Cor.
Tullus Aufidius then had made new head?

Lart.
He had, my lord; and that it was which caused
Our swifter composition.

Cor.
So then the Volsces stand but as at first;
Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road ^note
Upon's again.

Com.
They are ^note worn, lord consul, so,
That we shall hardly in our ages see
Their banners wave again.

Cor.
Saw you Aufidius?

Lart.
On safe-guard he came to me; and did curse
Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely
Yielded the town: he is retired to Antium.

Cor.
Spoke he of me?

Lart.
He did, my lord.

Cor.
How? what?

Lart.
How often he had met you, sword to sword;
That of all things upon the earth he hated
Your person most; that he would pawn his fortunes
To hopeless restitution, so he might
Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor.
At Antium lives he?

Lart.
At Antium.

Cor.
I wish I had a cause to seek him there, ^note
To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home. Enter Sicinius and Brutus.
Behold, these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues o' the common mouth: I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority,
Against all noble sufferance.

Sic.
Pass no further.

Cor.
Ha! what is that?

Bru.
It will be dangerous to go on: no further.

Cor.
What makes this change?

Men.
The matter?

Com.
Hath he not pass'd the noble and the common ^note?

Bru.
Cominius, no.

Cor.
Have I had children's voices?

First Sen. ^note
Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place.

Bru.
The people are incensed against him.

Sic.
Stop,
Or all will fall in broil ^note.

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

Men.
Be calm, be calm.

Cor.
It is a purposed 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 ruled.

Bru.
Call't not a plot:
The people cry you mock'd them; and of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repined,
Scandal'd the suppliants for ^note the people, call'd them
Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

Cor.
Why, this was known before.

Bru.
Not to them all.

Cor.
Have you inform'd them sithence ^note?

Bru.
How! I inform them!

Com. ^note
You are like ^note to do such business.

Bru.
Not unlike,
Each way, to better yours ^{note note}.

Cor.
Why then should I be consul? By yond clouds,
Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me
Your fellow tribune.

Sic.
You show too much of that
For which the people stir: if you will pass
To where you are ^note bound, you must inquire your way,

Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;
Or never be ^note so noble as a consul,
Nor yoke with him for tribune.

Men.
Let's be calm.

Com.
The people are abused; set on. ^note This paltering
Becomes not Rome ^note; nor has Coriolanus
Deserved this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely
I' the plain way of his merit.

Cor.
Tell me of corn!
This was my speech, and I will speak't again ^note—

Men.
Not now, not now.

First Sen.
Not in this heat, sir, now.

Cor.
Now, as I live, I will. My ^note nobler friends,
I crave their pardons:
For ^note the mutable, rank-scented many ^note, let them
Regard me as I do not flatter, and
Therein ^note behold themselves: I say again ^note,
In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate
The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,
Which we ourselves have plough'd ^note for, sow'd and scatter'd,
By mingling them with us, the honour'd number;
Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that
Which they ^note have given to beggars.

Men.
Well, no more.

First Sen.
No more words, we beseech you.

Cor.
How! no more!
As for my country I have shed my blood,
Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs
Coin words till their decay against those measles,
Which we disdain ^note should tetter us, yet sought ^note

The very way to catch them.

Bru.
You speak o' the people ^note,
As if ^note you were a god to punish, not
A man ^note of ^note their infirmity.

Sic.
'Twere well
We let the people know't.

Men.
What, what? his choler?

Cor.
Choler!
Were I as patient as the midnight sleep, ^note
By Jove, 'twould be my mind!

Sic.
It is a mind.
That shall remain a poison where it is,
Not poison any further.

Cor.
Shall remain! ^note
Hear you this Triton ^note of the minnows? mark you
His absolute ‘shall’?

Com.
'Twas from the canon ^note.

Cor.
‘Shall’!
O good, ^note but most unwise patricians! why ^note,
You grave but reckless ^note senators, have you thus
Given Hydra here ^note to choose an officer,
That with his peremptory ‘shall,’ being but
The horn and noise o' the monster's ^note, wants not spirit
To say he'll turn your current in a ditch,
And make your channel his? If he have power,
Then vail ^note your ignorance ^note; if none, awake ^note

Your dangerous lenity ^note. If you are learn'd ^note,
Be not as common ^note fools; if you are not,
Let them have cushions by you ^note. You are ^note plebeians,
If they be senators: and they are no less,
When, both your voices blended, the ^note great'st ^note taste ^note
Most palates ^note theirs. They choose their magistrate;
And such a one as he, who puts his ‘shall,’
His popular ‘shall,’ against a graver bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece. By Jove himself,
It makes the consuls base! and my soul aches
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither supreme, how soon confusion
May enter 'twixt the gap of both and take
The one by the other.

Com.
Well, on to the market-place.

Cor. ^note
Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth
The corn o' ^note the storehouse gratis, as 'twas used
Sometime in Greece,— ^note

Men.
Well, well, no more of that.

Cor.
Though there the people had more absolute power,
I say, they ^note nourish'd disobedience, fed
The ruin of the state ^note.

Bru.
Why, ^note shall the people give
One that speaks thus their voice?

Cor.
I'll give my reasons,
More worthier ^note than their voices ^note. They know the corn

Was not our ^note recompense, resting well ^note assured
They ne'er did service for't: being press'd to the war,
Even when the navel of the state was touch'd,
They would not thread the gates. This kind of service
Did not deserve corn gratis: being i' the war,
Their ^note mutinies and revolts, wherein they show'd
Most valour, spoke not for them: the accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the native ^note
Of our so frank donation ^note. Well, what then?
How shall this bisson multitude ^note digest
The senate's courtesy? Let deeds express
What's like to be their words: ‘We did request it;
We are the greater poll ^note, and in true fear
They ^note gave us our demands.’ Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble
Call our cares ^note fears; which will in time ^note
Break ope ^note the locks o' the senate, and bring in
The crows to peck the eagles ^note.

Men.
Come, enough ^note.

Bru.
Enough, with over measure.

Cor.
No, take more:
What may be sworn by, both ^note divine and human,
Seal what I end withal! This double worship,
Where one ^note part does disdain with cause, the other
Insult without all reason ^note; where gentry, title, wisdom,
Cannot conclude but by the yea and no

Of general ignorance,—it must omit ^note
Real necessities, and give way the while
To unstable slightness ^note: purpose so barr'd, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpose ^note. Therefore, beseech you,—
You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state
More than you doubt ^note the change on 't ^note; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish
To jump ^note a body with a dangerous physic
That's sure of death without it ^note,—at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue; let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison. Your dishonour
Mangles true judgement and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become 't ^note;
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control 't ^note.

Bru.
Has ^note said enough.

Sic.
Has ^note spoken like a traitor, and shall answer
As traitors do.

Cor.
Thou wretch, despite o'erwhelm thee!
What should the people do with these bald tribunes?
On whom depending, their obedience fails
To the greater bench: in a rebellion, ^note
When what's not ^note 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 ^note,
And throw their power i' the dust.

Bru.
Manifest treason!

Sic.
This a consul? no.

Bru.
The ædiles, ho! Enter an Ædile. ^note
Let him be apprehended.

Sic. ^note
Go, call the people: [Exit Ædile ^note] in whose name myself ^note
Attach thee as a traitorous innovator,
A foe to the public weal: obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

Cor.
Hence, old goat!

Senators, &c. ^note
We'll surety him.

Com.
Aged sir ^note, hands off.

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

Sic.
Help, ye ^note citizens! Enter ^note a rabble of Citizens, with the Ædiles. ^note

Men.
On both sides more respect.

Sic.
Here's he that would take from you all your power.

Bru.
Seize him, ædiles!

Citizens. ^note
Down with him! down with him!

Senators, &c. ^note
Weapons, weapons, weapons! [They all bustle about Coriolanus, crying,
‘Tribunes!’ ^note ‘Patricians!’ ‘Citizens!’ ‘What, ho!’
‘Sicinius!’ ‘Brutus!’ ‘Coriolanus!’ ‘Citizens!’
‘Peace ^note, peace, peace!’ ‘Stay! hold! peace!’

Men.
What is about to be? I am out of breath.

Confusion's near ^note. I cannot speak. You ^note, tribunes
To the people! ^note Coriolanus, patience!
Speak, good ^note Sicinius ^note.

Sic.
Hear me, people; peace!

Citizens.
Let's hear ^note our tribune: peace! ^note—Speak ^note, speak, speak.

Sic.
You are at point to lose your liberties:
Marcius would have all from you; Marcius,
Whom late you have named ^note for consul.

Men.
Fie, fie, fie!
This is the way to kindle, not to quench. ^note

First Sen. ^note
To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.

Sic.
What is the city but the people?

Citizens.
True,
The people are the city. ^note

Bru.
By the consent of all, we were establish'd
The people's magistrates. ^note

Citizens.
You so remain.

Men.
And so are like to do.

Com. ^note
That is the way to lay the city flat,
To bring the roof to the foundation,
And bury all which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

Sic.
This deserves death.

Bru.
Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it. We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy

Of present death.

Sic.
Therefore lay hold of ^note him;
Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.

Bru.
Ædiles, seize him!

Citizens. ^note
Yield, Marcius, yield!

Men.
Hear me one word;
Beseech you, tribunes ^note, hear me but a word. ^note

Ædiles.
Peace, peace!

Men. [To Brutus ^note]
Be that you seem, truly your country's friend ^note,
And temperately proceed to what you would
Thus violently redress.

Bru.
Sir, those cold ways,
That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous ^note
Where the disease is violent. Lay hands upon ^note him,
And bear him to the rock.

Cor.
No, I'll die here. [Drawing his sword. ^note
There's some among you have beheld me fighting:
Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me ^note.

Men.
Down with that sword! Tribunes, withdraw awhile.

Bru.
Lay hands upon him.

Men.
Help Marcius, help, ^note
You that be noble; help him, young and old! ^note

Citizens.
Down with him, down with him! ^note[In ^note this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ædiles, and the People, are beat in.

^note

Men.
Go, get you to your ^note house; be gone, away!
All will be naught else.

Sec. Sen. ^note
Get you gone. ^note

Com. ^note
Stand fast;
We have as many friends as enemies. ^note

Men.
Shall it be put to that?

First Sen. ^note
The gods forbid!
I prithee, noble friend, home to thy house;
Leave us to cure this cause.

Men.
For 'tis a sore upon us ^{note note}
You cannot tent yourself: be gone, beseech you.

Com. ^note
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 calved i' the porch o' the Capitol,—

Men.
Be gone ^note:
Put not your worthy rage into your tongue: ^note
One time will ^note owe ^note another. ^note

Cor. ^note
On fair ground
I could beat forty of them. ^note

Men.
I could myself
Take up a brace o' the ^note best of them ^note; yea ^note, the two tribunes. ^note

Com.
But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic;
And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands
Against a falling fabric. Will you hence
Before the tag return? whose rage doth rend
Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear
What they are used to bear.

Men.
Pray you, be gone:
I'll try whether ^note my old wit be in request
With those that have but little: this must be patch'd
With cloth of any colour.

Com.
Nay, ^note come away. [Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, and others. ^{note note}

First Patrician. ^note
This man has marr'd his fortune.

Men.
His nature is too noble for the world:
He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,
Or Jove for 's ^note power to thunder. His heart's his mouth ^{note note}:
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!

Sec. Pat. ^note
I would they were a-bed ^note!

Men.
I would they were in Tiber! What, the vengeance,
Could he not speak 'em fair? ^note Re-enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rabble. ^note

Sic.
Where is this viper,
That would ^note depopulate the city, and
Be every man himself? ^note

Men.
You worthy tribunes— ^note

Sic.
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 the ^note public power,
Which he so sets at nought.

First Cit.
He shall well know
The noble tribunes are the people's mouths,
And we their hands. ^note

Citizens. ^note
He shall, sure on't ^note.

Men.
Sir, sir,— ^note

Sic.
Peace!

Men.
Do not ^note cry havoc, where you should but hunt
With modest warrant.

Sic.
Sir, how comes't that ^note you
Have holp to make this rescue? ^note

Men.
Hear me speak:
As I do know the consul's worthiness,
So can I name his faults,— ^note

Sic.
Consul! what consul?

Men.
The consul Coriolanus.

Bru.
He consul! ^note

Citizens. ^note
No, no, no, no, no.

Men.
If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people, ^note

I may be heard, I would ^note crave a word or two;
The which shall turn you to no further harm
Than so much loss of time.

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

Men.
Now the good gods forbid
That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude
Towards her deserved ^note children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam
Should now eat up her own!

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

Men.
O, 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, ^note the blood he hath lost—
Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath
By many an ounce—he dropp'd it for his country;
And what is left, to lose it by his country
Were to us all that do't ^note and suffer it
A brand to the end o' the world.

Sic.
This is clean kam ^note.

Bru.
Merely awry: when he did love his country,
It honour'd him ^note.

Men. ^note
The service of the foot
Being ^note once gangrened, is ^note not then respected
For what before it was. ^note

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

Men.
One word more, one word. ^note
This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find
The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too late,
Tie leaden pounds to's ^note heels. Proceed by process;
Lest parties, as he is beloved, break out,
And sack great Rome with Romans.

Bru.
If it were so— ^note

Sic.
What do ye talk?
Have we not had a taste of his obedience?
Our ædiles smote ^note? ourselves resisted? Come ^note.

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

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

Sic.
Noble Menenius,
Be you then as the people's officer. ^note

Masters, lay down your weapons.

Bru.
Go not home.

Sic.
Meet on the market-place ^note. We'll attend ^note you there:
Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed ^note
In our first way.

Men.
I'll bring him to you ^note. [To the Senators ^note]
Let me desire your company: he must come,
Or what is worst ^note will follow.

First Sen. ^note
Pray you ^note, let's ^note to him. [Exeunt. ^{note note}

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