Bru.

SCENE changes to the FORUM.

IN

Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

N this point charge him home, that he affects
Tyrannic power: if he evade us there,

Inforce him with his envy to the people,

And that the fpoil, got on the Antiates,

Was ne'er diftributed.

What, will he come ?

Enter an Edile..

Ed. He's coming."

Bru. How accompanied ?

Ed. With old Menenius, and thofe Senators That always favour'd him.

Sic. Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by th' poll?

Ed. I have; 'tis ready, here.

Sic. Have you collected them by Tribes ?
Ed. I have.

Sic. Affemble prefently the people hither,
And, when they hear me fay, It shall be so,

I'th' right and ftrength o'th' commons; (be it either
For death, for fine, or banishment,) then let them,
If I fay fine, cry fine, if death, cry death;
Infifting on the old prerogative

And power i'th' truth o'th' caufe.

Ed. I will inform them.

Bru. And when fuch time they have begun to cry, Let them not ceafe, but with a din confus'd

Inforce the prefent execution

Of what we chance to fentence.

Ed. Very well.

Sic. Make them be ftrong and ready for this hint, When we fhall hap to giv't them.

Bru. Go about it,

[Exit Edile.

Ever

Put him to choler ftreight; he hath been us'd
S

VOL. VI.

Ever to conquer, and to have his word

Of contradiction. Being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temp'rance; then he speaks

What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck.

Enter Coriolanus, Menenius and Cominius with others.

Sic. Well, here he comes.

Men. Calmly, I do befeech you.

Cor. Ay, as an hoftler, that for the poorest piece
Will bear the knave by th' volume:-The honour'd gods
Keep Rome in fafety, and the chairs of juftice

Supply with worthy men, (21) plant love amongst you.
Throng our large temples with the fhews of peace,
And not our ftreets with war!

1 Sen. Amen, amen!
Men. A noble with.

Enter the Edile with the Plebeians.

Sic. Draw near, ye people.

Ed. Lift to your Tribunes: audience;

Peace, I fay.

Cor. Firit, hear me fpeak.

Both Tri. Well, fay: peace, ho.

Cor. Shall I be charg'd no farther than this prefent? Muft all determine here ?

Sic. I do demand,

If you fubmit you to the People's voices,

Allow their officers, and are content

To fuffer lawful cenfure for fuch faults

As fhall be prov'd upon you?

(21)

plant Love among you

Through our large Temples with the Shews of Peace,

And not our Streets with War.] Though this be the Reading of all the Copies, it is flat Nonfenfe. There is no Verb either expreft, or understood, that can govern the latter Part of the Sentence. I have no doubt of my Emendation restoring the Text rightly, becaufe Mr. Warburton ftarted the fame Conjecture, unknowing that I had meddled with the Paffage.

Cor.

Cor. I am content.

Men. Lo, citizens, he fays he is content :
The warlike service he has done, confider;

Think on the wounds his body bears, which fhew
Like graves i'th' holy church-yard.

Cor. Scratches with briars, fcars to move laughter only. Men. Confider further:

That when he speaks not like a citizen,

You find him like a foldier; (22) do not take
His rougher accents for malicious founds :
But, as I fay, fuch as become a foldier.
Rather than envy, you

Com. Well, well, no more.

Cor. What is the matter,

That being paft for Conful with full voice,
I'm fo dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sic. Anfwer to us.

Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought fo.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all feafon'd office, and to wind

Yourfelf unto a power tyrannical;

For which you are a traitor to the people.
Cor. How? traitor?-

Men. Nay, temperately: your promife.

Cor. The fires i'th' loweft hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor! thou injurious Tribune! Within thine eyes fate twenty thousand deaths, In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in Thy lying tongue both numbers; I would fay, Thou lieft, unto thee, with a voice as free, As I do pray the Gods.

(22)

do not take

His rougher Actions for malicious founds :] I have no manner of Apprenention how a Man's Actions can be miftaken for Words. It would be very abfurd, as well as extraordinary, were I to do a faucy Thing in Company, for the Perfon offended to tell me, Sir, you give me very impudent Language. This would be, certainly, taking Actions for Sounds ----We may remember, a Roughness of Accent was one of Coriolanus's diftinguishing Characteristicks.

Sic. Mark you this, people?

All. To th' Rock with him.

Sic. Peace:

We need not lay new matter to his charge:
What you have feen him do, and heard him speak,
Beating your Officers, curfing yourselves,
Oppofing laws with ftrokes, and here defying
Those whofe great Power must try him, even this
So criminal, and in fuch capital kind,
Deferves th' extreameft death.

Bru. But fince he hath

Serv'd well for Rome

Cor. What do you prate of service?
Bru. I talk of that, that know it.

Cor. You?——————

Men. Is this the promise that you made your Mother? Com. Know, I pray you——

Cor. I'll know no farther:

Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,
Vagabond exile, fleaing, pent to linger
But with a grain a-day, I would not buy
Their mercy at the price of one fair word;
Nor check my courage for what they can give,
To hav't with saying, good-morrow.

Sic. For that he has

(As much as in him lies) from time to time
Envy'd against the people; feeking means
To pluck away their Power; as now at last
Giv'n hoftile ftrokes, and that not in the prefence
Of dreaded juftice, but on the minifters

That do diftribute it; in the name o'th' people,
And in the power of us the Tribunes, we
(Ev'n from this inftant) banish him our city;
In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more

To enter our Rome's Gates.

I fay, it fhall be fo.

I'th' People's name,

All. It fhall be fo, it shall be fo; let him away: He's banish'd, and it shall be fo.

Com. Hear me, my mafters, and my common friends

Sic. He's fentenc'd: no more hearing.
Com. Let me speak:

(23) I have been Conful, and can fhew for Rome
Her enemies' marks upon me.

I do love

My country's good, with a refpect more tender,
More holy, and profound, than mine own life,
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins: then if I would
Speak that

Sic. We know your drift. Speak what?

Bru. There's no more to be faid, but he's banish'd As enemy to the people and his country.

It fhall be fo.

All. It fhall be fo, it fhall be fo.

Cor. You common cry of curs, whofe breath I hate,
As reek o'th' rotten fenns; whofe loves I prize,
As the dead carkaffes of unburied men,

That do corrupt my air: I banish you:
And here remain with your uncertainty ;
Let every feeble rumour fhake your hearts;
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into defpair: have the power still
To banish your defenders, 'till at length,
Your ignorance (which finds not, 'till it feels;
Making but refervation of yourselves
Still your own enemies) deliver you,
As moft abated captives, to fome nation
That won you without blows! Defpifing then,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:

(23) I have been Conful, and can fhew from Rome

Her Enemies Marks upon me.] How, from Rome? Did he receive hoftile Marks from his own Country? No fuch thing. He received them in the fervice of Rome. So, twice in the Beginning of next Act, it is faid of Coriolanus ;

-Had thou Foxfhip

To banish him, that fruck more Blows for Rome,
Than thou haft spoken Words ?

And again;

Good Man: the Wounds that he does bear for Rome!