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 words 'till their decay, againft thofe meafles,
Which we difdain fhould tetter us, yet feek
The very way to catch them.

Bru. You fpeak o'th' people, as you were a God
To punish, not a man of their infirmity.

Sic. 'Twere well, we let the people know't.

Min. What, what! his choler?

Cor. Choler! were I as patient as the midnight sleep, By Jove, 'twould be my mind.

Sic. It is a mind

That fhall remain a poifon where it is,

Not poifon any further.

Cor. Shall remain ?

Hear you this Triton of the minnows ? mark you

His abfolute fall?

Com. 'Twas from the canon.

Cor. Shall!

O good, but moft unwife Patricians, why,

You grave, but wreaklefs Senators, have you thus
Given Hydra here to chufe an officer,

That with his peremptory hall, being but
The horn and noife o'th' monfters, wants not fpirit
To fay, he'll turn your current in a ditch,
And make your channel his? If he have power,
Then vail your ignorance; If none, awake
Your dangerous lenity: if you are learned,
Be not as common fools; if you are not,
Let them have cushions by you. You're Plebeians,
If they be Senators; and they are no lefs,
When, both your voices blended, the great'ft tafte
Moft palates theirs. They chufe their magistrate!
And fuch a one as he, who puts his fall,
His popular fall, against a graver Bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece? By Jove himself,

It makes the Confuls bafe; and my foul akes
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither fupream, how foon Confufion
May enter 'twixt the gap of Both, and take
The one by th' other.

Com. Well On to th' market-place.

-

Cor. Who ever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o' th' ftore-houfe, gratis, as 'twas us'd Sometimes in Greece

Men. Well, well, no more of that.

Cor. Though there the People had more absolute Power:

I fay, they nourish'd disobedience, fed

The ruin of the State.

Bru. Why fhall the people give One, that speaks thus, their voice?

Cor. I'll give my reasons,

More worthy than their voice. They know, the corn
Was not our recompence; refting affur'd,

They ne'er did fervice for't; being preft to th' war,
Even when the navel of the State was touch'd,
They would not thread the gates: this kind of fervice
Did not deferve corn gratis: Being ith' war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they thew'd
Moft valour, fpoke not for them. Th' accufation,
Which they have often made against the Senate,
All caufe unborn, could never be the native
Of our fo frank donation. Well, what then?
How shall this Bofom-multiplied digeft
The Senate's courtefie? let deeds exprefs,
What's like to be their words -

"We did requeft it

"We are the greater poll, and in true fear They gave us our demands.'

86

Thus we debase

The nature of our Seats, and make the rabble

Call our cares, fears; which will in time break ope
The locks o' th' Senate, and bring in the crows

To peck the eagles.

Men. Come, enough.

Bru. Enough, with over measure.

Cor. No, take more.

What

What may be fworn by, both divine and human,
Seal what I end withal! -This double worship,
Where one part does difdain with cause, the other
Infult without all reason; where gentry, title, wisdom,
Cannot conclude but by the yea and no

Of gen'ral ignorance, it muft omit

Real neceffities, and give way the while
T'unftable flightnefs; purpose fo barr'd, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpofe. Therefore, befeech you,
(You that will be less fearful than discreet,
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 without;) at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The fweet which is their poison. 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 controulit.

Bru. H'as faid enough.

Sic. H'as fpoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do.

Car. Thou wretch! Defpight o'erwhelm thee! What should the people do with these bald Tribunes? On whom depending, their obedience fails

To th' greater bench.

In a Rebellion,

When what's not meet, but what must 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. Manifest treason

Sic. This a Conful? no.

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

[Ediles Enter.

Sic. Go, call the people, in whose name my self Attach thee as a traiterous innovator: A foe to th' publick weal. Obey, I charge thee, And follow to thine anfwer: [Laying hold on Coriolanus.

Cor.

Cor. Hence, old goat!
All. We'll furety him.*
Com. Ag'd Sir, hands off.

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

Sic. Help me, citizens.

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

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 butle about Coriolanus. Tribunes, Patricians, Citizens what ho! Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens !

All. Peace, peace, peace, stay, 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; speak, 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. Fie, fie, fie.

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?
All. True, the people are the city.

Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd
The people's magistrates.

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 lose it: we do here pronounce,
Upon the part o'th' people, in whofe 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,

hear me but a word

Ediles. Peace, peace.

Tribunes,

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 poifonous,
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 your felves, what you have feen me. Men. Down with that fword; Tribunes, withdraw a while.

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 Ædiles, and the people are beat in.

Men. Go, get you to your house; 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,