Some Harlots Spirit: My Throat of War be turn'd,
Which quir'd with my Drum, intò a Pipe,
Small as an Eunuch, or the Virgin Voice
That Babies lulls alleep; The Smiles of Knaves
Tent in my Cheeks, and School-boys Tears take up
The Glasses of my Sight: A Beggars Tongue
Make motion through iny Lips, and my arm'd Knees
Who bow'd bút in my Stirrup, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an Alms. I will not do't,
Left I furcease to honour mine own Truth,
And by my Bodies Adion, teach my Mind
A molt inherent Bareness.
Val. At thy Choice then:
To beg of thee, it is my more Dishonour,
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin, let
Thy Mother rather feel thy Pride, than fear
Thy dangerous Scoutness: For I mock at Death
With as big Heart as thou. Do as thou lift
Thy Valiantness was mine, thou suck'st it from me:
But own thy Pride thy self..
Cor. Pray be content:
Mother, I am going to the Market-place:
Chide me no more. I'll Mountebank their Loves,
Cog their Hearts from them, and come home belov'd
of all the Trades in Rome. Look, I am going:
Commend me to my Wife, I'll return Consul,
Or never trust to what my Tongue can do
l'th' way of Flattery further.
Vol. Do your Will.
[Exit Volumnia.
Com. Away, the Tribunes do attend you: Arm your self
To answer mildly: For they are prepard
With Accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.
Cor. The Word is, mildly. Pray you let us go.
Let them accuse me by Invention: I
Will answer in mine Honour.
Men. Ay, but mildly,
Cor. Well, mildly be it then, mildly. [Exeunt,
Enter Sicinius and Brurus.
Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affe&s
Tyrannical Power: If he evade us there,
In
Inforce him with his envy to the People,
And that the Spoil got on the Antiats
Was ne'er distributed. What, will he come?
Enter an Adile.
Æd. He's coming,
Bru. How accompanied ?
Æd. With old Menenins, and chose Senators
That always favour'd him.
Sic. Have you a Catalogue Of all the Voices that we have procur'd, set down by th' Æd. I have; 'tis ready.
(Poll?
Sic. Have you collected them by Tribes?
Ad. I have; 'tis ready.
Sic. Assemble presently the People hither
And when they hear me say, it shall be so,
I'th' right and strength oʻth Commons; be it either
For Death, for Fine, or Banishment, then let them,
If I say Fine, cry Fine; if Dtath, cry Death,
Insisting on the old Prerogative
And power i'ch' truth o'th'Cause.
Ad. I will inform them.
Bru, And when such time they have begun to cry, Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd,
а Inforce the present Execution Of what we chance to Sentence.
Æd. Very well.
Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint
When we shall hap to giv't them.
Bru. Go about it,
Put him to Choler streight, he hath been usd
Ever to conquer, and to have his word
Of Contradi&ion. Being once chaft, he cannot
Be rein'd again to Temperance; then he speaks
What's in his Heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck.
Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, and Cominius, with others.
Sic. Well, here he comes.
Men, Calmly, I do beseech you.
Cor. Ay, as an Hoftler, that for the poorest peice
Will bear the Knave by ch' Volume:
Th' Honoured Gods
Keep
Keep Rome in Safety, and the Chairs of Justice
Supplied with worthy Men, plant Love amongst you,
Through our large Temples, with the thews of Peace.
Cor. And not our Streets with War.
I Sex. Amen, Amen,
Men. A noble With.
Enter the Ædile with the Plebeians.
Sic. Draw near, ye People.
Ad. Lift to your Tribunes: Audience;
Peace, I say.
Cor. First, hear me speak.
Both Tri. Well, say : Peace, ho.
Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present?
Must all determine here?
Sic. I do demand,
If you submit you to the Peoples Voices,
Allow their officers, and are content
To luffer lawful Censure for such faults
As shall be prov'd upon you?
Cor. I am content.
Men. Lo, Citizens, he says he is content : The warlike Service he has done, consider; think Upon the Wounds his Body bears, which thew Like Graves i'th' holy Church-yard.
Cor. Scatches with Briars, Scars to move
Laughter only.
Men, Confider further :
That when he speaks not like a Citizen,
You find him like a Soldier ; do not take
His rougher Adions for malicious Sounds:
But, as I say, such as become a Soldier,
Rather than envy you.
Com. Well, well, no more.
Cor. What is the matter,
That being paft for Consul with full Voice,
I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?
Sic. Answer to us.
Cor. Say then: 'ris true, I ought so.
Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take
From Rome all fealond Office, and to wind
Your
Your felf unto a Power Tyrannical,
For which you are a Traitor to the People.
Cor. How? Traitor ?
Men. Nay, temperately : your promise.
Cor. The Fires i'th' lowest Hell, Fold in the People:
Call me their Traitor ! thou injurious Tribune!
Within thine Eyes fate twenty thousand Deaths,
In thy Hands clutch'd as' many Millions, in
Thy lying Tongue, both Numbers, I would say,
Thou lyelt unto thee, with a Voice as free,
As I do pray the Gods.
Sic. Mark you this, People?
All. To th' Rock with him.
Sic. Peace :
We need not put new Matter to his Charge:
have seen him do, and heard him speak,
Beating your Officers, curfing your selves,
Oppoling Laws with Stroaks, and here defying
Those whose great Power must try him,
Even this fo Criminal, and in such Capital kind,
Deserves th' extreameft Death.
Bru. But since he hath serv'd well for Rome
Cor. What do you prate of Service?
Bru. I talk of that, that know it.
Cor. You?
Men. Is this the promise that you made your Mother?
Com. Know, I pray you.
Cor. I'll know no farther :
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian Death,
Vagabond Exile, Fleaing, pent to linger
But with a Grain a Day, I would not buy
a
Their Mercy, at the price of one fair word,
Nor check my Courage for what they can give,
To have't with saying, Good morrow.
Sic. For that he has
(As much as in him lyes) from time to time
Envy'd against the People; seeking Means
To pluck away their Power; as now' at last,
Given Hoftile stroaks, and that not in the presence
Of dreaded Justice, but on the Ministers
That do distribute it. In the Name o'th' People,
And
And in the Power of us the Tribunes, we
(Ev'n from this instant) banish him our City,
In peril of Precipitation
From off the Rock Tarpeian, never more
To enter our Rome's Gates. I'th' People's Name,
I say it shall be fo.
All. It shall be fo, it shall be fo: Let him away:
He's Banish'd, and it shall be so.
Com. Hear me, my Masters, and my common Friends---
Sic. He's Sentenc'à: No more Hearing.
Com. Let me speak :
I have been Consul, and can shew from Rome,
Her Enemies marks upon me.
I do love
My Country's good, with a respect more tender,
More holy, and profound, than mine own Life,
My dear Wife's estimate, her Womb's increase,
And treasure of my Loyos: Then if I would
Speak that
Sic. We know
your drifi. Speak what?
Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is babilh'd
As Enemy to the People, and his Country.
It shall be fo.
All. It shall be so, it shall be so,
Cor. You common cry of Curs, whose Breath I hate, As reek o'th' rotten Fenns; whose Loves I prize, As the dead Carkasses of unburied Men, That do corrupt my Air: I Banish you, And here remain with your uncertainty. Let every feeble Rumour shake your Hearts: : Your Enemies, with nodding of their Plumes, Fan you into Despair: Have the Power still To banish your Defenders, till at length, Your Ignorance (which finds not till it feels, Making but reservation of your felves Still your own Foes) deliver you As most abated Captives, to some Nation That won you without Blows, despising For you the City. Thus I turn my Back; There is a World elsewhere.
[Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, and others. [The People Mour, and throw up their Caps.
£dile.
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