Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it
In execution.

Bru. 'Tis most like, he will.

Sic. It fhall be to him then, as our good wills, A fure deftruction.

Bru. So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,
We must fuggeft the people, in what hatred
He ftill hath held them; that to's power he would
Have made them mules, filenc'd their Pleaders, and
Difproperty'd their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more foul nor fitnefs for the world,
Than camels in their war; who have their provender
Only for bearing burthens, and fore blows
For finking under them.

Sic. (12) This, as you fay, fuggested
At fome time, when his foaring infolence
Shall reach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to fet dogs on fheep) will be the fire
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

(12)

This, as you say, fuggefted

At fome time, when his foaring Infolence

Shall teach the People, &c.] As Nominatives are fome times wanting to the Verb, fo, on the other hand, as This Paffage has been all along pointed, we have a Redundance: There is, befides, one Word ftill in this Sentence, which, notwithstanding the Concurrence of the printed Copies, I fufpect to have admitted a small Corruption. Why should it be imputed as a Crime to Coriolanus, that he was prompt to teach the People? Or how was it any foaring Infolence in a Patrician to attempt this? The Poet muft certainly have wrote,

When his foaring Infolence

Shall reach the People;

i. e. When it shall extend to impeach the Conduct, or touch the Character, of the People.

Enter

Enter a Messenger.

Bru. What's the matter?

Mef. You're fent for to the Capitol: 'tis thought,
That Marcius fhall be Conful: 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 pafs'd; the Nobles bended,
As to Jove's Statue; and the Commons made
A fhower and thunder with their caps and shouts:
I never faw the like.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol,

And carry with us ears and eyes for th' time,
But hearts for the event.

Sic. Have with you.

1 Off

SCENE changes to the Capitol.

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions.

[Exeunt.

many stand for Confulships?

NO ME, come, they are almost here; how

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

Of. 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 flatter'd the People, who ne'er lov'd them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; fo 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, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their difpofition, and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly

fee't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he wav'd indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing VOL. VI. R

undone,

undone, that may fully difcover him their oppofite. Now to feem to affect the malice and displeasure of the People, is as bad as That, which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Of. He hath deferved worthily of his Country: and his afcent is not by fuch easy degrees as thofe, who have been fupple and courteous to the People; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their eftimation and report: but he hath fo planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not confefs fo much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwife, were a malice, that, giving it self the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from ev'ry ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him, he is a worthy Man: make way, they are coming.

Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themselves.

Men. Having determin'd of the Volfcians, and To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus ftood for his Country. Therefore, please

you,

Moft reverend and grave Elders, to desire

The prefent Conful, and last General,
In our well-found fucceffes, to report
A little of that worthy Work perform'd
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We met 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 ftretch it out. Mafters o'th' People,
We do request your kindest ear; and, after,

Your

Your loving motion toward the common Body,

To yield what paffes here.

Sic. We are convented

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

Bru. Which the rather

We shall 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 shame to hear What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your Honours' pardon:

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

Than hear say, how I got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope,

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.

You footh not, therefore hurt not: but

I love them as they weigh.

Men. Pray now, fit down.

your people,

Cor. I had rather have one fcratch my head i' th'

Sun,

When the Alarum were ftruck, than idly fit

To hear my Nothings monster'd.

Men. Maiters of the People,

[Exit Coriolanus.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,

That's thousand 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 chiefest 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, faw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The briftled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-prest Roman, and i'th' Consul'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 fwords 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 fport. 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 destiny: aidless came off,
And with a fudden re enforcement ftruck
Corioli, like a planet. Nor all's this;
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