Brutus.
In this point charge him home, that he affects
Tyrannick power: if he evade us there,
Inforce him with his envy to the people.
What, will he come? Enter an Ædile.

Ædile.
He's coming, Sir,

Brutus.
How accompanied?

Ædile.
With old Menenius, and those senators
That always favour'd him.

Sicinius.
Have you a catalogue
Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by th' poll?

Ædile.
I have; 'tis ready, here.

Sicinius.
Have you collected them by tribes?

Ædile.
I have.

Sicinius.
Assemble presently the people hither,
And when they hear me say, it shall be so,
I'th' right and strength o'th' 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'th' truth o'th' cause.

Ædile.
I will inform them.

Brutus.
And when such time they have begun to cry,
Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd
Inforce the present execution,
Of what we chance to sentence.

Ædile.
Very well.

Sicinius.
Make them be strong and ready for this hint,
When we shall hap to give't them.

Brutus.
Go about it, [Exit Ædile.
Put him to choler streight; he hath been us'd
Ever to conquer, and to have his word
Of contradiction. Being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temp'rance; then he speaks
What's in his heart. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, with Cominius and Others.

Sicinius.
Well, here he comes.

Menenius.
Calmly, I do beseech you.

Coriolanus.
Ay, as an hostler, that for the poorest piece
Will bear the knave by th' volume:—the honour'd Gods
Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice
Supply with worthy men, plant love amongst you,
Throng our large temples with the shews of peace,
And not our streets with war!

Menenius.
A noble wish.

Enter Ædile and Plebeians.

Sicinius.
Draw near, ye people.

Ædile.
List to your tribunes: audience.

Plebeians.
Hear him, hear him.
Peace, I say.

Coriolanus.
First, hear me speak.

Both Tribunes.
Well, say.

Coriolanus.
Shall I be charg'd no farther than this present?
Must all determine here?

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

Coriolanus.
I am content.

Menenius.
Lo, citizens, he says, he is content:
The warlike service he has done, consider.
Think on the wounds his body bears, which shew
Like graves in a church-yard.

Coriolanus.
Scratches with briars, scars to move laughter only.

Menenius.
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—

Cominius.
Well, well, no more.

Coriolanus.
What is the matter
That being past for consul with full voice,
I'm so dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sicinius.
Answer to us.

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

Sicinius.
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 traytor to the people.

Coriolanus.
How?—Traytor?—

Menenius.
Nay, temperately; your promise.

Coriolanus.
The fires i' th' 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.

Sicinius.
Mark you this, people?

All.
To the rock with him.

Sicinius.
Peace.
We need not lay new matter to his charge:
What your have seen him do, and heard him speak;
Beating your officers, cursing you selves,
Opposing laws with stroaks, and here defying

Those whose great power must try him; even this,
So criminal, and in such capital kind,
Deserves th' extremest death.

Brutus.
But since he hath
Serv'd well for Rome—

Coriolanus.
What do you prate of service?

Brutus.
I talk of that, that know it.

Coriolanus.
You?—

Menenius.
Is this the promise that you made your mother?

Cominius.
Know, I pray you—

Coriolanus.
I'll know no farther.
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death,
Vagabond exile, fleaing, 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.

Sicinius.
For that he has
(As much as in him lies) from time to time,
Envy'd against the people; seeking means
To pluck away their power; as now at last
Given hostile stroaks, and that, not in the presence
Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers
That do distribute it; in the name o'th' people,
And in the power of us the tribunes, we
(Ev'n from this instant) banish him our city;
In peril of precipitation
From off the Tarpeian rock, never more
To enter our Rome's gates. I' th' people's name,
I say, it shall be so.

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

Cominius.
Hear me, my masters, and my common friends—

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

All.
It shall be so, it shall be so.

Coriolanus.
You common cry of curs, whose breath I hate
As reek o' th' rotten fens; whose loves I prize
As the dead carcases of unbury'd 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,
Your ignorance and folly shall deliver you,
As most abated captives, to some nation
That won you without blows! Despising then,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
There is a world elsewhere— Exit Coriolanus, Cominius and others. The people shout, throw up their caps, and exeunt. End of the SECOND ACT.

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