To meet anon upon your approbation.
Cor. Where? at the fenate-house?

Sic. There, Coriolanus.

Cor. May I then change thefe garments?
Sic. 7'Sir, you may.

Cor. That I'll ftraight do: and knowing my self again, Repair to th' fenate-house.

Men. I'll keep you company. Will you along?
Bru. We ftay here for the people.

Sic. Fare you well.

[Exeunt Coriol. and Men,

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 difmifs the people?

Enter Citizens.

Sic. How now, my mafters, have you chofe this man? I Cit. He has our voices, Sir.

Bru. We pray the Gods he may deferve 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.

I Cit. No, 'tis his kind of fpeech, he did not mock us. 2 Cit. Not one amongst us, fave yourself but fays He us❜d us fcornfully: he fhould have fhew'd us His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for's country. Sic. Why fo he did, I am fure.

All. No, no man faw 'em.

[private: 3 Cit. He faid he'd wounds, which he could fhew in And with his cap, thus waving it in fcorn,

I would be Conful, fays he aged cuftom,

:

But by your voices, will not fo permit me ;

Your voices therefore: when we granted that,

Here was I thank you for your voices- thank you

6 I change

7 You may, Sir.

Your

Your most fweet voices now you have left your voices, I bave nothing further with you. Wa'n't this mockery? Sic. Why either were you 'impotent` to fee't,

8

Or feeing it, of fuch childish friendliness,

To yield your voices?

Bru. Could you not have told him,

As you were leffon'd? when he had no power,
But was a petty fervant to the ftate,

He was your enemy, ftill fpake against
er Your liberties, and charters that you bear
I'th' body of the weal: and now arriving
At place of potency, and fway o' th' ftate,
If he fhould ftill malignantly remain
Faft foe to the Plebeians, your voices might
Be curfes to yourselves. You should have said,
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he ftood for; fo his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices, and
Translate his malice tow'rds you into love,
Standing your friendly Lord.

Sic. Thus to have faid,

As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his fpirit,
And try'd his inclination; from him pluckt
Either his gracious promife, which you might,
As caufe had call'd you up, have held him to ;
Or else it would have gall'd his furly nature;
Which eafily endures not article,

Tying him to ought; fo putting him to rage,
You should have ta'en th' advantage of his choler,
And pafs'd him unelected.

Bru. Did you perceive,

He did follicit you in free contempt,

When he did need your loves; and do you think
That his contempt fhall not be bruifing to you,
When he hath power to crufh? why had your bodies
No heart among you? or had you tongues, to cry
Against the rectorfhip of judgment?

Sic. Have you

VOL. V.

8 ignorant.

Ere

Ere now deny'd the asker; and now again,

On him that did not ask, but mock, 9 beftow'd'
Your fu'd-for tongues?

3

Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may

Deny him yet.

2 Cit. Ay, and we will` deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that found.

['em.

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

Bru. Get you hence inftantly, and tell those friends,

They've chofe a Conful 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 affemble; and on fafer judgment,
Revoke your ignorant election:

Enforce his pride, and his old hate to you:
Befides, forget not,

With what contempt he wore the humble weed,
How in his fuit he fcorn'd you: but your loves
Thinking upon his fervices, took from you
The apprehenfion of his prefent portance,
Which gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After th' inveterate hate he bears to you.

Bru. Nay, lay a fault on us, your Tribunes, that
We labour'd, no impediment between,

But that you must caft your election on him.

Sic. Say, you chofe him more after our commandment, Than guided by your own affections,

And that your minds, pre-occupied with what

You rather muft do,

2

than with what you fhould do, Made you against the grain to voice him Conful.

Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, fpare us not: fay, we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to ferve his country, How long continued, and what ftock he fprings of, The noble houfe of Martius; from whence came That Ancus Martius, Numa's daughter's fon,

9 bestow ■ And will 2 than what

Who

Who after great Hoftilius, here was King:

Of the fame houfe Publius and Quintus were,
That our beft water brought by conduits hither.
And Genforinus, darling of the people,
(And nobly nam'd fo for twice being cenfor)
Was his great ancestor. a

Sic. One thus defcended,

That 'had befide well in his person wrought,
To be fet high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances; but you have found,
Scaling his prefent bearing with his past,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your fudden 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 th' Capitol.

All. 'We will; almost all

Repent in their election.

Bru. Let 'em go on :

This mutiny were better put in hazard,

Than stay past doubt for greater:

If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

[Exeunt Citizens,

With their refufal, both obferve and answer

The vantage of his anger.

Sic. Come; to th' Capitol.

We will be there before the ftream o' th' people:

And this fhall feem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

I 2

[Exeunt.

ACT

(a) Plutarch in his account of the Martian family enumerates the Several great men who had sprung from it, in which lift ftand Publius Martius and Quintus Martius and Cenforinus; who, though they lived before Plutarch, came after Coriolanus. Shakespear therefore by copying Plutarch too closely and hastily bath fallen into this inadvertence of making a cotemporary with Coriolanus mention the men who lived long after him.

Warburton.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

ROME.

Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, Titus Lartius, and other Senators.

CORIOLANUS.

Ullus Aufidius then had made new head?

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

Cor. So then the Volfcians ftand but as at first,

Ready when time fhall prompt them, to make inroad
Upon's again.

Com. They're worn, Lord Conful, so,
That we shall hardly in our, ages fee

Their banners wave again.

Cor. Saw you Aufidius?

Lar. On fafe-guard he came to me, and did curfe Against the Volfcians, for they had fo vilely

Yielded the town; he is retir'd to Antium.

Cor. Spoke he of me?
Lar. He did, my Lord.
Cor. How?-what?.

Lar. How often he had met you sword to fword:
That of all things upon the earth he hated
Your perfon moft: that he would pawn his fortunes
To hopeless reftitution, fo he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor. At Antium lives he?

Lar. At Antium.

Cor. I wish I had a caufe to feek him there, To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home.

Enter