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Call our cares, fears: which will in time

Break ope the locks o' the senate, and bring in
The crows to peck the eagles.

Men.

Come, enough.

Bru. Enough, with over-measure.
Cor.

No, take more:
What may be sworn by, both divine and human,
Seal what I end withal!-This double worship,-
Where one part does disdain with cause, the other
Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wisdom
Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no

Of general ignorance,-it must omit

Real necessities, and give way the while

To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it follows
Nothing is done to purpose: Therefore, beseech you,-
You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state

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

To jumpa a body with a dangerous physic
That's sure of death without it,-at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison: your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it;
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control it.

Bru.

He has said enough. Sic. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do.

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

To the greater bench: In a rebellion,

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

a Jump-in the sense of risk.

Let what is meet be said, it must be meet,
And throw their power i' the dust.

Bru. Manifest treason!

Sic.

This a consul? no.

Bru. The Ædiles, ho!-let him be apprehended. Sic. Go, call the people; [Exit BRUTUS] in whose name, myself

Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,

A foe to the public weal: Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

Cor.

Hence, old goat!

Sen. and Pat. We 'll surety him.

Com. Aged sir, hands off. Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments!

Sic.

Help, ye citizens !

Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ediles, and a rabble of

Citizens.

Men. On both sides more respect.

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

power.

Bru. Seize him, Ædiles!

Cit. Down with him, down with him!

2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[Several speak.

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

Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace! Men. What is about to be?—I am out of breath; Confusion 's near: I cannot speak :-You, tribunes To the people.-Coriolanus, patience:

Speak, good Sicinius.

Sic.

Hear me, people ;-Peace!
Cit. 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 have nam'd for consul.

Men.

Fie, fie, fie! This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

1 Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat. Sic. What is the city but the people?

Cit.

The people are the city.

True,

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

Cit.

You so remain.

Men. And so are like to do.

Com. That is the way to lay the city flat;

To bring the roof to the foundation;

And bury all which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.a

This deserves death.

Sic.
Bru. Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it :-We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
present death.

Of

Sic.

Therefore lay hold of him;

a We give this speech, as in the original, to the calm and reverend Cominius. Coriolanus is standing apart, in proud and sullen rage; and yet the modern editors put these four lines in his mouth, as if it was any part of his character to argue with the people about the prudence of their conduct. The editors continue this change in the persons to whom the speeches are assigned, without the slightest regard, as it appears to us, to the exquisite characterisation of the poet. Amidst all this tumult the first words which Coriolanus utters, according to the original copy, are," No, I'll die here." He again continues silent; but the modern editors must have him talking: and so they put in his mouth the calculating sentence, "We have as many friends as enemies," and the equally characteristic talking of Menenius-"I would they were barbarians." We have left all these passages precisely as they are in the original.

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.

Bru.

Ediles, seize him!

Hear me one word.

Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield.

Men.

Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.

Edi. Peace, peace!

Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend, And temperately proceed to what you would

Thus violently redress.

Bru.

Sir, those cold ways,

That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the disease is violent :-Lay hands upon him, And bear him to the rock.

Cor. No; I'll die here. [Drawing his sword. There's some among you have beheld me fighting; Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. Men. Down with that sword!-Tribunes, withdraw a while.

Bru. Lay hands upon him.
Men.

Help Marcius; help,
You that be noble: help him, young and old!

Cit. Down with him, down with him!

[In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ædiles, and the people are beat in.

Men. Go, get you to your house; be gone, away; All will be naught else.

2 Sen.

Com.

We have as many friends as enemies.

Men. Shall it be put to that?

1 Sen.

Get you gone.

Stand fast;

The gods forbid !

For 't is a sore upon us,

I prithee, noble friend, home to thy house;
Leave us to cure this cause.

Men.

You cannot tent yourself: Begone, 'beseech you.
Com. Come, sir, along with us.

Men. I would they were barbarians, (as they are, Though in Rome litter'd,) not Romans, (as they are not,

Though calv'd i' the porch o' the Capitol.)-Be gone; Put not your worthy rage into your tongue;

One time will owe another.

Cor. On fair ground I could beat forty of them. Men. I could myself take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tribunes.

Com. But now 't is odds beyond arithmetic; And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands Against a falling fabric.-Will you hence Before the tag return? whose rage doth rend Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear

What they are used to bear.

Men.

Pray you, be gone : I'll try whether my old wit be in request

With those that have but little; this must be patch'd With cloth of any colour.

Com.

Nay, come away.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, and others.

1 Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune.

Men. His nature is too noble for the world:

He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,

Or Jove for his power to thunder. His heart 's his

mouth:

What his breast forges that his tongue must vent;

And, being angry, does forget that ever

He heard the name of death.

Here's goodly work!

2 Pat.

[A noise within

I would they were a-bed!

Men. I would they were in Tyber!-What, the

vengeance,

Could he not speak them fair?

Re-enter BRUTUS and SIGINIUS, with the rabble.

Sic.

Where is this viper,

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