Com. Hear me, my Mafters, and my common
Friends-

Sic. He's fentenc'd. No more hearing.
Com. Let me fpeak:

I have been Conful, and can fhew for Rome
Her Enemies' Marks upon me. I do love.
My Country's Good, with a refpect more tender,
More holy, and profound, than mine own life,
7 My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins; then if I would
Speak that

Sic. We know your drift. Speak what?

Bru. There's no more to be faid, but he is banish'd As enemy to the People and his Country.

It fhall be fo.

All. It fhall be so, it shall be so..

Cor. You common cry of curs, whofe breath I hate,

As reek o' th' rotten fenns; whofe loves I prize,
As the dead carcaffes of unburied men,

That do corrupt my air, I banish you.
And here remain with your uncertainty;
Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts;
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into despair. Have the power still

7 My dear wife's estimate,] I love my country beyond the rate at which I value my dear wife.

8

Have the power ftill To banish your Defenders, 'till at length, Your ignorance, which finds not, 'till it feels, &c.] Still retain the power of banishing your defenders, 'till your undifcerning folly, which can foresee no confequences, leave none in the city but yourfelves, who are always labouring your onun deftruction.

It is remarkable, that, among the political maxims of the fpeculative Harrington, there is one which he might have borrowed from this fpeech. The people, fays he, cannot fee, but they can feel. It is not much to the honour of the people, that they have the fame character of ftupidity from their enemy and their friend. Such was the power of our authour's mind, that he looked through life in all its relations private and civil.

To

To banish your Defenders, 'till at length,
Your ignorance, which finds not, till it feels,
Making but refervation of your felves,
Still your own enemies, deliver you,
As moft abated captives, to fome nation
That won you without blows! Defpifing then,
For you, the City, thus I turn my back.
There is a world elfewhere-

[Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, and others.
The People fhout, and throw up their caps.
Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!
All. Our enemy is banifh'd; he is gone! Hoo

hoo!

Sic. Go fee him out at gates, and follow him
As he hath follow'd you; with all despight
Give him deferv'd vexation. Let a guard.
Attend us through the City.

All. Come, come; let us fee him out at the gates;

Enter Corblanus, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, Condhius, with the young Nobility of Rome.

CORIOLANUS.

our tears. A brief farewel. The

M, have your tears.

Who needs burts ne away. Nay, mother,

revent Com age? you were us'd
was the ther of spirits,

That

That common chances common men could bear
That, when the Sea was calm, all boats alike

Shew'd mastership in floating.

9

Fortune's blows,

When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves
A noble cunning. You were us'd to load me
With precepts, that would make invincible

The heart that conn'd them.

Vir. O heav'ns! O heav'ns!"

Cor. Nay, I prythee, woman

Vol. Now the red peftilence ftrike all trades in Rome,

And occupations perish!

Cor. What! what! what!

I shall be lov'd, when I am lack'd. Nay, mother,
Refume that fpirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,

Six of his labours you'd have done, and fav'd
Your husband fo much fweat. Cominius,

Droop not; adieu. Farewel, my wife! my mother!
I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are falter than a younger man's,

And venomous to thine eyes. My fometime General,
I've seen thee fern, and thou haft oft beheld
Heart-hardning fpectacles. Tell thefe fad women,
'Tis fond to wail inevitable ftroaks,

As 'tis to laugh at 'em. Mother, you wot,

་་་

My hazards still have been your folace; and
Believ't not lightly, tho' I go alone,

Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than feen, your Sop Will, or exceed the common, or be caught

With cautelous baits and practice.

2

Vol. My first Son,

Where will you go? take good Cominius
With thee a while, determine on fome course,
More than a wild expofure to each chance,
'That starts i'th' way before thee.

Cor. O the Gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devife with thee
Where thou shalt reft, that thou may'st hear of us,
And we of thee. So, if the time thruft forth,.
A Cause for thy Repeal, we fhall not fend
O'er the vast world, to feek a single man;
And lofe advantage, which doth ever cool
I'th' abfence of the needer.

Cor. Fare ye well.

Thou'st years upon thee, and thou art too full
Of the war's furfeits, to go rove with one,
That's yet unbruis'd; bring me but out at gate.
Come, my fweet wife, my dearest mother, and
'My friends of noble touch; when I am forth,
Bid me farewel, and fmile. I pray you, come.
While I remain above the ground, you fhall
Hear from me ftill, and never of me aught,
But what is like me formerly.

Men. That's worthily

As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep.
If I could shake off but one feven years,

I

cautelous baits and practice.] By artful and falfe

tricks, and treafon.

3 My friends of noble couch; I i. e. of true metal unallay'd. Metaphor taken from trying

My first Son,] First, i. e. no-gold on the touchstone, WARE. bleft, mofteminent of men. WAR.

From

From these old arms and legs, by the good Gods,

I'd with thee every foot.

Enter Sicinius and Brutus, with the Edile..

Sic. Bid them all home. He's gone; and we'll no further.

Vex'd are the Nobles, who, we fee, have fided

In his behalf.

Bru. Now we have fhewn our Power,
Let us feem humbler after it is done,
Than when it was a doing.

Sic. Bid them home;

Say, their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient Strength.

Bru. Difmifs them home.

Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius.

Here comes his Mother.

Sic: Let's not meet her.

Bru. Why?

Sic. They fay, she's mad.

Bru. They have ta'en note of us. Keep on your

way.

Vol. Oh, y'are well met.

The hoarded plague o'th' Gods requite your love!
Men. Peace, peace; be not fo loud.

Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear-
Nay, and you shall hear fome.-Will you be gone?
[To Brutus.
Vir. [To Sicin.] You shall stay too, I would, I had

the

power

To fay fo to my Husband.

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