Commend me to my Wife. I'll return Conful,
Or never trust 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 Your self to answer 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.- [Exeunt.

Bru.

IT

N this point charge him home, that he affects Tyrannic Power: if he evade us there, Inforce him with his envy to the People, And that the Spoil, got on the Antiates, Was ne'er diftributed. What, will he come

Enter an Edile.

Ed. He's coming.

Bru. How accompanied ?

Ed. With old Menenius, and thofe Senators

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

Sic. Affemble prefently the People hither, And, when they hear me fay, It fhall be fo, I'th' right and ftrength o' th' Commons, be it either For Death, for Fine, or Banifhment, then let them, If I fay Fine, cry Fine; if Death, cry Death; Infifting on the old Prerogative

And Power 9 i' th' truth o' th' Caufe.

Ed. I will inform them.

Bru. And when fuch time they have begun to cry, Let them not ceafe, but with a Din confus'd

Inforce the prefent 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 straight; 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.

9

-i' th' truth o' th' Çaufe.] This is not very easily understood. We might read,

—o'er th' truth o' th' Cause. 1 and to have his word OF contradiction.-] The fenfe here falls miferably. He hath been used, fay the fpeaker, ever to conquer-And what then? and to contradia. We fhould read and point it thus,

-And to have his word, OFF contradi&tion i. e. to have his opinion carry it without contradiction. Here the fenfe rifes elegantly. He ujed ever to conquer; nay to conquer without oppofition.

WARB. To have his word of contra

2.

572

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 poorest piece Will bear the Knave by th' volume:-The honour'd Gods

Keep Rome in Safety, and the Chairs of Justice

3

Supply with worthy men, plant love amongst you, Throng our large Temples with the fhews of peace, And not our ftreets with war!

1 Sen. Amen, amen!

Men. A noble wish.

Enter the Edile with the Plebeians.

Sic. Draw near, ye People.

Ad. Lift to your Tribunes. Audience; peace, I fay.

Cor. First, hear me speak...

Both Tri. Well, fay. Peace, ho.

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

-plant love, among ft you
Through our large Temples with
the fhews of peace,
And not our firects with war!]

We thould read, Throng cur large Temples. The other is rank nonfenfe.

WARBURTON.

Cor.

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 Soldier; do not take
His rougher accents for malicious founds:
But, as I fay, fuch as become a Soldier,
Rather than envy. You-

4

Com. Well, well, no more.

Cor. What is the matter,

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

Sic. Answer to us.

Cor. Say then. 'Tis true, I ought fo.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all 5 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 ith loweft hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor! Thou injurious Tribune! Within thine eyes fat 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.

i.

We need not lay new matter to his charge:
What you have seen him do, and heard him speak,

4 Envy is here taken at large for malignity or ill intention. Season'd Office,]

All

office eftablished and fettled by time, and made familiar to the people by long ufe.

Beat

Beating your Officers, curfing yourselves,
Oppofing laws with ftroaks, and here defying
Those whofe great Power must try him, even this
So criminal, and in fuch capital kind,
Deferves ta' extreameft death.

Bru. But fince he hath.

Serv'd well for Rome

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

Cor. You?—————

Men. Is this the promise that you made your

ther?..

Com. Know, I pray you.

your Mo

Cor. I'll know no farther.
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,
Vagabond exile, fleaing. Pent to linger
But with a grain a-day, I would not buy
Their mercy at the price of one fair word;
Nor check my courage for what they can give,
To hav't with faying, good morrow.

Sic. For that he has,

! As much as in him lyes, from time to time
Envy'd against the people; feeking means
To pluck away their Power; as now at last
Giv'n hoftile, troaks, and that not in the prefence
Of dreaded juftice, but on the Ministers

6

That do diftribute it; in the name o' th' People,
And in the Power of us the Tribunes, we,
Ev'n from this inftant, banish him our City;

In peril of precipitation

From off the Rock Tarpeian, never more

To enter our Rome's Gates. I' th' People's Name,

I fay, it fhall be fo.

All. It fhall be fo, it fhall be fo; let him away. He's banish'd, and it fhall be fo.