Men. Down with that sword;-Tribunes, with draw a-while. Bru. Lay hands upon him. Men. Help! help Marcius! help, You that be noble; help him, young, and old! [In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ædiles, Men. Go, get you to your house; be gone, away, All will be naught else. 2 Sen. Cor. Get you gone. Stand fast; We have as many friends as enemies. Men. Shall it be put to that? 1 Sen. The gods forbid! I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house; Leave us to cure this cause. For 'tis a sore upon us, Men. You cannot tent yourself: Begone, 'beseech you. Com. Come, sir, along with us. Cor. 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,) Men. Be gone; Put not your worthy rage into your tongue; One time will owe another. Cor. I could beat forty of them. Men. On fair ground, I could myself Take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tribunes. Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick; And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands Against a falling fabrick.-Will you hence, Before the tag return? whose rage doth rend Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear What they are us'd to bear. Men. Pray you, be gone: I'll try whether old wit be in request my 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 ĥoble 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 Tiber!-What, the vengeance, Could he not speak them fair? Re-enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rabble. Sic. He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law, And therefore law shall scorn him further trial Which he so sets at nought. Men. Do not cry, havock, where you should but As I do know the consul's worthiness, So can I name his faults: Sic. Consul!-what consul? He a consul! Men. The consul Coriolanus. Cit. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which shall turn you to no further harm, Sic. Speak briefly then; For we are peremptory, to despatch This viperous traitor: to eject him hence, Were but one danger; and, to keep him here, Our certain death; therefore, it is decreed, He dies to-night. Men. Sic. He's a disease, that must be cut away. What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death? Were to us all, that do't, and suffer it, A brand to the end o' the world. Sic. This is clean kam. Bru. Merely awry: When he did love his coun try, It honour'd him. Men. The service of the foot Being once gangren'd, is not then respected For what before it was? Bru. We'll hear no more: Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Men. One word more, one word. This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too late, Lest parties (as he is belov'd) break out, Bru. Sic. What do ye talk? If it were so, Have we not had a taste of his obedience? Our ædiles smote? ourselves resisted?-Come:Men. Consider this;-He has been bred i̇' the wars Since he could draw a sword, and is ill school'd Noble tribunes, 1 Sen. Sic. Noble Menenius, Be you then as the people's officer: Masters, lay down your weapons. Bru. Go not home. Sic. Meet on the market-place:-We'll attend you there: Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed In our first way. Men. I'll bring him to you: Let me desire your company. [to the Senators.] He must come, Or what is worst will follow. 1 Sen. Pray you, let's to him. [Exeunt. |