ACT III.

SCENE, a publick Street in Rome.

Cornets.

T

Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, Titus Lartius, and other Senators.

CORIOLANU S.

Ullus Aufidius then had made new head ?
Lart. He had, my Lord; and that it was, which
caus'd

Our fwifter compofition.

Cor. So then the Volfcians ftand but as at first, Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon's again.

Com. They're worn, Lord Conful, fo, That we shall hardly in our ages fee Their Banners wave again.

Cor. Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On fafe-guard he came to me, and did curfe Against the Volfcians, for they had fo vilely Yielded the Town; he is retir'd to Antium.

Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart. He did, my Lord.

Cor. How?- what?

Lart. How often he had met you, fword to fword: That of all things upon the earth he hated Your perfon moft: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless reftitution, fo he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor. At Antium lives he?

Lart. At Antium.

Cor. I with, I had a cause to feek him there; To oppofe his hatred fully.-Welcome home.

[To Lartius,

Enter

Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

Behold! these are the Tribunes of the people,
The tongues o'th' common mouth: I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority

Against all noble sufferance..

Sic. Pafs no further.

Cor. Hah!

what is that!

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on-no further. Cor. What makes this change?

Men. The matter?

Com. Hath he not pafs'd the Nobles and the Commons?

Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor. Have I had childrens' voices?

Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to th' market place.

Bru. The people are incens'd against him.
Sic. Stop,

Or all will fall in broil.

Cor. Are these your herd?

Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And ftraight disclaim their tongues? what are your offices?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth? Have you not set them on?

Men. Be calm, be calm.

Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot,
To curb the will of the Nobility:

Suffer't, and live with fuch as cannot rule,
Nor ever will be rul'd.

Bru. Call't not a plot ;

The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;
Scandal'd the fuppliants for the people; call'd them
Time-pleafers, flatterers, foes to Nobleness.

Cor. Why, this was known before.

Bru. Not to them all.

Cor. Have you inform'd them fince?
Bru. How! I inform them!

Car:

Cor. You are like to do fuch business.
Bru. Not unlike, each way, to better yours.

Cor. Why then fhould I be Conful? by yond clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

Your Fellow-Tribune.

Sic. You fhew too much of That,

For which the people ftir; if

you

will pafs

To where you're bound, you must enquire your way
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;
Or never be so noble as a Conful,

Nor yoke with him for Tribune.

Men. Let's be calm.

Com. The people are abus'd.

paltring (14)

Becomes not Rome: nor has Coriolanus

Deferv'd this fo dishonour'd Rub, laid falfly
I' th' plain way of his merit.

Cor. Tell me of corn!

This was my fpeech, and I will speak't again
Men. Not now, not now.

Sen. Not in this heat, Sir, now.
Cor. Now as I live, I will-

As for my nobler friends, I crave their pardons:
But for the mutable rank-fcented Many,

Let them regard me, as I do not flatter,
And there behold themselves: I fay again,

In foothing them, we nourish 'gainst our Senate
The cockle of rebellion, infolence, fedition,

Which we our felves have plow'd for, fow'd and fcatter'd,

By mingling them with us, the honour'd number:
Who lack not Virtue, no, nor Power, but that

(14) The People are abus'd, set on; ] This is pointed, as if the Senfe were, the People are fet on by the Tribunes: but I don't take That to be the Poet's Meaning. Cominius makes a fingle Reflexion, and then bids the Train fet forward, as again afterwards;

Well, On to th' Market place. And so in Julius Cafar;

Set on, and leave no Ceremony ont

Which we have given to beggars.

.Men. Well, no more

Sen. No more words, we beseech you-
Cor. How!
no more!

As for my Country I have shed my blood,
Not fearing outward force; fo fhall my lungs
Coin words 'till their decay, against those measles,
Which we disdain fhould tetter us, yet feek
The very way to catch them.

Bru. You fpeak o'th' people, as 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 fleep, By Jove, 'twould be my mind.

Sic. It is a mind

That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poifon any further.

Cor. Shall remain ?

Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you
His abfolute hall?

Com. 'Twas from the canon.

Cor. Shall!

O good, but most unwife Patricians, why,
You grave, but wreaklefs Senators, have you
Given Hydra here to chufe an officer,

That with his peremptory hall, being but

thus

The horn and noife o'th' monfters, wants not fpirit
To fay, 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 learned,
Be not as common fools; if you are not,
Let them have cufhions by you. You're Plebeians,
If they be Senators; and they are no lefs,
When, both your voices blended, the great'st tafte
Moft palates theirs. They chufe their magiftrate!
And fuch a one as he, who puts his fall,
His popular fall, against a graver Bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece! By Jove himself,

It

It makes the Confuls bafe; and my foul akes
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither fupream, how foon Confufion
May enter 'twixt the gap of Both, and take
The one by th' other.

Com. Well-On to th' market-place.

Cor. Who ever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o' th' ftore-houfe, gratis, as 'twas us'd Sometime in Greece

Men. Well, well, no more of that.

Cor. Though there the People had more abfolute
Power:

I fay, they nourish'd difobedience, fed

The ruin of the State.

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

Cor. I'll give my reasons,

More worthy than their voice. They know, the corn
Was not our recompence; refting affur'd,

They ne'er did fervice for't; being preft to th' war,
Even when the navel of the State was touch'd,
They would not thread the gates: this kind of fervice
Did not deserve corn gratis: Being i'th' war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they fhew'd
Moft valour, fpoke not for them. Th' accufation,
Which they have often made against the Senate,
All caufe unborn, could never be the native
Of our fo frank donation. Well, what then?
How fhall this Bofom-multiplied digeft

The Senate's courtefie? let deeds exprefs,

What's like to be their words- "We did request it"We are the greater poll, and in true fear

66

They gave us our demands. ".

-Thus we debafe

The nature of our Seats, and make the rabble

Call our cares, fears; which will in time break ope
The locks o' th' Senate, and bring in the crows

To peck the eagles.

Men. Come, enough."

Bru. Enough, with over measure.

Cor. No, take more.

What