Re-enter MENENIUS, with BRUTUS and SICINIUS.

Men. You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes

Endue you with the people's voice: remains
That, in the official marks invested, you

Anon do meet the senate.

Cor.

Is this done?

Sic. The custom of request you have dis

charged:

The people do admit you, and are summon'd

To meet anon, upon your approbation.

Cor. Where? at the senate-house?
Sic.

There, Coriolanus.

You may, sir.

Cor. May I change these garments?
Sic.

Cor. That I'll straight do; and, knowing
myself again,

Repair to the senate-house.

Men. I'll keep you company. Will you along? Bru. We stay here for the people.

Sic.

Fare you well.

[Exeunt Coriolanus and Menenius.

He has it now, and by his looks methinks

'Tis warm at 's heart.

Bru. With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds.

Will you dismiss the people?

Re-enter Citizens.

Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man?

First Cit. He has our voices, sir.

Bru. We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.

Sec. Cit. Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice,

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65

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160

He mock'd us when he begg'd our voices.

Third Cit.

He flouted us downright.

Certainly

First Cit. No, 'tis his kind of speech: he did

not mock us.

Sec. Cit. Not one amongst us, save yourself,

but says

He used us scornfully: he should have show'd us
His marks of merit, wounds received for 's country.
Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure.

Citizens.

No, no; no man saw 'em. Third 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 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 lesson'd, 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 how, 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

170

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190

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-advised, had touch'd his spirit
And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had call'd 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 the 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

bodies

No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry
Against the rectorship of judgement?

Sic.

Have you,

Ere now, denied the asker? and now again
Of him that did not ask but mock, bestow

Your sued-for tongues?

Third Cit. He's not confirm'd; we may deny

him yet.

Sec. Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

First Cit. I twice five hundred and their friends to piece 'em.

Bru. Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,

199. touch'd, tested.

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220

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 judgement 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-occupied 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;

230

240

227. enforce, lay stress upon. 239. affections, inclinations.

250

And nobly named, 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, 260

Repair to the Capitol.

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.

To the Capitol, come:

Sic.
We will be there before the stream o' the people;
And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

251. Many emendations have been suggested, and the Camb. edd. reconstruct the sentence, making two lines of it. Prof. Littledale proposes a comma at

[Exeunt. 270

'being,' which gives a harsh, but possible, sense. His ances

tor was a Censorinus.

256. Scaling, weighing. 259. putting on, instigation.