Com. Ever right.

Cor. Menenius, ever, ever.
Her. Give way there, and go on.
Cor. Your hand, and yours:

[To bis Wife and Mother.
55 Ere in our own house I do shade my head,
The good patricians must be vifited;
From whom I have receiv'd not only greetings,
But with them change of honours.

[Afbout, and flourish. 60 Vol. These are the ufhers of Marcius: before him]

2 i. e. according to Mr. Steevens, "Thou whofe filent tears are more eloquent

and grateful to me, than the clamorous applaufe of the rest."

Bru. It was his word: O, he would mifs it, rather Than carry it, but by the fuit o' the gentry to him, 5 And the defire of the nobles.

1 Rapture was a common term at that time used for a fir fimply.

2 A kind of mop made of clouts for the ufe of fweeping ovens: thence a dirty wench. Maukin in fome parts of England fignifies a figure of clouts fet up to fright birds in gardens, a scarecrow. 3 Lockram was fome kind of cheap linen. 4 i. c. priefts who feldom exhibit themfelves to public view. Seld is often ufed by ancient writers for feldum. 5 i. c. as if that god who leads bim, whatfoever god he be.

5

2 Off. He hath deferved worthily of his country: And his afcent is not by fuch easy degrees as those, who have been supple and courteous to the people;| bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation 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, 10 would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

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

A Sennet. Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of 15
the people, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Mene-
nius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus, as
Tribunes, take their places by themselves.
Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and
To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,
As the main point of this our after-meeting,
To gratify his noble service, that

[you,

Hath thus ftood for his country: Therefore, pleafe
Most reverend and grave elders, to defire

The prefent consul, and last general

In our well-found fucceffes, to report

A little of that worthy work perform'd

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We meet here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius:

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

Than we to stretch it out.-Mafters o' the people,
We do request your kindest 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 theme of our affembly.

Bru. Which the rather

We shall be bleft to do, if he remember

A kinder value of the people, than

He hath hereto priz'd them at.

Men. That's off, that's off 2;

I would you rather had been filent: Please you

To hear Cominius speak?

Bru. Moft willingly;

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

Men. He loves your people;

But tye him not to be their bed-fellow.-
Worthy Cominius, fpeak.-Nay, keep your place.
[Coriolanus rifes, and offers to go away
1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear
What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your honours' pardon;

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

1 Bonneter, Fr. is, to pull off one's cap.

20

Ccm. 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 speak of cannot in the world
25 Be fingly counterpois'd. At fixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome 3, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
Whom with all praife I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian 4 chin he drove

30 The briftled lips before him: he bestrid

An o'er-preft Roman, and i' the conful's view
Slew three oppofers; Tarquin's felf he met,
And ftruck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
35 He prov'd best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man enter'd thus, he waxed like a fea;
And, in the brunt of feventeen battles fince,
He lurch'd all fwords o' the garland. For this laft,
40 Before and in Corioli, let me fay,

[ftamp)

I cannot speak him home: He ftopt the fliers;
And, by his rare example, made the coward
Turn terror into sport: as waves before
A veffel under fail, fo men obey'd,
45 And fell below his ftem: his fword (death's
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whofe every motion
Was tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal gate o' the city, which he painted
50 With fhuniefs deftiny; aidlefs came off,
And with a fudden re-inforcement ftruck
Corioli, like a planet : Now all's his :
When by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready fenfe: then ftraight his doubled fpirit
55-Re-quicken'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 fpoil: and, 'till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never ftood

2 i. e. that is nothing to the purpose. 3 i. e. railed a power to recover Rome. 4 i. e. his chin on which there was no beard. 5 The parts of women were, in Shakspeare's time, represented by the muft fmooth-faced young men to be found among the players. i.e. the gate was made the scene of death,

Το

To eafe his breast with panting.

Men. Worthy man!

[nours

1 Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the hoWhich we devife him.

Com. Our fpoils he kick'd at ;

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o' the world: he covets lefs
Than mifery1 itself 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.

1 Sen. Call Coriolanus.

Off. He doth appear.

Re-enter Coriolanus.

Men. The fenate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd

To make thee conful.

Cor. I do owe them still

My life, and fervices.

Men. It then remains,

That you do speak to the people.

Cor. I do befeech you,

Let me o'er-lcap that cuftom: for I cannot

2 Cit. We may, fir, if we will.

3 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he fhew us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we 5 are to put our tongues into thofe wounds, and speak for them; fo, if he tell us his noble deeds, we muft alfo tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monftrous: and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; 10 of the which, we being members, fhould bring ourfelves to be monftreus members.

1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will ferve: for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us-the 15 many-headed multitude.

3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many; not that our heads are fome brown, some black, fome auburn, fome bald, but that our wits are fo diverfly colour'd: and truly, I think, if all our wits were 20 to iffue out of one fcull, they would fly eaft, weft, north, fouth; and their confent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o' the compafs.

Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them
For my wounds' sake, to give their fuffrage: please 25

you,

That I may pass this doing.

Si. Sir, the people

Must have their voices; neither will they bate

One jot of ceremony.

Men. Put them not to 't:

Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and

Take to you, as your predeceffors have,

Your honour with your form.

Cor. It is a part

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

Bru. Mark you that?

30

35

Cor. To brag unto them,-Thus I did, and thus ;]
Shew them the unaking fcars, which I should hide, 40
As if I had receiv'd them for the hire
Of their breath only :-

Men. Do not ftand upon 't.

We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,
Our purpose to them;—and to our noble conful
With we all joy and honour.

Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!
[Flourish. Cornets. Then Exeunt.
Manent Sicinius, and Brutus.

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

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

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

Enter Coriolanus, and Menenius.

Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; 45 gether, but to come by him where he stands, by mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all toones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars; wherein every one of us has a fingie honour, in giving him our own voices I'll direct you how you fhall go by him. with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and

You must not speak of that; you must defire them
To think upon you.

Mifery for avarice. 2 Once here means the fame as when we fay once for all.

Cor.

Cor. Think upon me? Hang 'em!

I would they would forget me, like the virtues
Which our divines lose by 'em.
Men. You'll mar all;

I'll leave you: Pray you, speak to 'em, I pray you, 5
In wholesome manner.

Citizens approach.

Cor. Bid them wash their faces,

[Exit.

And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a
brace.

You know the caufe, firs, of my standing here.
1 Cit. We do, fir; tell us what hath brought
you to't.

Cor. Mine own defert.

2 Cit. Your own defert ?

Cor. Ay, not mine own defire.

1 Cit. How! not your own defire?

Cor. No, fir; 'Twas never my defire yet

To trouble the poor with begging.

Cor. I will not feal your knowledge with fhewing them. I will niake much of your voices, and fo trouble you no further.

Both. The gods give you joy, fir, heartily!
[Exeunt.

Cor. Moft fweet voices!
Better it is to die, better to starve,

Than crave the hire which firft we do deferve. Why in this woolvish 2 gown fhould I ftand here, 10 To beg of Hob, and Dick, that does appear,

Their needlefs vouches? Custom calls me to 't :-
What cuftom wills, in all things should we do 't,
The duft on antique time would lie unswept,
And mountainous error be too highly heap'd

15 For truth to over-peer.-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 fuffer'd, the other will I do.
Enter three Citizens more.

1 Cit. You must think, if we give you any 20 Here come more voices.thing, we hope to gain by you.

Car. Well then, I pray, your price o' the confulfhip?

1 Cit. The price is, to ask it kindly.

Cor. Kindly?

Sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to fhew you, Which fhall be yours in private.-Your good voice, fir;

What say you?

Both Cit. You fhall have it, worthy fir.

Car. A match, fir:-There's in all two worthy voices begg'd:

I have your alms; adieu.

1 Cit. But this is something odd.

Your voices; for your voices I have fought;
Watch'd for your voices; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice fix

I have feen, and heard of; for your voices, have
25 Done many things, fome lefs, fome more: your
Indeed, I would be conful.
[voices:
1 Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go without
any honeft man's voice.

2 Cit. Therefore let him be conful: The gods 30 give him joy, and make him good friend to the people!

All. Amen, amen.-God fave thee, noble conful! [Excunt

Cor. Worthy voices !

Enter Menenius, with Brutus, and Sicinius.
Men. You have ftood your limitation; and the

tribunes

Endue you with the people's voice: Remains,
That, in the official marks invefted, you

40 Anon do meet the fenate.

1 Cit. You have been a fcourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, 45 indeed, loved the common people.

Cor. You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. I will, fir, flatter my fworn brother the people, to earn a dearer eftimation of them; 'tis a condition they ac-50 count gentle and fince the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the infinuating nod, and be off to them moft counterfeitly; that is, fir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of fome popular man, and give it 55 bountifully to the defirers. Therefore, befeech you, I may be conful.

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

1 Cit. You have received many wounds for 6c your country.

1 I will not strengthen or compleat your knowledge. writing. 2 i. e. this rough hirfute gown.

Sie. How now, my mafters? have you chofe 1 Cit. He has our voices, fir. [this man? Bru. We pray the gods, he may deferve your loves.

The feal is that which gives authenticity to a