I

SIC. Conful!-what conful?

MEN. The conful Coriolanus.

BRU. He a conful!

CIT. No, no, no, no, no.

MEN. If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people,

may be heard, I'd crave a word or two;

The which shall turn you to no further harm,

Than fo much loss of time.

SIC. Speak briefly then;

For we are peremptory, to despatch

This viperous traitor: to eject him hence,
Were but one 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, whofe gratitude
Towards her deferved 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? The blood he hath loft,

(Which, I dare vouch, is more than 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, and suffer it,

A brand to the end o' the world.

SIC. This is clean kam.

BRU. Merely awry: When he did love his country, It honour'd him.

MEN. The fervice of the foot

Being once gangren'd, is not then respected

For what before it was?

BRU. We'll hear no more :.

Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence
Left his infection, being of catching nature,
Spread further.

MEN. One word more, one word.

This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find

;

The harm of unfcann'd fwiftnefs, will, too late,
Tie leaden pounds to his heels. Proceed by process;
Left parties (as he is belov'd) break out,

And fack great Rome with Romans.
BRU. If it were so,—

SIC. What do ye talk?

Have we not had a taste of his obedience?

Our Ediles fmote ? ourselves refifted?-Come:
MEN. Confider this ;-He has been bred i' the wars
Since he could draw a fword, and is ill fchool'd
In boulted language; meal and bran together
He throws without diftinction. Give me leave,
go to him, and undertake to bring him
Where he shall anfwer, by a lawful form,
(In peace) to his utmost peril.

I'll

1 SEN. Noble tribunes,

It is the humane way: the other course
Will

prove too bloody; and the end of it Unknown to the beginning.

Be

SIC. Noble Menenius,

you then as the people's officer:

Masters, lay down your weapons.

BRU. Go not home.

[there :

SIC. Meet on the market-place :-We'll attend you

Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed

In our first way.

MEN. I'll bring him to you :

[come, Let me defire your company. [to the SENATORS.] He must Or what is worst will follow.

I SEN. Pray you, let's to him.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. A Room in CORIOLANUS'S Houfe.

Enter CORIOLANUS, and PATRICIANS.

COR. Let them pull all about mine ears; present me Death on the wheel, or at wild horfes' heels; Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock, That the precipitation might down ftretch Below the beam of fight, yet will I ftill Be thus to them.

Enter VOLUMNIA.

I PAT. You do the nobler.

COR. I mufe, my mother

Does not approve me further, who was wont
To call them woollen vaffals, things created

To buy and fell with groats; to show bare heads
In congregations, to yawn, be ftill, and wonder,
When one but of my ordinance ftood up

To speak of peace, or war. I talk of you. [To VOLUMNIA,
Why did you wish me milder? Would you

Falfe to my nature? Rather fay, I play

The man I am.

VOL. O, fir, fir, fir,

have me

I would have had you put your power well on,
Before you had worn it out.

COR. Let go.

VOL. You might have been enough the man you are,

With ftriving lefs to be fo: Leffer had been

The thwartings of your difpofitions, if

You had not fhow'd them how you were difpos'd

Ere they lack'd

power to cross you.

COR. Let them hang.

VOL. Ay, and burn too.

Enter MENENIUS and SENATORS.

MEN. Come, come, you have been too rough, fomething too rough;

You must return, and mend it.

I SEN. There's no remedy;

Unless, by not fo doing, our good city

Cleave in the midst, and perish.

VOL. Pray, be counsel'd :

I have a heart as little apt as yours,

But

yet a brain, that leads my use of

To better 'vantage,

MEN. Well faid, noble woman :

anger,

Before he should thus ftoop to the herd, but that
The violent fit o' the time craves it as phyfick
For the whole ftate, I would put mine armour on,
Which I can scarcely bear.

COR. For them?—I cannot do it to the gods;

Muft I then do't to them?

VOL. You are too abfolute;

Though therein you can never be too noble,
But when extremities fpeak. I have heard you say,
Honour and policy, like unfever'd friends,

I' the war do grow together: Grant that, and tell me, peace, what each of them by th' other lose,

In

That they combine not there.

COR. Tufh, tufh!

MEN. A good demand.

VOL. If it be honour, in your wars, to seem

The fame you are not, (which, for your best ends,
You adopt your policy,) how is it lefs, or worse,
That it shall hold companionship in peace

With honour, as in war; fince that to both
It stands in like request?

COR. Why force you this?

VOL. Because that now it lies you on to speak
To the people; not by your own instruction,
Nor by the matter which your heart
prompts you to,
But with fuch words that are but roted in

Your tongue, though but bastards, and fyllables
Of no allowance, to your bofom's truth.
Now, this no more difhonours you at all,
Than to take in a town with gentle words,
Which elfe would put you to your fortune, and
The hazard of much blood.

I would diffemble with my nature, where
My fortunes, and my friends, at stake, requir'd,
I should do fo in honour: I am in this,
Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles;
And you will rather show our general lowts

How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon them,
For the inheritance of their loves, and fafeguard
Of what that want might ruin.

MEN. Noble lady!—

Come, go with us; fpeak fair: you may falve so,

Not what is dangerous prefent, but the lofs

Of what is past.

VOL. I pr'ythee now, my son,