The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (808 page)

this afternoon: 'tis as it were parcel of their feast, and to be

before they finish the meal.

executed ere they wipe their lips.

SECOND SERVANT.

Well, then things will be exciting again. Peacetime is good for

Why, then we shall have a stirring world again. This peace is

nothing but to make iron rusty, make profit for tailors (to sell clothes to idle men), and

nothing but to rust iron, increase tailors, and breed

create song writers.

ballad-makers.

FIRST SERVANT.

Let’s have a war! It’s way better than peace.

Let me have war, say I; it exceeds peace as far as day does

It’s like a good dog that’s agile, alert, loud, and good at smelling. Peace is

night; it's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is

like being paralyzed, or asleep, or drunk, or deaf, or unconscious.  

a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible; a

It creates more bastard children than war can kill off.

getter of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men.

SECOND SERVANT.

That’s true. And if war can be said to be a rapist,

'Tis so: and as war in some sort, may be said to be a ravisher,

then peace causes women to cheat on their husbands.

so it cannot be denied but peace is a great maker of cuckolds.

FIRST SERVANT.

Yes, peace makes men hate one another.

Ay, and it makes men hate one another.

THIRD SERVANT.

That’s because they have less need for one abother. I bet there will  

Reason: because they then less need one another. The wars for my

be a war. I hope to see Romans killed like the Volscians were in the last war.

money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. They are

The dinner guests are leaving!

rising, they are rising.

ALL.

Go inside!

In, in, in, in!

[Exeunt.]

[Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.]

SICINIUS.

We haven’t heard anything about him, but we don’t need to worry.

We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;

His violence would be futile given the peace

His remedies are tame i' the present peace

and quiet that currently prevails in Rome,

And quietness of the people, which before

which used to be all disturbed. Let his friends

Were in wild hurry. Here do make his friends

be embarrassed that everything is going so smoothly without him.

Blush that the world goes well; who rather had,

Who would rather see

Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold

people rioting in the street

Dissentious numbers pestering streets than see

than see honest people singing while they work, and going

Our tradesmen singing in their shops, and going

about their business peacefully?

About their functions friendly.

BRUTUS.

We fought well, and just in time. Is that Menenius?

We stood to't in good time.--Is this Menenius?

SICINIUS.

It is. He’s been very nice

'Tis he, 'tis he. O, he is grown most kind

lately

Of late.

[Enter MENENIUS

BRUTUS.

Hello!

Hail, sir!

MENENIUS.

Hello to you both!

Hail to you both!

SICINIUS.

Nobody misses Coriolanus

Your Coriolanus is not much miss'd  

except his friends. The country is doing fine,

But with his friends: the commonwealth doth stand;

and would be even if he were more angry at us.

And so would do, were he more angry at it.

MENENIUS.

All is well, and it might have been even if Coriolanus

All's well, and might have been much better if

could have just gone with the flow.

He could have temporiz'd.

SICINIUS.

Where is he, do you know?

Where is he, hear you?

MENENIUS.

No, I haven’t heard anything. His mother and wife

Nay, I hear nothing: his mother and his wife

haven’t heard from him either.

Hear nothing from him.

[Enter three or four Citizens.]

CITIZENS.

God bless you both!

The gods preserve you both!

SICINIUS.

Good even, neighbors.

Good e’en, our neighbours.

BRUTUS.

Good evening to you all.

Good e’den to you all, Good e’en to you all.

FIRST CITIZEN.

Our wives, children and ourselves should

Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,

pray for you both.

Are bound to pray for you both.

SICINIUS.

Live long and prosper!

Live and thrive!

BRUTUS.

Good bye neighbors. We wish Coriolanus

Farewell, kind neighbours: we wish'd Coriolanus

had loved you like we do.

Had lov'd you as we did.

CITIZENS.

God bless you!

Now the gods keep you!

BOTH TRIBUNES.

Good bye!

Farewell, farewell.

[Exeunt Citizens.]

SICINIUS.

This is a better time

This is a happier and more comely time

than when these men ran around in the streets

Than when these fellows ran about the streets

causing destruction.

Crying confusion.

BRUTUS.

Caius Marcius was

Caius Marcius was

a good officer in the war, but arrogant,

A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,

overwhelmed with prude, too ambitious,

O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking,

in love with himself—

Self-loving,--

SICINIUS.

And trying to rule by himself,

And affecting one sole throne,

without assistance.

Without assistance.

MENENIUS.

I don’t think so.

I think not so.

SICINIUS.

We would have all found that out, to our sadness,

We should by this, to all our lamentation,

if he had become consul.

If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

BRUTUS.

It was good that the gods prevented it, and Rome

The gods have well prevented it, and Rome

is safe and sound without him.

Sits safe and still without him.

[Enter an AEDILE.]

AEDILE.

Tribunes,

Worthy tribunes,

a slave, whom we have put in prison,

There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,

says that the Volscians have invaded Roman territory

Reports,--the Volsces with several powers

with seperate armies  

Are enter'd in the Roman territories,

and with hatred in their hearts

And with the deepest malice of the war

are destroying everything in their path.

Destroy what lies before 'em.

MENENIUS.

It’s Aufidius,

'Tis Aufidius,

who, hearing of Marcius’ banishment,

Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,

sticks his head out of his shell like a snail

Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;

that was afraid to peep out

Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome,

when Marcius defended Rome

And durst not once peep out.

SICINIUS.

Why are talking about Marcius?

Come, what talk you of Marcius?

BRUTUS.

Go whip the man who started this rumor.

Go see this rumourer whipp'd.--It cannot be

The Volscians wouldn’t dare break their peace treaty with us.

The Volsces dare break with us.

MENENIUS.

Are you sure?

Cannot be?

We have experienced that before.

We have record that very well it can;

They’ve broken three previous peace treaties

And three examples of the like hath been

during my lifetime. You should talk to the fellow,

Within my age. But reason with the fellow,

before you punish him, to find out where he heard this,

Before you punish him, where he heard this;

in case you end up whipping a good source of information,

Lest you shall chance to whip your information

and beat the messenger you warns you

And beat the messenger who bids beware

of what you fear.

Of what is to be dreaded.

SICINIUS.

Don’t tell me.

Tell not me:

I know it couldn’t happen.

I know this cannot be.

BRUTUS.

Not possible.

Not possible.

[Enter A MESSENGER.]

MESSENGER.

The noblemen are all going

The nobles in great earnestness are going

to the senate house. Some news has come in

All to the senate-house: some news is come

that changes their expressions.

That turns their countenances.

SICINIUS.

It’s this slave!

'Tis this slave,--

Go whip him publicly. He instigated him,

Go whip him fore the people's eyes:--his raising;

it’s nothing but his story.

Nothing but his report.

MESSENGER.

Yes sir,

Yes, worthy sir,

the slave’s story has been supported, and more news,

The slave's report is seconded, and more,

even worse, has arrived.

More fearful, is deliver'd.

SICINIUS.

What could be worse?

What more fearful?