That rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs?

1 Cit.

We have ever your good word.

Mar. He that will give good words to thee, will flatter

Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you

curs,

That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you,
The other makes you proud.. He that trusts you,
Where he should find you lions, finds you hares;
Where foxes, geese: You are no surer, no,
Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,

Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is,
To make him worthy, whose offence subdues him,
And curse that justice did it. Who deserves great-

ness,

3

Deserves your hate: and your affections are
A sick man's appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours, swims with fins of lead,

And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust

ye?

With every minute you do change a mind;

And call him noble, that was now your hate,

Him vile, that was your garland. What's the mat

ter,

That in these several places of the city

You cry against the noble senate, who,

Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else

Would feed on one another? - What's their seek

Your virtue is,

To make him worthy, whose offence subdues him,

And curse that justice did it.] i. e. Your virtue is to speak well

of him whom his own offences have subjected to justice; and to rail at those laws by which he whom you praise was punished.

Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, they

say,

The city is well stor'd.
Mar.

Hang 'em! They say?

They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know
What's done i'the Capitol : who's like to rise,

Who thrives, and who declines: side factions, and

give out

Conjectural marriages; making parties strong,

And feebling such as stand not in their liking,

Below their cobbled shoes. They say, there's grain

enough?

5

Would the nobility lay aside their ruth,
And let me use my sword, I'd make a quarry
With thousands of these quarter'd slaves, as high
As I could pick my lance.

Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded
For though abundantly they lack discretion,
Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
What says the other troop?

Mar. They are dissolved: Hang 'em! They said, they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs;

That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods

sent not

Corn for the rich men only:-With these shreds

They vented their complainings; which being an

swer'd,

And a petition granted them, a strange one,

4

their ruth,] i. e. their pity, compassion. Fairfax and Spenser often use the word. Hence the adjective-ruthless, which is still current.

5

- I'd make a quarry-] Mr. Steevens asserts, that quarry means game pursued or killed, and supports that opinion by a passage in Massinger's Guardian: and from thence, perhaps, the word was used to express a heap of slaughtered persons.

- pick my lance.] i. e. pitch it.

(To break the heart of generosity,"

And make bold power look pale,) they threw their

caps

As they would hang them on the horns o'the moon, Shouting their emulation.

Men.

8

What is granted them? Mar. Five tribunes, to defend their vulgar wis

doms,

Of their own choice: One's Junius Brutus,
Sicinius Velutus, and I know not-'Sdeath!
The rabble should have first unroof'd the city,
Ere so prevail'd with me: it will in time

Win upon power, and throw forth greater themes
For insurrection's arguing.

Men.

This is strange.

Mar. Go, get you home, you fragments!

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Where's Caius Marcius?
Mar.
Here: What's the matter?
Mess. The news is, sir, the Volces are in arms.
Mar. I am glad on't; then we shall have means to

vent

Our musty superfluity:---See, our best elders.

Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS, and SICINIUS VELUTUS.

7

1 Sen. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately told us;

the heart of generosity,] To give the final blow to the nobles. Generosity is high birth.

8 Shouting their emulation.] Emulation, in the present instance, perhaps, signifies faction. Shouting their emulation, may mean, expressing the triumph of their faction by shouts. Emulation, in our author, is sometimes used in an unfavourable sense, and not to imply an honest contest for superior excellence.

For insurrection's arguing.] For insurgents to debate upon.

They have a leader,

The Volces are in arms.
Mar.

Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to't.

I sin in envying his nobility:

And were I any thing but what I am,

I would wish me only he.

Com.

You have fought together.

Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears,

and he

Upon my party, I'd revolt, to make

Only my wars with him: he is a lion

That I am proud to hunt.

1 Sen.

Then, worthy Marcius,

Attend upon Cominius to these wars.

Com. It is your former promise.
Mar.

Sir, it is;

And I am constant. -Titus Lartius, thou
Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face:

What, art thou stiff? stand'st out?

Tit.

No, Caius Marcius;

I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere stay behind this business.

Men.

O, true bred!

1 Sen. Your company to the Capitol; where, I

know,

Our greatest friends attend us.
Tit.

Lead you on:

Follow, Cominius; we must follow you;

Right worthy you priority.1
Com.

Noble Lartius!

1 Sen. Hence! To your homes, be gone.

Mar.

[To the Citizens.

Nay, let them follow:

The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither,

To gnaw their garners:-Worshipful mutineers,
Your valour puts well forth: pray, follow.

[Exeunt Senators, COM. MAR. TIT. and
MENEN. Citizens steal away.

Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius? Bru. He has no equal.

Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the peo

ple,

Bru. Mark'd you his lip, and eyes?

Sic.

Nay, but his taunts.

Bru. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird3 the

gods.

Sic. Be-mock the modest moon.

Bru. The present wars devour him: he is grown

Too proud to be so valiant.*

Sic.

Such a nature, Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon: But I do wonder, His insolence can brook to be commanded Under Cominius.

Bru.

1

Fame, at the which he aims,

In whom already he is well grac'd, cannot
Better be held, nor more attain'd, than by
A place below the first: for what miscarries
Shall be the general's fault, though he perform
To the utmost of a man; and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Marcius, O, if he

Had borne the business!

Sic.

Besides, if things go well,

Opinion, that so sticks on Marcius, shall

* Your valour puts well forth:] That is, You have in this mutiny shown fair blossoms of valour.

to gird-] To sneer, to gibe.

* The present wars devour him: he is grown

Too proud to be so valiant.] He is grown too proud to be so valiant, may signify, his pride is such as not to deserve the accompanyment of so much valour.