With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray you.

1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the fenate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They fay, poor fuitors have strong breaths; they fhall know, we have ftrong arms too.

Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,

Will

you undo yourselves?

1 Cit. We cannot, fir, we are undone already.
Men. I tell you, friends, moft charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your fuffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them
Against the Roman state; whose course will on
The way
it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder, than can ever
Appear in your impediment: For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; and
Your knees to them, not arms, muft help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity

Thither where more attends you; and you flander
The helms o'the ftate, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.

1 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed!-They ne'er car'd for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their ftore-houses cramm'd with grain; make edicts for ufury, to fupport ufurers: repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us.

Men. Either you must

Confefs yourselves wondrous malicious,

Or be accus'd of folly. I fhall tell you

A pretty tale; it may be, you have heard it;
But, fince it ferves my purpofe, I will venture
To fcale 't a little more.

1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, fir: yet you must not think to fob off our difgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver.

Men. There was a time, when all the body's members
Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it :-
That only like a gulf it did remain

I' the midst o' the body, idle and unactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing

Like labour with the reft; where the other inftruments
Did fee, and hear, devise, inftruct, walk, feel,
And mutually participate, did minister
Unto the appetite and affection common
Of the whole body. The belly answered,→
1 Cit. Well, fir, what answer made the belly?
Men. Sir, I shall tell you.-With a kind of smile,
Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus,
(For, look you, I may make the belly fmile,
As well as fpeak,) it tauntingly reply'd

To the difcontented members, the mutinous parts
That envy'd his receipt; even fo most fitly
As you malign our fenators, for that

They are not fuch as you.

I Git.

Your belly's answer: What!

The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye,
The counsellor heart, the arm our foldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps

In this our fabrick, if that they

Men.

What then?

'Fore me, this fellow fpeaks!-what then? what then? 1 Cit. Should by the cormorant belly be reftrain'd, Who is the fink o' the body,

Men.

Well, what then?

1 Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer?

Men.

I will tell you;

If you'll beftow a small (of what you have little,)
Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer.
1 Cit. You are long about it.
Men.

Note me this, good friend;

Your moft grave belly was deliberate,

Not rafh like his accufers, and thus answer'd.
True is it, my incorporate friends, quoth he,

That I receive the general food at first,

Which you do live upon: and fit it is ;
Because I am the ftore-boufe, and the shop
Of the whole body: But if you do remember,
I fend it through the rivers of your blood,

Even to the court, the heart,—to the feat o' the brain;
And, through the cranks and offices of man,

The frongeft nerves, and small inferior veins,
From me receive that natural competency

Whereby they live: And though that all at once,

You, my good friends, (this fays the belly,) mark me,→ 1 Cit. Ay, fir; well, well.

Men.

Though all at once cannot

See what I do deliver out to each;

Yet I can make my audit up, that all,

From me do back receive the flower of all,
And leave me but the bran.

What say you to't?
1 Cit. It was an anfwer? How apply you this?
Men. The fenators of Rome are this good belly,
And you the mutinous members: For examine
Their counfels, and their cares: digest things rightly,
Touching the weal o' the common; you shall find,
No public benefit, which you receive,

But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you,

And no way from yourselves.-What do you think?
You, the great toe of this affembly?

1 Cit. I the great toe? Why the great toe?

Men. For that being one o' the lowest, basest, poorest,
Of this most wife rebellion, thou go'st foremost:
Thou rascal, that art worst in blood, to run
Lead'ft first, to win fome 'vantage.—

But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs;
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle,

The one fide must have bale.-Hail, noble Marcius!

Enter CAIUS MARCIUS.

Mar. Thanks.-What's the matter, you diffentious

rogues,

That rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,

Make yourselves fcabs?

1 Cit.

We have ever your good word. Mar. He that will give good words to thee, will flatter Beneath abhorring.-What would you have, you curs, That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you, The other makes you proud. He that trufts to you, Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; Where foxes, geefe: You are no furer, no, Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,

Or hailstone in the fun. Your virtue is,

To make him worthy, whofe offence fubdues him,
And curfe that justice did it. Who deferves greatness,
Deferves your hate: and your affections are

A fick man's appetite, who defires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours, swims with fins of lead,

And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust ye?

With every minute you do change a mind;
And call him noble, that was now your hate,

Him vile, that was your garland. What's the matter,
That in these several places of the city
You cry against the noble senate, who,

Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else

Would feed on one another?-What's their seeking? Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, they fay, The city is well stor’d.

Mar.

Hang 'em! They say?

They'll fit by the fire, and presume to know

What's done i' the capitol: who's like to rise,

Who thrives, and who declines: fide factions, and give

out

Conjectural marriages; making parties ftrong,

And feebling fuch as stand not in their liking, Below their cobbled shoes. They fay, there's grain enough?

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,

And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry

With thousands of these quarter'd flaves, as high
As I could pick my lance.

Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly perfuaded;
For though abundantly they lack difcretion,

Yet are they paffing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
What fays the other troop?

Mar.

They are diffolv'd: Hang 'em! They faid, they were an-hungry; figh'd forth proverbs; → That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was inade for mouths; that, the gods fent not Corn for the rich men only :-With these shreds

They vented their complainings; which being answer'd, And a petition granted them, a strange one,

(To break the heart of generofity,