coriolanus-第5章

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and　never　imagining　that　it　was　the　weakness　and　womanishness　of　his
nature　that　broke　out；　so　to　say；　in　these　ulcerations　of　anger；
retired；　full　of　fury　and　bitterness　against　the　people。　The　young
patricians；　too；　all　that　were　proudest　and　most　conscious　of　their
noble　birth；　had　always　been　devoted　to　his　interest；　and；　adhering　to
him　now；　with　a　fidelity　that　did　him　no　good；　aggravated　his
resentment　with　the　expression　of　their　indignation　and　condolence。　He
had　been　their　captain；　and　their　willing　instructor　in　the　arts　of
war；　when　out　upon　expeditions；　and　their　model　in　that　true　emulation
and　love　of　excellence　which　makes　men　extol；　without　envy　or
jealousy；　each　other's　brave　achievements。
　　In　the　midst　of　these　distempers；　a　large　quantity　of　corn　reached
Rome；　a　great　part　bought　up　in　Italy；　but　an　equal　amount　sent　as　a
present　from　Syracuse；　from　Gelo；　then　reigning　there。　Many　began
now　to　hope　well　of　their　affairs；　supposing　the　city；　by　this
means；　would　be　delivered　at　once；　both　of　its　want　and　discord。　A
council；　therefore；　being　presently　held；　the　people　came　flocking
about　the　senate…house；　eagerly　awaiting　the　issue　of　that
deliberation；　expecting　that　the　market…prices　would　now　be　less
cruel；　and　that　what　had　come　as　gift　would　be　distributed　as　such。
There　were　some　within　who　so　advised　the　senate；　but　Marcius；
standing　up；　sharply　inveighed　against　those　who　spoke　in　favour　of
the　multitude；　calling　them　flatterers　of　the　rabble；　traitors　to
the　nobility；　and　alleging；　that；　by　such　gratifications；　they　did　but
cherish　those　ill　seeds　of　boldness　and　petulance　that　had　been　sown
among　the　people；　to　their　own　prejudice；　which　they　should　have
done　well　to　observe　and　stifle　at　their　first　appearance；　and　not
have　suffered　the　plebeians　to　grow　so　strong；　by　granting　them
magistrates　of　such　authority　as　the　tribunes。　They　were；　indeed；　even
now　formidable　to　the　state　since　everything　they　desired　was
granted　them；　no　constraint　was　put　on　their　will；　they　refused
obedience　to　the　consuls　and；　overthrowing　all　law　and　magistracy；
gave　the　title　of　magistrate　to　their　private　factious　leaders。
〃When　things　are　come　to　such　a　pass　for　us　to　sit　here　and　decree
largesses　and　bounties　for　them；　like　those　Greeks　where　the
populace　is　supreme　and　absolute；　what　would　it　be　else；〃　said　he；
〃but　to　take　their　disobedience　into　pay　and　maintain　it　for　the
common　ruin　of　us　all？　They　certainly　cannot　look　upon　these
liberalities　as　a　reward　of　public　service；　which　they　know　they
have　so　often　deserted；　nor　yet　of　those　secessions；　by　which　they
openly　renounce　their　country；　much　less　of　the　calumnies　and　slanders
they　have　been　always　so　ready　to　entertain　against　the　senate；　but
will　rather　conclude　that　a　bounty；　which　seems　to　have　no　other
visible　cause　or　reason；　must　needs　be　the　effect　of　our　fear　and
flattery；　and　will；　therefore；　set　no　limit　to　their　disobedience；　nor
ever　cease　from　disturbances　and　sedition。　Concession　is　mere　madness；
if　we　have　any　wisdom　and　resolution　at　all；　we　shall；　on　the
contrary；　never　rest　till　we　have　recovered　from　them　that　tribunician
power　they　have　extorted　from　us；　as　being　a　plain　subversion　of　the
consulship；　and　a　perpetual　ground　of　separation　in　our　city　that　is
no　longer　one；　as　heretofore；　but　has　in　this　received　such　a　wound
and　rupture　as　is　never　likely　to　close　and　unite　again；　or　suffer
us　to　be　of　one　mind；　and　to　give　over　inflaming　our　distempers；　and
being　a　torment　to　each　other。〃
　　Marcius；　with　much　more　to　this　purpose；　succeeded；　to　an
extraordinary　degree；　in　inspiring　the　younger　men　with　the　same
furious　sentiments；　and　had　almost　all　the　wealthy　on　his　side；　who
cried　him　up　as　the　only　person　their　city　had；　superior　alike　to
force　and　flattery；　some　of　the　older　men；　however；　opposed　him；
suspecting　the　consequences。　As；　indeed；　there　came　no　good　of　it；　for
the　tribunes；　who　were　present；　perceiving　how　the　proposal　of　Marcius
took；　ran　out　into　the　crowd　with　exclamations；　calling　on　the
plebeians　to　stand　together；　and　come　in　to　their　assistance。　The
assembly　met；　and　soon　became　tumultuous。　The　sum　of　what　Marcius
had　spoken；　having　been　reported　to　the　people；　excited　them　to　such
fury；　that　they　were　ready　to　break　in　upon　the　senate。　The　tribunes
prevented　this；　by　laying　all　the　blame　on　Coriolanus；　whom；
therefore；　they　cited　by　their　messengers　to　come　before　them　and
defend　himself。　And　when　he　contemptuously　repulsed　the　officers　who
brought　him　the　summons；　they　came　themselves；　with　the　Aediles；　or
overseers　of　the　market；　proposing　to　carry　him　away　by　force；　and；
accordingly；　began　to　lay　hold　on　his　person。　The　patricians；　however；
coming　to　his　rescue；　not　only　thrust　off　the　tribunes；　but　also
beat　the　Aediles；　that　were　their　seconds　in　the　quarrel；　night
approaching；　put　an　end　to　the　contest。　But；　as　soon　as　it　was　day；
the　consuls；　observing　the　people　to　be　highly　exasperated；　and　that
they　ran　from　all　quarters　and　gathered　in　the　forum；　were　afraid
for　the　whole　city；　so　that；　convening　the　senate　afresh；　they　desired
them　to　advise　how　they　might　best　compose　and　pacify　the　incensed
multitude　by　equitable　language　and　indulgent　decrees；　since；　if
they　wisely　considered　the　state　of　things；　they　would　find　that　it
was　no　time　to　stand　upon　terms　of　honour　and　a　mere　point　of　glory；
such　a　critical　conjuncture　called　for　gentle　methods；　and　for
temperate　and　humane　counsels。　The　majority；　therefore；　of　the
senators　giving　way；　the　consuls　proceeded　to　pacify　the　people　in　the
best　manner　they　were　able；　answering　gently　to　such　imputations　and
charges　as　had　been　cast　upon　the　senate；　and　using　much　tenderness
and　moderation　in　the　admonitions　and　reproofs　they　gave　them。　On
the　point　of　the　price　of　provisions；　they　said　there　should　be　no
difference　at　all　between　them。　When　a　great　part　of　the　commonalty
was　grown　cool；　and　it　appeared　from　their　orderly　and　peaceful
behaviour　that　they　had　been　very　much　appeased　by　what　they　had
heard；　the　tribunes；　standing　up；　declared；　in　the　name　of　the　people；
that　since　the　senate　was　pleased　to　act　soberly　and　do　them　reason；
they；　likewise；　should　be　ready　to　yield　in　all　that　was　fair　and
equitable　on　their　side；　they　must　insist；　however；　that　Marcius
should　give　in　his　answer　to　the　several　charges　as　follows：　first；
could　he　deny　that　he　instigated　the　senate　to　overthrow　the
government　and　annul　the　privileges　of　the　people？　and；　in　the　next
place；　when　called　to　account　for　it；　did　he　not　disobey　the
summons？　and；　lastly；　by　the　blows　and　other　public　affronts　to　the
Aediles；　had　he　not　done　all　he　could　to　commence　a　civil　war？
　　These　articles　were　brought　in　against　him；　with　a　design　either
to　humble　Marcius；　and　show　his　submission；　if；　contrary　to　his
nature；　he　should　now　court　and　sue　the　people；　or；　if　he　should
follow　his　natural　disposition；　which　they　rather　expected　from
their　judgment　of　his　character；　then　that　he　might　thus　make　the
breach　final　between　himself　and　the　people。
　　He　came；　therefore；　as　it　were；　to　make　his　apology；　and　clear
himself；　in　which　belief　the　people　kept　silence；　and　gave　him　a　quiet
hearing。　But　when；　instead　of　the　submissive　and　deprecatory
language　expected　from　him；　he　began　to　use　not　only　an　offensive　kind
of　freedom；　seeming　rather　to　accuse　than　apologize；　but；　as　well　by
the　tone　of　his　voice　as　the　air　of　his　countenance；　displayed　a
security　that　was　not　far　from　disdain　and　contempt　of　them；　the　whole
multitude　then　became　angry；　and　gave　evident　signs　of　impatience
and　disgust；　and　Sicinnius；　the　most　violent　of　the　tribunes；　after
a　little　private　conference　with　his　colleagues；　proceeded　solemnly　to
pronounce　before　them　all；　that　Marcius　was　condemned　to　die　by　the
tribunes　of　the　people；　and　bid　the　Aediles　take　him　to　the　Tarpeian
rock；　and　without　delay　throw　him　headlong　from　the　precipice。　When
they；　however；　in　compliance　with　the　order；　came　to　seize　upon　his
body；　many；　even　of　the　plebeian　party；　felt　it　to　be　a　horrible　and
extravagant　act；　the　patricians；　mean