Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their difpofition, and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly fee't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he wav'd indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully difcover him their oppofite. Now to feem to affect the malice and difpleasure of the people, is as bad as that, which he diflikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deferved worthily of his country: and his afcent is not by fuch easy degrees as thofe, who have been fupple and courteous to the people; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their eftimation and report: but he hath fo planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not confefs fo much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwife, were a malice, that, giving itself the lye, would pluck reproof and rebuke from ev'ry ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him, he is a worthy man: make way, they are coming..

Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themselves.

Men. Having determin'd of the Volfcians, and To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus food for his country. Therefore, please you,
Moft reverend and grave elders, to defire
The prefent conful, and laft general,
In our well-found fucceffes, to report
A little of that worthy work performed

By

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We met here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himfelf.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius:

Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our state's defective of requital,

Than we to stretch it out. Mafters o'th' people,
We do request your kindèft ear; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common body,
To yield what paffes here.

Sic. We are convented

Upon a pleafing treaty; and have hearts
Inclinable to honour and advance
The theam of our affembly.

Bru. Which the rather

We fhall be bleft to do, if he remember
A kinder value of the people, thần
He hath hitherto priz'd them at.

Men. That's off, that's off:

I would, you rather had been filent: please you
To hear Cominius fpeak?

Bru. Moft willingly:

But yet my caution was more pertinent,
Than the rebuke you give it.

Men. He loves your people,

But tie him not to be their bed-fellow:
Worthy Cominius, fpeak,

[Coriolanus rifes, and offers to go away.

Nay, keep your place.

i Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never fhame to hear What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your honours' pardon:

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,
Than hear fay, how I got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope,

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You footh not, therefore hurt not; but your people, I love them as they weigh.

Men.

Men. Pray now, fit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i' th' fun, When the alarm were ftruck, than idly fit

To hear my nothings monster'd.

Men. Mafters of the people,

[Exit Coriolanus.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
That's thousand to one good one? when you fee,
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.
Com. I fhall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus,
Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held,
That valour is the chiefeft virtue, and
Moft dignifies the haver: if it be,

The man, I fpeak of, cannot in the world
Be fingly counter-pois'd. At fixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then Dictator,
Whom with all praife I point at, faw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The briftled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-preft Roman, and i'th' Conful's view
Slew three oppofers: Tarquin's felf he met,
And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the fcene,
He prov'd th' beft man i'th' field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil-age
Man-entred thus, he waxed like a fea;
And, in the brunt of feventeen battles fince,
He lurcht all swords o'th' garland. For this laft,
Before and in Corioli, let me fay,

I cannot speak him home: he ftopt the flyers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into fport. As waves before
A veffel under fail, fo men obey'd,

And fell below his ftern: his fword, (death's ftamp)
Where it did mark, it took from face to foot:
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal gate o'th' city, which he painted
With fhunless destiny: aidless came off,

And

And with a fudden re-enforcement struck
Corioli, like a planet. Nor all's this;
For by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready fenfe, when, ftraight his doubled fpirit
Requicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he; where he did
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
"Twere a perpetual spoil; and 'till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.

Men. Worthy man!

1 Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the honours, Which we devife him.

Com. Our spoils he kick'd at,

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o'th' world: he covets lefs
Than mifery itfelf would give, rewards

His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend his time to end it.

Men. He's right noble,

Let him be called for.

Sen. Call Coriolanus.

Of. He doth appear.

Enter Coriolanus.

Men. The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee Conful."

Cor. I do owe them ftill

My life, and fervices.

Men. It then remains

That you do fpeak to th' people.

Cor. I beseech you,

Let me o'er-leap that cuftom; for I cannot
Put on the gown, ftand naked, and entreat them,
For my wounds' fake, to give their fuffragès:

Pleafe you, that I may pafs this doing.

Sic. Sir, the people must have their voices,

Nor will they bate one jot of ceremony.

Men. Put them not to't: pray, fit you to the cuftom,

And

And take t'ye, as your predeceffors have,

Your honour with your form.'

Cor. It is a part

That I fhall blush in acting, and might well
Be taken from the people.

Bru. Mark you that?

Cor. To brag unto them, thus I did,-and thus,Shew them th' unaking fears, which I would hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire

Of their breath only

T

Men. Do not ftand upon't:

We recommend t'ye, Tribunes of the people,
Our purpose to them, and to our noble Conful
Wish we all joy and honour.

Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!

[Flourish Cornets. Then Exeunt.

Manent Sicinius and Brutus.

Bru. You fee, how he intends to use the people. Sic. May they perceive's intent! he will require them, As if he did contemn what he requested

Should be in them to give.

Bru. (13) Come, we'll inform them

Of our proceedings here: on th' market place,

I know, they do attend us.

(13) Come, we'll inform them

Of our proceedings here on th' Market place,

[Exeunt.

I know they do attend us.] But the Tribunes were not now on the Market-place, but in the Capitol. The Pointing only wants to be rectified, and we fhall know what this Magiftrate would fay, viz. Come, I know the People attend us in the Forum; we will go and inform them what Proceedings have been here in the Senate."

SCENE