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As for my Country I have fhed my blood,
Not fearing outward force; fo fhall my lungs
Coin words 'till their decay, against those measles,
Which we difdain fhould tetter us, yet seek
The very way to catch them.

Bru. You fpeak o' th' people, as you were a God To punish, not a man of their infirmity.

Sic. 'Twere well, we let the people know't.
Men. What, what! his choler?

Cor. Choler! were I as patient as the midnight sleep, By Jove, 'twould be my mind.

Sic. It is a mind

That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poifon any further.

Cor. Shall remain ?

Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you
His abfolute fhall?

Com. 'Twas from the canon.

Cor. Shall!

O good, but most unwife Patricians, why,

*You grave, but reckless Senators, have you thus Given Hydra here to chufe an officer,

That with his peremptory fhall, being but

The horn and noise o' th' monfters, wants not spirit
To fay, he'll turn you current in a ditch,
And make your channel his? If he have power,
Then vail your ignorance; If none, awake
Your dangerous lenity: if you are learned,
Be not as common fools; if you are not,
Let them have cushions by you. You're Plebeians,
If they be Senators; and they are no lefs,

When, both your vioces blended, the great'st taste
Moft palates theirs. They chufe their magiftrate!
And fuch a one as he, who puts his fhall,
His popular fhall, against a graver Bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece! By Jove himself,

You grave, but Wreckless Senators,-] We fhould read,
Recklefs Senators,-

i. e. Carelefs.

It makes the Confuls base; and my foul akes
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither fupreme, how foon Confufion

May enter 'twixt the gap of Both, and take
The one by th' other.

Com. Well-On to th' market-place.

Cor. Who ever gave that counfel, to give forth. The corn o'th lore-house, gratis, as 'twas usid Sometime in Greece:

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Men. Well, well, no more of that,

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Cor. Though there the People had more abfolute I fay, they nourish'd difobedience, fed

The ruin of the State.

Bru. Why fhall the people give One, that speaks thus, their voice?

Cor. I'll give my reasons,

More worthy than their voice. They know, the corn
Was not our recompence; refting affur'd,

They ne'er did fervice for't; being preft to th' war,
Even when the navel of the State was touch'd,.,
They would not thread the gates: this kind of fervice
Did not deferve corn gratis: Being i' th' war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they fhew'd
Moft valour, fpoke not for them. Th' accufation,
Which they have often made against the Senate,
All caufe unborn, could never be the native
Of our fo frank donation. Well, what then?
How fhall this Bofom-multiplied digeft
The Senate's courtesy? let deeds exprefs,
What's like to be their words-We did request it—
We are the greater poll, and in true fear ·

They gave us our demands.-Thus we debase

The nature of our Seats, and make the rabble
Call our cares, fears; which will in time break ope
The locks o' th' Senate, and bring in the crows
To peck the eagles.-

Men. Come, enough.

Bru. Enough, with over measure.

Cor.

Cor. No, take more;

What may be fworn by. Both Divine and Human
Seal what I end withal--This double worship,
Where one part does difdain with caufe, the other
Infult without all reafon; where gentry, title, wisdom,
Cannot conclude but by the yea and no
Of gen'ral ignorance, it must omit

Real neceffities, and give way the while

.

T'unstable slightness; purpose fo barr'd, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpose. Therefore beseech you,
(You that will be less fearful than difcreet,
That love the fundamental part of State

More than you doubt the change of't; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and with

To vamp a body with a dangerous phyfic,
That's fure of death without;) at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The fweet which is their poifon. Your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the State
Of that integrity which fhould become it:

Not having power to do the good it would,
For th' ill which doth controul it.

Bru. H'as faid enough.

Sic. H'as fpoken like a traitor, and fhall anfwer As traitors do.

Cor. Thou wretch! Defpight o'erwhelm thee!What should the people do with these bald Tribunes? On whom depending, their obedience fails.

To th' greater bench. In a Rebellion,

When what's not meet, but what muft be, was law,
Then were they chofen; in a better hour,

Let what is meet, be faid, it must be law,
And throw their Power i'th' duft.

Bru. Manifeft treafon

Sic. This a Conful? no.

Bru. The Ediles, ho! let him be apprehended.

C 6

[Ediles enter.

Sic.

Sic. Go, call the people, in whofe name myself Attach thee as a traiterous innovator:

A foe to th' public weal. Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

Cor. Hence, old goat!

All. We'll furety him.

Com. Ag'd Sir, hands off.

[Laying hold on Cori.

Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments.

Sic. Help me, citizens.

Men.

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Enter a Rabble of Plebeians, with the Ediles.
N both fides, more respect.

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Sic. Here's he, that would take from all your power.

Bru. Seize him, Ediles.

All. Down with him, down with him! 2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons!

you

[They all bustle about Coriolanus. Tribunes, Patricians, Citizens-what ho! Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens !

All. Peace, peace, peace, ftay, hold, peace! Men. What is about to be?—I am out of breath; Confufion's near, I cannot speak,-You Tribunes, Coriolanus, patience; fpeak, Sicinius.

Sic. Hear me, people-peace.

All. Let's hear our Tribune; peace; speak, speak, speak.

Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you: Marcius, Whom late you nam'd for Conful.

Men. Fie, fie, fie.

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.
Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
Sic. What is the city, but the people?
All. True, the people are the city.

Bru.

Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magiftrates.

All. You fo remain.

Men. And fo are like to do.

Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat;
To bring the roof to the foundation,
And bury all, which yet diftinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

Sic. This deferves death.

Bru. Or let us ftand to our Authority,
Or let us lose it; we do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' th' people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of prefent death.

Sic. Therefore lay hold on him;

Bear him to th' rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into deftruction caft him.

Bru. Ediles, feize him.

All Ple. Yield, Marcius, yield.

Men. Hear me one word; 'befeech you, Tribunes, hear me but a word

Ediles. Peace, peace.

Men. Be that you seem, truly your Country's friends, And temp'rately proceed to what you would Thus violently redrefs.

Bru. Sir, thofe cold ways,

That feem like prudent helps, are very poisonous, Where the difeafe is violent. Lay hands on him, And bear him to the rock.

Cor. No; I'll die here.

[Coriolanus draws his fword.

There's fome among you have beheld me fighting, Come, try upon yourselves, what you have feen me. Men. Down with that fword; Tribunes, withdraw a while.

Bru. Lay hands upon him. Men. Help Marcius, helphelp him young and old.

-you that be noble,

All.

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