Nothing is done to purpofe. Therefore, befeech you,
(You that will be lefs fearful than difcreet,
That love the fundamental part of state

More than you doubt the change of't; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish

To vamp a body with a dangerous phyfick,
That's fure of death withour;) at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The fweet which is their poifon. Your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which fhould become it:
Not having power to do the good it would,
For th' ill which doth controul it.

Bru. H'as faid enough.

Sic. H'as fpoken like a traitor, and fhall anfwer As traitors do.

Cor. Thou wretch! Defpight o'erwhelm thee!What should the people do with thefe bald tribunes? On whom depending, their obedience fails To th' greater bench. In a rebellion,

When what's not meet, but what muft be, was law,
Then were they chofen; in a better hour,

Let what is meet, be faid, it must be meet,
And throw their power i' th' duft.

Bru Manifeft treafon

Sic. This a conful? no.

Bru. The Ediles, ho! let him be apprehended.

[Ædiles enter.

Sic. Go call the people, in whose name myself.
Attach thee as a traiterous innovator:
A foe to th' publick weal. Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

Cor. Hence, old goat!

All. We'll furety him.
Com. Ag'd Sir, hands off.

[Laying bold on Coriolanus.

Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones

Out of thy garments.

Sis. Help me, citizens.

Enter

Enter a Rabble of Plebeians, with the Ediles. Men. On both fides, more respect.

Sic. Here's he, that would take from you all your power, Bru. Seize him, Ediles.

All. Down with him, down with him!

2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[They all bustle about Coriolanus.

Tribunes, patricians, citizens-what hoe

Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!

All. Peace, peace, peace, ftay, hold, peace! Men. What is about to be?-I am out of breath; Confufion's near, I cannot speak.-You tribunes, Coriolanus, patience; fpeak, Sicinius.

Sic. Hear me, people-peace.

All. Let's hear our tribune; peace; fpeak, speak, fpeak. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you: Marcius, Whom late you nam'd for conful.

Men. Fy, fy, fy.

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
Sic. What is the city, but the people?

Ail. True, the people are the city.

Bru. By the confent of all, we were establish'd The people's magiftrates.

All. You fo remain.

Men. And fo are like to do.

Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat;
To bring the roof to the foundation,
And bury all, which yet diftinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

Sic. This deferves death.

Bru. Or let us ftand to our authority,
Or let us lofe it; we do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' th' people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of prefent death.

Sic. Therefore lay hold on him ;

Bear him to th' rock Tarpeian, and from thence

Into deftruction caft him.

Bru. Ediles, feize him.

All Ple. Yield, Marcius, yield.

Men. Hear me one word; 'befeech you, tribunes, hear me but a word

-

Ediles. Peace, peace.

Men. Be that you feem, truly your country's friends, And temp'rately proceed to what you would

Thus violently redrefs.

Bru. Sir, thofe cold ways, That feem like prudent helps, Where the difeafe is violent. And bear him to the rock.

are very poisonous, Lay hands on him, [Cor. draws his Sword.

Cor. No; I'll die here. There's fome among you have beheld me fighting, Come try upon yourselves, what you have feen me. Men. Down with that fword; tribunes, withdraw awhile. Bru. Lay hands upon him.

Men. Help Marcius, help-you that be noble, help him young and old.

All. Down with him. down with him.

[Exeunt. [In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ediles, and the people are beat in.

Men. Go, get you to your houfe; be gone, away, All will be naught elfe.

2 Sen. Get you gone.

Com. Stand faft, we have as many friends as enemies.
Men. Shall it be put to that?

Sen. The gods forbid!

I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house,
Leave us to cure this cause.

Men. For 'tis a fore,

You cannot tent your felf; begone, 'beseech you.
Com. Come, Sir, along with us.

Men. I would, they were Barbarians, (as they are Though in Rome litter'd;) not Romans: (as they are not, Though calved in the porch o' th' capitol:)

Begone, put not your worthy rage into your tongue, One time will owe another.

Cor. On fair ground I could beat forty of them.

Men. I could myself take up a brace o' th' best of them; yea, the two tribunes.

Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick;
And manhood is call'd fool'ry, when it stands
Against a falling fabrick. Will you hence,
Before the tag return, whofe rage doth rend
Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear
What they are us'd to bear.

Men. Pray you, be gone:

I'll try, if my old wit be in request

With thofe that have but little; this must be patcht
With cloth of any colour.

Com. Come, away. [Exeunt Coriolanus and Cominius. 1 Sen. 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's power to thunder: his heart's his mouth: What his breaft forges, that his tongue muft vent; And being angry, does forget that ever

He heard the name of death.

Here's goodly work.

2 Sen. I would they were a-bed.

[A noife within.

Men. I would, they were in Tyber.—What, the venCould he not speak 'em fair?

[geance,

Enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rabble again.

Sic. Where is this viper,

That would depopulate the city, and

Be every man himself?

Men. You worthy tribunes.

Sic. He fhall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock
With rigorous hands; he hath refifted law,
And therefore law fhall fcorn him further trial
Than the feverity of publick power,

Which he fo fets at nought.

1 Cit. He fhall well know, the noble tribunes are The people's mouths, and we their hands.

All. He hall, be fure on't.

Men. Sir, Sir,

Sis. Peace.

Men.

Men. Do not cry havock, where you should but hunt

With modeft warrant.

Sic. Sir, how comes it, you

Have holp to make this refcue?
Men. Hear me speak;

As I do know the conful's worthinefs,
I name his faults-

So can

Sic. Conful!-what conful!
Men. The conful Coriolanus.

Bru. He conful!.

All. No, no, no, no, no.

Men. If by the tribunes leave, and yours, good people,

I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two;

The which thall turn you to no further harm,
Than fo much lofs of time.

Sic. Speak briefly then,

For we are peremptory to dispatch

This viperous traitor; to eject him hence, (24)
Were but our danger; and to keep him here,
Our certain death; therefore it is decreed,
He dies to-night.

Men. Now the good gods forbid,

That our renowned Rome, whofe gratitude
Tow'rds her deferving children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam
Should now eat up her own!

Sic. He's a difeafe that must be cut away.
Men. Oh, he's a limb, that has but a difeafe ;
Mortal, to cut it off; to cure it, easy.

What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death?
Killing our enemies, the blood he hath loft
(Which I dare vouch, is more than that he hath,
By many an ounce) he dropt it for his country:
And what is left, to lofe it by his country,

Were but one danger, and to keep him here

Our certain death;] This reading, which has obtain'd in the printed copies, deftroys that climax which evidently feems defign'd here, and flattens the fentiment. In my opinion, the tribune would fay, "To banish him, will be hazardous to us; to let him remain "at home, our certain deftruction.

VOL. VI.

T

Were