1st Offi. That's a brave fellow; but he 's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

2nd Offi. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved they know not wherefore: so that if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see 't.

1st Offi. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm: but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him, and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes,—to flatter them for their love.

2nd Offi. He hath deserved worthily of his country: and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonneted without any further deed to have them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent and not. confess so much were a kind of ingrateful injury to report otherwise were a malice that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

1st Offi. No more of him: he is a worthy man. Make way; they are coming.

A Sennet. Enter, with lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.

Men. Having determined of the Volces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains, As the main point of this our after-meeting, To gratify his noble service that

Hath thus stood for his country. Therefore, please

He had rather venture all his limbs for honour Than one of his ears to hear it?-Proceed, Cominius.

Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Corio

lanus

Should not be uttered feebly.-It is held
That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
Most dignifies the haver: if it be,

The man I speak of cannot in the world

Be singly counterpoised. At sixteen years, When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator, Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight, When with his Amazonian chin he drove

The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'erpressed Roman, and i' the consul's view
Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee. In that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He proved best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-entered thus, he waxéd like a sea;
And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since,
He lurched all swords o' the garland.-For this
last,

Before and in Corioli, let me say,

I cannot speak him home. He stopped the fliers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into sport: as weeds before
A vessel under sail, so men obeyed,

And fell below his stem. His sword (death's stamp),
Where it did mark, it took: from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was timed with dying cries. Alone he entered
The mortal gate o' the city, which he painted
With shunless destiny: aidless came off,
And with a sudden reinforcement struck
Corioli like a planet :-now all's his :
When by-and-by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready sense: then straight his doubled spirit
Requickened what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he; where he did
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
"T were a perpetual spoil: and, till we called
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting.

Men.

Worthy man!

SCENE III. The same. The Forum.

Enter several Citizens.

1st Cit. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

2nd Cit. We may, sir, if we will.

3rd Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he shew us his wounds and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them: so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous: and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.

1st Cit. And to make us no better thought of a little help will serve for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

3rd Cit. We have been called so of many: not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured. And truly I think, if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o' the compass.

2nd Cit. Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would fly?

3rd Cit. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will; 't is strongly wedged up in a block-head: but if it were at liberty, 't would sure southward.

2nd Cit. Why that way?

3rd Cit. To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience' sake, to help to get thee a wife.

2nd Cit. You are never without your tricks :you may, you may.

3rd Cit. Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter; the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility: mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars: wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues. Therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him.

All. Content, content.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Cor. Mine own desert.

2nd Cit. Your own desert?

Cor. Ay, not mine own desire.

1st Cit. How! not your own desire? Cor. No, sir: 't was never my desire yet to trouble the poor with begging.

1st Cit. You must think, if we give you anything, we hope to gain by you.

Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship?

1st Cit. The price is, sir, to ask it kindly. Cor. Kindly, sir? I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to shew you, which shall be yours in private. Your good voice, sir: what say you? 2nd Cit. You shall have it, worthy sir.

Cor. A match, sir.-There is in all two worthy voices begged.—I have your alms: adieu. 1st Cit. But this is something odd! 2nd Cit. An 't were to give again,—but 'tis [Exeunt Citizens.

no matter.

Enter two other Citizens.

Cor. Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown.

3rd Cit. You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly. Cor. Your enigma?

3rd Cit. You have been a scourge to her enemies; you have been a rod to her friends: you have not, indeed, loved the common people.

Cor. You should account me the more virtuous that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my sworn brother the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them: 't is a condition they account gentle : and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating nod, and be off to them most counterfeitly: that is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular man, and give it bountifully to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you I may be consul.

4th Cit. We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily.

3rd Cit. You have received many wounds for your country.

Cor. I will not seal your knowledge with shewing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further.

Both Cit. The gods give you joy, sir, heartily! [Exeunt Citizens.

Cor. Most sweet voices!— Better it is to die, better to starve, Than crave the hire which first we do deserve. Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here, To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear, Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to 't! What custom wills, in all things should we do 't, The dust on antique time would lie unswept, And mountainous error be too highly heaped For truth to overpeer.-Rather than fool it so, Let the high office and the honour go

To one that would do thus.-I am half through: The one part suffered, the other will I do.

Enter three other Citizens.
Here come more voices.-

Your voices for your voices I have fought:
Watched for your voices; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
I have seen and heard of; for your voices
have

Done many things, some less, some more.-Your

voices:

Indeed I would be consul.

5th Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest man's voice.

6th Cit. Therefore let him be consul. The

but says

He used us scornfully. He should have shewed us His marks of merit; wounds received for his country.

Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure.

Cit. No, no; no man saw 'em. [Several speak. 3rd Cit. He said he had wounds, which he could shew 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 for your voices;— thank you;

Your most sweet voices! Now you have left your voices,

I have no further with you."-Was not this mockery?

Sic. Why, either were you ignorant to see 't, Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness To yield your voices?

Bru. Could you not have told him, As you were lessoned,-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.

Thus to have said,

Sic. As you were fore-advised, had touched his spirit And tried his inclination: from him plucked Either his gracious promise, which you might, As cause had called you up, have held him to; Or else it would have galled his surly nature, Which easily endures not article

Tying him to aught: so putting him to rage, You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler, And passed 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

bodies

No heart among you; or had you tongues to cry
Against the rectorship of judgment?
Have you,

Sic.

Ere now, denied the asker; and now again,
On him that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your sued-for tongues?

3rd Cit. He's not confirmed; we may deny him yet.

2nd Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound. 1st Cit. I 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