SCENE I.
Trumpets ſounding.
The Scene diſcovers the Camp, a Croud of Volſcian Officers with Files of Soldiers, drawn up as before. Enter CORIOLANUS, TULLUS, GALESUS, VOLUSIUS. The Roman Ladies advance ſlowly from the Depth of the Stage, with VETURIA the Mother of CORIOLANUS, and VOLUMNIA his Wife, at their Head, all clad in Ha⯑bits of Mourning. CORIOLANUS ſtands at the Head of the Volſci, ſurrounded by his Lictors; but, when he perceives his Mother and Wife, after ſome Struggle, he advances, and goes haſtily to embrace them.
CORIOLANUS advancing.
LOWER your Faſces, Lictors—
Oh VETURIA!
Thou beſt of Parents!
VETURIA.
CORIOLANUS, ſtop.
Whom am I to embrace? A Son, or Foe?
Say, in what Light am I regarded here?
Thy Mother, or thy Captive?
CORIOLANUS.
[48]Juſtly, Madam,
You check my Fondneſs, that, by Nature hurry'd,
Forgot I was the General of the Volſci,
And you a Deputy from hoſtile Rome.
He goes back to his former Station.
I hear you with Reſpect. Speak your Commiſſion.
VETURIA.
Think not I come a Deputy from Rome.
Rome, once rejected, ſcorns a Second Suit.
You have already heard whate'er the Tongue
Of Eloquence can plead, whate'er the Wiſdom
Of ſacred Age, the Dignity of Senates,
And Virtue, can enforce. Behold me here,
Sent by the Shades of your immortal Fathers,
Sent by the Genius of the Marcian Line,
Commiſſion'd by my own maternal Heart,
To try the ſoft, yet ſtronger Powers of Nature.
Thus authoriz'd, I aſk, nay, claim a Peace,
On equal, fair, and honourable Terms,
To Thee, to Rome, and to the Volſcian People.
Grant it, my Son! Thy Mother begs it of thee,
Thy Wife, the beſt, the kindeſt of her Sex,
And theſe illuſtrious Matrons, who have ſooth'd
The gloomy Hours thou haſt been abſent from us.
We, by whate'er is great and good in Nature,
By every Duty, by the Gods, conjure Thee!
To grant us Peace, and turn on other Foes
Thy Arms, where thou may'ſt purchaſe virtuous Glory.
COIRIOLANUS.
I ſhould, VETURIA, break thoſe holy Bonds
That hold the wide Republic of Mankind,
Society, together; I ſhould grow
A Wretch, unworthy to be call'd thy Son;
I ſhould, with my VOLUMNIA's fair Eſteem,
Forfeit her Love; theſe Matrons would deſpiſe me—
Could I betray the Volſcian Cauſe, thus truſted,
[49] Thus recommended to me—No, my Mother,
You cannot ſure, you cannot aſk it of me!
VETURIA.
And does my Son ſo little know me? me!
Who took ſuch Care to form his tender Years,
Left to my Conduct by his dying Father?
Have I ſo ill deſerv'd that Truſt? Alas!
Am I ſo low in thy Eſteem, that thou
Should'ſt e'er imagine I could urge a Part
Which in the leaſt might ſtain the Marcian Honour?
No, let me periſh rather! periſh All!
Life has no Charms compar'd to ſpotleſs Glory!
I only aſk, thou would'ſt forbid thy Troops
To waſte our Lands, and to aſſault yon City,
Till Time be given for mild and righteous Meaſures.
Grant us but One Year's Truce: Mean while thou may'ſt,
With Honour and Advantage to both Nations,
Betwixt us mediate a perpetual Peace.
CORIOLANUS.
Alas! my Mother! That were granting all.
VETURIA.
Canſt thou refuſe me ſuch a juſt Petition,
The Firſt Requeſt thy Mother ever made Thee?
Canſt thou to her Intreaties, Prayers, and Tears,
Prefer a ſavage obſtinate Revenge?
Have Love and Nature loſt all Power within thee?
CORIOLANUS.
No,—in my Heart they reign as ſtrong as ever.
Come, I conjure you, quit ungrateful Rome,
Come, and complete my Happineſs at Antium,
You, and my dear VOLUMNIA—There, VETURIA,
There ſhall you ſee with what Reſpect the Volſci
Will treat the Wife and Mother of their General.
VETURIA.
Treat me thyſelf with more Reſpect, my Son;
Nor dare to ſhock my Ears with ſuch Propoſals.
Shall I deſert my Country, I who come
To plead her Cauſe? Ah no!—A Grave in Rome
[50] Would better pleaſe me, than a Throne at Antium.
How haſt thou thus forſaken all my Precepts?
How haſt thou thus forgot thy Love to Rome?
O CORIOLANUS, when with hoſtile Arms,
With Fire and Sword, you enter'd on our Borders,
Did not the foſtering Air, that breathes around us,
Allay thy guilty Fury, and inſtil
A certain native Sweetneſs thro' thy Soul?
Did not your Heart thus murmur to itſelf?
"Theſe Walls contain whatever can command
"Reſpect from Virtue, or is dear to Nature,
"The Monuments of Piety and Valour,
"The ſculptur'd Forms, the Trophies of my Fathers,
"My houſhold Gods, my Mother, Wife and Chil⯑dren!"
CORIOLANUS.
Ah! you ſeduce me with too tender Views!—
Theſe Walls contain the moſt corrupt of Men,
A baſe ſeditious Herd; who trample Order,
Diſtinction, Juſtice, Laws, beneath their Feet,
Inſolent Foes to Worth, the Foes of Virtue!
VETURIA.
Thou haſt not thence a Right to lift thy Hand
Againſt the whole Community, which forms
Thy ever-ſacred Country—That conſiſts
Not of coeval Citizens alone:
It knows no Bounds; it has a Retroſpect
To Ages paſt; it looks on thoſe to come;
And graſps of all the general Worth and Virtue.
Suppoſe, my Son, that I to thee had been
A harſh obdurate Parent, even unjuſt:
How would the monſtrous Thought with Horror ſtrike thee,
Of plunging, from Revenge, thy raging Steel
Into her Breaſt, who nurs'd thy infant Years!—
CORIOLANUS.
Rome is no more! that Rome which nurs'd my Youth;
That Rome, conducted by Patrician Virtue,
[51] She is no more! My Sword ſhall now chaſtiſe
Theſe Sons of Pride and Dirt! Her upſtart Tyrants!
Who have debas'd the nobleſt State on Earth
Into a ſordid Democratic Faction.
Why will my Mother join her Cauſe to theirs?
VETURIA.
Forbid it, Jove! that I ſhould e'er diſtinguiſh
My Intereſt from the general Cauſe of Rome;
Or live to ſee a foreign hoſtile Arm
Reform th'Abuſes of our Land of Freedom. Pauſing.
But 'tis in vain, I find, to reaſon more.
Is there no way to reach thy filial Heart,
Once fam'd as much for Piety as Courage?
Oft haſt thou juſtly triumph'd, CORIOLANUS;
Now yield one Triumph to thy widow'd Mother;
And ſend me back amidſt the loud Acclaims,
The grateful Tranſports of deliver'd Rome,
The happieſt far, the moſt renown'd of Women!
CORIOLANUS.
Why, why, VETURIA, wilt thou plead in vain?
TULLUS. Aſide to VOLUSIUS.
See, ſee, VOLUSIUS, how the ſtrong Emotions
Of powerful Nature ſhake his inmoſt Soul!
See how they tear him.—If he long reſiſts them,
He is a God, or ſomething worſe than Man.
VETURIA.
O MARCIUS, MARCIUS! canſt thou treat me thus?
Canſt thou complain of Rome's Ingratitude,
Yet be to me ſo cruelly ungrateful?
To me! who anxious rear'd thy Youth to Glory?
Whoſe only Joy, theſe many Years, has been,
To boaſt that CORIOLANUS was my Son?
And doſt thou then renounce me for thy Mother?
Spurn me before theſe Chiefs, before thoſe Soldiers,
That weep thy ſtubborn Cruelty? Art thou
[52] The hardeſt Man to me in this Aſſembly?
Look at me! Speak!
[Pauſing, during which he appears in great Agitation.
Still doſt thou turn away?
Inexorable? Silent?—Then, behold me,
Behold thy Mother, at whoſe Feet thou oft
Haſt kneel'd with Fondneſs, kneeling now at thine,
Wetting thy ſtern Tribunal with her Tears.
CORIOLANUS.
[Raiſes her.
VETURIA, riſe. I cannot ſee Thee thus.
It is a Sight uncomely, to behold
My Mother at my Feet, and that to urge
A Suit, relentleſs Honour muſt refuſe.
VOLUMNIA.
[Advancing.
Since CORIOLANUS, thou doſt ſtill retain,
In ſpite of all thy Mother now has pleaded,
Thy dreadful Purpoſe, Ah! how much in vain
Were it for me to join my Supplications!
The Voice of thy VOLUMNIA, once ſo pleaſing
How ſhall it hope to touch the Husband's Heart,
When proof againſt the Tears of ſuch a Parent?
I dare not urge what to thy Mother thou
So firmly haſt deny'd—But I muſt weep—
Muſt weep, if not thy harſh Severity,
At leaſt thy Situation. O permit me,
[Taking his Hand.
To ſhed my guſhing Tears upon thy Hand!
To preſs it with the cordial Lips of Love!
And take my laſt Farewel!
CORIOLANUS.
Yet, yet, my Soul,
Be firm, and perſevere—
VOLUMNIA.
Ah CORIOLANUS!
Is then this Hand▪ this Hand to me devoted,
The Pledge of Nuptial Love, that has ſo long
[53] Protected, bleſs'd, and ſhelter'd us with Kindneſs,
Now lifted up againſt us? Yet I love it,
And, with ſubmiſſive Veneration, bow
Beneath th' Affliction which it heaps upon us.
But O! what nobler Tranſports would it give thee!
What Joy beyond Expreſſion! couldſt thou once
Surmount the furious Storm of fierce Revenge,
And yield thee to the Charms of Love and Mercy.
Oh make the glorious Trial!
CORIOLANUS.
Mother! Wife!
Are all the Powers of Nature leagu'd againſt me?
I cannot!—will not!—Leave me, my VOLUMNIA!
VOLUMNIA.
Well, I obey—How bitter thus to part!
Upon ſuch Terms to part! perhaps for ever!—
But tell me, ere I hence unroot my Feet,
When to my lonely Home I ſhall return,
What from their Father, to our little Slaves,
Unconſcious of the Shame to which you doom them,
What ſhall I ſay?
[Pauſing; He highly agitated.
Nay—tell me, CORIOLANUS!
CORIOLANUS.
Tell thee! What ſhall I tell thee? See theſe Tears!
Theſe Tears will tell thee what exceeds the Power
Of Words to ſpeak, whate'er the Son, the Husband,
And Father, in one complicated Pang,
Can feel—But leave me;—even in Pity leave me!
Ceaſe, ceaſe, to torture me, my dear VOLUMNIA!
You only tear my Heart; but cannot ſhake it:
For by th' immortal Gods, the dread Avengers
Of broken Faith!—
VOLUMNIA.
[Kneeling.
Oh ſwear not, CORIOLANUS!
Oh vow not our Deſtruction!
VETURIA.
[54]Daughter, riſe.
Let us no more before the Volſian People
Expoſe ourſelves a Spectacle of Shame.
It is in vain we try to melt a Breaſt,
That, to the beſt Affections Nature gives us,
Prefers the worſt—Hear me, proud Man! I have
A Heart as ſtout as thine. I came not hither,
To be ſent back rejected, baffled, ſham'd,
Hateful to Rome, becauſe I am Thy Mother:
A Roman Matron knows, in ſuch Extremes,
What Part to take—And thus I came provided.
[Drawing from under her Robe a Dagger.
Go! barbarous Son! go! double Parricide!
Ruſh o'er my Corſe to thy belov'd Revenge!
Tread on the bleeding Breaſt of her, to whom
Thou ow'ſt thy Life!—Lo, thy firſt Victim!
CORIOLANUS.
Seizing her Hand.
Ha!
What doſt thou mean?
VETURIA.
To die, while Rome is free,
To ſeize the Moment ere thou art her Tyrant.
CORIOLANUS.
O uſe thy Power more juſtly! Set not thus
My treacherous Heart in Arms againſt my Reaſon.
Here! here! thy Dagger will be well employ'd;
Strike here! and reconcile my fighting Duties.
VETURIA.
Off!—Set me free!—Think'ſt thou that Graſp, which binds
My feeble Hand, can fetter too my Will?
No, my proud Son! Thou canſt not make me live,
If Rome muſt fall!—No Pow'r on Earth can do it!
CORIOLANUS.
Pity me, generous VOLSCI!—You are Men—
Muſt it then be?—Confuſion!—Do I yield?
What is it? Is it Weakneſs? Is it Virtue?—
Well!—
VETURIA.
[55]What? Speak!
CORIOLANUS.
O, no!—my ſtifled Words refuſe
A Paſſage to the Throes that wring my Heart.
VETURIA.
Nay, if thou yieldeſt, yield like CORIOLANUS;
And what thou do'ſt, do nobly!
CORIOLANUS.
[Quitting her Hand.
There!—'Tis done!—
Thine is the Triumph, Nature!
[To VETURIA in a low Tone of Voice.
Ah VETURIA!
Rome by thy Aid is ſav'd—but thy Son loſt.
VETURIA.
He never can be loſt, who ſaves his Country.
CORIOLANUS.
[Turning to the Roman Ladies.
Ye Matrons, Guardians of the Roman Safety,
You to the Senate may report this Anſwer.
We grant the Truce you ask. But on theſe Terms:
That Rome, mean-time, ſhall to a Peace agree,
Fair, equal, juſt, and ſuch as may ſecure
The Safety, Rights, and Honour of the VOLSCI.
[To the Troops.
VOLSCI, We raiſe the Siege. Go, and prepare,
By the firſt Dawn, for your Return to Antium.
[As the Troops retire, and CORIOLANUS turns to the Roman Ladies;
TULLUS.
To VOLUSIUS aſide.
'Tis as we wiſh'd, VOLUSIUS—To your Station.
But mark me well—Till thou ſhalt hear my Call,
I charge thee not to ſtir. One Offer more
My Honour bids me make to this proud Man,
Before we ſtrike the Blow—If he rejects it,
His Blood be on his Head.
VOLUSIUS.
Well! I obey you.
[He goes out.
CORIOLANUS.
[56]Be it thy Care, Galeſus, that a Safeguard
Attend theſe noble Matrons back to Rome.
SCENE II.
CORIOLANUS. TULLUS.
CORIOLANUS.
I plainly, TULLUS, by your Looks diſcern
You diſapprove my Conduct.
TULLUS.
CAIUS MARCIUS,
I mean not to aſſail thee with the Clamour
Of loud Reproaches, and the War of Words;
But, Pride apart, and all that can pervert
The Light of ſteady Reaſon, here to make
A candid fair Propoſal
CORIOLANUS.
Speak. I hear thee.
TULLUS.
I heed not tell thee, that I have perform'd
My utmoſt Promiſe. Thou haſt been protected;
Haſt had thy ampleſt, moſt ambitious Wiſh:
Thy wounded Pride is heal'd, thy dear Revenge
Completely ſated; and, to crown thy Fortune,
At the ſame time, thy Peace with Rome reſtor'd.
Thou art no more a Volſcian, but a Roman.
Return, return; thy Duty calls upon thee,
Still to protect the City thou haſt ſav'd:
It ſtill may be in Danger from our Arms.
CORIOLANUS.
Inſolent Man! Is this thy fair Propoſal?
TULLUS.
Be patient—Hear! By hoſpitable Jove!
I mean thee well—Yes, one laſt Bounty more
[57] I frankly will beſtow. I have already
From Rome protected thee; now from the Volſci,
From their juſt Vengeance, I will ſtill protect Thee.
Retire. I will take care thou may'ſt with Safety.
CORIOLANUS.
With Safety!—Heav'ns !—And think'ſt thou
CORIOLANUS
Will ſtoop to thee for Safety? No! my Safeguard
Is in myſelf, a Boſom void of Blame,
And the Great Gods, Protectors of the Juſt.—
O 'tis an Act of Cowardice and Baſeneſs,
To ſeize the very Time my Hands are fetter'd,
By the ſtrong Chain of former Obligations,
The ſafe ſure Moment to inſult me.—Gods!
Were I now free, as on that Day I was,
When at Corioli I tam'd thy Pride,
This had not been.
TULLUS.
Thou ſpeak'ſt the Truth: It had not.
O for that Time again! Propitious Gods,
If you will bleſs me, grant it!—Know, for That,
For that dear Purpoſe, I have now propos'd
Thou ſhould'ſt return. I pray thee, Marcius, do it!
And we ſhall meet again on nobler Terms.
CORIOLANUS.
When to the Volſci I have clear'd my Faith,
Doubt not I ſhall find Means to meet thee nobly.
We then our generous Quarrel may decide
In the bright Front of ſome embattel'd Field,
And not in private Brawls, like fierce Barbarians.
TULLUS.
Thou canſt not hope Acquittal from the Volſci.—
CORIOLANUS.
I do:—Nay more, expect their Approbation,
Their Thanks ! I will obtain them ſuch a Peace
As thou durſt never aſk; a perfect Union
Of their whole Nation with imperial Rome
[58] In all her Privileges, all her Rights.
By the juſt Gods, I will! What would'ſt thou more?
TULLUS.
What would I more! Proud Roman; This I would;
Fire the curſt Foreſt where theſe Roman Wolves
Haunt and infeſt their nobler Neighbours round them;
Extirpate from the Boſom of this Land,
A falſe perfidious People, who, beneath
The Maſk of Freedom, are a Combination
Againſt the Liberty of Human-kind,
The genuine Seed of Outlaws and of Robbers.
CORIOLANUS.
The Seed of Gods!—'Tis not for thee, vain Boaſter!
'Tis not for ſuch as Thou, ſo often ſpar'd
By her victorious Sword, to talk of Rome,
But with Reſpect and awful Veneration.
Whate'er her Blots, whate'er her giddy Factions,
There is more Virtue in one ſingle Year
Of Roman Story, than your Volſcian Annals
Can boaſt thro' all your creeping dark Duration!
TULLUS.
I thank thy Rage. This full diſplays the Traitor.
CORIOLANUS.
Ha! Traitor!
TULLUS.
Firſt, to thy own Country, Traitor!
And Traitor, now, to mine !
CORIOLANUS.
Ye heavenly Powers!
I ſhall break looſe—My Rage—But let us part—
Leſt my raſh Hand ſhould do a haſty Deed
My cooler Thought forbids.
TULLUS.
For the laſt] time,
Hear me, and mark my Words; the ſober Dictates
[59] Of well-weigh'd Reſolution. Thou and I
Are in that State for which reſiſtleſs Nature
Has form'd us, Foes again—Begone—Return—
To head the Roman Troops. I grant thee Quittance
Full and complete of all thoſe Obligations
Thou haſt ſo oft inſultingly complain'd
Fetter'd thy Hands. They now are free. I court
The worſt thy Sword can do; whilſt thou from me
Haſt nothing to expect, but ſore Deſtruction.
Quit then this hoſtile Camp. Once more I tell thee,
Thou art not here one ſingle Hour in Safety.
CORIOLANUS.
Think'ſt thou to fright me hence?
TULLUS.
Thou wilt not then?
Thou wilt not take the Safety which I offer?
CORIOLANUS.
Till I have clear'd my Honour in your Council,
And prov'd before them all, to thy Confuſion,
The Falſhood of thy Charge; as ſoon in Battle
I would before thee fly, and howl for Mercy,
As quit the Station they have here aſſign'd me.
TULLUS.
Voluſius! Hoa!
SCENE IV.
[Upon the Noiſe of the Tumult, enter haſtily to them Galeſus, the other Deputies of the Volſcian States, Officers Friends of Corio⯑lanus, and Titus with a large Band of Soldiers.
GALESUS.
[As he enters.
Are we a Nation rul'd by Laws, or Fury?
How! Whence this Tumult?—
[Pauſing.
Gods ! what do I ſee?
The noble MARCIUS ſlain!
TULLUS.
You ſee a Traitor
[61] Puniſh'd as he deſerv'd, the Roman Yoke
That thrall'd us broken, and the Volſci free!
GALESUS.
Hear me, great Jove! Hear, all you injur'd Powers
Of Friendſhip, Hoſpitality, and Faith!
By that heroic Blood, which from the Ground
Reeking to you for Vengeance cries, I ſwear!
This impious Breach of your eternal Laws,
This daring Outrage on the Volſcian Honour,
Shall find in me a rigorous Avenger!
On the ſame Earth, polluted by their Crime,
I will not live with theſe unpuniſh'd Ruffians !
TULLUS.
This Deed is mine: I claim it all!—Theſe Men,
Theſe valiant Men, were but my Inſtruments,
To puniſh him who to our Face betray'd us.
We ſhall not fear to anſwer to the Volſci,
In a full Council of their States at Antium,
The glorious Charge of having ſtabb'd their Tyrant!
GALESUS.
TITUS, till then ſecure them.
[Tullus and Conſpirators are led off.
[Galeſus, ſtanding over the Body of Coriolanus, after a ſhort Pauſe, proceeds.
Volſcian Fathers,
And ye, brave Soldiers, ſee an awful Scene,
Demanding ſerious ſolemn Meditation.
This Man was once the Glory of his Age,
Diſintereſted, juſt, with every Virtue
Of civil Life adorn'd, in Arms unequall'd.
His only Blot was this; That, much provok'd,
He rais'd his vengeful Arm againſt his Country.
And, lo! the righteous Gods have now chaſtis'd him,
Even by the Hands of thoſe for whom he fought.
[62] Whatever private Views and Paſſions plead,
No Cauſe can juſtify ſo black a Deed:
Theſe, when the angry Tempeſt clouds the Soul,
May darken Reaſon, and her Courſe controul;
But when the Proſpect clears, her ſtartled Eye
Muſt from the treacherous Gulph with Horror fly,
On whoſe wild Wave, by ſtormy Paſſions toſt,
So many hapleſs Wretches have been loſt.
Then be this Truth the Star by which we ſteer;
Above Ourſelves our COUNTRY ſhould be dear.
The END.