Men. Do you hear?

Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name: I urged our okl acquaintance, and the drops That we had bled together. Coriolanus He would not answer to; forbad all names; He was a kind of nothing, titlelefs,

"Till he had forged himself a name o' th' fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, fo; you've made good work:
A pair of tribunes, that have racked for Rome,
To make coals cheap: a noble memory!

Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon
When it was leaft expected. He replied,
It was a bare petition of a state
To one whom they had punished.

१

Men. Very well, could he fay lefs?
Com. I offered to awaken his regard
For's private friends. His anfwer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisom musty chaff. He faid, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And ftill to nofe th' offence.

Men. For one poor grain or two?

I'm one of those his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too, we are the grains;
You are the mufty chaff; and you are finelt
Above the moon. We must be burnt for you.

Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: if you refufe your aid
In this fo-never-needed help, yet do not
Upbraid us with our diftrefs. But, fure, if you
Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the inftant army we could make,
Might ftop our countryman.

Men. No: I'll not meddle.
Sic. Pray you, go to him.
Men. What fhould I do?

Bru. Only make trial what your love can do For Rome, towards Marcius.

Men. Well, and fay that Marcius
Return me, as Cominius is returned,
Unheard: (what then?)

But as a difcontented friend, grief-fhot
With his unkindness.

Say't be fo?

Sic. Yet your good will

Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure As you intended well.

Men. I'll undertake it :

I think he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip,

And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well, he had not dined.-
The veins unfilled, our blood is cold, and then (37)
We pout upon the morning, are unapt

To give or to forgive: but when we've stuffed
Thefe pipes, and these conveyances of blood
With wine and feeding, we have fuppler fouls
Than in our prieft-like fafts; therefore I'll watch him
"Till he be dieted to my request,

And then I'll fet upon him.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lofe your way.

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,

Speed how it will. I fhall ere long have knowledge

Of my fuccefs.

Com. He'll never hear him.

Sic. Not?

[Exit.

Com. I tell you, he does fit in gold, his eye Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury The goaler to his pity. I kneeled before him; 'Twas very faintly he faid, rife: difmiffed me

(37) The veins unfilled, our blood is cold, &c.] Lord Bacon fomewhere in his effays makes this very remark concerning the feafons of folicitation.

Thus, with his fpeechlefs hand. What he would do,
He fent in writing after; what he would not,
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions:
So that all hope is vain, unless his mother
And wife,---who (as I hear) mean to folicit him,
For mercy to his country: therefore hence,
And with our fair entreaties hafte them on. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Volfcian Camp.
Enter MENENIUS to the Watch or Guard.

1 Watch. Stay: whence are you?

2 Watch. Stand, and go back.

Men. You guard like men, 'tis well. But, by your I am an officer of ftate, and come

To fpeak with Coriolanus.

1 Watch. Whence?

Men. From Rome.

[leave,

1 Watch. You may not pafs, you must return: Will no more hear from thence. [our general 2 Watch. You'll fee your Rome embraced with fire, You'll fpeak with Coriolanus. [before

Men. Good my friends,

If you have heard your general talk of Rome,
And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks,
My name hath touched your ears; it is Menenius.
Watch. Be it fo, go back: the virtue of your name
Is not here paffable.

Men. I tell thee, fellow,

Thy general is my lover: I have been

The book of his good acts; whence men have read His fame unparallel'd happily amplified:

For I have ever verified my friends,

(Of whom he's chief) with all the fize that verity Would without lapfing fuffer: nay, fometimes, Like to a bowl upon a fubile ground,

I've tumbled paft the throw; and in his praife Have almoft itamp'd the leafing. Therefore, fellow, I must have leave to pass.

1 Watch. Faith, Sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have uttered words in your own, you fhould not pass here: no, though it were 'as virtuous to lye, as to live chately. Therefore, go back.

Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember, my name is Menenius; always factionary of the party of your general

2 Watch. Howfoever you have been his liar, (as you fay you have;) I am one that, telling true under him, muft fay, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back.

Men. Has he dined, canft thou tell? for I would not fpeak with him 'till after dinner.

Watch. You are a Roman, are you?

Men. I am as thy general is.

I Watch. Then you fhould hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pushed out of your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your fhield, think to front his revenges with the eafy groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palfied interceffion of fuch a decayed dotard as you feem to be? can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with fuch weak breath as this? no, you are deceived, therefore back to Rome, and prepare for your execution; you are condemned, our general has fworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would ufe me with estimation.

I Watch. Come, my captain knows you not,
Men. I mean, thy general.

1 Watch. My general cares not for you. Back, Ifay, go; left I let forth thy half pint of blood. Back, that's the utmost of your having, back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,------

Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS.

Cor. What's the matter?

Men. Now, you companion, I'll fay an errand for you; you fhall know now that I am in estimation; you fhall perceive, that a Jack-guardant cannot office me from my fon Coriolanus; guefs but my entertainment with him; if thou ftand'st not i' th' ftate of hanging, or of fome death more long in fpectatorship, and crueller in fuffering, behold now presently, and fwoon for what's to come upon thee.The glorious gods fit in hourly fynod about thy particular profperity, and love thee no worfe than thy old father Menenius does! Oh my fon, my fon! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly mov'd to come to thee; but being affured none but myfelf could move thee, I have been blown out of our gates with fighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods affuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee-------

Cor. Away!

Men. How, away?

Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My af Are fervanted to others: though I owe

My revenge properly, remiffion lyes

[fairs

In Volfcian breafts. (38) That we have been famiIngrate forgetfulness fhall prifon, rather

[liar,