Rome’s good. I’ll tell thee what – yet go!

  Nay, but thou shalt stay too: I would my son

  Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

  His good sword in his hand.

  SICINIUS What then?

  VIRGILIA What then!

  25

  VOLUMNIA He’d make an end of thy posterity,

  Bastards and all.

  Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

  MENENIUS Come, come, peace!

  SICINIUS I would he had continued to his country

  30

  As he began, and not unknit himself

  The noble knot he made.

  BRUTUS I would he had.

  VOLUMNIA

  ‘I would he had!’ ’Twas you incens’d the rabble:

  Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth

  As I can of those mysteries which heaven

  35

  Will not have earth to know.

  BRUTUS Pray let’s go.

  VOLUMNIA Now, pray sir, get you gone.

  You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this:

  As far as doth the Capitol exceed

  The meanest house in Rome, so far my son –

  40

  This lady’s husband here, this, do you see? –

  Whom you have banish’d, does exceed you all.

  BRUTUS Well, well, we’ll leave you.

  SICINIUS Why stay we to be baited

  With one that wants her wits? Exeunt tribunes.

  VOLUMNIA Take my prayers with you.

  I would the gods had nothing else to do

  45

  But to confirm my curses! Could I meet ’em

  But once a day, it would unclog my heart

  Of what lies heavy to’t.

  MENENIUS You have told them home,

  And, by my troth, you have cause. You’ll sup with

  me?

  VOLUMNIA Anger’s my meat: I sup upon myself

  50

  And so shall starve with feeding. Come, let’s go.

  Leave this faint puling, and lament as I do,

  In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come!

  Exeunt Volumnia and Virgilia.

  MENENIUS Fie, fie, fie! Exit.

  4.3 Enter a Roman and a Volsce.

  NICANOR I know you well, sir, and you know me: your

  name I think is Adrian.

  ADRIAN It is so, sir; truly I have forgot you.

  NICANOR I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are,

  against ’em. Know you me yet?

  5

  ADRIAN Nicanor? No?

  NICANOR The same, sir.

  ADRIAN You had more beard when I last saw you, but

  your favour is well appeared by your tongue. What’s

  the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian

  10

  state to find you out there; you have well saved me a

  day’s journey.

  NICANOR There hath been in Rome strange

  insurrections: the people against the senators,

  patricians and nobles.

  15

  ADRIAN Hath been! Is it ended then? Our state thinks

  not so; they are in a most warlike preparation, and

  hope to come upon them in the heat of their

  division.

  NICANOR The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing

  20

  would make it flame again. For the nobles receive so to

  heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus,

  that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from

  the people, and to pluck from them their tribunes for

  ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost

  25

  mature for the violent breaking out.

  ADRIAN Coriolanus banished?

  NICANOR Banished, sir.

  ADRIAN You will be welcome with this intelligence,

  Nicanor.

  30

  NICANOR The day serves well for them now. I have

  heard it said, the fittest time to corrupt a man’s wife is

  when she’s fallen out with her husband. Your noble

  Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his

  great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of

  35

  his country.

  ADRIAN He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus

  accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my

  business, and I will merrily accompany you home.

  NICANOR I shall between this and supper tell you most

  40

  strange things from Rome, all tending to the good of

  their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?

  ADRIAN A most royal one: the centurions and

  their charges distinctly billeted, already in

  th’entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s

  45

  warning.

  NICANOR I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am

  the man, I think, that shall set them in present action.

  So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your

  company.

  50

  ADRIAN You take my part from me, sir: I have the most

  cause to be glad of yours.

  NICANOR Well, let us go together. Exeunt.

  4.4 Enter CORIOLANUS in mean apparel, disguised and muffled.

  CORIOLANUS A goodly city is this Antium. City,

  ’Tis I that made thy widows: many an heir

  Of these fair edifices ’fore my wars

  Have I heard groan, and drop. Then know me not;

  Lest that thy wives with spits, and boys with stones,

  5

  In puny battle slay me.

  Enter a Citizen.

  Save you, sir.

  CITIZEN And you.

  CORIOLANUS Direct me, if it be your will,

  Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium?

  CITIZEN He is, and feasts the nobles of the state

  At his house this night.

  CORIOLANUS Which is his house, beseech you?

  10

  CITIZEN This, here before you.

  CORIOLANUS Thank you, sir. Farewell.

  Exit Citizen.

  O world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast sworn,

  Whose double bosoms seems to wear one heart,

  Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal and exercise

  Are still together, who twin, as ’twere, in love

  15

  Unseparable, shall within this hour,

  On a dissension of a doit, break out

  To bitterest enmity: so fellest foes,

  Whose passions and whose plots have broke their

  sleep

  To take the one the other, by some chance,

  20

  Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends

  And interjoin their issues. So with me:

  My birthplace hate I, and my love’s upon

  This enemy town. I’ll enter: if he slay me

  He does fair justice; if he give me way,

  25

  I’ll do his country service. Exit.

  4.5 Music plays. Enter a Servingman.

  SERVINGMAN Wine, wine, wine! What service is here!

  1

  I think our fellows are asleep. Exit.

  Enter another Servingman.

  2 SERVINGMAN Where’s Cotus? My master calls for

  him. Cotus! Exit.

  Enter CORIOLANUS.

  CORIOLANUS

  A goodly house: the feast smells well, but I

  5

  Appear not like a guest.

  Enter the First Servingman.

  1 SERVINGMAN What would you have, friend? Whence

  are you? Here’s no place for you: pray, go to the door!

  Exit.

  CORIOLANUS

  I have deserv’d no better entertainment

  In being Coriolanus.

  10

  Enter Second Servingman.

  2 SERVINGMAN Whence are you sir? Has the porter his

  eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such

  companions? Pray, get you out.

  CORIOLANUS Away!

  2 SERVINGMAN Away? Get you away!

  15

  CORIOLANUS Now th’art troublesome.

  SERVINGMAN Are you so brave! I’ll have you talked

  2

  with anon.

  Enter Third Servingman. The First meets him.

  3 SERVINGMAN What fellow’s this?

  1 SERVINGMAN A strange one as ever I looked on. I

  20

  cannot get him out o’th’ house. Prithee call my master

  to him. [Retires.]

  3 SERVINGMAN What have you to do here, fellow? Pray

  you, avoid the house.

  CORIOLANUS Let me but stand; I will not hurt your

  25

  hearth.

  3 SERVINGMAN What are you?

  CORIOLANUS A gentleman.

  3 SERVINGMAN A marv’llous poor one.

  CORIOLANUS True, so I am.

  30

  3 SERVINGMAN Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some

  other station. Here’s no place for you; pray you,

  avoid. Come.

  CORIOLANUS Follow your function, go, and batten on

  cold bits. [Pushes him away from him.]

  35

  3 SERVINGMAN What, you will not? Prithee, tell my

  master what a strange guest he has here.

  2 SERVINGMAN And I shall. Exit Second Servingman.

  3 SERVINGMAN Where dwell’st thou?

  CORIOLANUS Under the canopy.

  40

  3 SERVINGMAN Under the canopy?

  CORIOLANUS Ay.

  3 SERVINGMAN Where’s that?

  CORIOLANUS I’th’ city of kites and crows.

  3 SERVINGMAN I’th’ city of kites and crows? What an ass

  45

  it is! Then thou dwell’st with daws too?

  CORIOLANUS No, I serve not thy master.

  3 SERVINGMAN How, sir! Do you meddle with my

  master?

  CORIOLANUS Ay; ’tis an honester service than to meddle

  50

  with thy mistress. Thou prat’st, and prat’st. Serve

  with thy trencher: hence! [Beats him away.]

  Exit Third Servingman.

  Enter AUFIDIUS with the Second Servingman.

  AUFIDIUS Where is this fellow?

  2 SERVINGMAN Here sir; I’d have beaten him like a dog,