Coriolanus.
Tullus Aufidius then had made new head?

Minucius.
He had, my Lord, and that it was, which caus'd
Our swifter composition.

Coriolanus.
So then the Volscians stand but as at first,
Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road
Upon's again.

Cominius.
They're worn, Lord Consul, so,
That we shall hardly in our ages see
Their banners wave again. Enter Sicinius and Brutus.

Brutus.
Behold, these are the Tribunes of the people.
Th' tongues of the common mouth: I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority
Against all noble sufferance.

Sicinius.
Pass no further.

Coriolanus.
Hah!—What is that!—

Brutus.
It will be dangerous to go on.—No further,

Coriolanus.
What makes this change?

Menenius.
The matter?

Cominius.
Hath he not pass'd the nobles and the commons?

Brutus.
Cominius, no.

Coriolanus.
Have I had children's voices?

Minucius.
Tribunes, give way, he shall to th' market-place.

Brutus.
The people are incens'd against him.

Sicinius.
Stop,
Or all will fall in broil.

Coriolanus.
Are these your herd?
Must these have voices, that can yield them now,
And straight disclaim their tongues?
What are your offices?
You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?
Have you not set them on?

Menenius.
Be calm, be calm.

Coriolanus.
It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot,
To curb the will of the nobility.
Suffer't, and live with such as cannot rule,
Nor ever will be rul'd.
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 power to do the good it would,
For th' ill which doth controul it.

Brutus.
H' as said enough.

Sicinius.
H' as spoken like a traytor, and shall answer as traytors do.

Coriolanus.
Thou wretch! Despight o'erwhelm thee!—
What should the people do with these bald tribunes?
On whom depending, their obedience fails
To th' greater bench. In a rebellion,
When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,
Then were they chosen; in a better hour,
Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet,
And throw their power i' th' dust.

Brutus.
Manifest treason—

Sicinius.
This a Consul! No.

Brutus.
The Ædiles, ho! Let him be apprehended. Enter Ædiles.

Sicinius.
Go call the people, in whose name myself
Attach thee as a traiterous innovator:
A foe to th' publick weal. Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer. [Laying hold on Coriolanus.

Coriolanus.
Hence, old goat.

All.
We'll surety him.

Cominius.
Aged sir, hands off.

Coriolanus.
Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones
Out of thy garments.

Sicinius.
Help me, citizens.

Enter a rabble of Plebeians.

Brutus.
Seize him, Ædiles.

Sicinius.
Lay hold on him;
Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.

Coirolanus.
No; I'll dye here. [Draws his sword.
There's some among you has beheld me fighting,
Come, try upon your selves, what you have seen me.

Menenius.
Down with that sword.
Tribunes, withdraw a while.

Brutus.
Lay hands upon him.

Menenius.
Help, Marcius, help—you that be noble,
Help him young and old.

All.
Down with him, down with him. [Exeunt. In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ædiles, and the People, are beaten in.

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

M. Minucius.
Get you gone.

Coriolanus.
Stand fast, we have as many friends as enemies.

Menenius.
Shall it be put to that?

2d Senator.
The Gods forbid!
I prithee, noble friend, home to thy house,
Leave us to cure this cause.

Menenius.
For, 'tis a sore
You cannot tent yourself; begone, beseech you.

Cominius.
Come, Sir, along with us.

Menenius.
I would, they were barbarians, (as they are,
Though in Rome litter'd;) not Romans: (as they are not,
Though calv'd in the porch o' th' Capitol:)
Begone, put not your worthy rage into your tongue,
One time will owe another.

Coriolanus.
On fair ground I could beat forty of them.

Menenius.
I could my self take up a brace o' th' best of them;
Yea, the two tribunes.

Cominius.
But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick:
And manhood is call'd fool'ry, when it stands
Against a falling fabrick. Will you hence,
Before the tag return.

Menenius.
Pray you, be gone;
I'll try, if my old wit be in request
With those that have but little; this must be patcht
With cloth of any colour.

Cominius.
Come, away. [Exeunt Coriolanus and Cominius.

First Senator.
This man has marr'd his fortune.

Menenius.
His nature is too noble for the world:
He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,
Or Jove for's 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. [A noise within.
Here's goodly work!

Second Senator.
I would they were a-bed.

Menenius.
I would, they were in Tyber—What the Vengeance,
Could he not speak 'em fair? Enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the Rabble again.

Sicinius.
Where is this viper,
That would depopulate the city, and
Be every man himself.

Menenius.
You worthy tribunes—

Sicinius.
He shall be thrown down the tarpeian rock
With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law,
And therefore law shall scorn him further trial
Than the severity of publick power,
Which he so sets at naught.

First Citizen.
He shall well know, the noble tribunes are
The people's mouths, and we their hands.

All.
He shall be sure on't.

Menenius.
Sir, Sir—

Sicinius.
Peace.

Menenius.
Do not cry havock, where you should but hunt
With modest warrant.

Sicinius.
Sir, how comes it, you
Have holp to make this rescue?

Menenius.
Hear me speak;
As I do know the consul's worthiness,
So, can I name his faults—

Sicinius.
Consul!—What consul?

Menenius.
The consul Coriolanus.

Brutus.
He consul!—

All.
No, no, no, no, no.

Menenius.
If, by the tribune's 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,
Than so much loss of time.

Sicinius.
Speak briefly, then,
For we are peremptory to dispatch
This viperous traitor; to eject him hence,
Were but our danger; and to keep him here,
Our certain death; therefore it is decreed,
He dies to night.

Menenius.
Now the Gods forbid,
That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude
Tow'rds her deserving children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam,
Should now eat up her own.

Sicinius.
He's a disease that must be cut away.

Menenius.
Oh, he's a limb, that has but a disease;
Mortal, to cut it off; to cure it easy.
What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death?
Killing our enemies: the blood he hath lost,
(Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath,
By many an ounce) he dropt it for his country:
And what is left, to lose it by his country,
Were to us all that do't, and suffer it,
A brand to th' end o' th' world.

Brutus.
When he did love his country, it honour'd him.

Menenius.
The service of the foot
Being once gangren'd, it is not then respected
For what before it was—

Brutus.
We'll hear no more.
Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence;
Lest his infection, being of a catching nature,
Spread further.

Menenius.
One word more, one word:
This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find
The harm of unskann'd swiftness, will (too late)
Tye leaden pounds to's heels. Proceed by process,
Lest parties (as he is belov'd) break out,
And sack great Rome with Romans.

Brutus.
If 'twere so—

Sicinius.
What do ye talk?
Have we not had a taste of his obedience,
Our Ædiles struck, our selves resisted? Come—

Menenius.
Consider this; he hath been bred i' th' wars
Since he could draw a sword, and is ill school'd
In boulted language; meal and bran together
He throws without distinction. Give me leave,
I'll go to him, and undertake to bring him
Where he shall answer by a lawful form,
In peace, to his utmost peril.

First Senator.
Noble tribunes,
It is the humane way: the other course
Will prove too bloody, and the end of it
Unknown to the beginning.

Sicinius.
Noble, Menenius,

Be you then as the people's officer.
Masters, lay down your weapons.

Brutus.
Go not home.

Sicinius.
Meet on the Forum, we'll attend you there,
Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed
In our first way.

Menenius.
I'll bring him to you.
Let me desire your company; he must come,
Or what is worst will follow.

First Senator.
Pray, let's to him. [Exeunt.

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