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pubOne.info present you this new edition. TITUS LARTIUS, General against the Volscians

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819932918
Langue	English

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THE TRAGEDY OF CORIOLANUS
by William Shakespeare
PERSONS REPRESENTED.
CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman
TITUS LARTIUS, General against the Volscians
COMINIUS, General against the Volscians
MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus
SICINIUS VELUTUS, Tribune of the People
JUNIUS BRUTUS, Tribune of the People
YOUNG MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus
A ROMAN HERALD
TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians
LIEUTENANT, to Aufidius
Conspirators with Aufidius
A CITIZEN of Antium
TWO VOLSCIAN GUARDS
VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus
VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus
VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia
GENTLEWOMAN attending on Virgilia
Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Aediles,Lictors,
Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants toAufidius, and other
Attendants
SCENE: Partly in Rome, and partly in theterritories of the Volscians and Antiates.
ACT I.
SCENE I. Rome. A street.
[Enter a company of mutinous citizens, withstaves, clubs, and other weapons. ]
FIRST CITIZEN.
Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.
ALL.
Speak, speak.
FIRST CITIZEN.
You are all resolved rather to die than tofamish?
ALL.
Resolved, resolved.
FIRST CITIZEN.
First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to thepeople.
ALL.
We know't, we know't.
FIRST CITIZEN. Let us kill him, and we'll have cornat our own price. Is't a verdict?
ALL.
No more talking on't; let it be done: away,away!
SECOND CITIZEN.
One word, good citizens.
FIRST CITIZEN. We are accounted poor citizens; thepatricians good. What authority surfeits on would relieve us; ifthey would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome,we might guess they relieved us humanely; but they think we are toodear: the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, isas an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance isa gain to them. — Let us revenge this with our pikes ere we becomerakes: for the gods know I speak this in hunger for bread, not inthirst for revenge.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Would you proceed especially against CaiusMarcius?
FIRST CITIZEN.
Against him first: he's a very dog to thecommonalty.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Consider you what services he has done for hiscountry?
FIRST CITIZEN. Very well; and could be content togive him good report for't, but that he pays himself with beingproud.
SECOND CITIZEN.
Nay, but speak not maliciously.
FIRST CITIZEN. I say unto you, what he hath donefamously he did it to that end: though soft-conscienced men can becontent to say it was for his country, he did it to please hismother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitudeof his virtue.
SECOND CITIZEN. What he cannot help in his natureyou account a vice in him. You must in no way say he iscovetous.
FIRST CITIZEN. If I must not, I need not be barrenof accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire inrepetition. [Shouts within. ] What shouts are these?The other side o' the city is risen: why stay we prating here? tothe Capitol!
ALL.
Come, come.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Soft! who comes here?
SECOND CITIZEN.
Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always lovedthe people.
FIRST CITIZEN.
He's one honest enough; would all the rest wereso!
[Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA. ]
MENENIUS.
What work's, my countrymen, in hand? where goyou
With bats and clubs? the matter? speak, I prayyou.
FIRST CITIZEN. Our business is not unknown to thesenate; they have had inkling this fortnight what we intend to do,which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say poor suitors havestrong breaths; they shall know we have strong arms too.
MENENIUS.
Why, masters, my good friends, mine honestneighbours,
Will you undo yourselves?
FIRST CITIZEN.
We cannot, sir; we are undone already.
MENENIUS.
I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves as liftthem
Against the Roman state; whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder than can ever
Appear in your impediment: for the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you; and you slander
The helms o' th' state, who care for you likefathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
FIRST CITIZEN. Care for us! True, indeed! They ne'ercared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their storehousescrammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers;repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich, andprovide more piercing statutes daily to chain up and restrain thepoor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all thelove they bear us.
MENENIUS.
Either you must
Confess yourselves wondrous malicious,
Or be accus'd of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale: it may be you have heard it;
But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To stale't a little more.
FIRST CITIZEN. Well, I'll hear it, sir; yet you mustnot think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't pleaseyou, deliver.
MENENIUS.
There was a time when all the body's members
Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it:—
That only like a gulf it did remain
I' the midst o' the body, idle and unactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing
Like labour with the rest; where th' otherinstruments
Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,
And, mutually participate, did minister
Unto the appetite and affection common
Of the whole body. The belly answered, —
FIRST CITIZEN.
Well, sir, what answer made the belly?
MENENIUS.
Sir, I shall tell you. — With a kind of smile,
Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus,—
For, look you, I may make the belly smile
As well as speak, — it tauntingly replied
To the discontented members, the mutinous parts
That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
As you malign our senators for that
They are not such as you.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Your belly's answer? What!
The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye,
The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps
Is this our fabric, if that they, —
MENENIUS.
What then? —
'Fore me, this fellow speaks! — what then? whatthen?
FIRST CITIZEN.
Should by the cormorant belly be restrain'd,
Who is the sink o' the body, —
MENENIUS.
Well, what then?
FIRST CITIZEN.
The former agents, if they did complain,
What could the belly answer?
MENENIUS.
I will tell you;
If you'll bestow a small, — of what you have little,—
Patience awhile, you'll hear the belly's answer.
FIRST CITIZEN.
You are long about it.
MENENIUS.
Note me this, good friend;
Your most grave belly was deliberate,
Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer'd:
'True is it, my incorporate friends, ' quoth he,
'That I receive the general food at first
Which you do live upon; and fit it is,
Because I am the storehouse and the shop
Of the whole body: but, if you do remember,
I send it through the rivers of your blood,
Even to the court, the heart, — to the seat o' thebrain;
And, through the cranks and offices of man,
The strongest nerves and small inferior veins
From me receive that natural competency
Whereby they live: and though that all at once
You, my good friends, '— this says the belly, — markme, —
FIRST CITIZEN.
Ay, sir; well, well.
MENENIUS.
'Though all at once cannot
See what I do deliver out to each,
Yet I can make my audit up, that all
From me do back receive the flour of all,
And leave me but the bran. ' What say you to't?
FIRST CITIZEN.
It was an answer: how apply you this?
MENENIUS.
The senators of Rome are this good belly,
And you the mutinous members; for, examine
Their counsels and their cares; digest thingsrightly
Touching the weal o' the common; you shall find
No public benefit which you receive
But it proceeds or comes from them to you,
And no way from yourselves. — What do you think,
You, the great toe of this assembly?
FIRST CITIZEN.
I the great toe? why the great toe?
MENENIUS.
For that, being one o' the lowest, basest,poorest,
Of this most wise rebellion, thou go'stforemost:
Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
Lead'st first to win some vantage. —
But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs:
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle;
The one side must have bale. —
[Enter CAIUS MARCIUS. ]
Hail, noble Marcius!
MARCIUS.
Thanks. — What's the matter, you dissentiousrogues
That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs?
FIRST CITIZEN.
We have ever your good word.
MARCIUS.
He that will give good words to thee willflatter
Beneath abhorring. — What would you have, youcurs,
That like nor peace nor war? The one affrightsyou,
The other makes you proud. He that trusts toyou,
Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;
Where foxes, geese: you are no surer, no,
Than is the coal of fire upon the ic,
Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is
To make him worthy whose offence subdues him,
And curse that justice did it. Who deservesgreatness
Deserves your hate; and your affections are
A sick man's appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours swims with fins of lead,
And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trustye!
With every minute you do change a mind;
And call him noble that was now your hate,
Him vile that was your garland. What's thematter,
That in these several places of the city
You cry against the noble senate, who,
Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else
Would feed on one another? — What's theirseeking?
MENENIUS.
For corn at their own rates; whereof they say
The city is well stor'd.
MARCIUS.
Hang 'em! They say!
They'll sit