My country's good with a respect more tender,
More holy and profound, than mine own life,
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins; then if I would
Speak that,-
Sic.

We know your drift: speak what? Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is

banish'd,

As enemy to the people and his country:

It shall be so.

Citizens.

It shall be so, it shall be so.

Cor. You common cry of curs! whose breath I

hate

As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize
As the dead carcasses of unburied men
That do corrupt my air, I banish you ;
And here remain with your uncertainty !
Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into despair! Have the power still
To banish your defenders; till at length
Your ignorance, which finds not till it feels,
Making but reservation of yourselves,
Still your own foes, deliver you as most
Abated captives to some nation
That won you without blows! Despising,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
There is a world elsewhere.

[Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, Menenius, Senators, and Patricians. Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone! Citizens. Our enemy is banish'd! he is gone!

[Shouting, and throwing up their caps.

Hoo! hoo!

120

130

etc., preserving your lives, but ruining you in every other way.

Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him,
As he hath follow'd you, with all despite ;
Give him deserved vexation.

Attend us through the city.

Let a guard

Citizens. Come, come; let's see him out at

gates; come.

The gods preserve our noble tribunes! Come.

140

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Rome. Before a gate of the city.

Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, with the young Nobility of Rome.

Cor. Come, leave your tears: a brief farewell:
the beast

With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? you were used
To say extremity was the trier of spirits;

That common chances common men could bear;
That when the sea was calm all boats alike
Show'd mastership in floating; fortune's blows,
When most struck home, being gentle wounded,

craves

A noble cunning: you were used to load me
With precepts that would make invincible

The heart that conn'd them.

Vir. O heavens! O heavens !

Cor.

Nay, I prithee, woman,

Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in

Rome,

ΤΟ

And occupations perish!

Cor.

What, what, what!
I shall be loved when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,
Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,

Six of his labours you'ld have done, and saved
Your husband so much sweat. Cominius,

Droop not; adieu. Farewell, my wife, my mother: 20
I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are salter than a younger man's,

And venomous to thine eyes. My sometime
general,

I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld Heart-hardening spectacles; tell these sad women 'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes,

As 'tis to laugh at 'em. My mother, you wot well My hazards still have been your solace and Believe 't not lightly-though I go alone,

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen-your

son

Will or exceed the common, or be caught
With cautelous baits and practice.

Vol.

My first son,

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius
With thee awhile: determine on some course,
More than a wild exposture to each chance
That starts i' the way before thee.

Cor.

O the gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with
thee

Where thou shalt rest, that thou mayst hear of us
And we of thee: so if the time thrust forth

A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send

30

40

O'er the vast world to seek a single man,
And lose advantage, which doth ever cool
I' the absence of the needer.

Fare ye well:

Cor.
Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full
Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one
That's yet unbruised: bring me but out at gate.
Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch, when I am forth,
Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come.
While I remain above the ground, you shall
Hear from me still, and never of me aught
But what is like me formerly.

Men.

As any ear can hear.

That's worthily

Come, let's not weep.

If I could shake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,

50

I'ld with thee every foot.

Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, with the Ædile.

Sic. 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.

Bru.

Now we have shown our power,

Let us seem humbler after it is done

Than when it was a-doing.

Sic.

Bid them home:

Say their great enemy is gone, and they

49. of noble touch, of tried quality.

Sic. They say she's mad.

Bru. They have ta'en note of us: keep on your way.

Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS.

Vol. O, ye're well met: the hoarded plague o' the gods

Requite your love!

Men.

Peace, peace; be not so loud. Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,

Nay, and you shall hear some. [To Brutus] Will you be gone?

Vir. [To Sicinius] You shall stay too: I would I had the power

To say so to my husband.

Sic.

Are you mankind?

Vol. 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?

Sic.

ΤΟ

O blessed heavens ! 20

Vol. More 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.

II. hoarded, stored up for future vengeance.