.. this manner sert, without with a poore gowne on their backes, and without any coate underneath, to praye the cittizens to remember them at the daye of election: which was thus devised, either to move the Whereupon people the more, by requesting them in suche meane apparell, of suying was or els bicause they might shewe them their woundes they had so devised. gotten in the warres in the service of the common wealth, as manifest markes and testimonie of their valliantnes. Now it is not to be thought that the suters went thus lose in a simple gowne in the market place, without any coate under it, for feare, and suspition of the common people: for offices of dignitie in Offices geven the cittie were not then geven by favour or corruption. then by deNow Martius following this custome, shewed many woundes favour or corand cuttes upon his bodie, which he had receyved in seven- ruption. teene yeres service at the warres, and in many sundrie battells, being ever the formest man that dyd set out feete to fight. So that there was not a man emong the people, but was ashamed of him selfe, to refuse so valliant a man: and one of them sayed to another, We must needes chuse him Consul, there is no remedie. But when the daye of election was come, and that Martius came to the market place with great pompe, accompanied with all the Senate, and the whole Nobilitie of the cittie about him, who sought to make him Consul, with the greatest instance and intreatie they could, or ever attempted for any man or matter: then the love and good will of the common people, turned straight to an hate and envie toward See the fickle him, fearing to put this office of soveraine authoritie into his mindes of handes, being a man somewhat partiall toward the nobilitie, people. and of great credit and authoritie amongest the Patricians, and as one they might doubt would take away altogether the libertie from the people. Whereupon for these considerations, they refused Martius in the ende, and made two other that were suters, Consuls. The Senate being marvelously offended with the people, dyd accompt the shame of this refusall, rather to redownd to them selves, then to Martius : but Martius tooke it in farre worse parte then the Senate, and was out of all pacience. For he was a man to full of passion and choller, and to muche geven to over selfe will and opinion, as one of a highe minde and great corage, that lacked the gravity, and affabilitie that is gotten with judgment of learning and reason, which only is to be looked for in a governour of state: and that remembered not how wilfulnes is the thing of the world, which a governour of a common wealth for pleasing common obstinacie. The fruites of should shonne, being that which Plato called solitarines. As selfe will and in the ende, all men that are wilfully geven to a selfe opinion and obstinate minde, and who will never yeld to others reason, but to their owne: remaine without companie, and forsaken of all men. For a man that will live in the world, must nedes have patience, which lusty bloudes make but a mocke at. So Martius being a stowte man of nature, that never yelded in any respect, as one thincking that to overcome allwayes, and to have the upper hande in all matters, was a token of magnanimitie, and of no base and fainte corage, which spitteth out anger from the most weake and passioned parte of the harte, much like the matter of an impostume: went home to his house, full fraighted with spite and malice against the people, being accompanied with all the lustiest young gentlemen, whose mindes were nobly bent, as those that came of noble race and commonly used for to followe and honour him. But then specially they floct about him, and kept him companie, to his muche harme: for they dyd but kyndle and inflame his choller more and more, being sorie with him for the injurie the people offred him, bicause he was their captaine and leader to the warres, that taught them all marshall discipline, and stirred up in them a noble emulation of honour and valliantnes, and yet without envie, praising them that deserved best. In the meane season, there came great plenty of corne to Rome, that had bene bought, parte in Italie, and parte was sent out of Sicile, as geven by Gelon the tyranne of Syracusa so that many stoode in great hope, that the dearthe of vittells being holpen, the civill dissention would also cease. The Senate sate in counsell upon it immediatly, the common people stoode also about the palice where the counsell was kept, gaping what resolution would fall out: persuading them selves, that the corne they had bought should be solde good cheape, and that which was geven, should be devided by the polle, without paying any pennie, and the rather, bicause certaine of the Senatours amongest them dyd so wishe and persuade the same. But Martius standing up on his feete, dyd somewhat sharpely take up those, who went about to gratifie the people therein and called them people pleasers, and traitours to the nobilitie. 'Moreover he sayed they 'nourrished against them selves, the naughty seede and cockle, 'of insolencie and sedition, which had bene sowed and 'scattered abroade emongest the people, whom they should Great store of corne brought to Rome. Coriolanus oration against the insolencie of the people. ‘have cut of, if they had bene wise, and have prevented their greatnes: and not to their owne destruction to have suffered 'the people, to stablishe a magistrate for them selves, of so 'great power and authoritie, as that man had, to whom they 'had graunted it. Who was also to be feared, bicause he 'obtained what he would, and dyd nothing but what he listed, 'neither passed for any obedience to the Consuls, but lived in 'all libertie, acknowledging no superiour to commaund him, 'saving the only heades and authours of their faction, whom 'he called his magistrates. Therefore sayed he, they that 'gave counsell, and persuaded that the corne should be geven 'out to the common people gratis, as they used to doe in 'citties of Græce, where the people had more absolute power: 'dyd but only nourishe their disobedience, which would breake 'out in the ende, to the utter ruine and overthrowe of the 'whole state. For they will not thincke it is done in recom'pense of their service past, sithence they know well enough 'they have so ofte refused to goe to the warres, when they were commaunded: neither for their mutinies when they 'went with us, whereby they have rebelled and forsaken their 'countrie: neither for their accusations which their flatterers 'have preferred unto them, and they have receyved, and made 'good against the Senate: but they will rather judge we geve ' and graunt them this, as abasing our selves, and standing in 'feare of them, and glad to flatter them every waye. By this meanes, their disobedience will still growe worse and worse: 'and they will never leave to practise newe sedition, and 'uprores. Therefore it were a great follie for us, me thinckes 'to doe it: yea, shall I saye more? we should if we were wise, 'take from them their Tribuneshippe, which most manifestly 'is the embasing of the Consulshippe, and the cause of the 'division of the cittie. The state whereof as it standeth, is 'not now as it was wont to be, but becommeth dismembred in 'two factions, which mainteines allwayes civill dissention and 'discorde betwene us, and will never suffer us againe to be 'united into one bodie.' Martius dilating the matter with many such like reasons wanne all the young men, and almost all the riche men to his opinion: in so much they range it out, that he was the only man, and alone in the cittie, who stoode out against the people, and never flattered them. There were only a fewe olde men that spake against him, fearing least some mischief might fall out upon it, as in dede there followed Sedition at no great good afterward. For the Tribunes of the people, being present at this consultation of the Senate, when they sawe that the opinion of Martius was confirmed with the more voyces, they left the Senate, and went downe to the people, crying out for helpe, and that they would assemble to save their Tribunes. Hereupon the people ranne on head in tumult together, before whom the wordes that Martius spake in the Senate were openly reported: which the people so stomaked, that even in that furie they were readie to flye apon the whole Senate. But the Tribunes layed all their faulte and burden wholy upon Martius, and sent their sergeantes forthwith to arrest him, presently to appeare in persone before the people, to answer the wordes he had spoken in the Senate. Martius stowtely withstoode these officers that came to arrest him. Then the Tribunes in their owne persones, accompanied with the Ædiles, went to fetche him by force, and so layed violent hands upon him. Howbeit the noble Patricians gathering together about him, made the Tribunes geve backe, and layed it sore upon the Ediles: so for that time, the night parted them, and the tumult appeased. The next morning betimes, the Consuls seing the people in an uprore, ronning to the market place out of all partes of the cittie, they were affrayed least all the cittie would together by the eares: wherefore assembling the Senate in all hast, they declared how it stoode them upon, to appease the furie of the people, with some gentle wordes, or gratefull decrees in their favour: and moreover, like wise men they should consider, it was now no time to stande at defence and in contention, nor yet to fight for honour against the communaltie: they being fallen to so great an extremitie, and offering such imminent daunger. Wherefore they were to consider temperately of things, and to deliver some present and gentle pacification. The most parte of the Senatours that were present at this counsaill, thought this opinion best, and gave their consents unto it. Whereupon the Consuls rising out of counsaill, went to speake unto the people as gently as they could, and they dyd pacifie their furie and anger, purging the Senate of all the unjust accusations layed upon them, and used great modestie in persuading them, and also in reproving the faultes they had committed. And as for the rest, that touched the sale of corne: they promised there should be no disliking offred them in the price. So the most parte of the people being pacified, and appearing so plainely by the great silence and still that was emong them, as yelding to the Consuls, and liking well of their wordes: the Tribunes then of the people rose out of their seates, and sayed: Forasmuch as the Senate yelded unto reason, the people also for their parte, as became them, dyd likewise geve place unto them: but notwithstanding, they would that Martius should come in persone to aunswer to the articles they had devised. First, whether he had not solicited and procured Articles the Senate to chaunge the present state of the common weale, gaiolanus. against and to take the soveraine authoritie out of the peoples handes. Next, when he was sent for by authoritie of their officers, why he dyd contemptuously resist and disobey. Lastely, seeing he had driven and beaten the Ediles into the market place before all the worlde: if in doing this, he had not done as muche as in him laye, to raise civille warres, and to set one cittizen against another. All this was spoken to one of these two endes, either that Martius against his nature should be constrained to humble him selfe, and to abase his hawty and fierce minde: or els if he continued still in his stowtnes, he should incurre the peoples displeasure and ill will so farre, that he should never possibly winne them againe. Which they hoped would rather fall out so, then otherwise; as in deede they gest unhappely, considering Martius nature and disposition. So Martius came, and presented him selfe, to aunswer their accusations against him, and the people held their peace, and gave attentive eare, to heare what he would saye. But where they thought to have heard very humble and lowly wordes come from him, he beganne not only to use his wonted boldnes of speaking (which of it selfe Coriolanus was very rough and unpleasaunt, and dyd more aggravate his stowtnes in accusation, then purge his innocencie) but also gave him selfe him selfe. in his wordes to thunder, and looke therewithall so grimly as though he made no reckoning of the matter. This stirred coales emong the people, who were in wonderfull furie at it, and their hate and malice grewe so toward him, that they could holde no longer, beare, nor indure his bravery and careles boldnes. Whereupon Sicinius, the cruellest and stowtest of Sicinius the the Tribunes, after he had whispered a little with his com- Tribune, propanions, dyd openly pronounce in the face of all the people, tence of death Martius as condemned by the Tribunes to dye. Then presently upon Martius. he commanded the Ediles to apprehend him, and carie him straight to the rocke Tarpeian, and to cast him hedlong downe defence of nounceth sen |