Which quired with my drum, into a pipe
Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voíce
That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves
Tent in my cheeks; and schoolboys' tears take up
The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue
Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd
knees,

Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an alms!-I will not do 't:
Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,
And, by my body's action, teach my mind
A most inherent baseness.

Vol.
At thy choice then :
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour,
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin; let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.
Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from

me;

But owe thy pride thyself.

Cor. 'Pray, be content; Mother, I am going to the market-place; Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves, Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd

Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going: Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul; Or never trust to what my tongue can do

I' the way of flattery, further.

Vol.

Do your will. [Exit. Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.

Cor. The word is, mildly :-'Pray you, let us

go;

Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

Men.

Ay, but mildly.

[Exeunt.

Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly.

SCENE III. The same. The Forum.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affects

Tyrannical power: If he evade us there,
Enforce him with his envy to the people;
And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er distributed.-

How accompanied ?

Have you a catalogue

Ed. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favoured him.

Sic.

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by the poll?

Ed.

I have; 'tis ready, here. Sic. Have you collected them by tribes? Ed.

I have. Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: And when they hear me say, It shall be so I' the right and strength o' the commons, be it either For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, If I say, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death; Insisting on the old prerogative

And power, i' the truth o'the cause.

Ed.

I shall inform them.

Bru. And when such time they have begun

to cry,

Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd
Enforce the present execution

Of what we chance to sentence.

Ed.

Very well.

Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for this

hint,

When we shall hap to give 't them.

Bru.

Go about it.[Exit Edile. Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd Ever to conquer, and to have his worth Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks

What's in his heart; and that is there, which

looks

With us to break his neck.

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS,
Senators, and Patricians.

Sic. Well, here he comes.

Men.

Calmly, I do beseech you. Cor. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume.-The honour'd gods

Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Supplied with worthy men! plant love among

us!

Re-enter Edile, with Citizens.

Sic. Draw near, ye people."

Ed. List to your tribunes; audience: Peace,

I say.

Cor. First, hear me speak.

Both Tri.

Well, say.-Peace, ho,

Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this

present?

Must all determine here?

Sic.
I do demand,
If you submit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are content
To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be prov'd upon you?

Cor.

I am content. Men. Lo, citizens, he says he is content: The warlike service he has done, consider; Think on the wounds his body bears, which show Like graves i' the holy churchyard.

Cor.

Scratches with briars,

Scars to move laughter only.
Men.
Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier: Do not take
His rougher accents for malicious sounds,
But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
Rather than envy you.

VOL. VI.

Y

Com.

Well, well, no more.

Cor. What is the matter,

That being pass'd for consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sic.

Answer to us.

Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take

From Rome all season'd office, and to wind
Yourself into a power tyrannical:

For which, you are a traitor to the people.
Cor. How! Traitor?

Men. Nay; temperately; Your promise. Cor. The fires i'the lowest hell fold in the people!

Call me their traitor!-Thou injurious tribune;
Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,
In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in
Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say,
Thou liest, unto thee, with a voice as free
As I do pray the gods.

Sic.
Mark you this, people?
Cit. To the rock; to the rock with him!
Sic.

Peace. We need not put new matter to his charge: What you have seen him do, and heard him

speak,

Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying
Those whose great power must try him; even
this,

So criminal, and in such capital kind,
Deserves the extremest death.

Bru.

Serv'd well for Rome,

Cor.

Bru. I talk of that that know it.

Cor.

But since he hath

What do you prate of service?

You?

Is this

Know,

I'll know no further:

The promise that you made your mother?

Men.

Com.

I pray yon,

Cor

Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, Vagabond exile, flaying: Pent to linger

But with a grain a day, I would not buy
Their mercy at the price of one fair word;
Nor check my courage for what they can give,
To have 't with saying, Good morrow.

Sic.
For that he has
(As much as in him lies) from time to time
Envied against the people, seeking means
To pluck away their power; as now at last
Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence
Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers
That do distribute it; In the name o'the people,
And in the power of us the tribunes, we,
Even from this instant, banish him our city:
In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more

To enter our Rome gates: I' the people's name, say, it shall be so.

I

Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so; let him away: He's banish'd, and it shall be so.

Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends;

Sic. He's sentenc'd: no more hearing.

Com. Let me speak : I have been consul, and can show from Rome, Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love My country's good, with a respect more tender, More holy, and profound, that mine own life, My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase, And treasure of my loins; then if I would Speak that

Sic. We know your drift: Speak what? Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd,

As enemy to the people, and his country:
It shall be so.

Cit.

It shall be so, it shall be so. Cor. You common cry of curs! whose breath

I hate

As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize
As the dead carcasses of unburied men
That do corrupt my air, I banish you;
And here remain with your uncertainty!
Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into despair! Have the power still
To banish your defenders; till at length,