William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (495 page)
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Authors: William Shakespeare
Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare
BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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MENENIUS
Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest
neighbours,
Will you undo yourselves?
neighbours,
Will you undo yourselves?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
We cannot, sir. We are undone already.
MENENIUS
I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them
Against the Roman state, whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder than can ever
Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it, and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you, and you slander
The helms o’th’ state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them
Against the Roman state, whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder than can ever
Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it, and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you, and you slander
The helms o’th’ state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN Care for us? True, indeed! They ne’er cared for us yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there’s all the love they bear us.
MENENIUS Either you must
Confess yourselves wondrous malicious
Or be accused of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale. It may be you have heard it,
But since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To stale’t a little more.
Or be accused of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale. It may be you have heard it,
But since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To stale’t a little more.
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN Well, I’ll hear it, sir. Yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale. But an’t please you, deliver.
MENENIUS
There was a time when all the body’s members,
Rebelled against the belly, thus accused it:
That only like a gulf it did remain
I‘th’ midst o’th’ body, idle and unactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing
Like labour with the rest; where th’other instruments
Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,
And, mutually participate, did minister
Unto the appetite and affection common
Of the whole body. The belly answered—
Rebelled against the belly, thus accused it:
That only like a gulf it did remain
I‘th’ midst o’th’ body, idle and unactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing
Like labour with the rest; where th’other instruments
Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,
And, mutually participate, did minister
Unto the appetite and affection common
Of the whole body. The belly answered—
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
Well, sir, what answer made the belly?
MENENIUS
Sir, I shall tell you. With a kind of smile,
Which ne’er came from the lungs, but even thus—
For look you, I may make the belly smile
As well as speak—it tauntingly replied
To th’ discontented members, the mutinous parts
That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
As you malign our senators for that
They are not such as you.
Which ne’er came from the lungs, but even thus—
For look you, I may make the belly smile
As well as speak—it tauntingly replied
To th’ discontented members, the mutinous parts
That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
As you malign our senators for that
They are not such as you.
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN Your belly’s answer—what?
The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye,
The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps
In this our fabric, if that they—
The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps
In this our fabric, if that they—
MENENIUS What then?
Fore me, this fellow speaks! What then? What then?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
Should by the cormorant belly be restrained,
Who is the sink o’th’ body—
Who is the sink o’th’ body—
MENENIUS Well, what then?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
The former agents, if they did complain,
What could the belly answer?
What could the belly answer?
MENENIUS
I will tell you,
If you’ll bestow a small of what you have tittle—
Patience—a while, you’st hear the belly’s answer.
Patience—a while, you’st hear the belly’s answer.
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
You’re long about it.
MENENIUS Note me this, good friend:
Your most grave belly was deliberate,
Not rash like his accusers, and thus answered:
‘True is it, my incorporate friends,’ quoth he,
‘That I receive the general food at first
Which you do live upon, and fit it is,
Because I am the storehouse and the shop
Of the whole body. But, if you do remember,
I send it through the rivers of your blood
Even to the court, the heart, to th’ seat o’th’ brain;
And through the cranks and offices of man
The strongest nerves and small inferior veins
From me receive that natural competency
Whereby they live. And though that all at once’—
You my good friends, this says the belly, mark me—
Not rash like his accusers, and thus answered:
‘True is it, my incorporate friends,’ quoth he,
‘That I receive the general food at first
Which you do live upon, and fit it is,
Because I am the storehouse and the shop
Of the whole body. But, if you do remember,
I send it through the rivers of your blood
Even to the court, the heart, to th’ seat o’th’ brain;
And through the cranks and offices of man
The strongest nerves and small inferior veins
From me receive that natural competency
Whereby they live. And though that all at once’—
You my good friends, this says the belly, mark me—
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
Ay, sir, well, well.
MENENIUS ’Though all at once cannot
See what I do deliver out to each,
Yet I can make my audit up that all
From me do back receive the flour of all
And leave me but the bran.’ What say you to’t?
Yet I can make my audit up that all
From me do back receive the flour of all
And leave me but the bran.’ What say you to’t?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
It was an answer. How apply you this?
MENENIUS
The senators of Rome are this good belly,
And you the mutinous members. For examine
Their counsels and their cares, digest things rightly
Touching the weal o’th’ common, you shall find
No public benefit which you receive
But it proceeds or comes from them to you,
And no way from yourselves. What do you think,
You, the great toe of this assembly?
And you the mutinous members. For examine
Their counsels and their cares, digest things rightly
Touching the weal o’th’ common, you shall find
No public benefit which you receive
But it proceeds or comes from them to you,
And no way from yourselves. What do you think,
You, the great toe of this assembly?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
I the great toe? Why the great toe?
MENENIUS
For that, being one o‘th’ lowest, basest, poorest
Of this most wise rebellion, thou goest foremost.
Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
Lead’st first to win some vantage.
But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs.
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle.
The one side must have bale.
Of this most wise rebellion, thou goest foremost.
Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
Lead’st first to win some vantage.
But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs.
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle.
The one side must have bale.
Enter Martius
Hail, noble Martius!
MARTIUS
Thanks.—What’s the matter, you dissentious rogues,
That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs?
That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs?
⌈FIRST⌉ CITIZEN
We have ever your good word.
MARTIUS
He that will give good words to thee will flatter
Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs
That like nor peace nor war? The one affrights you,
The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you,
Where he should find you lions finds you hares,
Where foxes, geese. You are no surer, no,
Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,
Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is
To make him worthy whose offence subdues him,
And curse that justice did it. Who deserves greatness
Deserves your hate, and your affections are
A sick man’s appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours swims with fins of lead,
And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust
ye?
Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs
That like nor peace nor war? The one affrights you,
The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you,
Where he should find you lions finds you hares,
Where foxes, geese. You are no surer, no,
Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,
Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is
To make him worthy whose offence subdues him,
And curse that justice did it. Who deserves greatness
Deserves your hate, and your affections are
A sick man’s appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours swims with fins of lead,
And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust
ye?
With every minute you do change a mind,
And call him noble that was now your hate,
Him vile that was your garland. What’s the matter,
That in these several places of the city
You cry against the noble senate, who,
Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else
Would feed on one another?
(To Menenius) What’s their seeking?
And call him noble that was now your hate,
Him vile that was your garland. What’s the matter,
That in these several places of the city
You cry against the noble senate, who,
Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else
Would feed on one another?
(To Menenius) What’s their seeking?
MENENIUS
For corn at their own rates, whereof they say
The city is well stored.
The city is well stored.
MARTIUS
Hang ’em! They say?
They’ll sit by th’ fire and presume to know
What’s done i’th’ Capitol, who’s like to rise,
Who thrives and who declines; side factions and give
out
What’s done i’th’ Capitol, who’s like to rise,
Who thrives and who declines; side factions and give
out
Conjectural marriages, making parties strong
And feebling such as stand not in their liking
Below their cobbled shoes. They say there’s grain
enough!
And feebling such as stand not in their liking
Below their cobbled shoes. They say there’s grain
enough!
Would the nobility lay aside their ruth
And let me use my sword, I’d make a quarry
With thousands of these quartered slaves as high
As I could pitch my lance.
And let me use my sword, I’d make a quarry
With thousands of these quartered slaves as high
As I could pitch my lance.
MENENIUS
Nay, these are all most thoroughly persuaded,
For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But I beseech you,
What says the other troop?
For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But I beseech you,
What says the other troop?
MARTIUS
They are dissolved. Hang ’em.
They said they were an-hungry, sighed forth
proverbs—
That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,
That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent
not
Corn for the rich men only. With these shreds
They vented their complainings, which being
answered,
And a petition granted them—a strange one,
To break the heart of generosity
And make bold power look pale—they threw their caps
As they would hang them on the horns o’th’ moon,
Shouting their emulation.
proverbs—
That hunger broke stone walls, that dogs must eat,
That meat was made for mouths, that the gods sent
not
Corn for the rich men only. With these shreds
They vented their complainings, which being
answered,
And a petition granted them—a strange one,
To break the heart of generosity
And make bold power look pale—they threw their caps
As they would hang them on the horns o’th’ moon,
Shouting their emulation.
MENENIUS
What is granted them?
MARTIUS
Five tribunes to defend their vulgar wisdoms,
Of their own choice. One’s Junius Brutus,
Sicinius Velutus, and I know not. ’Sdeath,
The rabble should have first unroofed the city
Ere so prevailed with me! It will in time
Win upon power and throw forth greater themes
For insurrection’s arguing.
Of their own choice. One’s Junius Brutus,
Sicinius Velutus, and I know not. ’Sdeath,
The rabble should have first unroofed the city
Ere so prevailed with me! It will in time
Win upon power and throw forth greater themes
For insurrection’s arguing.
MENENIUS This is strange.
MARTIUS (
to the Citizens
) Go get you home, you fragments.
to the Citizens
) Go get you home, you fragments.
Enter a Messenger hastily
MESSENGER Where’s Caius Martius?
MARTIUS Here. What’s the matter?
MESSENGER
The news is, sir, the Volsces are in arms.
MARTIUS
I am glad on’t. Then we shall ha’ means to vent
Our musty superfluity.
Our musty superfluity.
Enter Sicinius, Brutus, Cominius, Lartius, with other Senators
See, our best elders.
FIRST SENATOR
Martius, ’tis true that you have lately told us.
The Volsces are in arms.
The Volsces are in arms.
MARTIUS They have a leader,
Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to’t.
I sin in envying his nobility,
And were I anything but what I am,
I would wish me only he.
I sin in envying his nobility,
And were I anything but what I am,
I would wish me only he.
COMINIUS
You have fought together!
MARTIUS
Were half to half the world by th’ ears and he
Upon my party, I’d revolt to make
Only my wars with him. He is a lion
That I am proud to hunt.
Upon my party, I’d revolt to make
Only my wars with him. He is a lion
That I am proud to hunt.
FIRST SENATOR Then, worthy Martius,
Attend upon Cominius to these wars.
COMINIUS (
to Martius
)
to Martius
)
It is your former promise.
MARTIUS Sir, it is,
And I am constant. Titus Lartius, thou
Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus’ face.
What, art thou stiff? Stand’st out?
Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus’ face.
What, art thou stiff? Stand’st out?
LARTIUS No, Caius Martius.
I’ll lean upon one crutch and fight with th’other
Ere stay behind this business.
Ere stay behind this business.
MENENIUS O true bred!
⌈FIRST⌉ SENATOR
Your company to th’ Capitol, where I know
Our greatest friends attend us.
Our greatest friends attend us.
LARTIUS (to
Cominius
) Lead you on.
Cominius
) Lead you on.
(To Martius) Follow Cominius. We must follow you,
Right worthy your priority.
Right worthy your priority.
COMINIUS
Noble Martius.
⌈FIRST⌉ SENATOR (to the Citizens)
Hence to your homes, be gone.
MARTIUS Nay, let them follow.
The Volsces have much corn. Take these rats thither
To gnaw their garners.
To gnaw their garners.
Citizens steal away
Worshipful mutineers,
Your valour puts well forth. (To the Senators) Pray follow.
Exeunt all but Sicinius and Brutus
SICINIUS
Was ever man so proud as is this Martius?
BRUTUS He has no equal.
SICINIUS
When we were chosen tribunes for the people—
BRUTUS
Marked you his lip and eyes?
SICINIUS
Nay, but his taunts.
BRUTUS
Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods.
SICINIUS Bemock the modest moon.
BRUTES
The present wars devour him! He is grown
Too proud to be so valiant.
SICINIUS Such a nature,
Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow
Which he treads on at noon. But I do wonder
His insolence can brook to be commanded
Under Cominius.
Which he treads on at noon. But I do wonder
His insolence can brook to be commanded
Under Cominius.
BRUTUS Fame, at the which he aims—
In whom already he’s well graced—cannot
Better be held nor more attained than by
A place below the first; for what miscarries
Shall be the general’s fault, though he perform
To th’ utmost of a man, and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Martius ‘O, if he
Had borne the business!’
Better be held nor more attained than by
A place below the first; for what miscarries
Shall be the general’s fault, though he perform
To th’ utmost of a man, and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Martius ‘O, if he
Had borne the business!’
SICINIUS
Besides, if things go well,
Opinion, that so sticks on Martius, shall
Of his demerits rob Cominius.
Of his demerits rob Cominius.
BRUTUS
Come,
Half all Cominius’ honours are to Martius,
Though Martius earned them not; and all his faults
To Martius shall be honours, though indeed
In aught he merit not.
Though Martius earned them not; and all his faults
To Martius shall be honours, though indeed
In aught he merit not.
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