Here he comes, and in the gown of humility: mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars; wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore, follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him.

All.

Content, content.

Men.
O sir, you are not right: have you not known
The worthiest men have done 't?

Cor.
What must I say?—
I pray, sir,—Plague upon't! I cannot bring
My tongue to such a pace.—Look, sir;—my wounds;—
I got them in my country's service, when
Some certain of your brethren roar'd, and ran
From the noise of our own drums.

Men.
O me, the gods!
You must not speak of that: you must desire them
To think upon you.

Cor.
Think upon me? Hang 'em!
I would they would forget me, like the virtues
Which our divines lose by 'em.

Men.
You'll mar all:
I'll leave you. Pray you, speak to them, I pray you,
In wholesome manner. [Exit. Enter two Citizens^{1 note}.

Cor.
Bid them wash their faces,
And keep their teeth clean.—So, here comes a brace.
You know the cause, sir, of my standing here.

1 Cit.
We do, sir: tell us what hath brought you to't.

Cor.
Mine own desert.

2 Cit.
Your own desert?

Cor.
Ay, not
Mine own desire^{2 note}.

1 Cit.
How! not your own desire?

Cor.
No, sir: 'twas never my desire yet,
To trouble the poor with begging.

1 Cit.

You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to gain by you.

Cor.
Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship?

1 Cit.
The price is, to ask it kindly.

Cor.
Kindly?
Sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to show you,
Which shall be yours in private.—Your good voice, sir;
What say you?

2 Cit.
You shall ha't, worthy sir.

Cor.
A match, sir.—
There is in all two worthy voices begg'd.—
I have your alms: adieu.

1 Cit.
But this is something odd.

2 Cit.
An 'twere to give again,—but 'tis no matter. [Exeunt the Two Citizens. Enter two other Citizens.

Cor.

Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your voices that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown.

3 Cit.

You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly.

Cor.

Your enigma?

3 Cit.

You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends: you have not, indeed, loved the common people.

Cor.

You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my sworn brother, the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them: 'tis a condition they account gentle; and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating nod, and be off to them most counterfeitly: that is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular man, and give it bountifully to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may be consul.

4 Cit.

We hope to find you our friend, and therefore give you our voices heartily.

3 Cit.

You have received many wounds for your country.

Cor.

I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no farther.

Both Cit.

The gods give you joy, sir, heartily.

Cor.
Most sweet voices!—
Better it is to die, better to starve,
Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.
Why in this woolvish toge^{3 note} should I stand here, 11Q0874

To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear,
Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to't:—
What custom wills, in all things should we do't,
The dust on antique time would lie unswept,
And mountainous error be too highly heap'd
For truth to o'er-peer.—Rather than fool it so,
Let the high office and the honour go
To one that would do thus.—I am half through:
The one part suffer'd, the other will I do. Enter three other Citizens.
Here come more voices.—
Your voices: for your voices I have fought;
Watch'd for your voices; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
I have seen, and heard of: for your voices,
Have done many things, some less, some more.
Your voices: indeed, I would be consul.

5 Cit.

He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest man's voice.

6 Cit.

Therefore, let him be consul. The gods give him joy, and make him good friend to the people.

All.
Amen, amen.—
God save thee, noble consul! [Exeunt Citizens.

Cor.
Worthy voices! Re-enter Menenius, with Brutus, and Sicinius.

Men.
You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes
Endue you with the people's voice: remains
That, in th' official marks invested, you
Anon do meet the senate.

Cor.
Is this done?

Sic.
The custom of request you have discharg'd:
The people do admit you; and are summon'd
To meet anon upon your approbation.

Cor.
Where? at the senate-house?

Sic.
There, Coriolanus.

Cor.
May I change these garments?

Sic.
You may, sir.

Cor.
That I'll straight do; and, knowing myself again,
Repair to the senate-house.

Men.
I'll keep you company.—Will you along?

Bru.
We stay here for the people.

Sic.
Fare you well. [Exeunt Coriol. and Menen.
He has it now; and by his looks, methinks,
'Tis warm at's heart.

Bru.
With a proud heart he wore
His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people? Re-enter Citizens.

Sic.
How now, my masters! have you chose this man?

1 Cit.
He has our voices, sir.

Bru.
We pray the gods he may deserve your loves.

2 Cit.
Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice,
He mock'd us when he begg'd our voices.

3 Cit.
Certainly,
He flouted us down-right.

1 Cit.
No, 'tis his kind of speech; he did not mock us.

2 Cit.
Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says,
He us'd us scornfully: he should have show'd us
His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for's country.

Sic.
Why, so he did, I am sure.

All.
No, no; no man saw 'em.

3 Cit.
He said, he had wounds, which he could show in private;
And with his hat thus waving it in scorn,
“I would be consul,” says he: “aged custom,
But by your voices, will not so permit me;
Your voices therefore.” When we granted that,
Here was, — “I thank you for your voices,—thank you,—
Your most sweet voices: — now you have left your voices,
I have no farther with you.”—Was not this mockery?

Sic.
Why, either, were you ignorant to see't,
Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
To yield your voices?

Bru.
Could you not have told him,
As you were lesson'd—when he had no power,
But was a petty servant to the state,
He was your enemy; ever spake against
Your liberties, and the charters that you bear
I' the body of the weal: and now, arriving
A place of potency, and sway o' the state,
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves. You should have said,
That, as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Translate his malice towards you into love,
Standing your friendly lord.

Sic.
Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit,
And tried his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had called you up, have held him to,
Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article
Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage,

You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler,
And pass'd him unelected.

Bru.
Did you perceive,
He did solicit you in free contempt,
When he did need your loves, and do you think,
That his contempt shall not be bruising to you,
When he hath power to crush? Why, had your bodies
No heart among you? or had you tongues to cry
Against the rectorship of judgment?

Sic.
Have you,
Ere now, denied the asker; and, now again,
Of him, that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your sued-for tongues^{4 note}
?

3 Cit.
He's not confirm'd; we may deny him yet.

2 Cit.
And will deny him:
I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

1 Cit.
Ay, twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

Bru.
Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends,
They have chose a consul that will from them take
Their liberties; make them of no more voice
Than dogs, that are as often beat for barking,
As therefore kept to do so.

Sic.
Let them assemble;
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke
Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed;
How in his suit he scorn'd you, but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehension of his present portance,

Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.

Bru.
Lay
A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd
(No impediment between) but that you must
Cast your election on him.

Sic.
Say, you chose him
More after our commandment, than as guided
By your own true affections; and that, your minds,
Pre-occupy'd with what you rather must do,
Than what you should, made you against the grain
To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.

Bru.
Ay, spare us not. Say, we read lectures to you,
How youngly he began to serve his country.
How long continued, and what stock he springs of,
The noble house o' the Marcians; from whence came
That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son,
Who, after great Hostilius, here was king.
Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither;
[And Censorinus, darling of the people^{5 note} 11Q0875,]
And nobly nam'd so, twice being censor^{6 note},

Was his great ancestor.

Sic.
One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his present bearing with his past^{7 note},
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.

Bru.
Say, you ne'er had done't,
(Harp on that still) but by our putting on;
And presently, when you have drawn your number,
Repair to the Capitol.

All.
We will so: almost all
Repent in their election. [Exeunt Citizens.

Bru.
Let them go on:
This mutiny were better put in hazard,
Than stay, past doubt, for greater.
If, as his nature is, he fall in rage
With their refusal, both observe and answer
The vantage of his anger.

Sic.
To the Capitol:
Come, we'll be there before the stream o' the people;
And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward. [Exeunt.

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