Cor. Where? at the senate-house?

Sic.

Cor. May I change these garments?

Sic. You may,

Sir.

There, Coriolanus.

Cor. That I'll straight do; and, knowing myself again, Repair to the senate-house.

Men. I'll keep you company.

Bru. We stay here for the people.

Sic.

Will you along?

Fare you well.

[Exeunt CORIOL. and MENEN.

With a proud heart he wore

He has it now; and by his looks, methinks, 'Tis warm at 's heart.

Bru.

His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people?

Re-enter Citizens.

Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man?
He has our voices, Sir.

1 Cit.

Bru.

We pray the gods he may deserve your loves. 2 Cit. Amen, Sir. To my poor unworthy notice, He mock'd us when he begg'd our voices.

3 Cit.

He flouted us down-right.

Certainly,

1 Cit. No, 't is his kind of speech; he did not mock us. 2 Cit. Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says, He us'd us scornfully: he should have show'd us His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for's country. Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure.

All.

No, no; no man saw em.

3 Cit. He said, he had wounds, which he could show in

private;

And with his hat thus waving it in scorn,

"I would be consul," says he: "aged custom,
But by your voices, will not so permit me;
Your voices therefore." When we granted that,
Here was, "I thank you

Your most sweet voices:
I have no farther with you.".

Sic. Why, either, were you ignorant to see 't, Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness

To yield your voices?

Bru.

As you were lesson'd

Could you not have told him, when he had no power,

But was a petty servant to the state,

He was your enemy; ever spake against
Your liberties, and the charters that you bear
I' the body of the weal: and now, arriving
A place of potency, and sway o' the state,
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves.
You should have said,
That, as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Translate his malice towards you into love,
Standing your friendly lord.

Sic.
Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit,
And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had called you up, have held him to,
Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article

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

Bru.
Did you perceive,
He did solicit you in free contempt,
When he did need your loves, and do you think,
That his contempt shall not be bruising to you,
When he hath power to crush? Why, had your
No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry
Against the rectorship of judgment?

Sic.

Have you,

Ere now, denied the asker; and, now again,

bodies

Of him, that did not ask, but mock, bestow

Your sued-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 sound.

1 Cit. Ay, twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em. Bru. Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends,

They have chose a consul 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 assemble;
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke
Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed;
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 most 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, twice being censor,

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,
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 on;

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 't is, their own,

Which we have goaded onward.

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

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 Volsces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon us again.

Lart. On safe-guard he came to me; and did curse

Against the Volsces, 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.

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people,

[TO LARTIUS.

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?

Pass no farther.

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on: no farther.

Cor. What makes this change?

Men.

The matter?

Com. Hath he not pass'd the noble, and the common?
Bru. Cominius, no.

Gor.

"Have I had children's voices?

Sen. Tribunes, give way: he shall to the market-place.