That, of all things upon the earth, he hated Your person most; that he would pawn his fortunes Be called your vanquisher. Cor. Lart. At Antium. At Antium lives he? Cor. I wish I had a cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully.-Welcome home. [To LARTIUS. Behold! these are the tribunes of the people, Against all noble sufferance. Sic. Cor. Ha! what is that? Go on; no further. Pass no further. It will be dangerous to The matter? Cor. What makes this change? Men. Com. Hath he not passed the nobles, and the commons? Bru. Cominius, no. Cor. Have I had children's voices? 1 Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place. Bru. The people are incensed against him. Sic. Or all will fall in broil. Stop, Cor. Are these your herd?— Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And straight 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 purposed thing, and grows by plot, To curb the will of the nobility. Suffer it, and live with such as cannot rule, Nor ever will be ruled. Bru. Call't not a plot. The people cry, you mocked them; and, of late, When corn was given them gratis, you repined; Scandalled the suppliants for the people; called them Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness. Cor. Why, this was known before. Bru. Not to them all. Cor. Have you informed them since? How! I inform them! Cor. You are like to do such business. Bru. Each way to better yours. Not unlike, Cor. Why then should I be consul? By yon clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me Your fellow tribune. Sic. You show too much of that, For which the people stir. If you will pass To where you are bound, you must inquire your way, Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit; Or never be so noble as a consul, Nor yoke with him for tribune. Men. Let's be calm. Com. The people are abused;-Set on.-This paltering Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus Deserved this so dishonored rub, laid falsely I' the plain way of his merit. Cor. Tell me of corn! This was my speech, and I will speak't again ;— 1 Sen. Not in this heat, sir, now. Cor. Now, as I live, I will.-My nobler friends, I crave their pardons: For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them Therein behold themselves. I say again, In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition, Which we ourselves have ploughed for, sowed, and scattered, By mingling them with us, the honored number; Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that Which they have given to beggars. Men. Well, no more. 1 Sen. No more words, we beseech you. Cor. How! no more? As for my country I have shed my blood, Bru. You speak o' the people, As if you were a god to punish, not Sic. We let the people know't. "Twere well What, what? his choler? Cor. Choler! Were I as patient as the midnight sleep, Sie. It is a mind That shall remain a poison where it is, Not poison any further. Cor. Shall remain! Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you Com. Cor. 'Twas from the canon. Shall! O good, but most unwise patricians, why, You grave, but reckless senators, have you thus That with his peremptory shall, being but The horn and noise o' the monsters, wants not spirit And make your channel his? If he have power, Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians, May enter 'twixt the gap of both, and take Com. Well-on to the market-place. Cor. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o'the storehouse gratis, as 'twas used Sometime in Greece, Men. Well, well, no more of that. Cor. (Though there the people had more absolute power,) I say they nourished disobedience, fed The ruin of the state. Bru. Why, shall the people give One, that speaks thus, their voice? Cor. I'll give my reasons, More worthier than their voices. They know the corn Was not our recompense; resting well assured They ne'er did service for't. Being pressed to the war, The senate's courtesy? Let deeds express Men. Come, enough.Bru. Enough, with over-measure. Cor. No, take more. What may be sworn by, both divine and human, Seal what I end withal!-This double worship,Where one part does disdain with cause, the other Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wisdom Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no Of general ignorance,-it must omit Real necessities, and give way the while To unstable slightness; purpose so barred, it follows, Nothing is done to purpose. Therefore, beseech you,— You that will be less fearful than discreet; That love the fundamental part of state, More than you doubt the change of't; that prefer To jump a body with a dangerous physic That's sure of death without it,-at once pluck out Bru. He has said enough. Sic. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do. Cor. Thou wretch! despite o'erwhelm thee!— What should the people do with these bald tribunes? On whom depending, their obedience fails To the greater bench. In a rebellion, When what's not meet, but what must be, was law, Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet, And throw their power i' the dust. Bru. Manifest treason. Sic. This a consul? no. Bru. The ædiles, ho!-Let him be apprehended. Sic. Go, call the people; [Exit BRUTUS ;] in whose name, myself Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator, A foe to the public weal. Obey, I charge thee, And follow to thine answer. Cor. Hence, old goat! Sen. & Pat. We'll surety him. Com. Aged sir, hands off. Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones. Out of thy garments. Sic. Help, ye citizens. Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ediles, and a rabble of Citizens. Men. On both sides, more respect. Sic. Here's he, that would Seize him, ædiles. [Several speak. Cit. Down with him, down with him! 2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about CORIOLANUS. Tribunes, patricians, citizens!-what ho!- Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace! To the people.-Coriolanus, patience. Speak, good Sicinius. Sic. Hear me, people; -peace. Cit. Let's hear our tribune;-peace. Speak, speak, speak. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties; Marcius would have all from you; Marcius, Whom late you have named for consul. Fie, fie, fie! Men. |