there was great scarcity of corn in the city, and that though there had been plenty, the common people had no money to buy it, spread abroad false tales against the Nobility, that they, in revenge of the people, had procured the extreme dearth among them. The people being set on a broil by these words, Marcius, who was now grown to great credit with the noblest men of Rome, rose up and openly spake against these flattering Tribunes. Then, taking his friends, and such as he could intreat to go with him, he did run certain forays into the dominion of the Antiates, where he met with great plenty of corn, and had a marvellous great spoil, which he brought away, and reserved nothing to himself. Afterwards, the home-tarriers and house-doves began to repent that it was not their hap to go with him, and so envied them that had sped so well, and also, of malice to Marcius, spited to see his credit increase more and more, because they accounted him a great hinderer of the people.

Shortly after this, Marcius stood for the Consulship; and the common people favoured his suit, thinking it would be a shame to deny and refuse the chiefest man of noble blood, and especially him that had done so great service to the commonwealth. The custom of Rome was, at that time, that such as did sue for any office should for certain days before be in the market-place, with a poor gown on their backs, to pray the citizens to remember them at the election. Now, Marcius, following this custom, showed many wounds and cuts upon his body, which he had received in seventeen years' service at the wars: so that there was not a man among the people but was ashamed to refuse so valiant a man; and one said to another, we must needs choose him, there is no remedy. But when the day of election was come, and Marcius came to the market-place, accompanied with all the Senate and Nobility, who sought to make him Consul with the greatest intreaty they ever attempted for any man; then the love and good will of the common people turned to hate and envy toward him, fearing to put this office into his hands, as one they might doubt would take away altogether the liberty from the people. Wherefore they refused him in the end, and made two others Consuls. The Senate did account the shame of this refusal rather to redound to themselves than to Marcius; but he took it in far worse part than the Senate, and was out of all patience.

Meanwhile there came great plenty of corn to Rome, part of it being bought in Italy, the rest given by Gelon tyrant of Syracuse; so that many stood in great hope that, the dearth being holpen, the civil dissension would cease. The Senate sat in counsel upon it immediately; the common people also stood about the palace, gaping what would fall out, persuading themselves that the corn they had bought should be sold good cheap, and that which had been given should be divided by the poll, without paying a penny; and the rather, because certain of the Senators did

wish the same. But Marcius did somewhat sharply take up those who went about to gratify the people therein, calling them peoplepleasers and traitors to the Nobility. He said that they who counselled that the corn should be given out to the people gratis, as they used to do in the cities of Greece where the people had more absolute power, did but nourish their disobedience, which would break out in the end to the utter ruin of the state. For they will not think it done in recompense of their service, since they have so oft refused to go to the wars; nor for their mutinies when they went; nor for the accusations which they have received against the Senate: but they will rather judge that we grant them this as standing in fear of them, and glad to flatter them every way. Therefore it were a great folly for us, methinks, to do it; yea, we should, if we were wise, take from them their Tribuneship, which manifestly is the embasing of the Consulship, and the cause of division in the city.

Marcius, dilating the matter with many such reasons, won all the young men and almost all the rich to his opinion; insomuch as they rang it out that he was the only man in the city, who stood out against the people, and never flattered them. The Tribunes, when they saw that the opinion of Marcius was confirmed by the more voices, left the Senate, and went down to the people, crying out for help. The words of Marcius being openly reported, the people so stomached them, that in their fury they were ready to fly upon the whole Senate. But the Tribunes laid all the fault upon Marcius, and sent their sergeants to arrest him. He stoutly withstood these officers; whereupon the Tribunes, accompanied with the Ediles, went to fetch him by force, and so laid violent hands on him howbeit, the Patricians, gathering about him, made them give back, and laid sore upon the Ediles; so for that time the night parted them. The next morning the Consuls, seeing the people in an uproar, were afraid lest all the city would together by the ears wherefore, assembling the Senate in all haste, they declared how it stood them upon to appease the fury of the people with some gentle words or grateful decrees in their favour. most of the Senators present thinking this opinion best, and giving their consents unto it, the Consuls then went to speak unto the people as gently as they could, and did pacify their fury, using great modesty in persuading them, and also in reproving their faults. So, the most part being pacified, the Tribunes then said that, since the Senate yielded to reason, the people also, as became them, did likewise give place unto them: notwithstanding, they would that Marcius should come person to answer to the articles they had devised. This was spoken to one of these two ends, either that Marcius against his nature should be constrained to humble himself, or else, if he continued in his stoutness, he should incur the people's ill-will so far that he could never win them again.

The

So Marcius came to answer their accusations, and the people

held their peace to hear what he would say. But, when they thought to hear lowly words from him, he began not only to use his wonted boldness of speaking, but also gave himself in words to thunder, and therewithal to look so grimly as though he made no reckoning of the matter; which stirred coals among the people, who were in wonderful fury at it, and their hate grew so toward him that they could hold no longer, nor endure his bravery. Whereupon Sicinius, the cruelest and stoutest of the Tribunes, after he had whispered with his companions, did pronounce Marcius condemned by the Tribunes to die; and commanded the Ediles to apprehend him, and carry him straight to the rock Tarpeian, and to cast him headlong down the same. When they came to lay hands upon Marcius, divers of the people themselves thought it too cruel and violent a deed. The noblemen began to cry aloud, Help Marcius! so, those that laid hands on him being repulsed, they compassed him in among themselves, and some of them, holding up their hands to the people, besought them not to handle him thus cruelly; until the Tribunes' own friends did advise not to proceed in so violent a sort as to put such a man to death without process in law, but that they should refer the sentence to the free voice of the people. Then Sicinius, bethinking himself a little, did ask the Patricians for what cause they took Marcius out of the officers' hands. The Patricians asked him again why they would of themselves so wickedly put to death so noble and valiant a Roman without law and justice. Well then, said Sicinius, let there be no quarrel against the people; for they grant your demand that the cause shall be heard according to law. Therefore, said he to Marcius, we do will and charge you to appear before the people the third day of our next sitting here, to make your purgation for such articles as shall be objected against you, that by free voice the people may give sentence upon you as shall please them.

The Patricians assembled often to consult how they might stand to Marcius, and keep the Tribunes from causing the people to mutiny again. Marcius, seeing the Senate in great doubt how to resolve, asked aloud of the Tribunes what they would burden him with. They answered that they would show how he aspired to be king. He said he did willingly offer himself to be tried upon that accusation; and that, if it were proved he had but once thought of any such matter, he would then refuse no kind of punishment they should offer; conditionally that they should charge him with nothing else. They promised they would not; and under these conditions the people assembled.

And first of all the Tribunes would in any case that the people should give their voices by tribes, and not by hundreds; for by this means the multitude of the poor needy people came to be of greater force than the noble honest citizens whose persons and purse did serve the commonwealth in the wars. When the Trib

unes saw they could not prove he went about to make himself king, they began to broach afresh the former words that Marcius spoke in the Senate, in hindering the distribution of corn to the people, and persuading to take the Tribuneship from them. And for the third, they charged that he had not made common distribution of the spoil gotten of the Antiates, but of his own authority had divided it among them that were with him. This matter was most strange of all to Marcius, looking not to be burdened with that as any offence: wherefore, having no ready excuse, he fell to praising the soldiers that had served with him in that journey. But those that were not with him, being the greater number, cried out so loud that he could not be heard. To conclude, when they came to tell the voices of the tribes, there were three voices odd which condemned him to be banished for ever. After declaration of the sentence, the people made such joy as they never made for any battle won upon their enemies, and went home jocundly from the assembly. The Senate in contrary manner were as sad and heavy, repenting that they had not done and suffered any thing whatsoever, rather than the people should have so abused their authority. There needed no difference of garments or outward shows, to know a Plebeian from a Patrician; for he that was on the people's side looked cheerfully, but he that was sad and hung down his head was, sure, of the noblemen's side; saving Marcius alone, who did never show himself abashed, nor once let fall his great courage: not that he did patiently bear his evil hap, but because he was so carried away with vehemency of anger and desire of revenge, that he had no sense of the state he was in; which the common people judge not to be sorrow, although indeed it be the very same.

Now that Marcius was even in that taking, appeared soon after by his deeds. For, when he was come to his house, and had taken leave of his mother and wife, finding them weeping and shrieking out for sorrow, and had also comforted them; he went to the gate of the city, accompanied by a great number of Patricians, and from thence went on his way with three or four friends only, taking nothing with him, nor requesting any thing of any man. So he remained a few days in the country at his houses, turmoiled with sundry thoughts, such as the fire of his choler did stir up. In the end, seeing he could resolve no way to take an honourable course, but was only pricked forward to be revenged of the Romans, he thought it his best way to stir up the Volsces against them, knowing they were able enough to encounter them, and that their power was not so much impaired, as their malice and desire of revenge was increased.

Now, in the city of Antium there was one called Tullus Aufidius, who for his riches, as also for his nobility and valiantness, was honoured among the Volsces as a king. Marcius knew very well that Tullus did more malice and envy him than all the Ro

T

mans besides; because that many times in battles where they met they were ever at the encounter one against the other, insomuch as there was bred a marvellous private hate between them. Yet, considering that Tullus was of a great mind, and that he above all other Volsces desired revenge of the Romans, he disguised himself in such array as he thought no man could know what person he was, and so entered the enemies' town. It was even twilight when he entered, and many people met him, but no man knew him. So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius' house, and when he came thither he got him up straight to the chimney hearth, and sat him down, and spake not a word, his face all muffled over. They of the house spying him wondered what he should be, yet they durst not bid him rise: for disguised as he was, yet there appeared a certain majesty in his countenance and in his silence; whereupon they went to Tullus who was at supper, to tell him of the strange disguising of this man. Tullus rose presently from the board, and coming towards him asked who he was, and wherefore he came. Then Marcius unmuffled himself, and, after he had paused awhile, said, "If thou knowest me not yet, Tullus, and seeing me dost not believe me to be the man I am indeed, I must of necessity bewray myself to be that am. I am CAIUS MARCIUS, who hath done to thyself particularly, and to all the Volsces generally, great hurt and mischief, which I cannot deny for my surname CORIOLANUS that I bear. For I never had other benefit of the painful service I have done, and the extreme dangers I have been in, but this surname; a good memory and witness of the malice and displeasure thou shouldest bear me. Indeed the name only remaineth with me: for the rest the envy and cruelty of the people of Rome have taken from me, by the sufferance of the dastardly Nobility and magistrates, who have forsaken me, and let me be banished by the people. This extremity hath now driven me to come as a poor suitor, to take thy chimney hearth not of any hope I have to save my life thereby; for if I had feared death, I would not have come hither to put myself in hazard; but pricked forward with desire to be revenged of them that thus have banished me ; which now I do begin, in putting my person into the hands of their enemies. Wherefore, if thou hast any heart to be wreaked of the injuries thy enemies have done thee, speed thee now, and let my misery serve thy turn, and so use it, that my services may be a benefit to the Volsces; promising thee that I will fight with better will for vou, than I did when I was against you; knowing that they fight more valiantly who know the force of the enemy, than such as have never proved it. But if it be so that thou dare not, and art weary to prove fortune any more, then am I also weary to live any longer. And it were no wisdom in thee to save the life of him who hath been heretofore thy mortal enemy, and whose service now can nothing help nor pleasure thee." Tullus, hearing