How in his suit he scorn'd you: but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehension of his present portance',
Which gibingly †, ungravely, he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.

Bru.

Lay
A fault on us, your tribunes ; that we labour'd
(No impediment between) but that you must
Cast your election on him.

Sic.
Say, you chose him
More after our commandment, than as guided
By your own true affections: and that, your minds
Pre-occupy'd with what you rather must do
Than what you should, made you against the grain
To voice him consul: Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, spare us not. Say, we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to serve his country,

How long continued: and what stock he springs of,
The noble house o'the Marcians; from whence came
That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son,
Who, after great Hostilius, here was king:
Of the same house Publius, and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither;
And Censorinus, darling of the people,

And nobly nam❜d so, being censor twice ‡,
Was his great ancestor.

Sic.
One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances: but you have found,
Scaling his present bearing with his past 2,

2 Scaling his present bearing with his past,] That is, weighing his past and present behaviour.

VOL. VI.

N n

That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.

Bru.

Say, you ne'er had done't,

(Harp on that still,) but by our putting on3:

And presently, when you have drawn your number,

This mutiny were better put in hazard,

Than stay, past doubt, for greater:

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

With their refusal, both observe and answer

The vantage of his anger.

Sic.

To the Capitol :

Come; we'll be there before the stream o'the people;
And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-The same. A Street.

Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head? Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which caus'd Our swifter composition.

Cor. So then the Volces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon us again.

The vantage of his anger.] Mark, catch, and improve the opportunity, which his hasty anger will afford us.

Com.

They are worn, lord consul, so,

That we shall hardly in our ages see

Their banners wave again.

Cor.

Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On safe-guard he came to me'; and did curse Against the Volces, for they had so vilely

Yielded the town: he is retir'd to Antium.

Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart.

Cor.

He did, my lord.

How? what?

Lart. How often he had met you, sword to sword: That, of all things upon the earth, he hated Your person most: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd 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.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

[TO LARTIUS.

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

Against all noble sufferance.

Sic.

Cor. Ha! what is that?
Bru.

Go on: no further.

Cor.
Men.

Pass no further.

It will be dangerous to

What makes this change?

The matter?

5 On safe-guard he came to me ;] i. e. with a convoy, a guard appointed to protect him.

6 prank them in authority,] Plume, deck, dignify themselves.

Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles, and the com

mons?

Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor.

Have I had children's voices?

1 Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market

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 purpos'd 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 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 suppliants for the people; call'd them
Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

Cor. Why, this was known before.
Bru.

Cor. Have you inform'd them since ?

Bru.

Not to them all.

How! I inform them!

Not unlike,

Cor. You are like to do such business.
Bru

Each way, to better yours.

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 abus'd: Set on.

palt'ring

Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus
Deserv'd this so dishonour'd 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 ;

Men. Not now, not now.

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
Regard me as I do not flatter, and

Therein behold themselves': I say again,

In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate
The cockle of rebellion', insolence, sedition,

Which we ourselves have plough'd for, sow'd and scat

ter'd,

By mingling them with us, the honour'd number;

Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that

Which they have given to beggars.

Men.

8 This palt'ring

Well, no more.

Becomes not Rome ;] That is, this trick of dissimulation; this

shuffling.

1

rub, laid falsely, &c.] Falsely for treacherously.

let them

Regard me as I do not flatter, and

Therein behold themselves:] Let them look in the mirror which I hold up to them, a mirror which does not flatter, and see themselves. JOHNSON.

2 The cockle of rebellion,] Cockle is a weed which grows up with the corn.