Act V, Scene ii:
An Advanced post of the Volscian camp before Rome. The

Guards at their station.

[Enter to them MENENIUS.]

FIRST GUARD:

Stay: whence are you?

SECOND GUARD:

Stand, and go back.

MENENIUS:

You guard like men; 'tis well: but, by your leave,

I am an officer of state, and come

To speak with Coriolanus.

FIRST GUARD:

From whence?

MENENIUS:

From Rome.

FIRST GUARD:

You may not pass; you must return: our general

Will no more hear from thence.

SECOND GUARD:

You'll see your Rome embrac'd with fire before

You'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 GUARD:

Be it so; go back: the virtue of your name

Is not here passable.

MENENIUS:

I tell thee, fellow,

Thy general is my lover: I have been

The book of his good acts, whence men have read

His fame unparallel'd, haply amplified;

For I have ever verified my friends,—

Of whom he's chief,—with all the size that verity

Would without lapsing suffer: nay, sometimes,

Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,

I have tumbled past the throw: and in his praise

Have almost stamp'd the leasing: therefore, fellow,

I must have leave to pass.

FIRST GUARD:

Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf as you

have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here: no,

though it were as virtuous to lie as to live chastely.

Therefore, go back.

MENENIUS:

Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always

factionary on the party of your general.

SECOND GUARD:

Howsoever you have been his liar,—as you say you have, I am one

that, telling true under him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore

go back.

MENENIUS:

Has he dined, canst thou tell? For I would not speak with him

till after dinner.

FIRST GUARD:

You are a Roman, are you?

MENENIUS:

I am as thy general is.

FIRST GUARD:

Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have

pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and in a violent

popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front

his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the virginal

palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such

a decayed dotant as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the

intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak

breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore back to Rome, and

prepare for your execution: you are condemned; our general has

sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

MENENIUS:

Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here he would use me with

estimation.

SECOND GUARD:

Come, my captain knows you not.

MENENIUS:

I mean thy general.

FIRST GUARD:

My general cares not for you. Back, I say; go, lest I let forth

your half pint of blood;—back; that's the utmost of your

having:—back.

MENENIUS:

Nay, but fellow, fellow,—

[Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS.]

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 shall perceive that a jack

guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess but by my

entertainment with him if thou standest not i' the state of

hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship and crueller

in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come

upon thee.—The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy

particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father

Menenius does! O my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us;

look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come

to thee; but being assured none but myself could move thee, I

have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to

pardon Rome and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage

thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this,

who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

CORIOLANUS:

Away!

MENENIUS:

How! away!

CORIOLANUS:

Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs

Are servanted to others: though I owe

My revenge properly, my remission lies

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,

Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

Than pity note how much.—Therefore be gone.

Mine ears against your suits are stronger than

Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,

Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

[Gives a letter.]

And would have sent 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.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS.]

FIRST GUARD:

Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

SECOND GUARD:

'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know the way home

again.

FIRST GUARD:

Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back?

SECOND GUARD:

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

MENENIUS:

I neither care for the world nor your general; for such things as

you, I can scarce think there's any, y'are so slight. He that

hath a will to die by himself fears it not from another. Let your

general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long; and your

misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to,

away!

[Exit.]

FIRST GUARD:

A noble fellow, I warrant him.

SECOND GUARD:

The worthy fellow is our general: he is the rock, the oak not to

be wind-shaken.

[Exeunt.]