The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (795 page)

he was mocking us as he begged us for our votes.

He mocked us when he begg'd our voices.

THIRD CITIZEN.

Certainly.

Certainly;

He insulted us downright.

He flouted us downright.

FIRST CITIZEN.

No, that’s just how he speaks. He did not mock us.

No, 'tis his kind of speech,--he did not mock us.

SECOND CITIZEN.

Everyone one of us except you says

Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says

that he treated us with scorn. He should hve showed us

He us'd us scornfully: he should have show'd us

his scars, wounds honorably received for his country.

His marks of merit, wounds received for's country.

SICINIUS.

Why, I’m sure he did.

Why, so he did, I am sure.

CITIZENS.

No, no. Not one of us saw them.

No, no; no man saw 'em.

THIRD CITIZEN.

He said he had wounds, which he could show in private.

He said he had wounds, which he could show in private;

And, waving his hat in scorn, he said,

And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,

“I want to be consul. But the old tradtion

'I would be consul,' says he; 'aged custom

won’t let me without your votes.

But by your voices, will not so permit me;

So give me your votes.” When we gave them,

Your voices therefore:' when we granted that,

he said, “Thank you for your votes, thank you,

Here was, 'I thank you for your voices,--thank you,--

your sweet, lovely votes. Now that you have given your votes,

Your most sweet voices:--now you have left your voices

I have no more use for you.” Wasn’t that mockery?

I have no further with you:'--was not this mockery?

SICINIUS.

Were you too ignorant to notice that he was mocking you?

Why either were you ignorant to see't?

Or, having noticed his mockery, were you so childish and friendly

Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness  

that you gave him your votes anyway?

To yield your voices?

BRUTUS.

Couldn’t you have told him

Could you not have told him,

what we told you to say? When he had no power,

As you were lesson'd,--when he had no power,

but was a low-level government employee,

But was a petty servant to the state,

he was your enemy: he always spoke against

He was your enemy; ever spake against

your liberties and the rights that you have as

Your liberties, and the charters that you bear

members of the republic. And now, when he

I' the body of the weal: and now, arriving

is becoming powerful and influential,

A place of potency and sway o' the state,

if he will continue to be an

If he should still malignantly remain

enemy to the common people, a vote for him might

Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might

be a curse for yourself. You should have said,

Be curses to yourselves? You should have said,

that since his good actions are no more important

That as his worthy deeds did claim no less

than his nasty views in the past, he should

Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature

reward you for your votes and

Would think upon you for your voices, and

turn his former hatred towards you into love,

Translate his malice towards you into love,

and act as your friendly lord.

Standing your friendly lord.

SICINIUS.

If you had said that,

Thus to have said,

as you were told, you would have tested his spirit

As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit

and tested his opinions, and extracted from him

And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd

either a gracious promise (which you might have been able

Either his gracious promise, which you might,  

to use get a favor from him when you needed it),

As cause had call'd you up, have held him to;

or else it would have upset his arrogant nature

Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature,

(which doesn’t tolerate any condition

Which easily endures not article

that ties him down), and putting him into a rage,

Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage,

you should have taken advantage of his anger

You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler

as a reason to leave him unelected.

And pass'd him unelected.

BRUTUS.

Did you notice how

Did you perceive

he solicited you with unrestrained contempt

He did solicit you in free contempt

when he needed something from you? And do you think

When he did need your loves; and do you think

that his contempt will not hurt you

That his contempt shall not be bruising to you

when he has the power to crush you? Did none of you

When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies

have any guts or sense? Or did you try to protest

No heart among you? Or had you tongues to cry

against the government?

Against the rectorship of judgment?

SICINIUS.

Have you

Have you

ever denied Coriolanus anything? And now again,

Ere now denied the asker, and now again,

even though he didn’t ask, but mocked you, you gave

Of him that did not ask but mock, bestow

him the votes he wanted?

Your su'd-for tongues?

THIRD CITIZEN.

He’s not confirmed. It’s not too late to stop him taking office.

He's not confirm'd: we may deny him yet.

SECOND CITIZEN.

And we will stop him!

And will deny him:

I’ll have five hundred people chanting that.

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.  

FIRST CITIZEN.

I’ll have a thousand more people, and their friends to join them.

I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

BRUTUS.

Go there instantly, and tell those friends of yours that

Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends

they have chosen a consul that will take from them

They have chose a consul that will from them take

their liberties, make them as politically marginalized

Their liberties, make them of no more voice

as dogs, which are more often beaten for barking

Than dogs, that are as often beat for barking

as they are kept to bark.

As therefore kept to do so.

SICINIUS.

Have them assemble,

Let them assemble;

and, with better judgement, revoke

And, on a safer judgment, all revoke

all your ignorant votes. Provoke his pride

Your ignorant election: enforce his pride

and his old hatred of you. Besides, don’t forget

And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not

how contemptuous he was when he wore those humble clothes,

With what contempt he wore the humble weed;

how he scorned you when he asked for your votes; but your affection,

How in his suit he scorn'd you: but your loves,

thinking of his service, kept you from

Thinking upon his services, took from you

perceiving his conduct at the moment,

Th' apprehension of his present portance,

which, sneeringly and without dignity, he based

Which, most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion

on the long-established hatred he bears towards you.

After the inveterate hate he bears you.

BRUTUS.

Blame

Lay

us, your representatives, because we tried,

A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd,--

without regard for any impediment in the way, to get you

No impediment between,--but that you must  

to vote for him.

Cast your election on him.

SICINIUS.

Say that you chose to vote for him

Say you chose him

because we told you to, not because

More after our commandment than as guided

you really liked him; and that your minds,

By your own true affections; and that your minds,

more preoccupied with what we said you must do

Pre-occupied with what you rather must do

than with what you should have done, made you vote for him

Than what you should, made you against the grain

against your better judgment. Blame us.

To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.

BRUTUS.

Yes, don’t let us off. Say that we lectured you

Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you,

about how young he was when he began to serve his country,

How youngly he began to serve his country,

and how long he continued to do so; and about his background,

How long continued: and what stock he springs of—

the famous old Martius family, which produced

The noble house o' the Marcians; from whence came

Ancus Marcius, Numa’s [second king of Rome] grandson,

That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son,

who, after Hostilius, was king of Rome;

Who, after great Hostilius, here was king;

Publius and Quintus [later Roman kings] were also member’s of Martius’ family,

Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,

and they built the aqueducts that bring fresh water to Rome;

That our best water brought by conduits hither;

and Censorious, a favorite of the people,

And Censorinus, darling of the people,

(called Censorious because he was censor [important official] twice),

And nobly nam'd so, twice being censor,

was also an ancestor of Martius’.

Was his great ancestor.

SICINIUS.

He is descended from such famous people,

One thus descended,

and has personally done enough good work

That hath beside well in his person wrought  

to earn himself high office, and we recommended

To be set high in place, we did commend

him to you. But you have found,

To your remembrances: but you have found,

weighing his current attitude against his past,

Scaling his present bearing with his past,

that he is your enemy, and that you should revoke

That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke

your hasty approval.

Your sudden approbation.

BRUTUS.

Say you never would have done it—

Say you ne'er had done't,--

emphasize that—if we hadn’t urged you.

Harp on that still,--but by our putting on:

And as soon as you have gathered a large crowd,

And presently when you have drawn your number,

go to the Capitol.

Repair to the Capitol.