Shakespeare Portal

Act 5, Scene 1

Rome. A public place

  1. [Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS and BRUTUS, and others.]
  2. Menenius Agrippa
  3. 2973 No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath said
  4. 2974 Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him
  5. 2975 In a most dear particular. He call'd me father:
  6. 2976 But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him;
  7. 2977 A mile before his tent fall down, and knee
  8. 2978 The way into his mercy: nay, if he coy'd
  9. 2979 To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
  10. Cominius
  11. 2980 He would not seem to know me.
  12. Menenius Agrippa
  13. 2981 Do you hear?
  14. Cominius
  15. 2982 Yet one time he did call me by my name:
  16. 2983 I urged our old acquaintance, and the drops
  17. 2984 That we have bled together. Coriolanus
  18. 2985 He would not answer to: forbad all names;
  19. 2986 He was a kind of nothing, titleless,
  20. 2987 Till he had forg'd himself a name i' the fire
  21. 2988 Of burning Rome.
  22. Menenius Agrippa
  23. 2989 Why, so!—you have made good work!
  24. 2990 A pair of tribunes that have rack'd for Rome,
  25. 2991 To make coals cheap,—a noble memory!
  26. Cominius
  27. 2992 I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon
  28. 2993 When it was less expected: he replied,
  29. 2994 It was a bare petition of a state
  30. 2995 To one whom they had punish'd.
  31. Menenius Agrippa
  32. 2996 Very well:
  33. 2997 Could he say less?
  34. Cominius
  35. 2998 I offer'd to awaken his regard
  36. 2999 For's private friends: his answer to me was,
  37. 3000 He could not stay to pick them in a pile
  38. 3001 Of noisome musty chaff: he said 'twas folly,
  39. 3002 For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt
  40. 3003 And still to nose the offence.
  41. Menenius Agrippa
  42. 3004 For one poor grain
  43. 3005 Or two! I am one of those; his mother, wife,
  44. 3006 His child, and this brave fellow too- we are the grains:
  45. 3007 You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt
  46. 3008 Above the moon: we must be burnt for you.
  47. Sicinius Velutus
  48. 3009 Nay, pray be patient: if you refuse your aid
  49. 3010 In this so never-needed help, yet do not
  50. 3011 Upbraid's with our distress. But, sure, if you
  51. 3012 Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
  52. 3013 More than the instant army we can make,
  53. 3014 Might stop our countryman.
  54. Menenius Agrippa
  55. 3015 No; I'll not meddle.
  56. Sicinius Velutus
  57. 3016 Pray you, go to him.
  58. Menenius Agrippa
  59. 3017 What should I do?
  60. Junius Brutus
  61. 3018 Only make trial what your love can do
  62. 3019 For Rome, towards Marcius.
  63. Menenius Agrippa
  64. 3020 Well, and say that Marcius
  65. 3021 Return me, as Cominius is return'd,
  66. 3022 Unheard; what then?
  67. 3023 But as a discontented friend, grief-shot
  68. 3024 With his unkindness? Say't be so?
  69. Sicinius Velutus
  70. 3025 Yet your good-will
  71. 3026 Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure
  72. 3027 As you intended well.
  73. Menenius Agrippa
  74. 3028 I'll undertake't;
  75. 3029 I think he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip
  76. 3030 And hum at good Cominius much unhearts me.
  77. 3031 He was not taken well: he had not din'd;
  78. 3032 The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
  79. 3033 We pout upon the morning, are unapt
  80. 3034 To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
  81. 3035 These pipes and these conveyances of our blood
  82. 3036 With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
  83. 3037 Than in our priest-like fasts. Therefore I'll watch him
  84. 3038 Till he be dieted to my request,
  85. 3039 And then I'll set upon him.
  86. Junius Brutus
  87. 3040 You know the very road into his kindness
  88. 3041 And cannot lose your way.
  89. Menenius Agrippa
  90. 3042 Good faith, I'll prove him,
  91. 3043 Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge
  92. 3044 Of my success.
  93. [Exit.]
  94. Cominius
  95. 3045 He'll never hear him.
  96. Sicinius Velutus
  97. 3046 Not?
  98. Cominius
  99. 3047 I tell you he does sit in gold, his eye
  100. 3048 Red as 'twould burn Rome: and his injury
  101. 3049 The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him;
  102. 3050 'Twas very faintly he said 'Rise'; dismissed me
  103. 3051 Thus, with his speechless hand: what he would do,
  104. 3052 He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
  105. 3053 Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions:
  106. 3054 So that all hope is vain,
  107. 3055 Unless his noble mother and his wife;
  108. 3056 Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him
  109. 3057 For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
  110. 3058 And with our fair entreaties haste them on.
  111. [Exeunt.]