For the ill which doth control it.

Bru.

He has said enough. Sic. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do.

Cor. Thou wretch! despite o'erwhelm thee!— What should the people do with these bald tribunes? On whom depending, their obedience fails

To the greater bench: In a rebellion,

When what 's not meet, but what must be, was law,
Then were they chosen; in a better hour,

Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet,1

And throw their power i' the dust.

Bru. Manifest treason.

Sic.

This a consul? no.

Bru. The Ediles, ho!-Let him be apprehended. Sic. Go, call the people; [exit BRU.] in whose name, myself

Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,

A foe to the publick weal: Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

Cor.

Sen. Pat.

Com.

Hence, old goat!

We'll surety him.

Aged sir, hands off.

Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments.2

Sic.

Help, ye citizens.

Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ædiles, and a Rabble of

Citizens.

Men. On both sides more respect.

Sic.

Take from you all your power.
Bru.

Here's he, that would

Seize him, Ediles.

Cit. Down with him, down with him! [Several speak. 2 Sen.

Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about COR.

1 Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet,] Let it be said by you, that what is meet to be done, must be meet, i. e. shall be done, and put an end at once to the tribunitian power, which was established, when irresistible violence, not a regard to proriety, directed the legislature. Malone.

2 shake thy bones

Out of thy garments.] So, in King John:

66 here's a stay,

"That shakes the rotten carcase of old death
"Out of his rags!" Steevens.

Tribunes, patricians, citizens!-what ho!-
Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!

Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace!
Men. What is about to be?—I am out of breath;
Confusion 's near; I cannot speak :-You, tribunes
To the people,-Coriolanus, patience :3-

Speak, good Sicinius.

Sic. Hear me, people ;-Peace.

Cit. Let's hear our tribune:-Peace. Speak, speak,

speak.

Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you; Marcius, Whom late you have nam'd for consul.

Men.

Fy, fy, fy!

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.
1 Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
Sic. What is the city, but the people?
Cit.

The people are the city.

True,

Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magistrates.

Cit.

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 ruin.

This deserves death.

Sic.
Bru. Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it :-We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy

3 To the people,-Coriolanus, patience:] I would read: Speak to the people.-Coriolanus, patience:

Speak, good Sicinius. Tyrwhitt.

Tyrwhitt proposes an amendment to this passage, but nothing is necessary except to point it properly:

Confusion's near,-I cannot. Speak you, tribunes,

To the people.

He desires the tribunes to speak to the people, because he was not able; and at the end of the speech repeats the same request to Sicinius in particular. M. Mason.

I see no need of any alteration. Malone.

Of present death.

Sic.

Therefore, lay hold of him;

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence

Into destruction cast him.

Bru.

Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield.

Men.

Ediles, seize him.

Hear me one word.

Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.

Edi. Peace, peace.

Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, And temperately proceed to what you would

Thus violently redress.

Bru.

Sir, those cold ways,

That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous4 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, withdraw a

while.

Bru. Lay hands upon him.

Men.

Help, 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 ;5 be gone, away, All will be naught else.

2 Sen.

Cor.

We have as many friends as enemies.

5

The gods forbid!

Men. Shall it be put to that?

1 Sen.

· very poisonous —] I read:

are very poisons. Johnson.

get you to your house;] Old copy-our house. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. So below:

"I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house." Malone.

6 Stand fast; &c.] [Old copy-Com. Stand fast; &c.] This speech certainly should be given to Coriolanus; for all his friends persuade him to retire. So, Cominius presently after:

"Come, sir, along with us." Warburton.

I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house;
Leave us to cure this cause.

Men.

For 'tis a sore upon us,7

You cannot tent yourself: Begone, 'beseech you.
Com. Come, sir, along with us.

Cor. I would they were barbarians, (as they are,

Though in Rome litter'd) not Romans, (as they are not, Though calv'd i' the porch o' the Capitol,)

Men.

Put not your worthy rage into your tongue;
One time will owe another.9

Cor.

I could beat forty of them.

Be gone;

On fair ground,

For 'tis a sore upon us,] The two last impertinent words, which destroy the measure, are an apparent interpolation.

8 Cor. I would they were barbarians (as they are,

'Steevens.

Though in Rome litter'd,) not Romans, (as they are not,
Though calv'd i' the porch o' the Capitol,)—

Be gone, &c.] The beginning of this speech, [attributed in the old copy to Menenius] am persuaded, should be given to Coriolanus. The latter part only belongs to Menenius:

"Be gone;

"Put not your worthy rage" &c. Tyrwhitt.

I have divided this speech according to Mr. Tyrwhitt's direction. S eevens.

The word, begone, certainly belongs to Menenius, who was very anxious to get Coriolanus away. In the preceding page he says:

"Go, get you to your house; begone, away, -,” And, in a few lines after, he repeats the same request:

Pray you, be gone; •

"I'll try whether my old wit be in request

"With those that have but little." M. Mason.

9 One time will owe another.] I know not whether to owe in this place means to possess by right, or to be indebted. Either sense may be admitted. One time, in which the people are seditious, will give us power in some other time: or, this time of the people's predominance will run them in debt: that is, will lay them open to the law, and expose them hereafter to more servile subjection. Johnson.

I believe Menenius means, "This time will owe us one more fortunate." It is a common expression to say, "This day is yours, the next may be mine." M. Mason.

The meaning seems to be, One time will compensate for another. Our time of triumph will come hereafter: time will be in our debt, will owe us a good turn, for our present disgrace. Let us trust to futurity. Malone.

Men.

I could myself

Take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tri

bunes.

Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick;
And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands
Against a falling fabrick.-Will you hence,
Before the tag return?1 whose rage doth rend
Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear
What they are us'd to bear.

Men.

Pray you, be

gone:

I'll try whether my old wit be in request

With those that have but little; this must be patch'd
With cloth of any colour.

Com.

Nay, come away.

[Exeunt CoR. COM. and Others.

1 Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune.

Men. His nature is too noble for the world:

He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,

Or Jove for his power to thunder. His heart 's his

mouth:

What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent;

And, being angry, does forget that ever
He heard the name of death.

Here's goodly work!

2 Pat.

[A Noise within.

I would they were a-bed!

Men. I would they were in Tyber!-What, the ven

geance,

Could he not speak them fair?

Re-enter BRUTUS and SICINIUS, with the Rabble.

Sic.

That would depopulate the city, and

Be every man himself?

Men.

Where is this viper,

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 publick power,

Which he so sets at nought.

1 Cit.

He shall well know,

The noble tribunes are the people's mouths,

1 Before the tag return?] The lowest and most despicable of the populace are still denominated by those a little above them, Tag, rag, and bobtail. Johnsen.

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