coriolanus-第9章

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withstanding　the　people　in　whatever　they　should　desire；　or　because
they　were　unwilling；　perhaps；　that　he　should　owe　his　restoration　to
their　kindness；　or　having　now　conceived　a　displeasure　against
Marcius　himself；　who　was　bringing　distress　upon　all　alike；　though　he
had　not　been　ill…treated　by　all；　and　was　become　a　declared　enemy　to
his　whole　country；　though　he　knew　well　enough　that　the　principal　and
all　the　better　men　condoled　with　him　and　suffered　in　his　injuries。
　　This　resolution　of　theirs　being　made　public；　the　people　could
proceed　no　further；　having　no　authority　to　pass　anything　by
suffrage；　and　enact　it　for　a　law；　without　a　previous　decree　from　the
senate。　When　Marcius　heard　of　this；　he　was　more　exasperated　than　ever；
and；　quitting　the　siege　of　Lavinium；　marched　furiously　towards　Rome；
and　encamped　at　a　place　called　the　Cluilian　ditches；　about　five
miles　from　the　city。　The　nearness　of　his　approach　did；　indeed；
create　much　terror　and　disturbance；　yet　it　also　ended　their
dissensions　for　the　present；　as　nobody　now；　whether　consul　or　senator；
durst　any　longer　contradict　the　people　in　their　design　of　recalling
Marcius；　but；　seeing　their　women　running　affrighted　up　and　down　the
streets；　and　the　old　men　at　prayer　in　every　temple　with　tears　and
supplications；　and　that；　in　short；　there　was　a　general　absence　among
them　both　of　courage　and　wisdom　to　provide　for　their　own　safety；
they　came　at　last　to　be　all　of　one　mind；　that　the　people　had　been　in
the　right　to　propose　as　they　did　a　reconciliation　with　Marcius；　and
that　the　senate　was　guilty　of　a　fatal　error　to　begin　a　quarrel　with
him　when　it　was　a　time　to　forget　offences；　and　they　should　have
studied　rather　to　appease　him。　It　was；　therefore；　unanimously　agreed
by　all　parties；　that　ambassadors　should　be　despatched；　offering　him
return　to　his　country；　and　desiring　he　would　free　them　from　the
terrors　and　distresses　of　the　war。　The　persons　sent　by　the　senate　with
this　message　were　chosen　out　of　his　kindred　and　acquaintance；　who
naturally　expected　a　very　kind　reception　at　their　first　interview；
upon　the　score　of　that　relation　and　their　old　familiarity　and
friendship　with　him；　in　which；　however；　they　were　much　mistaken。　Being
led　through　the　enemy's　camp；　they　found　him　sitting　in　state　amidst
the　chief　men　of　the　Volscians；　looking　insupportably　proud　and
arrogant。　He　bade　them　declare　the　cause　of　their　coming；　which　they
did　in　the　most　gentle　and　tender　terms；　and　with　a　behaviour　suitable
to　their　language。　When　they　had　made　an　end　of　speaking；　he
returned　them　a　sharp　answer；　full　of　bitterness　and　angry　resentment；
as　to　what　concerned　himself　and　the　ill…usage　he　had　received　from
them；　but　as　general　of　the　Volscians；　he　demanded　restitution　of
the　cities　and　the　lands　which　had　been　seized　upon　during　the　late
war；　and　that　the　same　rights　and　franchises　should　be　granted　them　at
Rome；　which　had　been　before　accorded　to　the　Latins；　since　there
could　be　no　assurance　that　a　peace　would　be　firm　and　lasting　without
fair　and　just　conditions　on　both　sides。　He　allowed　them　thirty　days　to
consider　and　resolve。
　　The　ambassadors　being　departed；　he　withdrew　his　forces　out　of　the
Roman　territory。　This；　those　of　the　Volscians　who　had　long　envied
his　reputation；　and　could　not　endure　to　see　the　influence　he　had
with　the　people；　laid　hold　of；　as　the　first　matter　of　complaint
against　him。　Among　them　was　also　Tullus　himself；　not　for　any　wrong
done　him　personally　by　Marcius；　but　through　the　weakness　incident　to
human　nature；　He　could　not　help　feeling　mortified　to　find　his　own
glory　thus　totally　obscured；　and　himself　overlooked　and　neglected
now　by　the　Volscians；　who　had　so　great　an　opinion　of　their　new　leader；
that　he　alone　was　all　to　them；　while　other　captains；　they　thought；
should　be　content　with　that　share　of　power　which　he　might　think　fit　to
accord。　From　hence　the　first　seeds　of　complaint　and　accusation　were
scattered　about　in　secret；　and　the　malcontents　met　and　heightened　each
other's　indignation；　saying；　that　to　retreat　as　he　did　was　in　effect
to　betray　and　deliver　up　though　not　their　cities　and　their　arms；　yet
what　was　as　bad；　the　critical　times　and　opportunities　for　action；　on
which　depend　the　preservation　or　the　loss　of　everything　else；　since　in
less　than　thirty　days'　space；　for　which　he　had　given　a　respite　for　the
war；　there　might　happen　the　greatest　changes　in　the　world。　Yet　Marcius
spent　not　any　part　of　the　time　idly；　but　attacked　the　confederates
of　the　enemy；　ravaged　their　land；　and　took　from　them　seven　great　and
populous　cities　in　that　interval。　The　Romans；　in　the　meanwhile；
durst　not　venture　out　to　their　relief；　but　were　utterly　fearful；　and
showed　no　more　disposition　or　capacity　for　action　than　if　their　bodies
had　been　struck　with　a　palsy；　and　became　destitute　of　sense　and
motion。　But　when　the　thirty　days　were　expired；　and　Marcius　appeared
again　with　his　whole　army；　they　sent　another　embassy；　to　beseech　him
that　he　would　moderate　his　displeasure　and　would　withdraw　the　Volscian
army；　and　then　make　any　proposals　he　thought　best　for　both　parties；
the　Romans　would　make　no　concessions　to　menaces；　but　if　it　were　his
opinion　that　the　Volscians　ought　to　have　any　favour　shown　them；　upon
laying　down　their　arms　they　might　obtain　all　they　could　in　reason
desire。
　　The　reply　of　Marcius　was；　that　he　should　make　no　answer　to　this　as
general　of　the　Volscians；　but；　in　the　quality　still　of　a　Roman
citizen；　he　would　advise　and　exhort　them；　as　the　case　stood；　not　to
carry　it　so　high；　but　think　rather　of　just　compliance；　and　return　to
him；　before　three　days　were　at　an　end；　with　a　ratification　of　his
previous　demands；　otherwise；　they　must　understand　that　they　could
not　have　any　further　freedom　of　passing　through　his　camp　upon　idle
errands。
　　When　the　ambassadors　were　come　back；　and　had　acquainted　the　senate
with　the　answer；　seeing　the　whole　state　now　threatened　as　it　were　by　a
tempest；　and　the　waves　ready　to　overwhelm　them；　they　were　forced；　as
we　say　in　extreme　perils；　to　let　down　the　sacred　anchor。　A　decree
was　made；　that　the　whole　order　of　their　priests；　those　who　initiated
in　the　mysteries　or　had　the　custody　of　them；　and　those　who；
according　to　the　ancient　practice　of　the　country；　divined　from
birds；　should　all　and　every　one　of　them　go　in　full　procession　to
Marcius　with　their　pontifical　array；　and　the　dress　and　habit　which
they　respectively　used　in　their　several　functions；　and　should　urge
him；　as　before；　to　withdraw　his　forces；　and　then　treat　with　his
countrymen　in　favour　of　the　Volscians。　He　consented　so　far；　indeed；　as
to　give　the　deputation　an　admittance　into　his　camp；　but　granted
nothing　at　all；　nor　so　much　as　expressed　himself　more　mildly；　but
without　capitulating　or　receding；　bade　them　once　for　all　choose
whether　they　would　yield　or　fight；　since　the　old　terms　were　the　only
terms　of　peace。　When　this　solemn　application　proved　ineffectual；　the
priests；　too；　returning　unsuccessful；　they　determined　to　sit　still
within　the　city　and　keep　watch　about　their　walls；　intending　only　to
repulse　the　enemy；　should　he　offer　to　attack　them；　and　placing　their
hopes　chiefly　in　time　and　in　extraordinary　accidents　of　fortune；　as　to
themselves；　they　felt　incapable　of　doing　anything　for　their　own
deliverance；　mere　confusion　and　terror　and　ill…boding　reports
possessed　the　whole　city；　till　at　last　a　thing　happened　not　unlike
what　we　so　often　find　represented；　without；　however；　being　accepted　as
true　by　people　in　general；　in　Homer。　On　some　great　and　unusual
occasion　we　find　him　say…

　　　　　　　　〃But　him　the　blue…eyed　goddess　did　inspire；

and　elsewhere…

　　　　　　　　〃But　some　immortal　turned　my　mind　away；
　　　　　　　　　To　think　what　others　of　the　deed　would　say；〃

and　again…

　　　　　　　　〃Were't　his　own　thought　or　were't　a　god's　command？〃

People　are　apt；　in　such　passages；　to　censure　and　disregard　the　poet　as
if；　by　the　introduction　of　mere　impossibilities　and　idle　fictions；
he　were　denying　the　action　of　a　man's　own　deliberate　thought　and
free　choice；　which　is　not；　in　the　least；　the　case　in　Homer's
representation；　where　the　ordinary；　probable；　and　habitual　conclusions
that　common　reason　leads　to　are　continually