We do request your kindeft ear; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common Body,
To yield what paffes here.

Sic. We are convented

Upon a pleasing Treaty; and have hearts
Inclinable to honour and advance
The Theme of our Affembly.

Bru. Which the rather

We fhall be bleft to do, if he remember
A kinder value of the People, than
He hath hitherto priz'd them at.

Men. That's off, that's off:

I would, you rather had been filent: please you
To hear Cominius speak ?

Bru. Moft willingly:

But yet my caution was more pertinent,
Than the rebuke you give it.

Men. He loves your People,

But tye

him not to be their bed-fellow :

Worthy Cominius, fpeak.

[Coriolanus rifes, and offers to go away.

Nay, keep your place.

I Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never fhame to hear What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your honours' pardon:

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

Than hear fay, how I

Bru. Sir, I hope,

got them.

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me ftay, I fled from words. You footh not, therefore hurt not: but your people, I love them as they weigh

Men. Pray now, sit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i' th' Sun,

When the Alarm were ftruck, than idly fit

To hear my Nothings monfter'd. [Exit Coriolanus.

Men.

Men. Mafters of the People,

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
That's thoufand to one good one? when you fee,
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.
Com. I fhall lack voice: the Deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly.

It is held,
That valour is the chiefeft virtue, and
Moft dignifies the Haver: if it be,

The Man, I speak of, cannot in the world
Be fingly counter-pois'd. At fixteen 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 briftled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-preft Roman, and i' th' Conful's view
Slew three Oppofers: Tarquin's felf he met,
And ftruck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the Woman in the Scene,
He prov'd th' beft Man i'th' field, and for his meed
Was brow bound with the oak. His pupil-age
Man-entred thus, he waxed like a Sea;
And, in the brunt of feventeen battles fince,
He lurcht all swords o' th' garland. For this laft,
Before and in Corioli, let me fay,

I cannot speak him home: he ftopt the fliers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into sport.

As waves before

A veffel under fail, so Men obey'd,

And fell below his ftern: his fword, (death's ftamp)
Where it did mark: it took from face to foot:
He was a thing of blood, whofe every motion
Was tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal Gate o'th' City, which he painted
With fhunless deftiny: aidlefs came off,
And with a fudden re-enforcement ftruck
Corioli, like a planet. Nor all's this;

For

For by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready fenfe, when ftraight his doubled fpirit
Requicken'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 eafe his breaft with panting.

Men. Worthy Man!

1 Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the Honours, Which we devife him.

Com. Our spoils he kick'd at,

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o'th' world: he covets lefs
Than Mifery itself would give, rewards

His deeds with doing them

To fpend his time

and is content

Men. To end it, He's right Noble.

Let him be called for.

Sen. Call Coriolanus.

Off. He doth appear.

Enter Coriolanus.

Men. The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee Conful.

Cor. I do owe them ftill

My life, and fervices.

Men. It then remains,

That you do speak to th' People.

Cor. I befeech you,

Let me o'er-leap that Cuftom; for I cannot

Men. He's right noble.] The laft Words of Cominius's Speech are altogether unintelligible. Shakespear, I fuppofe, wrote the

Paffage thus,

-and is content

To Spend his Time

Men. To end it, He's right noble.

Warb.

Put

Put on me the Gown, ftand naked, and entreat them,
For my wound's fake, to give their fuffrages:
Please you, that I may pafs this doing.

Sic. Sir, the People must have their voices,
Nor will they bate one jot of ceremony.

Men. Put them not to't: pray, fit you to the Custom, And take t'ye, as your Predecellors have, form.

Your Honour with your

Cor. It is a Part

That I fhall blush in acting, and might well
Be taken from the People.

Bru. Mark you That?

Cor. To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus, Shew them th' unaking scars, which I would hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire

Of their breath only

Men. Do not ftand upon't:

We recommend t'ye', Tribunes of the People,
Our purpose to them, and to our noble Conful
Wish we all joy and honour.

Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour !
[Flourish Cornet. Then Exeunt.

Manent Sicinius and Brutus.

Bru. You fee, how he intends to use the People. Sic. May they perceive's intent! he will require 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 th' market place,

[them,

I know, they do attend us.

SCENE

VII.

[Exeunt.

Changes to the Forum.

Enter feven or eight Citizens.

NCE, 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 fhews us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into thofe wounds, and fpeak for them: fo, if he tells us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monftrous; and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monfter of the multitude; of the which, we being Members, fhould bring ourselves to be monftrous Members.

:

1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will ferve for once, when We food up about the Corn, he himself ftuck not to call us the manyheaded Monster.

3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many; not that our heads are fome brown, fome black, fome auburn, fome bald; but that our wits are fo diverfly colour'd; and truly, I think, if all our wits were to iffue out of one fcull, they would fly Eaft, Weft, North, South; and their confent of one direct way would be at once to all Points o'th' Compafs.

2 Cit. Think you fo? 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 ftrongly wedg'd up in a blockhead but if it were at liberty, 'twould, fure, fouthward.

2 Cit. Why that way?

3 Cit. To lofe itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a Wife. 1 Cit. You are never without your tricks- -you may, you may——

3 Cit. Are you all refolved to give your voices? but that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I fay, if he would incline to the People, there was never a worthier Man.

Enter