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Coriolanus - Act 1, scene 9
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Coriolanus - Act 1, scene 9Act 1, scene 9
⌜Scene 9⌝
Synopsis:
Cominius awards Martius the name Coriolanus for his service at Corioles.
Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Flourish. Enter, at onedoor, Cominius with the Romans; at another door
Martius, with his arm in a scarf.
COMINIUS, ⌜to Martius⌝
0738 If I should tell thee o’er this thy day’s work,
0739 Thou ’t not believe thy deeds. But I’ll report it
0740 Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles;
0741 Where great patricians shall attend and shrug,
0742 5 I’ th’ end admire; where ladies shall be frighted
0743 And, gladly quaked, hear more; where the dull
0744 tribunes,
0745 That with the fusty plebeians hate thine honors,
0746 Shall say against their hearts “We thank the gods
0747 10 Our Rome hath such a soldier.”
0748 Yet cam’st thou to a morsel of this feast,
0749 Having fully dined before.
Enter Titus ⌜Lartius⌝ with his power, from the pursuit.
LARTIUS 0750 O general,
0751 Here is the steed, we the caparison.
0752 15 Hadst thou beheld—
MARTIUS 0753 Pray now, no more. My mother,
0754 Who has a charter to extol her blood,
0755 When she does praise me grieves me. I have done
0756 As you have done—that’s what I can;
0757 20 Induced as you have been—that’s for my country.
0758 He that has but effected his good will
0759 Hath overta’en mine act.
p.
61
COMINIUS
0760
You shall not be0761 The grave of your deserving. Rome must know
0762 25 The value of her own. ’Twere a concealment
0763 Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,
0764 To hide your doings and to silence that
0765 Which, to the spire and top of praises vouched,
0766 Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you—
0767 30 In sign of what you are, not to reward
0768 What you have done—before our army hear me.
MARTIUS
0769 I have some wounds upon me, and they smart
0770 To hear themselves remembered.
COMINIUS 0771 Should they not,
0772 35 Well might they fester ’gainst ingratitude
0773 And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses—
0774 Whereof we have ta’en good and good store—of all
0775 The treasure in this field achieved and city,
0776 We render you the tenth, to be ta’en forth
0777 40 Before the common distribution
0778 At your only choice.
MARTIUS 0779 I thank you, general,
0780 But cannot make my heart consent to take
0781 A bribe to pay my sword. I do refuse it
0782 45 And stand upon my common part with those
0783 That have beheld the doing.
A long flourish. They all cry “Martius, Martius!”
⌜and⌝ cast up their caps and lances.
Cominius and Lartius stand bare.
0784 May these same instruments, which you profane,
0785 Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall
0786 I’ th’ field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be
0787 50 Made all of false-faced soothing! When steel grows
0788 Soft as the parasite’s silk, let him be made
0789 An ⌜ovator⌝ for th’ wars! No more, I say.
0790 For that I have not washed my nose that bled,
0791 Or foiled some debile wretch—which, without note,
p.
63
0792
55 Here’s many else have done—you shout me forth0793 In acclamations hyperbolical,
0794 As if I loved my little should be dieted
0795 In praises sauced with lies.
COMINIUS 0796 Too modest are you,
0797 60 More cruel to your good report than grateful
0798 To us that give you truly. By your patience,
0799 If ’gainst yourself you be incensed, we’ll put you,
0800 Like one that means his proper harm, in manacles,
0801 Then reason safely with you. Therefore be it known,
0802 65 As to us to all the world, that Caius Martius
0803 Wears this war’s garland, in token of the which
0804 My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,
0805 With all his trim belonging. And from this time,
0806 For what he did before Corioles, call him,
0807 70 With all th’ applause and clamor of the host,
0808 Martius Caius Coriolanus! Bear
0809 Th’ addition nobly ever!
Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums.
ALL
0810 Martius Caius Coriolanus!
CORIOLANUS 0811 I will go wash;
0812 75 And when my face is fair, you shall perceive
0813 Whether I blush or no. Howbeit, I thank you.
0814 I mean to stride your steed and at all times
0815 To undercrest your good addition
0816 To th’ fairness of my power.
COMINIUS 0817 80 So, to our tent,
0818 Where, ere we do repose us, we will write
0819 To Rome of our success.—You, Titus Lartius,
0820 Must to Corioles back. Send us to Rome
0821 The best, with whom we may articulate
0822 85 For their own good and ours.
LARTIUS 0823 I shall, my lord.
p.
65
CORIOLANUS 0824 The gods begin to mock me. I, that now
0825 Refused most princely gifts, am bound to beg
0826 Of my lord general.
COMINIUS 0827 90 Take ’t, ’tis yours. What is ’t?
CORIOLANUS
0828 I sometime lay here in Corioles
0829 At a poor man’s house; he used me kindly.
0830 He cried to me; I saw him prisoner;
0831 But then Aufidius was within my view,
0832 95 And wrath o’erwhelmed my pity. I request you
0833 To give my poor host freedom.
COMINIUS 0834 O, well begged!
0835 Were he the butcher of my son, he should
0836 Be free as is the wind.—Deliver him, Titus.
LARTIUS
0837 100 Martius, his name?
CORIOLANUS 0838 By Jupiter, forgot!
0839 I am weary; yea, my memory is tired.
0840 Have we no wine here?
COMINIUS 0841 Go we to our tent.
0842 105 The blood upon your visage dries; ’tis time
0843 It should be looked to. Come.
A flourish ⌜of⌝ cornets. They exit.