Which easily endures not article,
Tying him to aught; so putting him to rage,

You should have ta'n th' advantage of his choler,
And pass'd him unelected.

Bru. Did you perceive,

He did folicit you in free contempt,

When he did need your loves? and do you think, That his contempt shall not be bruising to you, When he hath power to crush? why, had your bodies No heart among you? or had you tongues, to cry Against the rectorship of judgment ?

Sic. Have you,

Ere now, deny'd the asker? and, now again
On him that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your fu'd-for tongues ?

3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet. 2 Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that found.

1 Cit. I, twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

Bru. Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends, They've chose a Consul that will from them take Their Liberties; make them of no more voice Than dogs that are as often beat for barking, As therefore kept to do fo.

Sic. Let them assemble;

And on a fafer Judgment all revoke
Your ignorant election: enforce his Pride,
And his old hate to you: besides, forget not,
With what contempt he wore the humble Weed:
How in his fuit he scorn'd you but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehenfion of his present portance;
Which gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After th' inveterate hate he bears to you.
Bru. Nay, lay a fault on us, your Tribunes, that

We labour'd (no impediment between)
But that you must cast your election on him.

Sit. Say, you chose him, more after our com

mandment,

Than guided by your own affections;

And that your minds, pre-occupied with what You rather must do, than what you should do, Made you against the grain to voice him Conful. Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, spare us not: say, we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to serve his Country, How long continued; and what stock he springs of, The noble House of Marcius; from whence came That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's fon, Who, after great Hoftilius, here was King: Of the fame house Publius and Quintus were, That our best water brought by conduits hither. And Cenforinus, darling of the people,

(And nobly nam'd fo for twice being Cenfor)
Was his great Ancestor.

Sic. One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his prefent Bearing with his past,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.

Bru. Say, you ne'er had don't,
(Harp on that still) but by our putting on;
And presently, when you have drawn your number,
Repair to th' Capitol.

All. We will fo; almost all repent in their election.

Bru. Let them go on:

[Exeunt Plebeians.

This mutiny were better put in hazard,

Than stay past doubt for greater :

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

With their refusal, both observe and answer

The vantage of his anger.

Sie. To th' Capitol, come;

We will be there before the stream o'th' people:
And this shall feem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

A public Street in Rome.

Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, Titus Lartius, and other Senators. CORIOLANUS.

TULLUS Aufidius then had made new head?

Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which

Our fwifter composition.

[caus'd

Cor. So then the Volfcians stand but as at first, Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon's again.

Com. They're worn, Lord Conful, so,

That we shall hardly in our ages see
Their Banners wave again.

Cor. Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On fafe-guard he came to me, and did curfe

Against the Volcians, 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:

That of all things upon the earth he hated

Your perfon most: that he would pawn his fortunes

To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor. At Antium lives he?

Lart. At Antium.

Cor. I wish, I had a cause to feek him there;

To oppose his hatred fully. - Welcome home.

[To Lartius.

Enter Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

Behold! these are the Tribunes of the people,
The tongues o'th' common mouth: I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority

Against all noble fufferance.

Sic. Pass no further.

Cor. Hah! what is that!

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on-no further.

Cor. What makes this change?

Men. The matter?

Com. Hath he not pass'd the Nobles and the Com

mons?

Bur. Cominius, no.

Cor. Have I had childrens' voices?

Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to th' market

place.

:

Bru.. The people are incens'd against him.

Sic. Stop,

Or all will fall in broil.

Cor. Are these your herd?

Must these have voices, that can yield them now,

And straight disclaim their tongues? what are your

offices?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth? 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,
Nor ever will be rul'd.

Bru. Call't not a plot;

The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late, 1
When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;
Scandal'd the fuppliants for the people; call'd them
Time-pleafers, flatterers, foes to Nobleness.

Cor. Why, this was known before..
Bru. Not to them all.

Cor. Have you inform'd them fince?
Bru. How! I inform them!

1

:

Cor. You are like to do such business.
Bru. Not unlike, each way, to better yours.
Cor. Why then should I be Consul? by yond clouds,

Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me
Your Fellow-Tribune.

Sic. You shew too much of That,

For which the people stir; if you will pafs
To where you're bound, you must enquire your way
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;
Or never be so noble as a Conful,

Nor yoke with him for Tribune.

Men. Let's be calm.

Com. The people are abus'd. Set on; this

paltring

Becomes not Rome: nor has Coriolanus

Deserv'd this so dishonour'd Rub, laid falsely

I' th' plain way of his merit.

Cor. Tell me of corn !

This was my speech, and I will speak't again

Men. Not now, not now.

Sen. Not in this heat, Sir, now.

Cor. Now as I live, I will

As for my nobler friends, I crave their pardons :
But for the mutable rank-fcented Many,
Let them regard me, as I do not flatter,
And there behold themselves: I fay again,
In foothing them, we nourish 'gainst our Senate
The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,

Which we ourselves have plow'd for, fow'd and scat

ter'd

By mingling them with us, the honour'd number: Who lack not Virtue, no, nor Power, but that Which we have given to beggars.

Men. Well, no more

Sen. No more words, we beseech you

Cor. How!- no more!

As