Your most sweet voices:-now you have left your

voices,

I have no further with you:-Was pot this

mockery?

Sic. Why, either, you were ignorant to see't? Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness

To yield your voices?

Bru.
Could you not have told him,
As you were lesson'd,-When he had no power,
But was a petty servant to the state,

He was your enemy; ever spake against
Your liberties, and the charters that you bear
I' the body of the weal: and now, arriving
A place of potency, and sway o'the state,
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii*, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves? You should have said,
That, as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he stood for; so his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Translate his malice towards you into love,
Standing your friendly lord.

Sic.

Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit,
And try'd his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had call'd you up, have held him to;
Or else it would have gall'd his surely nature,
Which easily endures not article

Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage,
You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler,
And pass'd him unelected.

Bru.

Did you perceive,

He did solicit you in free contempt,

When he did need your loves; and do you think,

That his contempt shall not be bruising to you,
When he hath power to crush? Why, had

Plebeians, common people.

your bodies

No heart among you? Or had you tongues, to cry Against the rectorship of judgement?

Sic.

Have you,

Ere now, deny'd the asker? and now again,
On him, that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your su'd-for tongues?

3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet. 2 Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

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

Bru. Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends,

They have chose a consul, that will from them take
Their liberties; make them of no more voice

Than dogs, that are as often beat for barking,
As therefore kept to do so.

Sic.
Let them assemble;
And, on a safer judgement, all revoke
Your ignorant election: Enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed;
How in his suit he scorn'd you: but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehension of his present portance+,
Which gibingly, ungravely he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.

Bru. Lay A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd (No impediment between) but that you must Cast your election on him.

Sic.

Say, you chose him

More after our commandment, than as guided

By your own true affections: and that, your minds Pre-occupy'd with what you rather must do

Than what you should, made you against the grain To voice him consul: Lay the fault on us.

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

you,

How youngly he began to serve his country,

How long continued: and what stock he springs of,
The noble house o'the Marcians; from whence came
That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son,
Who, after great Hostilius, here was king:
Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither;
And Censorinus, darling of the people,

And nobly nam'd so, being censor twice,
Was his great ancestor.

Sic.

One thus descended,

That hath beside well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances: but you have found,
Scaling his present bearing with his past,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.

Bru.

Say, you ne'er had done't,

(Harp on that still), but by our putting on t:

And presently, when you have drawn your number,

Cit.

Repair to the Capitol.

We will so almost all

[Severul speak.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Let them go on;

Repent in their election.

Bru.

This mutiny were better put in hazard,
Than stay, past doubt, for greater:
If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

With their refusal, both observe and answer
The vantage of his anger.

To the Capitol:

Sic. Come; we'll be there before the stream o' the people; And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own, Which we have goaded § onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. The same. A street.

Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, Titus Lartius, Senators, and Patricians.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head? Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which caus'd

Our swifter composition.

Cor. So then the Volces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road

Lart. On safe-guard he came to me; and did

curse

Against the Volces, for they had so vilely

Yielded the town: he is retir'd to Antium.
Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart.

Cor.

He did, my lord.

How? what?

Lart. How often he had met you, sword to

sword:

That, of all things upon the earth, he hated

Your person most: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor.

Lart. At Antium.

At Antium lives he?

With a guard.

Cor. I wish, I had a cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully.-Welcome home.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

[To Lartius

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues of the common mouth. I do despise

them;

For they do prank them in authority,

Against all noble sufferance.

Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles, and the

commons?

Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor.

Have I had children's voices?

1 Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the mar

Are these your herd?

Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And straight disclaim their tongues?-What are your offices?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their

teeth?

Have you not set them on ?

Men.

Be calm, be calm.

Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot,

To curb the will of the nobility:

Suffer it, and live with such as cannot rule,

Nor ever will be ruf'd,

Bru.

Call't not a plot:

• Plume, deck.