William Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Coriolanus

ACT II. 1. SCENE I. Rome. A public place (continued)

BRUTUS.
Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter giber
for the table than a necessary bencher in the Capitol.

MENENIUS.
Our very priests must become mockers if they shall encounter such
ridiculous subjects as you are. When you speak best unto the
purpose, it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your
beards deserve not so honourable a grave as to stuff a botcher's
cushion or to be entombed in an ass's pack-saddle. Yet you must
be saying, Marcius is proud; who, in a cheap estimation, is worth
all your predecessors since Deucalion; though peradventure some
of the best of 'em were hereditary hangmen. God-den to your
worships: more of your conversation would infect my brain, being
the herdsmen of the beastly plebeians: I will be bold to take my
leave of you.

[BRUTUS and SICINIUS retire.]

[Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, VALERIA, &c.]

How now, my as fair as noble ladies,--and the moon, were she
earthly, no nobler,--whither do you follow your eyes so fast?

VOLUMNIA.
Honourable Menenius, my boy Marcius approaches; for the love of
Juno, let's go.

MENENIUS.
Ha! Marcius coming home!

VOLUMNIA.
Ay, worthy Menenius, and with most prosperous approbation.

MENENIUS.
Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee.--Hoo! Marcius coming
home!

VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA.
Nay, 'tis true.

VOLUMNIA.
Look, here's a letter from him: the state hath another,
his wife another; and I think there's one at home for you.

MENENIUS.
I will make my very house reel to-night.--A letter for me?

VIRGILIA.
Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; I saw it.

MENENIUS.
A letter for me! It gives me an estate of seven years'
health; in which time I will make a lip at the physician: the
most sovereign prescription in Galen is but empiricutic, and, to
this preservative, of no better report than a horse-drench. Is he
not wounded? he was wont to come home wounded.