But was a petty fervant to the state
He was your enemy; ftill fpake against
Your liberties, and charters that you bear
I' th' body of the weal: and now arriving
At place of potency, and fway o' th' ftate,
If he should ftill malignantly remain ·
Faft foe to the Plebeians, your voices might
Be curfes to yourselves. You fhould have faid,
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he flood for; fo his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Tranflate his malice tow'rds 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 promife, which you might,
As caufe had call'd you up, have held him to ;.
Or else it would have gall'd his furly nature;
Which eafily endures not article,

Tying him to aught; fo putting him to rage,
You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler,
And pais'd him unelected.

Bru. Did you perceive,

He did folicit you in free contempt,

When he did need your loves? and do you think, That his contempt fhall not be bruifing to you, When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies No heart among you? or had you tongues, to cry Against the rectorfhip of judgment?

Sic. Have you

Ere now deny'd the afker? and now again
On him that did not afk, but mock, bestow
Your fu'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 found.

1 C. I, twice five hundred, and their friends to piece

'em.

Bru. Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends, They've chofe a Conful that will from them take Their liberties; make them of no more voice

Than

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

Sic. Let them affemble;

And on a fafer judgment all revoke

Your ignorant election: inforce his pride,
And his old hate to you: befides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed;
How in his fuit he fcorn'd you: but your loves,
Thinking upon his fervices, took from you
The apprehenfion of his prefent portance;
Which gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After th' inveterate hate he bears to you.

Bru. Nay, lay a fault on us, your Tribunes, that
We labour'd, no impediment between,

But that your muft.caft your election on him.

Sic. Say you chofe him more after our commandment, Than guided by your own affections;

And that your minds, preoccupied with what
You rather must do, than what you should do,
Made you against the grain to voice him Conful.
Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, fpare us not: fay we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to ferve his country,

How long continued; and what stock he springs of,
The noble houfe of Marcius; from whence came
That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's fon;
Who, after great Hoftilius, here was King:
Of the fame house Publius and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither.
And Cenforinus, darling of the people,
(And nobly nam'd fo for twice being Cenfor),
Was his great ancestor f.

Sic. One thus defcended,

That hath befide well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend

Ff2

Το

+ Plutarch, in his account of the Marcian family, enumerates the feveral great men who had fprung from it; in which lift stand Publius Marcius, and Quintus Marcius, and Cenforinus; who, though they lived before Plutarch, came after Coriolanus. Shakefpear therefore, by copying Plutarch too clofely and haftily, hath fallen into this inadvertency, of making a cotemporary with Coriolanus mention the men who lived long after him.

To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his prefent bearing with his paft,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your fudden approbation.

Bru. Say, you ne'er had done't

(Harp on that ftill) but by our putting on;
And prefently, when you have drawn your number,
Repair to the Capitol.

All. We will fo; almost all repent in their election.

Bru. Let them go on:

This mutiny were better put in hazard,

Than ftay paft doubt for greater:

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

[Exeunt Plebeians.

With their refusal, both observe and answer

The vantage of his anger.

Sic. To th' Capitol, come;

We will be there before the ftream o' th' people:

And this fhall feem, as partly 'tis, their own,

Which we have goaded onward.

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

A public freet in Rome.

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

Cor.

Tu

ULLUS Aufidius then had made new head. Lart. He had, iny Lord; and that it was which caus'd Our swifter compofition.

Cor. So then the Volfcians ftand but as at first, Ready, when time fhall prompt them, to make 'road Upon's again.

Com. They're worn, Lord Conful, fo,

That we fhall hardly in our ages fee

Their banners wave again.

Cor. Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On fafeguard he came to me, and did curfe Against the Volfcians, for they had fo vilely Yielded the town. He is retir'd to Antium.

Lart. How often he had met you, fword to fword: That of all things upon the earth he hated

Your perfon moit: that he would pawn his fortunes
To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor. At Antium lives he?

Lart. At Antium.

Cor. I wish I had a caufe to feek him there; To oppofe his hatred fully.Welcome home.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

[To Lartius.

Behold! these are the Tribunes of the people,

The tongues o' th' common mouth: I do despise them; For they do prank them in authority

Against all noble sufferance.

Sic. Pafs no further.

Cor. Hah!- -what is that!

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on-no further.
Cor. What makes this change?

Men. The matter?

Com. Hath he not pass'd the Nobles and the commons?
Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor. Have I had childrens' voices?

Sen. Tribunes, give way; he fhall to th' market-place.
Bru. The people are incens'd against him.

Sic. Stop,

Or all will fall in broil.

Cor. Are thefe your herd!

Must these have voices, that can yield them now, [ces? And straight difclaim their tongues? What are your offiYou being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth? Have you not fet 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't, and live with fuch as cannot rule,

Nor ever will be rul'd.

Bru. Call't not a plot ;

The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;

Ff3

Scandal'd

Scandal'd the fuppliants for the people; call'd them
Time-pleafers, flatterers, foes to noblenefs.

Cor. Why, this was known before.
Bru. Not to them all.

Cor. Have you inform'd them fince!
Bru. How! I inform them!

Cor. You are like to do fuch bufiness.

Bru. Not unlike, each way, to better your's.

Cor. Why then should I be Conful? by yond clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

Your fellow-tribune.

Sic. You fhew too much of that,

For which the people ftir; if you will pass
To where you're bound, you muft inquire your way
Which you are out of, with a gentler fpirit;
Or never be fo noble as a Conful,

Nor yoke with him for Tribune.

Men. Let's be calm.

:this

Com. The people are abus'd,-fet on this paltring Becomes not Rome: nor has Coriolanus

Deferv'd this fo dishonour'd rub, laid falsely

I' th' plain way of his merit.

Cor. Tell me of corn!

This was my fpeech, and I will speak't again

Men. Not now, not now.

Sen. Not in this heat, Sir, now.

Cor. Now, as I live, I will

As for

my nobler friends, I crave their pardons : But for the mutable rank-fcented many,

Let them regard me, as I do not flatter,
And there behold themfelves. I fay again,

In foothing them, we nourish 'gainft our fenate

The cockle of rebellion, infolence, fedition,

Which we ourselves have plow'd for, fow'd, and fcatter'd, By mingling them with us, the honour'd number;

Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that

Which we have given to beggars.

Men. Well, no more

Sen. No more words, we beseech you

Cor. How!no more!.

As for my country I have shed my blood,

Not fearing outward force; fo fhall my lungs

Coin