Their nicely-gawded cheeks, to the wanton spoil
Of Phoebus' burning kisses; such a pother,
As if that whatsoever god, who leads him,
Were slyly crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful posture.1

Sic.

I warrant him consul.

Bru.

On the sudden,

Then our office may,

During his power, go sleep.

2

Sic. He cannot temperately transport his honors From where he should begin, and end; but will Lose those that he hath won.

Bru.

In that there's comfort. Sic. Doubt not, the commoners, for whom we stand, But they, upon their ancient malice, will

Forget, with the least cause, these his new honors; Which that he'll give them, make as little question As he is proud to do't.

Bru. I heard him swear,

Were he to stand for consul, never would he

Appear i' the market-place, nor on him put

3

The napless vesture of humility;

Nor, showing (as the manner is) his wounds
To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

Sic.

'Tis right.

Bru. It was his word: O, he would miss it, rather Than carry it, but by the suit o' the gentry to him, And the desire of the nobles.

I wish no better

Sic.
Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it

In execution.

Sic. It shall be to him, then, as our good wills;" A sure destruction.

Bru.

So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

1 That is, as if that god who leads him, whatsoever god he be.

4

2 The meaning, though obscurely expressed, is, "He cannot carry his honors temperately from where he should begin, to where he should end." 3 i. e. threadbare.

4 i. e. “ as our advantage requires."

We must suggest' the people, in what hatred

He still hath held them; that, to his power, he would'
Have made them mules, silenced their pleaders, and
Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war; who have their provand
Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
For sinking under them.

Sic.

3

This, as you say, suggested At some time when his soaring insolence

Shall teach the people,' (which time shall not want, If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to set dogs on sheep,) will be his fire

To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him forever.

Bru.

Enter a Messenger.

What's the matter?

Mess. You are sent for to the capitol. 'Tis thought

That Marcius shall be consul. I have seen

The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind
To hear him speak; matrons flung gloves,

Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,5
Upon him as he passed; the nobles bended,
As to Jove's statue; and the commons made
A shower, and thunder, with their caps and shouts.
I never saw the like.

Bru.

Let's to the Capitol;

And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,
But hearts for the event.6

Sic.

1 i. e. prompt.

Have with you. [Exeunt.

2 "That to the utmost of his power he would," &c.

3 We should probably read "the war." Provand is provender.

4 Theobald reads, "Shall reach the people," &c. Teach the people, may however mean, "instruct the people in favor of our purposes."

5 Shakspeare here attributes some of the customs of his own times to a

people who were wholly unacquainted with them.

6 That is, "Let us observe what passes, but keep our hearts fixed on our design of crushing Coriolanus."

SCENE II. The same.

The Capitol.

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions.

1 Off. Come, come, they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?

2 Off Three, they say; but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it.

1 Off. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them, and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved indifferently' 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

seem to

2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country; and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those, who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to have them at all into their estimation and report; but he hath so planted his honors in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury.

1 i. e. "he would have waved indifferently," &c.

2 Their adversary or opponent.

3 Bonnetted is here a verb, as bonnetter (Fr.), to pull off the cap.

To report otherwise were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him; he is a worthy man. Make way, they are coming.

A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS, the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.

Men. Having determined of the Volces, and
To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,
To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus stood for his country. Therefore, please

you,

Most reverend and grave elders, to desire

The present consul, and last general
In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy work performed

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We meet here, both to thank, and to remember
With honors like himself.

1 Sen.

Speak, good Cominius.
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our state's defective for requital,

Than we to stretch it out. Masters o' the people,
We do request your kindest ears; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common body,2
To yield what passes here.

Sic.

We are convented Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts

Inclinable to honor and advance

The theme of our assembly.3

1 "Rather say that our means are too defective to afford an adequate reward, than our inclinations defective to extend it toward him."

2 i. e. your kind interposition with the common people.

3 Shakspeare was probably not aware that, until the promulgation of

Which the rather

Bru.
We shall be blessed to do, if he remember
A kinder value of the people, than

He hath hereto prized them at.

Men.

That's off, that's off;1

I would you rather had been silent. Please you
To hear Cominius speak?

Bru.

But yet my caution was more
Than the rebuke you give it.
Men.

Most willingly;

pertinent,

He loves your people;

But tie him not to be their bedfellow.— Worthy Cominius, speak.-Nay, keep your place. [CORIOLANUS rises and offers to go away.

1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear What you have nobly done.

Cor.

Your honors' pardon; I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

Than hear say how I got them.

Bru.

My words disbenched you not.

Sir, I hope

Cor. No, sir; yet oft, When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You soothed not, therefore hurt not; but your people, I love them as they weigh.

Men.

Pray now, sit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i' the

sun,

When the alarum were struck, than idly sit

Men.

To hear my nothings monstered. [Exit CORIOLAnus.
Masters o' the people,
Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
(That's thousand to one good one,) when you now see,
He had rather venture all his limbs for honor,
Than one of his ears to hear it ?-Proceed, Cominius.

the Lex Attinia, which is supposed to have been in the time of Quintus Metellus Macedonicus, the tribunes had not the privilege of entering the senate, but had seats placed for them near the door, on the outside of the house.

1 i. e. "that is nothing to the purpose."