Men. Well, no more.

1 Sen. No more words, we beseech you.

Cor. How! No more?

As for my country I have shed my blood,

Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs
Coin words till their decay, against those meazels*
Which we disdain should tettert us, yet sought
The very way to catch them.

Bru. You speak o' the people,
As if you were a god to punish, not
A man of their infirmity.

Sic. 'Twere well,

We let the people know't.

Men. What, what? His choler?

Cor. Choler!

Were I as patient as the midnight sleep,
By Jove, 'twould be my mind.

Sic. It is a mind,"

That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poison any further.

Cor. Shall remain !

Hear you this Triton of the minnows?

Cor. Shall!

Mark

O good, but most unwise patricians, why,
You grave, but reckless senators, have you thus
Given Hydra here to choose an officer,

That with his peremptory shall, being but

The horn and noise o' the monsters, wants not spirit

To say, he'll turn your current in a ditch,
And make your channel his! If he have power,
Then vail your ignorance: if none, awake
Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn'd,
Be not as common fools; if you are not,

Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians,
If they be senators: and they are no less,

When both your voices blended, the greatest taste
Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate;
And such a one as he, who puts his shall,
His popular shall, against a graver bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece! By Jove himself,
It makes the consuls base and my soul akes,

+ Scab.

Lepers.
According to law.

Small fish.

Careless.

To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither supreme, how soon confusion
May enter 'twixt the gap of both, and take
The one by the other.

Com. Weli-on to the market-place.

Cor. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o' the store-house gratis, as 'twas used Sometime in Greece,-

Men. Well, well, no more of that.

Cor. (Though there the people had more absolute power),

I say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed

The ruin of the state.

Bru. Why, shall the people give One, that speaks thus, their voice?

Cor. I'll give my reasons,

More worthier than their voices. They know, the

corn

Was not our recompense; resting well assured They ne'er did service for't: being press'd to the

war,

Even when the navel of the state was touch'd, They would not thread the gates: this kind of service

Did not deserve corn gratis: being i' the war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they shew'd
Most valour, spoke not for them: the accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the nativet
Of our so frank donation. Well, what then?
How shall this bosom multiplied digest

The senate's courtesy? Let deeds express
What's like to be their words :-We did request it;
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands-Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble
Call our cares, fears: which will in time break

ope

The locks o' the senate, and bring in the crows

To peck the eagles.

Men. Come, enough.

Bru. Enough, with over-measure.

Cor. No, take more:

What may be sworn by, both divine and human,

Pass through.

+ Motive, no doubt, was Shakspeare's word. + Number,

Seal what I end withal -This double worship,Where one part does disdain with cause, the other, Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wis

dom,

Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no
Of general ignorance,-it'must omit
Real necessities, and give way the while
To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpose: therefore, beseech

you,

You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state,

More than you doubt the change of 't; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish
To jump + a body with a dangerous physic
That's sure of death without it,--at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison: your dishonour
Mangles true jugment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it;
Not having the power to do the good it would,
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 tri

bunes?

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,
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 Brutus.] in whose name, myself

Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,

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

Cor. Hence, old goat!

Sen, and Pat. We'll surety him.
Com. Aged Sir, hands off.

Fear.

+ Risk.

Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy

bones

Out of thy garments.
Sic. Help, ye citizens.

Re-enter BRUTUS, with the EDILES, and a Rabble of CITIZENS.

Men. On both sides more respect.
Sic. Here's he, that would
Take from you all your power.
Bru. Seize him, Ediles,

Cit. Down with him, down with him!

[Several speak.

2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons! They all bustle about Coriolanus. 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 :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 named for consul.

Men. Fie, fie, fie!

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. True,

The people are the city.

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 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 o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of present death.

1

Sic. Therefore, lay hold of him;

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian*, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.

Bru. Ædiles, seize him.

Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield.
Men. 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 poisonbus 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, 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. Get you gone.

Cor. Stand fast;

We have as many friends as enemies.

Men. Shall it be put to that?

1 Sen. The gods forbid !

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

Men. For 'tis a sore upon us,

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 calved i' the porch o' the Capitol),—

* From whence criminals were thrown, and dashed to pieces.