O good, but most unwise patricians, why, You grave, but reckless; senators, have you thus Given Hydra here to choose an officer, To say, he'll turn your current in a ditch, Then veil your ignorance: if none, awake taste If they be senators: and they are no less, It makes the consuls base: and my soul akes, Com. Well-on to the market-place. Cor. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o'the storehouse gratis, as 'twas us'd Sometime in Greece, Men. Well, well, no more of that. I say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed Bru. Why, shall the people give Cor. I'll give my reasons, More worthier than their voices. They know, the corn Men. Come, enough. Bru. Enough, with over-measure. Cor. No, take more: [man, What may be sworn by, both divine and hu Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no Nothing is done to purpose: Therefore, beseech you, You that will be less fearful than discreet; A noble life before a long, and wish out On whom depending, their obedience fails Then were they chosen; in a better hour, Bru. Manifest treason. Bru. The Ediles, ho!-Let him be apprehended. Sic. Go, call the people; [Exit BRutus.] in whose name, myself Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator, Cor. Hence, old goat! Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments. Sic. Help, ye citizens. Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ediles, and a Rabble of CITIZENS. Men. On both sides more respect. + Careless. * Number. Small fish. Sic. Here's he, that would Take from you all your power. Bru. Seize him, Ædiles. Cit. Down with him, down with him! [Several speak. 2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about CORIOLANUS. Tribunes, patricians, citizens!-what ho! Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens! Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace! Men. What is about to be?-I am out of breath; [bunes Confusion's near: I cannot speak :-You, triTo the people,-Coriolanus, patience :Speak, good Sicinius. Sic. Hear me, people;-Peace. Cit. Let's hear our tribune:-Peace. Speak, speak, speak. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: This is the way to kindle, not to quench. The people are the city. Bru. By the consent of all, we were estabThe people's magistrates. Cit. You so remain. Men. And so are like to do. [lish'd Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat; To bring the roof to the foundation; And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges, In heaps and piles of ruins. Sic. This deserves death. Bru. Or let us stand to our authority, Or let us lose it:-We do here pronounce, Upon the part o'the people, in whose power We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy Of present death. Sic. Therefore, lay hold of him; [thence Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from Into destruction cast him. Bru. Ediles, seize him. Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield. 'Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word. Adi. Peace, peace. Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, And temperately proceed to what you would Thus violently redress. Bru. Sir, those cold ways, [ous That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonWhere the disease is violent:-Lay hands upon And bear him to the rock. Though in Rome litter'd,) not Romans, (as they are not, Though calv'd i'the porch o'the Capitol,)— Put not your worthy rage into your tongue; Cor. On fair ground, I could beat forty of them. Take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tribunes. Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic ; And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands Against a falling fabric.-Will you hence, Before the tag* return? whose rage doth rend Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear What they are used to bear. Men. Pray you, be gone: I'll try whether my old wit be in request Com. Nay, come away. [Exeunt CoR. COM. and others. 1 Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune. Men. His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for his power to thunder. His heart's his mouth: [vent; What his breast forges, that his tongue must And, being angry, does forget that ever He heard the name of death. [A noise within. Here's goodly work! 2 Pat. I would they were a-bed! Men. I would they were in Tyber!-What, the vengeance, Could he not speak them fair? Re-enter BRUTUS and SICINIUS, with the Rubble. Sic. Where's this viper, That would depopulate the city, and Men. You worthy tribunes, Sic. He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law, And therefore law shall scorn him further trial Than the severity of the public power, Which he so sets at nought. 1 Cit. He shall well know, Cor. No; I'll die here. [Drawing his Sword. The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, There's some among you have beheld me fight-And we their hands. [me. Cit. He shall sure on't.t ing; [him, Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen Men. Down with that sword;-Tribunes, withdraw a while. Bru. Lay hands upon him. You that be noble; help him, young, and old! [In this Mutiny, the TRIBUNES, the EDILES, and the People are all beat in. Men. Go, get you to your house; be gone, All will be naught else. 2 Sen. Get you gone. Cor. Stand fast; We have as many friends as enemies. Men. Shall it be put to that? [away, Men. If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which shall turn you to no further harm, Than so much loss of time. Sic. Speak briefly then; For we are peremptory, to despatch Men. Now the good gods forbid, That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away. Killing our enemies? The blood he hath lost, (Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath, [try: By many an ounce,) he dropp'd it for his counAnd, what is left, to lose it by his country, Were to us all, that do't, and suffer it, A brand to the end o'the world. Sic. This is clean kam.t Bru. Merely; awry: when he did love his It honour'd him. [country, Men. The service of the foot Being once gangren'd, is not then respected For what before it was? Bru. We'll hear no more: Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Spread further. Men. One word more, one word. This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too Cor. Let them hang. Vol. Ay, and burn too. Enter MENENIUS, and SENATORS. [pos'd Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, something too rough; You must return, and mend it. 1 Sen. There's no remedy; Unless, by not so doing, our good city I Vol. Pray be counsel'd: have a heart as little apt as yours, But yet a brain, that leads my use of anger, To better vantage. Before he should thus stoop to the herd, but Men. Well said, noble woman: [that The violent fit o'the time craves it as physic For the whole state, I would put mine armour Which I can scarcely bear. Cor. What must I do? Men. Return to the tribunes. What then? what then? uo] Men. Repent what you have spoke. Must I then do't to them? Vol. You are too absolute; Though therein you can never be too noble, In peace, what each of them by th'other lose, Men. A good demand. Vol. If it be honour, in your wars, to seem The same you are not, (which, for your best ends, You adopt your policy,) how is it less, or worse, Cor. Why force you this? Vol. Because that now it lies you on to speak To the people; not by our own instruction, Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you to, But with such words that are but roted in Your tongue, though but bastards, and syllables Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth. I would dissemble with my nature, where, [guard With my base tongue, give to my noble heart A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do't: Yet were there but this single plot to lose, This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it, [place: And throw it against the wind.-To the market- My praises made thee first a soldier, so, Cor. Well, I must do't: Away, my disposition, and possess me Which quired with my drum, into a pipe For the inheritance of their loves, and safe-Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his Men. Noble lady! Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve So, Not what is dangerous present, but the loss Of what is past. Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son, Vol. At thy choice then: To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour, Than thou of them. Come all to ruin; let Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list. Thy knee bussing the stones, (for in such busi-Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand; And thus far having stretch'd it, (here be with them,) ness [rant Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignoMore learned than the ears,) waving thy head, Which often, thus, correcting thy stout heart, That humble, as the ripest mulberry, [them, Now will not hold the handling: Or, say to Thou art their soldier, and being bred in broils, Hast not the soft way, which, thou dost confess, Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim, Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far Men. This but done, Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were Com, I have been i'the market-place: and, Sir, tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness, or by absence; all's in anger. Men. Only fair speech. Com. I think, 'twill serve, if he Can thereto frame his spirit. Vol. He must, and will: But owe thy pride thyself. [me; Cor. Pray, be content; Mother, I am going to the market-place; Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves, [belov'd Cog their hearts from them, and come home Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going: Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul; Or never trust to what my tongue can do I'the way of flattery, further. Vol. Do your will. [Exit. Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd Cor. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us Men. Ay, but mildly. Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. [go; [Exeunt. SCENE 111.-The same.-The Forum. Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS. Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affects Tyrannical power: If he envade us there, Enter an EDILE. Pr'ythee, now, say, you will, and go about it. What, will he come? * Urge. + Subduc. + Common clowns. * Unshaven bead. + Dwell. Object his hatred. 1 Own. Ed. He's coming. Bru. How accompanied? Men. Consider further, That when he speaks not like a citizen, Ed. With old Menenius, and those senators You find him like a soldier: Do not take That always favour'd him." Sic. Have you a catalogue Of all the voices that we have procur'd Ed. I have; 'tis ready, here. Sic. Have you collected them by tribes? Ed. I have. either Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: And when they hear me say, It shall be so I'the right and strength o'the commons, be it [them, For death, for fine, or banishment, then let If I say, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death; Insisting on the old prerogative And power i'the truth o'the cause. Ed. I shall inform them. Bru. And when such time they have begun to cry, Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd Of what we chance to sentence. Ed. Very well. His rougher accents for malicious sounds, But, as I say, such as become a soldier, Rather than envy you. Com. Well, well, no more. Cor. What is the matter, That being pass'd for consul with full voice, I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour You take it off again? Sic. Answer to us. Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so. Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all season'd+ office, and to wind For which, you are a traitor to the people. Men. Nay; temperately: Your promise. Cor. The fires i'the lowest hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor.-Thou injurious tribune! Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, In thy hands clutch'd; as many millions, in Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say, this hint, When we shall hap to give't them. Bru. Go about it.[Exit EDILE. Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd Ever to conquer, and to have his worth Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Sic. Well, here he comes. Cor. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume.—The honour'd gods Thou liest, unto thee, with voice as free Sic. Mark you this, people? Cit. To the rock with him; to the rock with him! Sic. Peace. We need not put new matter to his charge: What you have seen him do, and heard bin speak, Beating your officers, cursing yourselves, Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying Those whose great power must try him; even So criminal, and in such capital kind, [this, Deserves the extremest death. Bru. But since he hath Serv'd well for Rome, Cor. What do you prate of service? Men. Is this Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice The promise that you made your mother? Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us! [peace, Throng our large temples with the shows of And not our streets with war! Cor. First, hear me speak. Both Tri. Well, say.-Peace, ho. Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this Given hostile strokes, and that not in the |