Cor. Moft fweet voices

Better it is to die, better to starve,

Than crave the hire, which firft we do deserve.
Why in this woolvish Gown fhould I ftand here,
To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear,
Their needlefs Voucher? Cuftom calls me to't-
What Cuftom wills in all things, fhould we do't,
The duft on antique time would lie unfwept,
And mountainous error be too highly heapt,
For truth to o'er-peer.

Rather than fool it fo,

Let the high Office and the Honour go

To one that would do thus.I am half through;
The one part fuffer'd, the other will I do.

Three Citizens more.

Here come more voices.

Your voices

for your voices I have fought, Watch'd for your voices; for your voices, bear Of wounds two dozen and odd: battels thrice fix I've seen, and heard of: for your voices, have Done many things, fome lefs, fome more :

voices :

Indeed, I would be Conful.

-your

1 Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honeft man's voice.

2 Cit. Therefore let him be Conful, the Gods give him joy, and make him a good friend to the People. All Amen, amen. God fave thee, noble Conful.

Cor. Worthy voices!

[Exeunt.

Enter Menenius, with Brutus and Sicinius.

Men. You've food your limitation: and the Tri

bunes

Endue you with the people's voice. Remains,

That in th' official marks invested, you

Anon do meet the Senate.

Cor. Is this done?

Sic. The Cuftom of Requeft you have difcharg'd:

The

The people do admit you, and are fummon'd
To meet anon, upon your approbation.
Cor. Where? at the Senate-house?
Sic. There, Coriolanus.

Cor. May I change these garments ?
Sic. You may, Sir.

Cor. That I'll ftraight do: and, knowing my felf again,

Repair to th' Senate-house.

Men. I'll keep you company. Will you along?
Bru. We ftay here for the people.

Sic. Fare you well.

[Exeunt Coriol. and Men

He has it now, and by his looks, methinks,

"Tis warm at's heart.

Bru. With a proud heart he wore

His humble Weeds: will you difmifs the people?

Enter Plebeians.

Sic. How now, my mafters, have you chofe this

man ?

1 Cit. He has our voices, Sir.

Bru. We pray the Gods, he

loves!

may deferve your

2 Cit. Amen, Sir: to my poor unworthy notice, He mock'd us, when he begg'd our voices.

3 Cit. Certainly, he flouted us down-right.

i Cit. No, 'tis his kind of speech, he did not mock

us.

2 Cit. Not one amongst us, fave your felf, but

fays,

He us'd us fcornfully: he should have shew'd us

His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for's Country.
Sic. Why, fo he did, I am fure..

All. No, no man faw 'em.

3

Cit. He faid, he'd wounds, which he could fhew
in private ;

And with his cap, thus waving it in fcorn,
I would be Conful, fays he: aged Custom,
But by your voices, will not fo permit me ;
Your voices therefore: when we granted that,

Here

I thank you for your 'voices

Here was

you

Your moft fweet voices

voices,

thank

now you have left your

I have nothing further with you. Wa'n't this mockery?
Sic. Why, either, were you ignorant to fee't?
Or, feeing it, of such childish friendliness

To yield your voices?

Bru. Could you not have told him,

As you were leffon'd; when he had no Power,
But was a petty fervant to the State,
He was your enemy; ftill spake against
Your liberties, and charters that you bear
I'th' body of the weal: and now arriving
At place of potency, and fway o'th' State,
If he fhould ftill malignantly remain
Faft foe to the Plebeians, your voices might
Be curfes to your felves. You should have faid,
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
'Than what he stood for; fo his gracious Nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Tranflate his malice tow'rds you into love,
Standing your friendly lord.

Sic. Thus to have faid,

As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his fpirit,
And try'd his inclination; from him pluckt
Either his gracious promife, which you might,
As caufe had call'd you up, have held him to;
Or else it would have gall'd his furly nature;
Which eafily endures not article,

Tying him to aught; fo, putting him to rage,
You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler,
And pafs'd him unelected.

Bru. Did you perceive,

He did follicit you in free contempt,

When he did need your loves? and do you think,
That his contempt fhall not be bruifing to you,

When he hath power to crush? why, had your bo

dies

No heart among you? or had you tongues, to cry

Against

Against the rectorship of judgment?

Sic. Have you,

Ere now, deny'd the asker? and, now again
On him that did not ask, but mock, bestow

Your fu'd-for tongues?

3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet.
2 Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that found.

1 Cit. I, twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

Bru. Get you hence inftantly, and tell those friends,
They've chose a Conful that will from them take
Their Liberties; make them of no more voice
Than dogs that are as often beat for barking,
As therefore kept to do so.

Sic. Let them affemble;
And on a fafer Judgment all revoke

Your ignorant election: enforce his Pride,
And his old hate to you: befides, forget not,
With what contempt he wore the humble Weed;
How in his fuit he fcorn'd
you: but your loves,
Thinking upon his fervices, took from you
The apprehenfion of his prefent portance;
Which gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After th' inveterate hate he bears to you.

Bru. Nay, lay a fault on us, your Tribunes, that
We labour'd (no impediment between)

But that you must caft your election on him.

Sic. Say, you chose him, more after our commandment,

Than guided by your own affections;

And that your minds, pre-occupied with what
You rather muft do, than what you should do,
Made you against the grain to voice him Conful.
Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, fpare us not: .fay, we read lectures to

you,

How youngly he began to ferve his Country,
How long continued; and what stock he fprings of,
The noble House of Marcius; from whence came

That

That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's fon,
Who, after great Hoftilius, here was King:
Of the fame houfe Publius and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither.
And Cenforinus, darling of the people,

(And nobly nam'd fo for twice being Cenfor)
Was his great Ancestor.

Sic. One thus defcended,

That hath befide well in his perfon wrought
To be fet high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his prefent Bearing with his past,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your fudden approbation.

Bru. Say, you ne'er had don't,

(Harp on that ftill) but by our putting on;
And prefently, when you have drawn your number,
Repair to th' Capitol.

All. We will fo; almost all repent in their election.

Bru. Let them go on :

[Exeunt Plebeians.

This mutiny were better put in hazard,

Than ftay paft doubt for greater:

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

With their refufal, both obferve and answer

The vantage of his anger.

Sic. To th' Capitol, come;

We will be there before the stream o'th' people :

And this fhall feem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT