You have made good work,You and your apron men; you that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation and
The breath of garlic-eaters!
COMINIUS.
He’ll shake
Your Rome about your ears.
MENENIUS.
As Hercules
Did shake down mellow fruit.—You have made fair work!
BRUTUS.
But is this true, sir?
COMINIUS.
Ay; and you’ll look pale
Before you find it other. All the regions
Do smilingly revolt; and who resists
Are mock’d for valiant ignorance,
And perish constant fools. Who is’t can blame him?
Your enemies and his find something in him.
MENENIUS.
We are all undone unless
The noble man have mercy.
COMINIUS.
Who shall ask it?
The tribunes cannot do’t for shame; the people
Deserve such pity of him as the wolf
Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they
Should say ‘Be good to Rome,’ they charg’d him even
As those should do that had deserv’d his hate,
And therein show’d like enemies.
MENENIUS.
‘Tis true:
If he were putting to my house the brand
That should consume it, I have not the face
To say ‘Beseech you, cease.’—You have made fair hands,
You and your crafts! You have crafted fair!
COMINIUS.
You have brought
A trembling upon Rome, such as was never
So incapable of help.
BOTH TRIBUNES.
Say not, we brought it.
MENENIUS.
How! Was it we? we lov’d him, but, like beasts,
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o’ the city.
COMINIUS.
But I fear
They’ll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer:—desperation
Is all the policy, strength, and defence,
That Rome can make against them.
[Enter a troop of citizens.]
MENENIUS.
Here comes the clusters.—
And is Aufidius with him?—You are they
That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at
Coriolanus’ exile. Now he’s coming;
And not a hair upon a soldier’s head
Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs
As you threw caps up will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. ‘Tis no matter;
If he could burn us all into one coal
We have deserv’d it.
CITIZENS.
Faith, we hear fearful news.
FIRST CITIZEN.
For mine own part,
When I said banish him, I said ‘twas pity.
SECOND CITIZEN.
And so did I.
THIRD CITIZEN. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us. That we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.
COMINIUS.
You are goodly things, you voices!
MENENIUS.
You have made
Good work, you and your cry!—Shall’s to the Capitol?
COMINIUS.
O, ay; what else?
[Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS.]
SICINIUS.
Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay’d;
These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.
FIRST CITIZEN. The gods be good to us!—Come, masters, let’s home. I ever said we were i’ the wrong when we banished him.
SECOND CITIZEN.
So did we all. But come, let’s home.
[Exeunt Citizens.]
BRUTUS.
I do not like this news.
SICINIUS.
Nor I.
BRUTUS.
Let’s to the Capitol:—would half my wealth
Would buy this for a lie!
SICINIUS.
Pray let’s go.
[Exeunt.]
