Than the feverity of publick power,

Which he fo fets at nought.

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 ?

Men. Hear me fpeak;

As I do know the Conful's worthiness,
So can I name his faults

Sic. Conful!--what Conful?
Men. The Conful Coriolanus.
Bru. He the 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 shall 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
Were but our danger, and to keep him here
Our certain death; therefore it is decreed
He dies to-night.

Men. Now the good Gods forbid,

That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude
Tow'rds her deferving children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam
Should now eat up her own!

Sic. He's a difeafe that must be cut away.
Men. Oh, he is but a limb, that has disease ;
Mortal, to cut it off; to cure it, eafie.
What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death?
Killing our enemies? the blood he hath loft

(Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath,

By

By many an ounce) he dropt it for his country :
And what is left, to lofe it by his country,
Were to us all that do't, and fuffer it,
A brand to th' end o' th' world.

Sic. This is clean kam.

Bru. Meerly awry: when he did love his country, It honour'd him.

Sic. The fervice of the foot

Being once gangreen'd, is is not then refpected
For what before it was

Bru. We'll hear no more.

Purfue him to his houfe, and pluck him thence,
Left his infection, being of catching nature,
Spread further.

Men. One word more, hear me one word:
This tiger-footed rage, when it fhall find

The harm of unícann'd fwiftnefs, will (too late)
Tye leaden pounds to's heels. Proceed by process,
Left parties (as he is belov'd) break out,
And fack great Rome with Romans.

Bru. If 'twere fo

Sic. What do ye talk?

Have we not had a tafte of his obedience?
Our Ediles fmote, our felves refifted? come
Men, Confider this; he hath been bred i'th' wars
Since he could draw a fword, and is ill-school'd
In boulted language, meal and bran together
He throws without diftinction. Give me leave,
I'll go to him, and undertake to bring him
Where he fhall answer by a lawful form,
In peace, to his utmost peril.

i Sen. Noble Tribunes,

It is the humane way: the other courfe
Will prove too bloody, and the end of i
Unknown to the beginning.

Be

Sic. Noble Menenius,

you then as the people's officer.

Mafters, lay down your weapons.

Bru. Go not home.

Sic, Mect on the Forum; we'll attend you there,

L 3

Where

Where if you bring not Martius, we'll proceed
In our first way.

Men. I'll go and bring him to you.

Let me defire your company; he must come,

Or what is worft will follow.

I Sen. Pray let's to him.

[To the Senators.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. The Houfe of Coriolanus.
Enter Coriolanus with Nobles.

Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears, prefent me,
Death on the wheel, or at wild horfes heels,

Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock,
That the precipitation might down stretch
Below the beam of fight, yet will I ftill
Be thus to them.

Enter Volumnia.

Noble. You do the nobler.

Cor. Imufe, my mother

Does not approve me further, who was wont
To call them woollen vaffals, things created
To buy and fell with groats, to fhew bare heads
In congregations, yawn, be ftill, and wonder,
When one but of my ordinance ftood up

To fpeak of peace, or war; (I talk of you) [To bis Mother
Why did you with me milder?. wou'd you have me
Falfe to my nature? rather fay, I play

Truly the man I am.

Vol. Oh, Sir, Sir, Sir,

I would have had you put your power well on,

Before you had worn it out.

Cor. Why let it go

Vol. You might have been enough the man you are,

With ftriving lefs to be fo. Leffer had been

The thwartings of your difpofition, if

You had not fhew'd them how you were difpos'd

Ere they lack'd power to cross you.

Cor. Let them hang..

Vel. Ay, and burn too.

Exter

Enter Menenius with the Senators.

Men. Come, come, you've been too rough, fomething too

You must return, and mend it.

Sen. There's no remedy,

Unless, by not fo doing, our good city

Cleave in the midft, and perish.
Vol. Pray be counsell'd;

I have a heart as little apt as yours,
But yet a brain that leads my use of anger

To better vantage.

Men. Well faid, noble woman:

Before he should thus ftoop to th' herd, but that
The violent fit o'th' times craves it as phyfick
For the whole ftate, I'd put mine armour on,
Which I can scarcely bear.

Cor. What must I do?

Men. Return to th' Tribunes.

Cor. Well, what then? what then?

Men. Repent what you have spoke.

Cor. For them? I cannot do it for the Gods,

Muft I then do't to them?

Vol. You are too abfolute,

Tho' therein you can never be too noble,
But when extremities fpeak. I've heard you say,
Honour and policy, like unfever'd friends,

I'th' war do grow together: grant that, and tell me,
In peace what each of them by th' other loses,
That they combine not there?

Cor. Tufh, tufh

Men. A good demand.

Vol. If it be honour in your wars, to feem
The fame you are not, which for your best ends
You call your policy: how is't lefs or worfe
That it fhall hold companionfhip in peace
With honour, as in war, fince that to both
It ftands in like request?

Cor. Why force you this?

[rough:

Vol. Because it lyes on you to fpeak to th' people : Not by your own inftruction, nor by th' matter

Which your heart prompts you to, but with fuch words

But

But roated on your tongue; baftards, and fyllables
Of no allowance to your bofom's truth.
Now, this no more difhonours you at all,
Than to take in a town with gentle words,
Which elfe would put you to your fortune, and
The hazard of much blood.

I would diffemble with my nature, where
My fortunes and my friends at ftake requir'd
I fhould do fo in honour. I'm in this

Your Wife, your Son, these Senators, the Nobles;
And you will rather fhew our general lowts,
How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon 'em,
For the inheritance of their loves, and safeguard
Of what that want might ruin.

Men. Noble Lady!

Come go with us, fpeak fair: you may falve so
Not what is dangerous prefent, but the lofs
Of what is paft.

Vol. I pr'ythee now, my fon,

Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand,
And thus far having stretch'd it (here be with them)
Thy knee buffing the ftones; (for in fuch business
Action is eloquence, and the eyes of th' ignorant
More learned than the ears) waving thy hand,
Which foften, thus, correcting thy ftout heart
Now humble as the ripeft mulberry,

That will not hold the handling; fay to them,
Thou art their foldier, and being bred in broils }
Haft not the foft way, which thou doft confess
Were fit for thee to use, as them to claim,
In asking their good loves, but thou wilt frame
Thy felf (forfooth) hereafter theirs fo far,
As thou haft power and perfon.

Men. This but done,

Ev'n as she speaks, why, all their hearts were your i
For they have pardons, being afk'd, as free,

As words to little purpose.

Vol. Pr'ythee now,

Go and be rul'd: altho' I know thou'dft rather
Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf