His popular shall, against a graver bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece! By Jove himself,
It makes the consuls base: and my soul akes,9
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. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth The corn o'the store-house gratis, as 'twas us'd Sometime in Greece,

Men. Well, well, no more of that.

Cor. (Though there the people had more absolute power,)

I say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed
The ruin of the state.

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

Cor. I'll give my reasons,

More worthier than their voices. They know, the corn
Was not our recompense; resting well assur'd

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 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
Of our so frank donation. Well, what then?
How shall this bosom multiplied digest

The senate's courtesy ? Let deeds express
What's like to be their words :— We did request it
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands :-Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble

Call our cares, fears: which will in time break ope
The locks o'the senate, and bring in the crows

To peck the eagles.

Men. Come, enough.

Bru. Enough, with over-measure.

[9] The mischief and absurdity of what is called Imperium in imperio, is here finely expressed.

WARB.

[1] That is, pass them. We yet say, to thread an alley. JOHNS. [2] This multitudinous bosom; the bosom of that great monster, the peo

pl:.

MAL.

Cor. No, take more :

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

Of general ignorance,-it must omit

Real necessities, and give way the while

To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpose: Therefore, beseech you,-
You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state,

More than you doubt the change of't;3 that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish

To jump a body with a dangerous physic, 4

That's sure of death without it,-at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison: Your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it ;5
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control it.

Bru. He has said enough.

Sie. He has 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,

When what's not 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,6
And throw their power i'the dust.

Bru. Manifest treason.

Sic. This a consul? no.

Bru. The Ædiles, ho!-Let him be apprehended.

[3] To doubt is to fear. The meaning is, You whose zeal predominates over your terrors; you who do not so much fear the danger of violent measures, as wish the good to which they are necessary, the original constitution of our government. JOHNS.

[4] To jump, anciently signified to jolt, to give a rude concussion to any thing. To jump a body may therefore mean to put it into violent agitation or commotion. STEEV.

[5] Integrity is in this place soundness, uniformity, consistency. JOHNS. [6] Let it be said by you, that what is meet to be done, must be meet, i. e. shall be done, and put an end at once to tribunitian power, which was established, when irresistible violence, not a regard to propriety, directed the leg is lature. MALONE.

Sic. Go, call the people; [Exit BRUTUS.] in whose

name, myself

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!

Sen. and Pat. We'll surety him.

Com. Aged sir, hands off.

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

Sic. Help, ye citizens.

Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ediles and a Rabble of Citizens.

Men. On both sides more respect.
Sic. Here's he, that would

Take from you all your power.

Bru. Seize him, Ædiles.

Cit. Down with him, down with him!

2 Sen. Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[Several speak.

[They all bustle about CORIOLANUŠ. Tribunes, patricians, citizens !—what ho !— Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens !

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

Speak, good Sicinius.

Sic. Hear me, people ;—Peace.

Cit. Let's hear our tribune ;-peace. Speak, speak, speak.

Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties : Marcius would have all from you; Marcius, Whom late you have nam'd for consul.

Men. Fie, fie, fie!

This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

1 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 magistrates.

Cit. You so remain.

Men. And so 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 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 him ;

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him.

Bru. Ediles, seize him.

Cit. Yield, Marcius, yield.
Men. Hear me one word.

Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.
Ediles. Peace, peace.

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

Thus violently redress.

Bru. Sir, those cold ways,

That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the disease is violent :-Lay hands upon hi m And bear him to the rock.

Cor. No; I'll die here.

[Drawing his sword. There's some among you have beheld me fighting; Come, try upon yourscives what you have seen me. Men. Down with that sword ;-Tribunes, withdraw a while.

Bru. Lay hands upon him.

Men. Help, Marcius! help,

You that be noble; help him, young, and old!

Cit. Down with him, down with him!

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

Men. Go, get you to your house; 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 sore upon us,

You cannot tent yourself: Begone, 'beseech you.

Com. 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 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

Take up a brace of the best of them; yea, the two tribunes.

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 ?7 whose 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.

Com. Nay, come away. [Exe. COR. COM. and others. 1 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 breast forges, that his tongue must 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 noise within.

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

geance,

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 shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock

With rigorous hands; he hath resisted law,

And therefore law shall scorn him further trial

[7] The lowest and most despicable of the populace are still denominated by those a little above them, Tag, rag, and bobtail. JOHNS.