Men. Only, fair speech.

Com. I think, 'twill ferve, if he Can thereto frame his fpirit.

Vol. He muft and will:

Pr'ythee now, fay you will, and go about it.
Cor. Muft I go fhew them my unbarbed fconce?
Muft my bafe tongue give to my noble heart.
A lye, that it must bear? well, I will do't:
(29) Yet were there but this fingle plot to lose,
This mould of Marcius, they to duft should grind it,
And throw't against the wind. To th' market-place!
You've put me now to fuch a part, which never
fhall discharge to th' life.

Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you.

Vol. Ay, pr'ythee now, fweet fon; as thou haft faid, My praifes made thee firft a foldier, fo,

To have my praife for this, perform a part
Thou haft not done before.

Cor. Well, I must do't:

Away, my difpofition, and poffefs me

Some harlot's fpirit! my throat of war be turn'd,
Which quired with my drum, into a pipe
Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice
That babies lulls afleep! the fmiles of knaves
Tent in my checks, and fchool-boys tears take up
The glaffes of my fight! a beggar's tongue

Make motion through my lips, and my arm'd knees,
Which bow'd but in my ftirrup, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an alms!-I will not do't,
Left I farceafe to honour mine own truth,
And, by my body's action, teach my mind
A moft inherent bafeness.

Vol. At thy choice then:

(29) Yet were there but this fingle plot, to lofe

This mould of Marcius,] The pointing of all the impreffions fhews, the editors did not understand this paffage. What plot is this, they are dreaming of, to lofe the mould of Marcius ?---but plot and mould are but one and the fame thing; and mean no more than the flesh and "Were there no other con fays he, than the deftruction of my body, they

"<fequences

of

barcus's body.

fhould grind it to powder; c

T 4

Το

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 ftoutnefs: for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do, as thou lift:
Thy valiantnefs was mine, thou fuck'dft it from me:
But own thy pride thy felf.

Cor. Pray, be content:

Mother, I'm going to the market-place :

Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves,
Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov❜d
Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going:
Commend me to my wife. I'll return conful,

Or never truft to what my tongue can do
I' th' way of flattery further.

Vol. Do your will.

[Exit Volumnia.

Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm Yourself to anfwer mildly: for they're prepar'd With accufations, as I hear, more strong

Than are upon you yet.

Cor. The word is, mildly.-Pray you, let us go. Let them accufe me by invention; I

Will anfwer in mine honour.

Men. Ay, but mildly.

Cor. Well, mildly be it then, mildly.

[Exeuns.

SCENE changes to the Forum.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus..

Bru. TN this point charge him home, that he affects Tyrannic power; if he evade us there,

IN

Inforce him with his envy to the people,

And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er distributed. What, will he come ?

Enter an Edile.

Ed. He's coming.

Bru. How accompanied ?

Ed. With old Menenius, and thofe fenators

That always favour'd him.

Sic. Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by th' poll?

Ed. I have; 'tis ready, here..

Sic. Have you collected them by tribes?
Ed. I have.

Sic. Affemble prefently the people hither,
And, when they hear me fay, It thall be fo,

I' th' right and ftrength o' th' commons; (be it either
For death, for fine, or banishment,) then let them,
If I fay fine, cry fine; if death, cry death;
Infifting on the old prerogative

And power i' th' truth o' th' cause.

Ed. I will inform them.

Bru. And when fuch time they have begun to cry, Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd Inforce the present execution

Of what we chance to fentence.

Ed. Very well.

Sic. Make them be ftrong, and ready for this hint, When we shall hap to give't them.

Bru. Go about it.

[Exit Edile.

Put him to choler ftreight; he hath been us'd
Ever to conquer, and to have his word

Of contradiction. Being once chaft, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temp'rance; then he speaks
What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck.

Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, and Cominius, with others.
Sic. Well, here he comes.

Men. Calmly, I do befeech you.

Cor. Ay, as an hoftler, that for the pooreft piece Will bear the knave by th' volume:-The honour'd gods Keep Rome in fafety, and the chairs of juftice Supply with worthy men, (30) plant love amongst you, Throng

(30)

-plant love among you

Through our large temples with the fhews of peace, And not our freets with war.] Though this be the reading of all the copies, it is flat nonfenfe. There is no verb either expreft,

Throng our large temples with the fhews of peace,
And not our freets with war!

1 Sen. Amen, amen. Men. A noble with.

Enter the Edile with the Plebeians.

Sic. Draw near, ye people.

Ed. Lift to your tribunes: audience;

Peace, I fay.

Cor. First, hear me fpeak.

Both Tri. Well, fay: peace, ho.

Cor. Shall I be charg'd no farther than this prefent? Muft all dete mine here?

If

Sic. I do demand,

you fubmit you to the people's voices, Allow their officers, and are content

To fuffer lawful cenfure for fuch faults
As fhall be prov'd upon you?

Cor. I am content.

Men. Lo, citizens, he fays, he is content:
The warlike fervice he has done, confider;
Think on the wounds his body bears, which fhew
Like graves i' th' holy church-yard.

Cor. Scratches with briars, fcars to move laughter only.
Men Confider further :

That when he speaks not like a citizen,

You find him like a foldier; (31) do not take
His

is rougher accents for malicious founds:

o underfood, that can govern the latter part of the fentence. I have no doubt of my emendation reftoring the text rightly, becaufe Mr Warburton ftarted the fame conjecture, unknowing that I had meddled with the paflage."

(31)

- do not take

His rougher actions for malicious founds:] I have no manner of apprehenfion how a man's actions can be mistaken for words. It would be very abfurd, as well as extraordinary, were I to do a faucy thing in company, for the perfon offended to tell me, Sir, you give me very impudent language. This would be, certainly, taking actions for founds: We may remember, a roughness of accent was one of Coriolanus's diftinguishing characteristicks. I corrected this paffage in the appendix to my SHAKESPEARE reflor'd, and Mr. Pope has embraced it in his last edition.

But,

But, as I fay, fuch as become a foldier.

Rather than envy, you

Com. Well, well, no more.

Cor. What is the matter,

That being paft for conful with full voice,.
I'm fo dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sic. Anfwer to us.

Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought fo.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all feafon'd office, and to wind

Yourself unto a power tyrannical;

For which you are a traitor to the people.
Cor. How? traitor?

Men. Nay, temperately: your promife.

Cor. The fires i' th' loweft hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor! thou injurious tribune! Within thine eyes fate twenty thousand deaths, In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in Thy lying tongue both numbers; I would fay, Thou lieft, unto thee, with a voice as free, As I do pray the gods.

Sic. Mark you this, people?

All. To th' rock with him.
Sic. Peace:

We need not put new matter to his charge:
What you have feen him do, and heard him speak,
Beating your officers, curfing yourselves,
Oppofing laws with ftrokes, and here defying
Those whofe great power muft try him, even this
So criminal, and in fuch capital kind,

Deferves th' extreameft death.

Bru. But fince he hath

Serv'd well for Rome

Cor. What do you prate of service?
Bru. I talk of that, that know it.

Men. Is this the promise, that you made your mother?

Com. Know, I pray you

Cor. I'll know no farther:

Let