Fast foe to the plebeii,' your voices might Sic. Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage, Bru. 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 su❜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 sound. 1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em. Bru. Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends, They have chose a consul, that will from them take Bru. Lay A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd (No impediment between) but that you must Cast your election on him. Sic. Say, you chose him More after our commandment, than as guided By your own true affections: and that, your minds Pre-occupy'd with what you rather must do Than what you should, made you against the grain To voice him consul: Lay the fault on us. Bru. Ay, spare us not. Say, we read lectures Lart. At Antium. At Antium lives he? Cor. I wish I had a cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully.-Welcome home. [To Lartius. Enter Sicinius and Brutus. Behold! these are the tribunes of the people, The tongues of the common mouth. I do despise them; For they do prank them in authority, (6) Advantage. (8) With a guard, Not in this heat, sir, now. Men. Not now, not now. 1 Sen. O good, but most unwise patricians, why, Com. Men. I say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed I'll give my reasons, One, that speaks thus, their voice? Cor. Cor. Now, as I live, I will.-My nobler friends,More worthier than their voices. They know, the I crave their pardons: For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate By mingling them with us, the honour'd number; Which they have often made against the senate, Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about Coriolanus. What's like to be their words:-We did request it; Tribunes, patricians, citizens !-what ho! We are the greater poll, and in true fear Call our cares, fears: which will in time break ope Come, enough. Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it follows, you, You that will be less fearful than discreet; To jump a body with a dangerous physic Bru. swer Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens ! Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace! Sic. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: Fie, fie, fie! This is the way to kindle, not to quench. The people are the city. True, Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magistrates. Cil. You so remain. Men. And so are like to do. Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat; To bring the roof to the foundation; And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges, In heaps and piles of ruins. Sic. This deserves death, Bru. Or let us stand to our authority, Or let us lose it :-We do here pronounce, Upon the part of the people, in whose power We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy Of present death. Sic. Therefore, lay hold of him; Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence Into destruction cast him. Bru. Ediles, seize him. Hear me one word. Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield. Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word. Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, And temperately proceed to what you would Bru. Sir, those cold ways, That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the disease is violent :-Lay hands upon him, And bear him to the rock. Cor. No; I'll die here. [Drawing his sword. There's some among you have beheld me fighting; Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. Men. Down with that sword;-Tribunes, with draw a while. Bru. Lay hands upon him. Men. Help, Marcius! help, You that be noble; help him, young, and old! Cit. Down with him, down with him! [In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ediles, and the People, are all beat in. Men. Go, get you to your house; be gone away, All will be naught else. 2 Sen. Cor. We have as many friends as enemies. (5) From whence criminals were thrown,' and dashed to pieces, 2R You worthy tribunes,Sic. He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law, And therefore law shall scorn him further trial Than the severity of the public power, Which he so sets at nought. 1 Cit. He shall well know, The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, And we their hands. Cit. Men. Sic. He shall sure on't.2 may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which shall turn to you no further harm, Than so much loss of time. Speak briefly then, For we are peremptory to despatch This viperous traitor; to eject him hence, Were but one danger; and, to keep him here, Our certain death; therefore it is decreed, He dies to-night. Men. Now the good gods forbid, That our renown'd Rome, whose gratitude Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away. The service of the foot Being once gangren'd, is it not then respected For what before it was? Bru. We'll hear no more :Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Spread further. Men. One word more, one word. This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness,' will, too late, Tie leaden pounds to his heels. Proceed by process; Lest parties (as he is belov'd) break out, And sack great Rome with Romans. Bru. If it were so, Sic. What do ye talk? Have we not had a taste of his obedience? Our ædiles smote? ourselves resisted?-Come:Men. Consider this ;-He has been bred i'the wars Since he could draw a sword, and is ill school'd In boulted language; meal and bran together He throws without distinction. Give me leave, I'll go to him, and undertake to bring him Where he shall answer, by a lawful form, (In peace) to his utmost peril. 1 Sen. Noble tribunes, [Several speak together. It is the humane way: the other course Sir,-Will prove too bloody; and the end of it Peace. Unknown to the beginning. Men. Do not cry, havoc,' where you should but hunt Sic. Noble Menenius, Be you then as the people's officer: Go not home. Sic. Meet on the market-place:-We'll attend you there: Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed (4) Deserving. (5) Quite awry. (6) Absolutely, 77) Inconsiderate haste. (8) Finely sifted, Let me desire your company. [To the Senators.]| That they combine not there. He must come, Or what is worst will follow. 1 Sen. Cor. Men. Tush, tush! SCENE II-A room in Coriolanus's house. Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears; present me Let go. Why force3 you this? 1 I would dissemble with my nature, where Men. Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son, Vol. You might have been enough the man you Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand; are, With striving less to be so: Lesser had been And thus far having stretch'd it (here be with them,} Thy knee bussing the stones (for in such business Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant More learned than the ears,) waving thy head, Which often, thus, correcting thy stout heart, That humble, as the ripest mulberry, Now will not hold the handling: Or, say to them, Thou art their soldier, and being bred in broils, Hast not the soft way, which, thou dost confess, Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim, Vol. Ay, and burn too. Let them hang. Enter Menenius, and Senators. something too rough; You must return and mend it. In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far 1 Sen. There's no remedy; As thou hast power, and person. Unless, by not so doing, our good city Men. This but done, Cleave in the midst, and perish. Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were yours: Vol. For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free As words to little purpose. Pr'ythee now, Pray be counsell'd: Men. Well said, noble woman: Before he should thus stoop to the heard, but that Cor. What must I do ? Cor. What then? what then? Return to the tribunes. Well, Vol. (1) Wonder. (4) Subdue. Vol. Go, and be rul'd: although, I know, thou hadst rather Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf, Than flatter him in a bower. Here is Cominius. Enter Cominius. Com. I have been i'the market-place: and, sir, You make strong party, or defend yourself Can thereto frame his spirit. With my base tongue, give to my noble heart (6) Unshaven head. |