Cit.

No; no man saw 'em.

3 Cit. He said, he had wounds, show in private;

[Several speak. which he could

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,- Ithank 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, you were ignorant to see't?"
Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
To yield your voices?

As

Bru.

you

Could you not have told him, 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 now, 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,
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-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit,
And try'd his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,

ignorant to see't?] Were you ignorant to see it, is, did you want knowledge to discern it?

7 Would think upon you-] Would retain a grateful remembrance of you, &c.

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,

8

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 judgment?

Have you,

Sic.
Ere now, deny'd the asker? and, now again,
On him, that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your su'd-for tongues?

3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet. 2 Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friends to

piece 'em.

Bru. Get you hence instantly; and tell those

friends,

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.

Let them assemble;

Sic.
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke

Your ignorant election: Enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not

- free contempt,] That is, with contempt open and unrestrained.

9

objection.

Enforce his pride,] Object his pride, and enforce the

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 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-occupy'd 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;
And Censorinus, darling of the people,
And nobly nam'd so, being censor twice,
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,2
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke

1his present portance,] i. e. carriage.

2 Scaling his present bearing with his past,] That is, weighing his past and present behaviour.

Your sudden approbation.

Bru.

Say, you ne'er had done't. (Harp on that still,) but by our putting on:3

And presently, when you have drawn your number, Repair to the Capitol.

Cit.

We will so: Repent in their election.

Bru.

almost all [Several speak.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Let them go on;

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:

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

[Exeunt

ACT III.

SCENE I. The same. A Street.

Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head? Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which caus'd

Our swifter composition.

Cor. So then the Volces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road

The vantage of his anger.] Mark, catch, and improve the opportunity, which his hasty anger will afford us.

Lart. On safe-guard he came to me; and did curse Against the Volces, for they had so vilely

Yielded the town: he is retir'd to Antium.
Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart.

Cor.

He did, my lord.

How? what?

Lart. How often he had met you, sword to sword: That, of all things upon the earth, he hated Your person most: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor.

Lart. At Antium.

At Antium lives he?

Cor. I wish, I had a cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully.-Welcome home.

[TO LARTIUS.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues o'the common mouth. I do despise

them;

For they do prank them in authority,

Against all noble sufferance.

On safe-guard he came to me;] i. e. with a convoy, a guard appointed to protect him.

selves.

prank them in authority,]

Plume, deck, dignify them