The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poifon your dishonour
Mangles true judgement, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it;
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control it.

BRU. He has faid enough.

SIC. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer As traitors do.

COR. Thou wretch! defpite 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,

When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,
Then were they chofen; in a better hour,

Let what is meet, be faid, it must be meet,
And throw their power i'the dust.

BRU. Manifeft treason.

SIC. This a conful? no.

BRU. The Ediles, ho!_Let him be apprehended. SIC. Go, call the people; [Exit BRUTUS.] in whose name, myself

Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,

A foe to the publick weal: Obey, I charge thee,

And follow to thine answer.

COR. Hence, old goat!

SEN. and PAT. We'll furety him.

COм. Aged fir, hands off.

COR. Hence, rotten thing, or I fhall shake thy bones Out of thy garments.

SIC. Help, ye citizens.

Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ediles, and a rabble of CITI

VOL. V.

ZENS.

K

CIT. Down with him, down with him! [Several speak. 2 SEN. Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[They all bustle about CORIOLANUS.

Tribunes, patricians, citizens !--what ho!

Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!

CIT. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace!
MEN. What is about to be?-1 am out of breath;
Confufion's near; I cannot speak :-You, tribunes
To the people,-Coriolanus, patience :-

Speak, good Sicinius.

SIC. Hear me, people ;—Peace.

[fpeak.

CIT. Let's hear our tribune :-Peace. Speak, fpeak, SIC. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you; Marcius, Whom late you have nam'd for conful. MEN. Fie, fie, fie!

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

I SEN. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
SIC. What is the city, but the people?

CIT. True,

The people are the city.

BRU. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magiftrates.

CIT. You fo remain.

MEN. And fo are like to do.

COR. That is the way to lay the city flat;

To bring the roof to the foundation ;
And bury all, which yet diftinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

SIC. This deferves death.

BRU. Or let us ftand to our authority,
Or let us lofe 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 him;

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into deftruction caft him.

BRU. Ediles, feize him.

CIT. Yield, Marcius, yield.

MEN. Hear me one word.

Befeech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.

EDI. Peace, peace.

MEN. Be that you feem, truly your country's friend, And temperately proceed to what you would

Thus violently redress.

BRU. Sir, those cold ways,

That feem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the difeafe is violent :-Lay hands upon him,

And bear him to the rock.

COR. No; I'll die here.

[Drawing bis fword.

There's fome among you have beheld me fighting;

Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.
MEN. Down with that fword;-Tribunes, withdraw
BRU. Lay hands upon him.

MEN. Help, help Marcius! help,

You that be noble; help him, young, and old!
CIT. Down with him, down with him!

[a while.

[In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ediles, and the people, are beat in.

MEN. Go, get you to your houfe; be gone, away, All will be naught else.

2 SEN. Get you gone.

COR. Stand fast;

We have as many friends as enemies.
MEN. Shall it be put to that?

1 SEN. The gods forbid!

I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house;
Leave us to cure this cause.

MEN. For 'tis a fore upon us,

You cannot tent yourself: Begone, 'befeech you.
COм. Come, fir, along with us.

COR. I would they were barbarians, (as they are, Though in Rome litter'd,) not Romans, (as they are not, Though calv'd i' the porch o' the Capitol,)—

MEN. Be gone;

Put not your worthy rage into your tongue;
One time will owe another.

COR. On fair ground,

I could beat forty of them.

MEN. I could myself

[bunes.

Take up a brace of the beft of them; yea, the two tri-
COм. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetick:

And manhood is call'd foolery, when it stands
Against a falling fabrick.-Will you hence,
Before the tag return? whofe rage doth rend
Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear
What they are us'd to bear.

MEN. Pray you, be gone:

I'll try whether my old wit be in request

With those that have but little; this must be patch'd

With cloth of any colour.

COм. Nay, come away.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, and Others.

I PAT. 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 his power to thunder. His heart's his mouth: What his breaft forges, that his tongue muft vent;

And, being angry, does forget that ever

He heard the name of death.

Here's goodly work!

2 PAT. I would they were a-bed!

[A noife within.

[geance,

MEN. I would they were in Tiber!-What, the ven

Could he not speak them fair?

Re-enter BRUTUS and SICINIUS, with the rabble. SIC. Where is this viper,

That would depopulate the city, and

Be

every man himself?

MEN. You worthy tribunes,

SIC. He fhall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock
With rigorous hands; he hath refifted law,

And therefore law fhall fcorn him further trial
Than the severity of the public power,

Which he fo fets at nought.

I CIT. He fhall well know,

The noble tribunes are the people's mouths,

And we their hands.

CIT. He fhall, fure on't.

[Several peak together.

MEN. Sir,

SIC. Peace.

MEN. Do not cry, havock, where you should but hunt