My words dif-bench'd you not? Cor. No, fir: yet oft, 2 Off. He hath deferved worthily of his country: Than hear fay how I got them. And his afcent is not by fuch eafy degrees as thofe, Bru. Sir, I hope, who have been fupple and courteous to the people; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their eftimation and report: but he hath fo planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not confefs fo much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwife, were a malice, that, giving itfelf the lye, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every car When blows have made me stay, I fled from words, You footh'd not, therefore hurt not: But, you'r people, that heard it. Off. No more of him; he is a worthy man Make way, they are coming. A Sennet. Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and you, I love them as they weigh. [fun, Men. Pray now, fit down, Men. Maiters o' the people, He had rather venture all his limbs for honour, Com. I fhall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Hath thus food for his country: Therefore, pleafe The man I fpeak of cannot in the world Moft reverend and grave elders, to defire The prefent conful, and laft general In our well-found fucceffes, to report Be fingly counterpois'd. At fixteen years, | An o'er-preft Roman, and i' the conful's view Was brow-bound with the oak. Man enter'd thus, he waxed like a fea; I cannot fpeak him home: He ftopt the fliers; [ftamp) And fell below his ften: his fword (death's 1 Bonneter, Fr. is, to pull off one's cap. 2 i. e. that is nothing to the purpose. 3 i. c. raifed a power to recover Rome. 4 i. e. his chin on which there was no beard. 5 The parts of women were, in Shakspeare's time, represented by the moil finooth-faced young men to be found among the players. i. c. the gate was made the feene of death, To 2 Cit. We may, fir, if we will. Cit. We have power in ourfelves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if be fhew us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into thofe wounds, and speak for them; fo, if he tell us his noble deeds, we muft lefsjalfo tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingra Men. The fenate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee conful. Cor. I do owe them ftill My life, and fervices. Men. It then remains, That you do speak to the people. Let me o'er-leap that culom: for I cannot Put on the gown, ftand naked, and entreat them, you, That I may pafs this doing. Sic. Sir, the people Must have their voices; neither will they bate One jot of ceremony. Men. Put them not to 't: Pray you, go fit you to the cuftom; and Take to you, as your predeceffors have, Cor. It is a part That I fhail biush in acting, and might well Bru. Mark you that? Cor. To brag unto them,--Thus I did, and thus; Men. Do not stand upon 't. We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! Bra. Come, we il inform them Of our proceedings here: on the market place, SCENE The Forum. [Exeunt. III. Frter leven or eight Citizens. titude is monftrous: and for the multitude to be in- 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a 3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many; not that our heads are fome brown, fome black, fome auburn, fome bald, but that our wits are fo diverfiy colour'd: and truly, I think, if all our wits were to iuc out of one fcull, they would fly east, welt, north, fouth; and their confent of one direct way thould be at once to all the points o' the compafs. 2 Cit. Think you fo? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fy? 3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will, 'tis ftrongly wedg'd up in a block-head: but if it were at liberty, 'twould, fure, fouthward. 2 Cit. Why that way? 3 Cit. To lofe itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a wife. 2 Git. You are never without your tricks :You may, you may. 3 Cit. Are you all refolv'd to give your voices Enter Coriolanus, and Menenius. Men. O me, the gods 1 Git. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought You must not speak of that; you must defire them net to deny him. To think upon you. And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a Why in this woolvith 2 gown fhould I stand here, brace. You know the cause, firs, of my standing here. Cor. Mine own defert. 2 Cit. Your own defert ? Cor. Ay, not mine own defire. 1 Cit. How not your own defire? Cor. No, fir; 'Twas never my defire yet To trouble the poor with begging. To beg of Hob, and Dick, that does appear, To one that would do thus.-I am half through; 1 Cit. You must think, if we give you any Here come more voices.— thing, we hope to gain by you. Your voices; for your voices I have fought; Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o' the con- Watch'd for your voices; for your voices bear 1 Cit. You have been a fcourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, indeed, loved the common people. Cor. You thould account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. I will, fir, flatter my fworn brother the people, to earn a dearer eftimation of them; 'tis a condition they account gentle and fince the wifdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practife the infinuating nod, and be off to them molt counterfeitly; that is, fir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of fome popular man, and give it bountifully to the defirers. Therefore, befeech you, I may be conful. 2 Cit. We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily. 1 Cit. You have received many wounds for your country. Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice fix I have feen, and heard of; for your voices, have 1 Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honeft man's voice. 2 Cit. Therefore let him be conful: The gods give him joy, and make him good friend to the people! All. Amen, amen.-God fave thee, noble conful! [Exeunt Cor. Worthy voices! 1 I will not strengthen or compleat your knowledge. The feal is that which gives authenticity to a writing. 21. c. this rough hirfute gown. 2 Cit. Amen, fir: To my poor unworthy notice,] He mock'd us, when he begg'd our voices. 3 Git. Certainly, he flouted us down-right. 2 Cit. Not one amongst us, fave yourfelf, but fays, [try. Sic. Why, either, were you ignorant to fee 't Or, feeing it, of fuch childith friendliness To yield your voices? Bru. Could you not have told him, 1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friends to Bru. Get you hence inftantly; and tell thofe Sic. Let them affemble; And, on a fafer judgement, all revoke A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd, Sic. Say, you chofe him More after our commandment, than as guided As you were leflon'd,-When he had no power, Pre-occupy'd with what you rather muft do But was a petty fervant to the flate, Sie. Thus to have faid, As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his fpirit, Bru. Did you perceive, He did folicit you in free contempt 2, No heart among you? Or had you tongues, to cry Sic. Have you, Ere now, deuy'd the afker? and, now again, Than what you should, made you against the grain Bru. Ay, fpare us not. Say, we read lectures to came That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's fon, Sic. One thus defcended, That hath befide well in his person wrought Bra. Say, you ne'er had done 't, All. We will fo: almost all [Exeunt Citizens. Bru. Let them go on; With their refufal, both obferve and anfwer The vantage of his anger 6. Sic. To the Capitol, come; We will be there before the stream o' the people; 3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet. And this fhall feem, as partly 'tis, their own, Which we have goaded onward. 2 Cit. And will deny him: I'll have five hundred voices of that found. [Exeunt. ULLUS Aufidius then had made new head ? [caus'd Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which Our fwifter compofition. Cor. So then the Volces ftand but as at first; Ready, when time fhall prompt them, to make road Upon us again. Com. They are worn, lord conful, fo, That we shall hardly in our ages fee Their hanners wave again. Cor. Saw you Aufidius ? [curfe Lart. On fafe-guard he came to me: and did Against the Volces, for they had fo vilely Yielded the town: he is retir'd to Antium. Cor. Spoke he of me? Lart. He did, my lord. Cor. How? what? Lart. How often he had met you, fword to fword: | Cor. At Antium lives he? Gor. I wish I had a caufe to feek him there, To oppofe his hatred fully-Welcome home. [To Lartius. Enter Sicinius, and Brutus. Behold! thefe are the tribunes of the people, The tongues o' the common mouth. I do defpife 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, Bru. Call 't not a plot : The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late, Time-pleafers, flatterers, foes to nobleness. Cor. Have you inform'd them fince? Cor. You are like to do fuch bufinefs. Each way, to better yours. [clouds, Cor. Why then should I be conful? By yon Let me deferve fo ill as you, and make me Your fellow tribune. Sic. You fhew too much of that, For which the people ftir: If you will pafs To where you are bound, you must enquire your This was my fpeech, and I will fpeak 't again;Men. Not now, not now. Sen. Not in this heat, fir, now. Cor. Now, as I live, I will.-My nobler friends, I crave their pardons : For the mutable, rank-fcented many, let them fcatter'd, 2 The metaphor is from men's fetting a bull-dog or maftiff 4 Falfly for treacherously. 5 Cuckle is a weed which Mefell is ufed in Pierce Plowman's Vifion to: a leper. |