What may be fworn by, both divine and human, Real neceffities, and give way the while To vamp a body with a dangerous phyfick, Bru. H'as faid enough. Sic. H'as fpoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do. Cor. Thou wretch! Defpight o'rwhelm thee!. What should the people do with these bald Tribunes ? On whom depending, their obedience fails To th' greater bench. In a Rebellion, When what's not meet, but what must be, was law, Let what is meet, be faid, it must be meet, And throw their Power i'th' duft. Bru. Manifeft treason Bru. The Ediles, ho! let him be apprehended. [Ediles Enter. Sic. Go, call the people, in whose name my felf Attach thee as a traiterous innovator: A foe to th' publick weal. Obey, I charge thee, Cor. Cor. Hence, old goat! All. We'll furety him. Com. Ag'd Sir, hands off. Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments. Sic. Help me, citizens. Enter a Rabble of Plebeians, with the Ediles. Men. On both fides, more respect. Sic. Here's he, that would take from you all your power. Bru. Seize him, Ediles. All. Down with him, down with him! 2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about Coriolanus. Tribunes, Patricians, Citizens what ho! Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanns, citizens! All. Peace, peace, peace, ftay, hold, peace! Men. What is about to be? I am out of breath; Confufion's near, I cannot speak. -You Tribunes, Coriolanus, patience; speak, Sicinius. Sic. Hear me, people peace. All. Let's hear our Tribune; peace; fpeak, fpeak, speak. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you: Marcius, Whom late you nam'd for Conful. Men. Fie, fie, fie. This is the way to kindle, not to quench. Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat. All. True, the people are the city. Bru. By the confent of all, we were establish'd The people's magistrates. All. You fo remain. Men. And fo are like to do. Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat; To bring the roof to the foundation, And bury all, which yet diftin&tly ranges, Sic. This deferves death. Bru. Or let us ftand to our Authority, Or let us lofe it; we do here pronounce, Upon the part o'th' people, in whose power We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy Of prefent death. Sic. Therefore lay hold on him; Bear him to th' rock Tarpeian, and from thence Bru. Adiles, feize him. All Ple. Yield, Marcius, yield. Men. Hear me one word; 'befeech you, Tribunes, hear me but a word. - Adiles. Peace, peace. Men. Be that you feem, truly your Country's friends, And temp'rately proceed to what you would Thus violently redrefs. Bru. Sir, thofe cold ways, That feem like prudent helps, Where the difeafe is violent. And bear him to the Rock. are very poisonous, Cor. No; I'll dye here. There's fome among you have beheld me fighting, Come, try upon your felves, what you have feen me. Men. Down with that sword; Tribunes, withdraw a while. Bru. Lay hands upon him. Men. Help Marcius, help -- you that be noble, help him young and old. All. Down with him, down with him. [Exeunt. [In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ediles, and the people are beat in. Men. Go, get you to your houfe; be gone, away, All will be naught elfe. 2 Sen. Get you gone. Com. Stand faft, we have as many friends as ene mies. Men. Shall it be put to That? Sen. The Gods forbid ! I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house, Leave us to cure this cause. Men. For 'tis a fore, You cannot tent your felf; begone, 'befeech you. Men. I would, they were Barbarians, (as they are, Though in Rome litter'd ;) not Romans: (as they are not, Though calved in the porch o'th' Capitol :) Begone, put not your worthy rage into your tongue, Cor. On fair ground I could beat forty of them. Men. I could my self take up a brace 'oth' best of them; yea, the two Tribunes. Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick: Men. Pray you, be gone: I'll try, if my old wit be in request With those that have but little; this must be patcht Com. Come, away. [Exeunt Coriolanus and Cominius. He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for's power to thunder: his heart's his mouth : What his breaft forges, that his tongue must vent;} And, being angry, does forget that ever He heard the name of death. Here's goodly work. 2 Sen. I would, they were a-bed. [A noife within. Men. I would, they were in Tyber. What, the vengeance, Could he not speak 'em fair? Enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rabble again. Sic. Where is this viper, That would depopulate the city, and Be Be every man himself? Mcn. You worthy Tribunes Sic. He fhall be thrown down the Tarpeian Rock Which he fo fets at nought. 1 Cit. He fhall well know, the noble Tribunes are The people's mouths, and we their hands. All. He fhall, be fure on't. Men. Sir, Sir, Sic. Peace. Men. Do not cry havock, where you should but hunt With modeft warrant. Sic. Sir, how comes it, you Have holp to make this rescue ? As I do know the Conful's worthiness, So can I name his faults Sic. Conful! what Conful! Men. The Conful Coriolanus. Bru. He Conful! All. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If by the Tribunes' leave, and yours,good people, I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which fhall turn you to no further harm, Than fo much lofs of time. Sic. Speak briefly then, For we are peremptory to dispatch This viperous traitor; to eject him hence, (15) (15) To eject him hence Were but one danger, and to keep him here Our certain Death;] This Reading, which has ob tain'd in the printed Copies, deftroys that Climax which evidently feems defign'd here, and thereby Hattens the Sentiment. In my Opinion, the Tribune would fay, "To banish him, will "be hazardous to Us; to let him remain at home, our cer"tain Destruction. He |