Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and
Dispropertied their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war; who have their provand
Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
For sinking under them.

Sic.
This, as you say, suggested
At some time when his soaring insolence
Shall teach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy, ́
As to set dogs on sheep,) will be his fire
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

That Marcius shall be consul: I have seen
The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind
To hear him speak: The matrons flung their gloves,
Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pass'd: the nobles bended,
As to Jove's statue; and the commons made
A shower, and thunder, with their caps, and shouts :
I never saw the like.

Bru.
Let's to the Capitol;
And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,
But hearts for the event.

Sic.

Have with you.

[Ereunt.

Enter Two Officers, to lay cushions.

1 Off. Come, come, they are almost here: How many stand for consulships?

2 Off. Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it.

1 off. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore: so that, if they love they

know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, let's them plainly see't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country: And his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those, who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

10f. No more of him: he is a worthy man: Make way, they are coming.

Most reverend and grave elders, to desire
The present consul, and last general
In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy work perform'd
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom
We meet here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen.
Speak, good Cominius:
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our state's defective for requital,
Than we to stretch it out. Masters o'the people,
We do request your kindest ears; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common body,
To yield what passes here.

Sic.

We are convented Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts Inclinable to honour and advance

The theme of our assembly.

He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of his ears to hear it?-Proceed, Cominius.
Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held,

That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
Most dignifies the haver: if it be,
The man I speak of cannot in the world
Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er press'd Roman, and i' the consul's view
Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He prov'd best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea;
And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since,
He lurch'd all swords o'the garland. For this last,
Before and in Corioli, let me say,

I cannot speak him home: He stopp'd the fliers;
And, by his rare example, made the coward
Turn terror into sport: as waves before
A vessel under sail, so men obey'd,

And fell below his stem: his sword (death's stamp)
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal gate o'the city, which he painted/
With shunless destiny, aidless came off,
And with a sudden re-enforcement struck
Corioli, like a planet: Now all's his :
When by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready sense: then straight his doubled spirit
Re-quicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he; where he did
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
Twere a perpetual spoil: and, till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.

Men.

Worthy man!

Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot
Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them,
For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage: please

you,

That I may pass this doing,

Sir, the people neither will they bate

Put them not to't:

Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and Take to you, as your predecessors have, Your honour with your form.

-Cor.

It is a part

That I shall blush in acting, and might well Be taken from the people.

Bru.

Mark you that?

Thus I did, and

Cor. To brag unto them,

Show them the unaking sears which I should hide,
As if I had receiv'd them for the hire
Of their breath only :

Men.

Do not stand upon't. · We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose to them; - - and to our noble consul Wish we all joy and honour.

Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!
[Flourish. Then exeunt Senators.
Bru. You see how he intends to use the people.
Sic. May they perceive his intent! He will
require them,

As if he did contemn what he requested
Should be in them to give.

Bru.
Come, we'll inform them
Of our proceedings here; on the market-place,
I know they do attend us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same. The Forum,

Enter several Citizens.

Cit. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

2 Cit. We may, sir, if we will.

3 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do; for if he show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous: and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which, we being members, should bring our. selves to be monstrous members.

1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a

little help will serve: for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

3 Cit. We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured and truly I think, if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all points o'the compass.

2 Cit. Think you so? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fly?

3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will, 'tis strongly wedged up in a block-head; but if it were at liberty, 'twould, sure, southward.

2. Cit. Why that way?

3 Cit. To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience' sake, to help to get thee a wife.

2 Cit. You are never without your tricks : — may, you may.

- You

3 Cit. Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; mark his behaviour. We are not to stay altogether, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars: wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues : therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him.

All. Content, content. [Exeunt. Men. O sir, you are not right: have you not

known

Cor. Your enigma?

3 Cit. You have been a scourge to her enemies you have been a rod to her friends; you have ne indeed, loved the common people.

Cor. You should account me the more virtues that I have not been common in my love. I wil sir, flatter my sworn brother the people, to earn dearer estimation of them; 'tis a condition they a count gentle: and since the wisdom of their choic is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will pr tise the insinuating nod, and be off to them in counterfeitly: that is, sir, I will counterfeit the b witchment of some popular man, and give it bou tifully to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, may be consul.

4 Cit. We hope to find you our friend; 15 therefore give you our voices heartily.

3 Cit. You have received many wounds for you country.

Cor. I will not seal your knowledge with she ing them. I will make much of your voices, so trouble you no further.

Both Cit. The gods give you joy, sir, heartily Cor. Most sweet voices ! Better it is to die, better to starve, Than crave the hire which first we do deserve. Why in this wolfish gown should I stand here, To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear, Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to't What custom wills, in all things should we do`t, The dust on antique time would lie unswept, And mountainous error be too highly heap'd For truth to over-peer, Rather than fool it so, Let the high office and the honour go To one that would do thus. —I am half throug The one part suffer'd, the other will I do.

Enter three other Citizens.

Here come more voices, —
Your voices for your voices I have fought;
Watch'd for your voices; for your voices, bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six