The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare (moboreader .TXT) 📕

THIRD CONSPIRATOR. Sir, his stoutness

When he did stand for consul, which he lost By lack of stooping-AUFIDIUS. That I would have spoken of.

Being banish’d for’t, he came unto my hearth, Presented to my knife his throat. I took him; Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way In all his own desires; nay, let him choose Out of my files, his projects to accomplish, My best and freshest men; serv’d his designments In mine own person; holp to reap the fame Which he did end all his, and took some pride To do myself this wrong. Till, at the last, I seem’d his follower, not partner; and He wag’d me with his countenance as if I had been mercenary.

FIRST CONSPIRATOR. So he did, my lord.

The army marvell’d at it; and, in the last, When he had carried Rome and that we look’d For no less spoil than glory-AUFIDIUS. There was it;

For which my sinews shall be stretch’d upon him.

At a few drops of women’s rheum, which are As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour Of our great action; therefore shall he die, And I’ll renew me in his fall. But, hark!

[Drums and trumpets sound, with great shouts of the people]

FIRST CONSPIRATOR. Your native town you enter’d like a post, And had no welcomes home; but he returns Splitting the air with noise.

SECOND CONSPIRATOR. And patient fools,

Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear With giving him glory.

THIRD CONSPIRATOR. Therefore, at your vantage, Ere he express himself or move the people With what he would say, let him feel your sword, Which we will second. When he lies along, After your way his tale pronounc’d shall bury His reasons with his body.

AUFIDIUS. Say no more:

Here come the lords.

Enter the LORDS of the city LORDS. You are most welcome home.

AUFIDIUS. I have not deserv’d it.

But, worthy lords, have you with heed perused What I have written to you?

LORDS. We have.

FIRST LORD. And grieve to hear’t.

What faults he made before the last, I think Might have found easy fines; but there to end Where he was to begin, and give away

The benefit of our levies, answering us With our own charge, making a treaty where There was a yielding-this admits no excuse.

AUFIDIUS. He approaches; you shall hear him.

Enter CORIOLANUS, marching with drum and colours; the commoners being with him CORIOLANUS. Hail, lords! I am return’d your soldier; No more infected with my country’s love Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting Under your great command. You are to know That prosperously I have attempted, and With bloody passage led your wars even to The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home Doth more than counterpoise a full third part The charges of the action. We have made peace With no less honour to the Antiates

Than shame to th’ Romans; and we here deliver, Subscrib’d by th’ consuls and patricians, Together with the seal o’ th’ Senate, what We have compounded on.

AUFIDIUS. Read it not, noble lords;

But tell the traitor in the highest degree He hath abus’d your powers.

CORIOLANUS. Traitor! How now?

AUFIDIUS. Ay, traitor, Marcius.

CORIOLANUS. Marcius!

AUFIDIUS. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius! Dost thou think I’ll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol’n name Coriolanus, in Corioli?

You lords and heads o’ th’ state, perfidiously He has betray’d your business and given up, For certain drops of salt, your city Rome-I say your city-to his wife and mother; Breaking his oath and resolution like A twist of rotten silk; never admitting Counsel o’ th’ war; but at his nurse’s tears He whin’d and roar’d away your victory, That pages blush’d at him, and men of heart Look’d wond’ring each at others.

CORIOLANUS. Hear’st thou, Mars?

AUFIDIUS. Name not the god, thou boy of tears-CORIOLANUS. Ha!

AUFIDIUS. -no more.

CORIOLANUS. Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart Too great for what contains it. ‘Boy’! O slave!

Pardon me, lords, ‘tis the first time that ever I was forc’d to scold. Your judgments, my grave lords, Must give this cur the lie; and his own notion-Who wears my stripes impress’d upon him, that Must bear my beating to his grave-shall join To thrust the lie unto him.

FIRST LORD. Peace, both, and hear me speak.

CORIOLANUS. Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads, Stain all your edges on me. ‘Boy’! False hound!

If you have writ your annals true, ‘tis there That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I Flutter’d your Volscians in Corioli.

Alone I did it. ‘Boy’!

AUFIDIUS. Why, noble lords,

Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune, Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, Fore your own eyes and ears?

CONSPIRATORS. Let him die for’t.

ALL THE PEOPLE. Tear him to pieces. Do it presently. He kill’d my son. My daughter. He kill’d my cousin Marcus. He kill’d my father.

SECOND LORD. Peace, ho! No outrage-peace!

The man is noble, and his fame folds in This orb o’ th’ earth. His last offences to us Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius, And trouble not the peace.

CORIOLANUS. O that I had him,

With six Aufidiuses, or more-his tribe, To use my lawful sword!

AUFIDIUS. Insolent villain!

CONSPIRATORS. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!

[The CONSPIRATORS draw and kill CORIOLANUS,who falls.

AUFIDIUS stands on him]

LORDS. Hold, hold, hold, hold!

AUFIDIUS. My noble masters, hear me speak.

FIRST LORD. O Tullus!

SECOND LORD. Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will weep.

THIRD LORD. Tread not upon him. Masters all, be quiet; Put up your swords.

AUFIDIUS. My lords, when you shall know-as in this rage, Provok’d by him, you cannot-the great danger Which this man’s life did owe you, you’ll rejoice That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours To call me to your Senate, I’ll deliver Myself your loyal servant, or endure

Your heaviest censure.

FIRST LORD. Bear from hence his body,

And mourn you for him. Let him be regarded As the most noble corse that ever herald Did follow to his um.

SECOND LORD. His own impatience

Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.

Let’s make the best of it.

AUFIDIUS. My rage is gone,

And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up.

Help, three o’ th’ chiefest soldiers; I’ll be one.

Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully; Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he Hath widowed and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury, Yet he shall have a noble memory.

Assist. Exeunt, bearing the body of CORIOLANUS

[A dead march sounded]

THE END

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1609

CYMBELINE

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personae

CYMBELINE, King of Britain

CLOTEN, son to the Queen by a former husband POSTHUMUS LEONATUS, a gentleman, husband to Imogen BELARIUS, a banished lord, disguised under the name of Morgan GUIDERIUS and ARVIRAGUS, sons to Cymbeline, disguised under the names of POLYDORE and CADWAL, supposed sons to Belarius PHILARIO, Italian, friend to Posthumus

IACHIMO, Italian, friend to Philario

A FRENCH GENTLEMAN, friend to Philario

CAIUS LUCIUS, General of the Roman Forces A ROMAN CAPTAIN

TWO BRITISH CAPTAINS

PISANIO, servant to Posthumus

CORNELIUS, a physician

TWO LORDS of Cymbeline’s court

TWO GENTLEMEN of the same

TWO GAOLERS

QUEEN, wife to Cymbeline

IMOGEN, daughter to Cymbeline by a former queen HELEN, a lady attending on Imogen

APPARITIONS

Lords, Ladies, Roman Senators, Tribunes, a Soothsayer, a Dutch Gentleman, a Spanish Gentleman, Musicians, Officers, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants <<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS

PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF ILLINOIS BENEDICTINE COLLEGE

WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE

DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS

PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED

COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY

SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>>

SCENE:

Britain; Italy

ACT I. SCENE I.

Britain. The garden of CYMBELINE’S palace FIRST GENTLEMAN. You do not meet a man but frowns; our bloods No more obey the heavens than our courtiers Still seem as does the King’s.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. But what’s the matter?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. His daughter, and the heir of’s kingdom, whom He purpos’d to his wife’s sole son-a widow That late he married-hath referr’d herself Unto a poor but worthy gentleman. She’s wedded; Her husband banish’d; she imprison’d. All Is outward sorrow, though I think the King Be touch’d at very heart.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. None but the King?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. He that hath lost her too. So is the Queen, That most desir’d the match. But not a courtier, Although they wear their faces to the bent Of the King’s looks, hath a heart that is not Glad at the thing they scowl at.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. And why so?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. He that hath miss’d the Princess is a thing Too bad for bad report; and he that hath herI mean that married her, alack, good man!

And therefore banish’d-is a creature such As, to seek through the regions of the earth For one his like, there would be something failing In him that should compare. I do not think So fair an outward and such stuff within Endows a man but he.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. You speak him far.

FIRST GENTLEMAN. I do extend him, sir, within himself; Crush him together rather than unfold His measure duly.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. What’s his name and birth?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. I cannot delve him to the root; his father Was call’d Sicilius, who did join his honour Against the Romans with Cassibelan,

But had his titles by Tenantius, whom He serv’d with glory and admir’d success, So gain’d the sur-addition Leonatus;

And had, besides this gentleman in question, Two other sons, who, in the wars o’ th’ time, Died with their swords in hand; for which their father, Then old and fond of issue, took such sorrow That he quit being; and his gentle lady, Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceas’d As he was born. The King he takes the babe To his protection, calls him Posthumus Leonatus, Breeds him and makes him of his bedchamber, Puts to him all the learnings that his time Could make him the receiver of; which he took, As we do air, fast as ‘twas minist’red, And in’s spring became a harvest, liv’d in court-Which rare it is to do-most prais’d, most lov’d, A sample to the youngest; to th’ more mature A glass that feated them; and to the graver A child that guided dotards. To his mistress, For whom he now is banish’d-her own price Proclaims how she esteem’d him and his virtue; By her election may be truly read

What kind of man he is.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. I honour him

Even out of your report. But pray you tell me, Is she sole child to th’ King?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. His only child.

He had two sons-if this be worth your hearing, Mark it-the eldest of them at three years old, I’ th’ swathing clothes the other,