Coriolanus — Act 5, Scene 2 · Shakespeare for Bharat

Two Sentinels on guard.

First Senator

Stay: whence are you?

Second Senator

Stand, and go back.

MENENIUS

You guard like men; 'tis well: but, by your leave,I am an officer of state, and comeTo speak with Coriolanus.

First Senator

From whence?

MENENIUS

From Rome.

First Senator

You may not pass, you must return: our generalWill no more hear from thence.

Second Senator

You'll see your Rome embraced with fire beforeYou'll speak with Coriolanus.

MENENIUS

Good my friends,If you have heard your general talk of Rome,And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks,My name hath touch'd your ears it is Menenius.

First Senator

Be it so; go back: the virtue of your nameIs not here passable.

MENENIUS

I tell thee, fellow,The general is my lover: I have beenThe book of his good acts, whence men have readHis name unparallel'd, haply amplified;For I have ever verified my friends,Of whom he's chief, with all the size that verityWould without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes,Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praiseHave almost stamp'd the leasing: therefore, fellow,I must have leave to pass.

First Senator

Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in hisbehalf as you have uttered words in your own, youshould not pass here; no, though it were as virtuousto lie as to live chastely. Therefore, go back.

MENENIUS

Prithee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius,always factionary on the party of your general.

Second Senator

Howsoever you have been his liar, as you say youhave, I am one that, telling true under him, mustsay, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back.

MENENIUS

Has he dined, canst thou tell? for I would notspeak with him till after dinner.

First Senator

You are a Roman, are you?

MENENIUS

I am, as thy general is.

First Senator

Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you,when you have pushed out your gates the verydefender of them, and, in a violent popularignorance, given your enemy your shield, think tofront his revenges with the easy groans of oldwomen, the virginal palms of your daughters, or withthe palsied intercession of such a decayed dotant asyou seem to be? Can you think to blow out theintended fire your city is ready to flame in, withsuch weak breath as this? No, you are deceived;therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for yourexecution: you are condemned, our general has swornyou out of reprieve and pardon.

MENENIUS

Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he woulduse me with estimation.

Second Senator

Come, my captain knows you not.

MENENIUS

I mean, thy general.

First Senator

My general cares not for you. Back, I say, go; lestI let forth your half-pint of blood; back,--that'sthe utmost of your having: back.

MENENIUS

Nay, but, fellow, fellow,--

CORIOLANUS

What's the matter?

MENENIUS

Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you:You shall know now that I am in estimation; you shallperceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me frommy son Coriolanus: guess, but by my entertainmentwith him, if thou standest not i' the state ofhanging, or of some death more long inspectatorship, and crueller in suffering; behold nowpresently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee.

MENENIUS

The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thyparticular prosperity, and love thee no worse thanthy old father Menenius does! O my son, my son!thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here'swater to quench it. I was hardly moved to come tothee; but being assured none but myself could movethee, I have been blown out of your gates withsighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thypetitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage thywrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlethere,--this, who, like a block, hath denied myaccess to thee.

CORIOLANUS

Away!

MENENIUS

How! away!

CORIOLANUS

Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairsAre servanted to others: though I oweMy revenge properly, my remission liesIn Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, ratherThan pity note how much. Therefore, be gone.Mine ears against your suits are stronger thanYour gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee,Take this along; I writ it for thy sake

CORIOLANUS

And would have rent it. Another word, Menenius,I will not hear thee speak. This man, Aufidius,Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st!

AUFIDIUS

You keep a constant temper.

First Senator

Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

Second Senator

'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know theway home again.

First Senator

Do you hear how we are shent for keeping yourgreatness back?

Second Senator

What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

MENENIUS

I neither care for the world nor your general: forsuch things as you, I can scarce think there's any,ye're so slight. He that hath a will to die byhimself fears it not from another: let your generaldo his worst. For you, be that you are, long; andyour misery increase with your age! I say to you,as I was said to, Away!

First Senator

A noble fellow, I warrant him.

Second Senator

The worthy fellow is our general: he's the rock, theoak not to be wind-shaken.