eseech you.

blood,

my lungs

st those meazels ért us, yet sought

he had met you, sword

the earth, he hated would pawn his fortunes

night

to

there,

ne. artius.

is a mind,

all remain a poison where it is, poison any further.

or. Shall remain

ear you this Triton of the minnows? Mark

Cor. Shall!

O good, but most unwise patricians, why,

You grave, but reckless senators, have you thus
Given Hydra here to choose an officer,

That with his peremptory shall, being but

The horn and noise o' the monsters, 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 greatest 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 akes,

+ Scab.

• Lepers. According to law.

Small fish.

Careless.

Bru. Call't not a plot:

The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repined;
Scandal'd the suppliants for the people; call'd
them

Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.
Cor. Why, this was known before.
Bru. Not to them all.

Cor. Have you informed them since?
Bru. How! I inform them!

Cor. You are like to do such business.
Bru. Not unlike,

Each way, to better yours.

Cor. Why then should I be consul? By you clouds,

Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me
Your fellow-tribune.

Sic. You shew too much of that,

For which the people stir: if you will pass
To where you are 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.

Com. The people are abused :-Set on.-This palt'ring

Becomes not Rome; nor has Coriolanus

Deserved this so dishonour'd rnb, laid falsely t
I' the plain way of his merit.

Cor. Tell me of corn!

This was my speech, and I will speak't agian ;-
Men. Not now, not now.

1 Sen. Not in this heat, Sir, now.

Cor. Now, as I live, I will.-My nobler friends, I crave their pardons:

For the mutable, rank-scented many t, 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.

Shuffling. + Treacherously.

Populace.

Men. Well, no more.

1 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 meazels*
Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought

The very way to catch them.

Bru. You speak o' the people,

As if you were a god to punish, not

A man of their infirmity.

Sic. 'Twere well,

We let the people know't.

Men. What, what? His choler?
Cor. Choler!

Were I as patient as the midnight sleep,

By Jove, 'twould be my mind.

Sic. It is a mind,

That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poison any further.

Cor. Shall remain!

Hear you this Triton of the minnows? Mark

Cor. Shall!

O good, but most unwise patricians, why,
You grave, but reckless || senators, have you thus

☑ Given Hydra here to choose an officer,

That with his peremptory shall, beng but
The horn and noise o' the monsters, 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 y your voices blended, the greatest 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 akes,

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 used 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 assured 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 shew'd
Most valour, spoke not for them: the accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the nativet
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.

Cor. No, take more:

What may be sworn by, both divine and human,

* Pass through.

+ Motive, no doubt, was Shakspeare's word. ‡ Number,

Seal what I end withal -This double worship,-
Where one part does disdain with cause, the other
Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wis-

dom,

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; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish

To jumpt a body with a dangerous physic
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 jugment, 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 said enough.

Sic. 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 tri

bunes?

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,

And throw their power i' the dust.

Bru. Manifest treason.

Sic. This a consul? 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 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.

† Risk.