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 will be there before the stream o' the people;
And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own,
Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Rome. A street.

Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, TITUS
LARTIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius, then, had made new head?
Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was which caus'd
Our swifter composition.

Cor. So, then, the Volsces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon's again.

Com.

They're worn, lord consul, so,

That we shall hardly in our ages see

Their banners wave again.

Cor.

Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On safe-guard he came to me; and did curse Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely

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

Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart.

He did, my lord.

Cor.

How? what?

Lart.

How often he had met you, sword to sword;

That of all things upon the earth he hated

Your person most; that he would pawn his fortunes

To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor.

Lart.

At Antium.

At Antium lives he?

Cor. I wish I had a cause to seek him there, T'oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Behold, these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues o' the common mouth: I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority,

Against all noble sufferance.

Sic.

Cor. Ha! what is that?

Pass no further.

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on: no further

Cor. What makes this change?

Men. The matter?

Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles and the commons? Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor.

Have I had children's voices?

First Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place. Bru. The people are incens'd against him.

Sic.

Or all will fall in broil.

Cor.

Are these your herd?

Stop,

Must these have voices, that can yield them now,

And straight disclaim their tongues? What are your offices?
You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?
Have you not set them on?

Men.

Be calm, be calm.

Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot,

To curb the will of the nobility:

Suffer 't, and live with such as cannot rule,

Nor ever will be rul'd.

The people cry you mock'd them; and of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;
Scandal'd the suppliants for the people, - call'd them
Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

Shakespeare. V.

4

Cor. Why, this was known before.

Bru.

Not to them all.

Cor. Have you inform'd them sithence?
Bru.

How! I inform them!

Not unlike,

Cor. You're like to do such business.

Bru.

Each way,

to better yours.

Cor. Why, then, should I be consul? By yond clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me Your fellow tribune.

Sic.

You show too much of that

For which the people stir: if you will pass

To where you're bound, you must inquire your way,
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;

Or never be so noble as a consul,

Nor yoke with him for tribune.

Men.

Let's be calm.

This paltering

Com. The people are abus'd; set on. Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus Deserv'd this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely I' the plain way of his merit.

Cor.

Tell me of corn!

This was my speech, and I will speak't again,

Men. Not now, not now.

First Sen.

Not in this heat, sir, now.

Cor. Now, as I live, I will.

I crave their pardons:

My nobler friends,

For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them

Regard me as I do not flatter, and

Therein behold themselves: I say again,

In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate

The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,

Which we ourselves have plough'd for, sow'd, and scatter'd, By mingling them with us, the honour'd number;

Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that

Which they have given to beggars.

Men.

Well, no more.

First Sen. No more words, we beseech you.
Cor.

How! no more!

As for my country I have shed my blood,
Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs
Coin words till their decay against those measles,
Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought
The very way to catch them.

Bru.

You speak o' the people,

Were I as patient as the midnight sleep,
By Jove, 'twould be my mind!

It is a mind

Sic.
That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poison any further.

Cor.

Shall remain! ·

Hear you this Triton of the minnows? mark you
His absolute "shall"?

Com.

Cor.

'Twas from the canon.

"Shall"!

O good, but most unwise patricians! why,

You grave, but reckless senators, have you thus
Given Hydra heart to choose an officer,
That with his peremptory "shall," being but

The horn and noise o' the monster, wants not spirit
To say he'll turn your current in a ditch,
And make your channel his? If he have power,
Then vail your ignorance; if none, awake
Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn'd,
Be not as common fools; if you are not,

Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians,
If they be senators: and they are no less,
When, both your voices blended, the great'st taste

Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate;
And such a one as he, who puts his "shall,"
His popular "shall," against a graver bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece. By Jove himself,
It makes the consuls base! and my soul aches
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither supreme, how soon confusion

May enter 'twixt the gap of both, and take
The one by th' other.

Com.

Well,

on to the market-place.
Cor. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth
The corn o' the storehouse 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

I'll give my reasons,

One, that speaks thus, their voice?

Cor.
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: th' accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the motive
Of our so frank donation. Well, what then?
How shall this bisson multitude 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